Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE ON THE APPLICABILITY OF THE LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKS USED IN SAUDI ARABIAN UNIVERSITIES(University of Mississippi, 2024-08-11) Alqahtani, Asmahan; Warhol, TamaraThis study investigates English language assessment practices in Saudi Arabian universities from the perspectives of English language teachers. It explores how ESL teachers perceive the applicability of assessment frameworks provided by policymakers in higher education. Guided by concepts of Language Assessment Literacy, the study examines the roles and practices of various stakeholders in language assessment, the principles and concepts guiding these practices, and the awareness of the social contexts in which language assessment takes place. In Saudi Arabia, research on language assessment is needed due to the limited attention given to assessment and testing issues, and the minimal involvement of teachers in assessment development and decision-making. This mixed-method study employs both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data were collected through interviews to explore participants' in-depth perceptions, while quantitative data were gathered via surveys to collect information on assessment from a larger population. The interviews included eight (8) English language teachers currently teaching at various universities in Saudi Arabia; whereas, 73 teachers participated in the survey. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data, and descriptive analysis was applied to survey results. Findings reveal that ESL teachers in Saudi universities are generally dissatisfied with current assessment practices. Key concerns identified in interviews include limited teacher involvement in assessments, the rigid structure of the unified exam system, reliance on traditional assessment methods, and the neglect of students' individual needs. Survey findings indicate a preference among language teachers for assessment topics addressing language pedagogy issues over theoretical and local practice aspects of assessment.17 0Item Restricted Novice Arabic language Teachers’ Perceptions of their Preparation Programmes and their First Years of Practising Teaching in Saudi Arabia(Open Research Exeter, 2024-03-04) Maash, Wesal; Troudi, SalahThis study explores Arabic language teachers’ perceptions concerning their preparation programmes and their first years of teaching experience in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study is informed by the interpretive paradigm due to its exploratory nature. A mixed-method sequential design was utilised to collect the data. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were applied consecutively, with more emphasis on the qualitative strand. The study utilised reflective essays and one-to-one semi-structured interviews in the qualitative stage, in addition to an online questionnaire in the quantitative stage. Thematic analysis was conducted for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for the quantitative data. The analysis of both sets of data culminated in the emergence of two main themes: teachers’ perceptions of their preparation programmes and of their novice teaching experiences. The findings highlighted the issue of the admission system, the focus on the theoretical aspect, the neglect of the practical aspect, and the lack of focus on pedagogical content knowledge within these programmes. The findings also highlighted the challenges teachers encountered during the first years of the teaching profession and linked these challenges to their knowledge and preparation. The study concluded by proposing recommendations for the educational authorities and policymakers in Saudi teachers' education programmes.46 0