Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Investigating the Effectiveness of Mobile Learning for Enhancing the Academic Literacy of Saudi EFL Students: A Case Study of Students at Umm Al-Qura University.(Saudi Digital Library, 2024-11-25) Alqhtani, Abdalelah; Georgiou, Helen; Ward, Rowena; Freeman, MarkThis thesis examines the impact of mobile learning technologies, specifically the ReadTheory and the Write&Improve programs, on the academic literacy development of Saudi university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. This study situates itself within the broader context of academic literacy challenges faced by Saudi EFL students, with a particular emphasis on key aspects such as vocabulary development, reading comprehension, mastery of sentence structure, and skills in composition analysis. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as the Constructivist Learning Theory (CLT) and the Mobile Learning Framework, the study explores how mobile learning learner-centred development of academic literacy. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is used to investigate Saudi EFL students’ perceptions and attitudes toward the ReadTheory and the Write&Improve programs as language learning tools. In this thesis, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is applied as a standard for evaluating the language proficiency levels of Saudi EFL students. It provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the specific impact of the ReadTheory and the Write&Improve programs on their reading and writing outcomes. Through theoretical analysis and empirical research, this study contributes to understanding the potential of mobile learning in enhancing EFL education in Saudi Arabia. The study, conducted at Umm Al Qura University (UQU), adopts a quasi-experimental design. All participants completed pre-and post-tests to evaluate students’ progress. Participants in the technology intervention groups also filled in post-intervention surveys about their perceptions of the programs’ usefulness and ease of use. The undergraduate participant cohort was divided into four groups: two for reading and two for writing. The reading groups involved 150 students, evenly split between those using the ReadTheory program and those attending online reading workshops. Both interventions spanned ten weeks. The reading workshops are held once a week to mitigate the potential positive impact of the technological intervention. Similarly, the writing groups involved 185 students, with 109 participants using the Write&Improve program and 76 attending online writing workshops. These writing workshops, conducted once a week for over ten weeks, ensured comparable exposure and practice writing opportunities, providing all participants with equal learning opportunities. This consistent structure across both reading and writing interventions was designed to create balanced conditions for evaluating the effectiveness of the mobile learning programs. Results show significant improvements in academic literacy. The ReadTheory intervention effectively enhanced the students’ reading skills (d = 0.74), outperforming the reading workshops (d = 0.18). The Write&Improve program significantly enhanced overall writing skills (d = 0.66) compared to the online writing workshops (d = 0.22). However, the online writing workshops were more effective in improving students’ sentence structure (d = 0.35) than in developing composition analysis skills (d = 0.14). Students found both programs useful and user-friendly for developing their academic literacy skills. This research contributes to advancing English education in Saudi Arabia and aligns with the country’s Vision 2030 by emphasising technology integration into educational practices. The research also has practical implications for EFL educators and researchers and concludes with suggestions for future research and application in similar settings.87 0Item Restricted The Potential of iPad Apps to Support Vocabulary Development in Children Learning English as an Additional Language(Saudi Digital Library, 2022-09-22) Aldossary, Norah Saleh; Niland, Amanda; Cairney, Trevor; Curwood, Jen ScottYoung children from various cultural backgrounds are being encouraged to learn English, as this is a widely used language in intercultural settings. Learning a new language involves, in part, developing vocabulary. The aim of this qualitative case study was to explore the role of an Apple iPad application in supporting English vocabulary building. The participants were children aged from four to six years learning English as an Additional Language and Dialect (EAL/D) and their educators in two Australian Early Childhood Education Centres (ECECs). The study was conducted within a theoretical framework of sociocultural learning inspired by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which provides insight into how children learn, particularly through play and interaction with others. Data were collected through observation of small groups of EAL/D children engaged in shared reading and vocabulary activities on an iPad app with an educator. Educators’ perspectives on the use of apps in their curriculum and on their experience of using the selected app for this study with the children were also studied. The app used was Starfall, which was selected after an analytical process conducted by the researcher prior to data collection, drawing on a range of literature. This included research into how young children’s language and vocabulary development, in their first language as well as additional languages, can be supported in early childhood education and care settings through play-based learning, as well as research into the use of digital technology in early childhood education, its potential impact on children’s development, and research into the use of iPad apps in enhancing young children’s language learning and vocabulary development. From this process, a short list of six apps was developed so that educators in the study could select the one they felt was most relevant and engaging for the children in their early childhood centre. Data were collected through children’s observations and educator interviews and thematically analysed, using NVivo software. Findings revealed vi that the selected app provided opportunities for promoting the children’s English language learning, including their vocabulary development. During the iPad sessions in both centres, children were excited to engage in conversations stimulated by the content of the app, both with one another and with the educators. They were also keen to share their life experiences with their friends and educators, which facilitated their English language development and vocabulary building. Further, the findings suggest that the Starfall app’s interactive features supported children’s active engagement and language development. However, in some cases, depending on context, and on educators’ perspectives on app use and teaching strategies, data showed missed opportunities for children’s engagement in rich language interactions. Overall, the study showed that iPad apps have the potential to support the language and vocabulary development of EAL/D children, and they can be used as a language-learning strategy in early childhood classrooms. It also showed that early childhood educators can benefit from learning more about how to utilise iPad apps as resources for language development, as part of their play-based pedagogies. In doing so, they need to start by evaluating the contents and features of apps, to select the apps that fit most closely with their pedagogical aims and teaching strategies. By critically considering how specific apps can enhance multimodal communication and vocabulary development and adopting pedagogical strategies that facilitate children’s interactions and conversations while using the apps, early childhood educators can utilise apps in classrooms that include young EAL/D learners. Educators therefore need access to professional development and resources to support their effective use of iPad and other apps in order to foster children’s multimodal communication in multilingual classrooms.12 0