Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted An Evaluation of the Validity of English Placement Tests at Imam Abdurrahman Bin Faisal University: A Critical Analysis(Salem State University, 2024-06) Alqahtani, Amal; Perez , Heidi; Minett, Amy JoThis study examines the validity and reliability of English placement exams at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University and their ability to forecast academic success in English foundation courses. Using a quantitative correlational approach, the research analyzed data from 300 students to assess the relationship between placement test scores and subsequent course grades. Findings indicate that test scores moderately predict course performance, explaining about 38.4% and 36.2% of the variance in grades for two core courses. However, significant variability in test effectiveness across different academic disciplines suggests that the exams may not consistently capture diverse academic needs and language proficiencies. The study recommends targeted refinements in the exam structure and scoring to enhance fairness and accuracy in student placements, addressing specific disparities found across disciplines. These adjustments are crucial for better aligning placement procedures with the educational demands and language competencies at the university.60 0Item Restricted The Effect of Electronic Word-Of-Mouth (eWOM) Language On Purchase Persuasion(The University of Newcastle, 2023-06-07) Alshoon, Shaher Mahmood; Vilches-Montero, Sonia; Chao, Chih-WeiContemporary Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) has seen a deep transformation regarding how messages are produced and shared using varied digital platforms. Importantly, the literature advances very few studies that examine the effect of eWOM language on information seekers. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate how the use of language in eWOM messages affects purchase persuasion. In particular, to discover how different features of language, especially language proficiency, influence the persuasive efficacy of eWOM communications. This aim is accomplished using three experimental studies, each applying a between-subject factorial design. Participants were shown fictitious Facebook comments in different contexts related to restaurants, tourist destinations, and smartphones. The purpose of Study 1 is to investigate the influence of language proficiency of eWOM messages on purchase persuasion. The chosen setting for this study is a fictitious restaurant— Borgertto Restaurant —for which fictitious clients have shared their experience using eWOM on Facebook as the social media platform. The eWOM messages were written in English and presented as if they had been posted on Facebook. Messages were written with either a High or Low level of English Language Proficiency. The findings of Study 1 demonstrated a consistent pattern, showing that language proficiency plays a crucial role in influencing purchase persuasion. The findings of Study 1 shed more light concerning the relevance of language use of eWOM messages as it confirms that written language proficiency can also influence the receivers’ level of persuasion. Study 2 replicates Study 1 while additionally investigating the mediating influence of perceived storytellers’ expertise and narrative transportation. The chosen setting for this study is a fictitious tourist destination — Golden Sands City — for which fictitious clients have shared their experience using eWOM on Facebook as the social media platform. The eWOM messages were written in English and presented as if they had been posted on Facebook. The results show that the effect of proficiency of eWOM messages was significantly mediated by storytellers’ expertise and narrative transportation. The higher the language proficiency, the higher the perceived expertise of the storyteller. In turn, storyteller expertise positively affects persuasion. Further, when language proficiency increases, the receiver’s narrative transportation increases, which in turn leads to an increased purchase persuasion. When customers experience high levels of narrative transportation, they are more likely to mentally transport themselves into the story, imagining the scenarios and connecting with the emotions conveyed. Study 3 investigates the moderating role of emotional intensity and language congruence on the relationship between eWOM language and the mediators. Study 3 is a replication of study 1 and 2 with the following changes: the chosen setting for this study is a fictitious mobile phone brand — Smart Phone X22 — for which fictitious clients have shared their experience with the phone using eWOM on Facebook as the social media platform. The eWOM messages were written in English and presented as if they had been posted on Facebook. Messages were written in either a high or low level of English language proficiency. Language congruence was measured by asking participants if they were either native or non-native English speakers. The results of Study 3 confirm a significant moderating effect of emotional intensity and language congruence on the effect that language proficiency exerts on the perception of the endorser’s expertise and narrative transportation. The findings support the proposed moderated mediation model and confirms the influence of emotions experienced by native and non-native English speakers while processing eWOM messages. The results obtained from these studies offer valuable information to marketing researchers, marketers and practitioners. They provide a deeper understanding of the impact of language proficiency in driving purchase persuasion of eWOM messages, highlighting the need for tailored and targeted communication approaches. The findings also emphasise the significance of linguistic alignment in capturing consumers' attention and fostering positive behavioural responses towards products or services. Each of the three experimental studies confirmed the role of eWOM language proficiency in affecting purchase persuasion. The study derives valuable theoretical insights and practical implications for marketing practitioners, informing about the importance of eWOM language to persuade digital information seekers who resort to social media. In summary, the language used in eWOM messaging has significant effects on purchase persuasion. Knowing how language can be utilised to influence customer behaviour will help marketers, influencers and companies design more successful eWOM messages.24 0Item Restricted Teachers’ Perspectives on the Implementation of Continuous Assessment (CA) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Classes in Saudi Elementary School: A Qualitative Case Study(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-26) Alqahtani, Maram; Bloom, FennemaStarting from 2021/2022 academic year, the Saudi national government introduced English classes from the first grade of elementary school to improve the English proficiency levels of Saudi students. Notably, elementary school teachers rely on continuous assessment (CA) methods to evaluate their students’ learning. However, very few studies have looked at how elementary teachers employ CA in their English Classrooms to inform best practices. As such, the purpose of this study was to collect data on how Saudi elementary teachers used CA in their English classes to promote their students’ learning progress. This qualitative case study, involving 3 Saudi English teachers from different elementary schools, used 17 open-ended questions to collect data on CA practices, challenges, benefits, training, and construed beliefs in the Saudi context. The findings show that Saudi elementary teachers believed that using CA promoted their students’ learning progress and used a variety of CA methods to assess their students’ writing, speaking, listening, and reading skills. However, they faced a lot of challenges that impended their use of CA, including a high workload, lack of training, low motivation among students to learn English, inadequate resources, and the national English curriculum focus on paper assessments. These findings suggest that more needs to be done to support Saudi teachers in using CA in their classrooms. Therefore, it is recommended that more support be given to teachers in order to support their effort such as: providing in-service training, online courses and resources, and opportunities for teachers to discuss best practices with their experienced colleagues from other schools to improve their CA competency. بدءًا من العام الدراسي 2021/2022، قدمت الحكومة الوطنية السعودية دروس اللغة الإنجليزية من الصف الأول الابتدائي لتحسين مستويات إتقان اللغة الإنجليزية للطلاب السعوديين. والجدير بالذكر أن معلمي المدارس الابتدائية يعتمدون على أساليب التقييم المستمر (CA) لتقييم تعلم طلابهم. ومع ذلك، فقد بحث عدد قليل جدًا من الدراسات في كيفية توظيف معلمي المرحلة الابتدائية CA في فصول اللغة الإنجليزية الخاصة بهم لتوجيه أفضل الممارسات. على هذا النحو، كان الغرض من هذه الدراسة هو جمع بيانات حول كيفية استخدام المعلمين السعوديين للمرحلة الابتدائية CA في فصول اللغة الإنجليزية لتعزيز تقدم تعلم طلابهم. استخدمت دراسة الحالة النوعية هذه، التي شارك فيها 3 مدرسين سعوديين للغة الإنجليزية من مدارس ابتدائية مختلفة، 17 سؤالًا مفتوحًا لجمع بيانات حول ممارسات CA والتحديات والفوائد والتدريب والمعتقدات المفسرة في السياق السعودي. تظهر النتائج أن معلمي المرحلة الابتدائية السعوديين يعتقدون أن استخدام CA يعزز تقدم تعلم طلابهم ويستخدمون مجموعة متنوعة من أساليب CA لتقييم مهارات الكتابة والتحدث والاستماع والقراءة لدى طلابهم. ومع ذلك، فقد واجهوا الكثير من التحديات التي أعاقت استخدام CA، بما في ذلك عبء العمل الكبير، ونقص التدريب، وانخفاض الدافع بين الطلاب لتعلم اللغة الإنجليزية، وعدم كفاية الموارد، وتركيز مناهج اللغة الإنجليزية الوطنية على التقييمات الورقية. تشير هذه النتائج إلى أنه لا بد من بذل المزيد من الجهود لدعم المعلمين السعوديين في استخدام CA في فصولهم الدراسية. ولذلك، يوصى بتقديم المزيد من الدعم للمعلمين من أجل دعم جهودهم مثل: توفير التدريب أثناء الخدمة، والدورات والموارد عبر الإنترنت، وفرص المعلمين لمناقشة أفضل الممارسات مع زملائهم ذوي الخبرة من المدارس الأخرى لتحسين مهاراتهم.71 0