Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Translanguaging in EFL Tertiary Education: Investigating Saudi English Language Teachers’ Perceptions(University of Reading, 2024-09-07) Alshehri, Yara; Chung, YoojinTranslanguaging is currently enjoying significant interest in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Within the context of teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL), research has revealed that translanguaging as a pedagogical approach can be beneficial for both affective factors and learning outcomes. However, despite current interest and potential affordances, translanguaging is not employed by most instructors. This is also notable in the context of Saudi EFL tertiary education. Thus, it is essential to investigate what teachers’ perceptions are to explore how translanguaging can be employed in Saudi EFL teaching in the future. This study aims to investigate Saudi English language teachers’ perceptions toward translanguaging and the perceived benefits and disadvantages resulting from utilizing this approach. A mixed-method approach was utilized to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The questionnaire garnered 51 responses, and five semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results reveal that Saudi English instructors' perceptions were generally positive yet cautious. Moreover, the teachers expressed that translanguaging was significantly beneficial in serving as a pedagogical tool to scaffold EFL learning as well as improving classroom dynamics. Meanwhile, the perceived disadvantages include L1 overreliance and the reduction of FL exposure. These results are similar to the findings of previous research conducted in Saudi contexts and global contexts.17 0Item Restricted Towards an Understanding of Audit Quality(The University of Sheffield, 2024-07-27) Alobaid, Ali A.; Sikka, PremThis study explores perceptions of audit quality (AQ) and audit quality indicators (AQIs) in Saudi Arabia. AQ and AQIs are explored from the perspectives of external auditors, members serving on the boards of directors of Saudi listed companies (BoDs), and members of the Professional Practice and Quality Review Committee (PPQRC) of the Saudi Organisation of Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA). This research focuses on how these stakeholders define AQ and AQIs, and how Western auditing practices have shaped perceptions of AQ and AQIs in the Saudi context. A mixed-methods research design is used to collect and analyse data. Data from a questionnaire issued to 200 participants are descriptively analysed and semi-structured interviews undertaken with 34 participants are thematically analysed. The findings reveal general shared perceptions of AQ among the participants, despite their different interests. The study finds that AQIs in Saudi Arabia are predominantly associated with the auditor and the audit firm, and Western auditing practices have a strong influence on perceptions. The International Financial Reporting Standards/International Auditing Standards (IFRS/ISAs) also shape perceptions of AQ and AQIs in the local environment. The study contributes on multiple levels. Theoretically, it provides a deeper understanding of AQ and AQIs in the Saudi context. Methodologically, it advances research by employing a mixed-methods design that integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches in the Saudi context. Empirically, it contributes in its field of research by exploring the role of Western auditing practices in shaping AQ and AQIs in Saudi Arabia. Practically, it provides insights for auditors, BoDs, and regulators for improving audit quality practices in Saudi Arabia. It also serves as a reference guide for future research within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other developing countries. Keywords: audit quality, perceptions, indicators, Saudi Arabia, external auditors, Board of Directors, SOCPA, Western auditing practices, international standards, IFRS, ISA.15 0Item Restricted An Exploratory Study into the Perceptions of Multidisciplinary Team Members on the Role of Occupational Therapy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.(Cardiff University, 2024-03-04) Alsubait, Reem; Morgan, GarethBackground/Aim: Occupational therapy (OT) is a client-centred healthcare delivery within multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), aiming to enhance individuals' quality of life. Despite its significance, the integration of OT services within the healthcare framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains relatively nascent. Effective collaboration within MDTs hinge upon a comprehensive understanding of each member's role. Consequently, this study endeavours to explore the perceptions held by Saudi Arabian MDT members regarding the role of OTs within the healthcare system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Employing an exploratory-descriptive qualitative design, the study conducted six online semi-structured interviews with professionals from diverse disciplines, including medicine, physiotherapy, speech therapy, nursing, and psychology. Participants were purposively recruited from a WhatsApp group. Audio recordings were transcribed using Zoom software and subsequently verified and refined by the researcher. Thematic analysis, facilitated by NVivo, was employed to discern prevalent themes. Findings: Three principal themes emerged: (1) Saudi MDT members' perceptions of the domain and process of OT, (2) collaborative roles and interdisciplinary dynamics with OT in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and (3) future perspectives and recommendations for OT practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The findings implied adequate understanding among participants regarding the role of OT in patient care. Nevertheless, certain areas, notably mental health, were identified as warranting heightened awareness. Concerns regarding role overlap between OT and other MDT professions and a perceived limitation in medical professionals' comprehension of OT were highlighted by the participants. Direct communication with OTs was considered the most efficacious source of information about the profession. Conclusion: The study underscores the exigency for an increased influx of OTs, particularly those specialising in sub-domains. Furthermore, it advocates for sustained efforts by OTs not only to delineate their professional identity but also to actively spread awareness about their profession, thereby optimising client outcomes.18 0Item Restricted Investigating Thermal Comfort in Vernacular and Contemporary Houses in Al-Qassim's Hot-Arid Climate(Cardiff University, 2023-10-31) Alghafis, Mohammed Fahad; Sibley, MagdaContemporary residential buildings in the hot-arid climate of Saudi Arabia with no or minimum insulation heavily rely on mechanical cooling, resulting in high electricity consumption. In the context of climate emergency, energy consumption based on fossil fuels is a high contributing factor. This research aims to investigate residents’ behavioural and cultural aspects of thermal comfort perceptions and adaptation and their relationship to objective measurements of air temperatures in vernacular and contemporary single-family houses in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia. The research does this by recording and evaluating the temperature measurements outside and inside eight vernacular and ten contemporary case study houses and thermal comfort perceptions of residents in the summer hot season of 2020 during a period of two consecutive weeks. Contemporary houses were selected from four neighbourhoods in Buraydah, while vernacular houses were chosen based on their accessibility, current condition and the availability of previous occupants for interviews. Open-ended structured interviews were conducted with eight elderly individuals to record their oral memories about living in the case study vernacular houses, while one resident from each of the 10 selected contemporary houses was interviewed in depth about their behaviour in their living room regarding maintaining comfortable temperatures. In addition, male and female occupants of contemporary houses were asked to rate their thermal comfort levels in their air conditioned living room twice a day. A typical house was chosen for a simulation model based on electricity bills and construction details. Three insulation scenarios in walls, roofs, or both were tested according to the Saudi Building Code. A comparative simulation was conducted to compare the unoccupied temperatures of vernacular houses with simulated conditions in contemporary ones, both under free-running and air-conditioned conditions. The research reveals that vernacular houses maintain warmer temperatures at night compared to outdoors, while contemporary houses are warmer during the daytime. Residents employ adaptive strategies in vernacular houses, such as sleeping on roofs. In contrast, residents in contemporary houses keep windows shut and rely on air-conditioning despite cooler nighttime temperatures. In the comparative simulation, vernacular house with and without air-conditioning, performed better than contemporary ones due to its lower U-value. The results of this study provide a new understanding of behavioural and cultural aspects from the past and the present related to maintaining thermal comfort, leading to a set of recommendations. The findings have broader applicability to similar climates and cultural contexts, including other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.21 0Item Restricted The perception and Knowledge of Healthcare professionals towards the use of AI tools: A case from Saudi Arabia.(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-01) Alhumaid, Haya; Kanis, FatimaIn recent days, Artificial intelligence tools in healthcare are widely implemented around the world, this leads the healthcare professionals to face a new obstacle in their careers. This study aims to explore healthcare professionals’ perceptions and attitudes toward the use of AI tools in Saudi healthcare. The study is an attempt of systematic literature review, literature search was conducted by using google scholar, PubMed. An inclusion and exclusion criteria had been used to extract 14 relevant studies all based in Saudi Arabia and MMAT tool is used for assessing the quality. The findings indicates that Most of the studies reported the majority of healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia have the basic knowledge of AI. However, their knowledge and acceptance might be affected by some demographic and personal factors. Higher educational level and experience can be correlated with more understanding of AI but it does not necessary correlate with better acceptance of AI tools. The study also indicates that some specialists e.g., Radiologists are more threatened by the presence of AI compared the other specialists, and this might be due higher advancement of AI in their fields and the nature of their job. Furthermore, most of the studies reported that a considerable number of participants who have concerns of being replace by AI. lack of proper training was strongly noticed among the studies, and most participants are willing to improve their skills of using clinical AI. In conclusion, while there are a lot of optimistic views of clinical AI, lack of trust was strongly noticed among health professionals. A proper training and education are crucial to ensure the health professionals advancement in using clinical AI.46 0Item Restricted Perceptions of Two Urban Saudi Dialects: The Emergence of New Saudi koiné(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-24) Alerwi, Amani; Cowie, ClaireThis research examines the attitudes and perceptions of two social groups, Hijazis and Najdis, toward each other's dialects. It also sheds light on the underlying ideologies that shaped these views. The Hijazi and Najdi dialects are the main linguistic variants in Saudi Arabia; these dialects have significant historical, social, and political significance. Another objective of this research is to investigate the existence of a new Saudi koiné, which may be considered a national dialect. The participants were asked to complete an online survey that included both open-ended and closed ended questions in order to get their explicit attitudes regarding these dialects and the new koiné. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to provide a more comprehensive insight into the participants' perspectives. A total of 50 individuals participated in this study. Their ages ranged from 18 to 50 years old, and the distribution of participants between groups was balanced. The investigation indicates that Najdis perceive Hijazi as 'impure' and 'soft/effeminate' and have voiced some unfavourable feelings towards it. In contrast, Hijazi openly stated their admiration for the Najdi dialect, describing it as aesthetically pleasing, authentic, and symbolic of Saudi identity. Additionally, the data demonstrated a substantial correlation between the perception of the dialect and the perception of the speakers of that dialect. The data at hand suggests the existence of a koiné, which participants commonly named the 'white dialect'. Although participants believe this white dialect is still in its early phase, both groups agreed that the Najdi has the most significant influence. The study's findings provide valuable insights into language attitudes and views about the Saudi linguistic landscape.22 0Item Restricted Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Blended Learning in EFL Classrooms: Post-Pandemic Tertiary Education in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-02-09) Alamri, Nada; Sitter, JaneThis study aimed to determine whether or not the COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on the perceptions of blended learning held by EFL teachers working in higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study also looked at how teachers' attitudes differed based on their gender, age, level of education, level of training, and number of years teaching. In addition, 58 male and female EFL teachers participated in a survey questionnaire to provide the necessary data for this study. The results indicated that the attitudes of EFL teachers toward blended learning shifted in a positive direction after the pandemic. Before and after the pandemic, there were no clear differences in how male and female EFL teachers viewed blended learning based on their gender. Also, there was no statistically significant difference between the teachers' opinions and their demographic variables. The results showed that most EFL teachers liked blended learning and thought it made teaching and learning more convenient. Finally, the answers to the open-ended questions about the problems and challenges of blended learning showed that the delivery of these courses was hampered by a lack of training and technical knowledge.14 0Item Restricted Perceptions of Healthcare Students toward Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs for COPD Patients(2023) Assiry, Amani; Gardenhire, Douglas; Robert B, Murray; Brandenberg, KyleBackground: Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) program is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for patients with COPD. It aims to improve quality of life, exercise capacity, and lung function. PR has been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity rate. To enhance COPD management strategies, it is essential to examine students' perceptions toward PR programs to determine the need for the implementation of educational courses about the effectiveness of PR programs. This study would also be considered one of the initial steps in developing a pulmonary rehabilitation education course in the curriculum of all healthcare programs at Georgia State University. Purpose: was to assess the perceptions of various enrolled healthcare students at a large urban university. Methods: The data used for this study were collected from three different healthcare programs at GSU using a convenience sample. Data were collected through a self- administered survey consisting of 38 questions on a 5-point Likert-type scale evaluating the perceptions. The survey was examined for face validity by respiratory therapy educators from GSU. Data was analyzed using the statistical program of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: A total of 178 participants from three programs. The majority of respondents were respiratory therapy students (43.3%); followed by physical therapy (39.9%); occupational therapy (16.9%). The study findings revealed there were differences in the perception of students regarding pulmonary rehabilitation. There was a significant difference in positive perceptions between students who had experience attending PR programs and those who did not (p=0.043). There were no differences found among students in familiarity with PR programs (p=0.060). Finally, there were no differences in the perception of students regarding the factors that could influence COPD patients' decisions not to participate in the PR programs. Conclusion: Healthcare students value and have a positive perception toward PR. The results of this study support the idea of the implantation of PR courses throughout the healthcare program curriculum. Healthcare students felt that they had an important role in PR programs, but barriers to participating and assisting in PR included their own lack of knowledge and clinical experience. They considered that there should be more teaching on pulmonary rehabilitation and that these should feature in both the curriculum and clinical. Further studies with a higher number of participants and different institutions are recommended.14 0Item Restricted Exploring the Experiences and Perceptions of Computed Tomography Radiologists and Radiographers Towards Introducing Artificial Intelligence Innovations in Their Practice in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.(2023-04-03) Alsloum, Nada; Jason, ElliottBackground Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of machines to accomplish tasks that traditionally require human intelligence. In the healthcare sector, especially in the radiology field, AI has found the optimal environment to flourish and several applications have been incorporated into daily radiology workflow. This rapid integration of AI into radiology practice could have a significant impact on key radiology professionals, namely radiologists and radiographers, especially in Saudi Arabia, which aims to be the global leader in AI by 2030 under a strategic plan known as Vision 2030. Methodology A qualitative study was conducted to explore computed tomography radiographers’ and radiologists’ experiences and perceptions regarding AI adoption into radiology practice. To achieve this, eight semi-structured online interviews were conducted with six radiographers and two radiologists. The Participants were purposively sampled from three different governmental hospitals in Najran, KSA. Audio recordings of the interviews were manually transcribed and analysed by employing thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from the interviews: (1) the knowledge of radiology professionals about AI, (2) the attitudes of radiology professionals towards AI, and (3) the current AI practice in radiology. Two additional themes focused on the drivers and barriers to AI adoption in Saudi radiology practice were identified. Results The findings revealed that most radiology professionals were adequately knowledgeable about AI and its applications in radiology, although they had received no formal education or dedicated training on AI. Positivity and excitement regarding AI integration were expressed by most of the participants, and all of them were willing to use AI-based tools during their routine work. Furthermore, they generally believed in the positive impact that AI would have on radiology practice and patient care. In current radiology practice, several AI applications were used by some participants. This generally positive attitude was mainly driven by AI-appropriate awareness, Saudi Vision 2030, the perceived benefits of AI, and local champion. Despite the overall positivity, some concerns related to job insecurity, skills degradation, AI’s limited accuracy, and related medico-legal issues were raised by some participants. These concerns, in addition to the lack of AI education and training, AI-related costs, and resistance to change, were considered the main barriers to AI adoption in Saudi radiology practice. This warrants an urgent need to introduce AI-related subjects into Saudi radiology curricula, provide dedicated AI training for radiology professionals, and establish an adoption strategy and clear regulations for AI clinical use.94 0