The globalisation of commerce, alongside growing information on the Internet, has increased the demand of E-Learning (EL). Furthermore, knowledge management (KM) is capable of generating significant organisational/institutional competitive advantages. KM and EL systems contribution to the requirements of education has resulted in their increased demand of their integration across business/academic world. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives is one of the most widely used framework of organising levels of expertise. Bloom’s different cognitive domains are based on a hierarchy of learning which progresses from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract. This study considers ways to improve higher education in Saudi Arabia, based on the significant factors (of KM/EL systems) contributing to learner performance and the way in which New Bloom’s Taxonomy could potentially affect/benefit these individual systems; previous academic works will be considered, in an attempt to achieve higher standards of education using this theory/framework. This research presents the value of learning process/tactical approaches, to encourage staff and students to accept the idea of integrating EL and KM factors under New Bloom’s Taxonomy; examples will be given to demonstrate instances where systems have been adopted successfully. To investigate the effectiveness of New Bloom’s Taxonomy on the integration of EL and KM factors in Saudi higher education, a questionnaire methodology was chosen to collect data from experts of both systems; furthermore, the public sector was chosen as it has adopted both systems. Therefore, an integrated framework is proposed.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors affecting student retention at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. It has been estimated that 35% of university students leave higher education before completing their studies (Al-Saud, 2006). This study was guided by Tinto’s (1975) Student Integration Theory. Berger and Braxton (1998, p. 104) have stated that Tinto’s integration model ‘has been the focus of much empirical research and has near-paradigmatic status in the study of the college student departure.’ This theory is longitudinal and dynamic and views student retention decisions largely as the results of interactions between the student and the academic and social systems of the institution (Tinto, 1975, 1993). This study used a mixed methods approach. Using the terminology of Creswell (2003), the appropriate description of the overall design of this study is a mixed methods concurrent triangulation strategy. This means that ‘qualitative and quantitative data are collected and analyzed at the same time. Priority is usually equal and given to both forms of data. Data analysis is usually separate, and integration usually occurs at the data interpretation stage’ (Hanson et al., 2005, p. 229). This strategy was selected because it allows the findings to be confirmed, cross-validated, and corroborated within a single study (Creswell, 2003). This strategy consisted of two phases. The first phase was the quantitative approach. Quantitative data were collected from 414 freshman students using two questionnaires administered on two occasions and from the university admission office. The quantitative data were analysed using a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique using the AMOS software package. The results of the SEM indicated that Tinto’s model were not useful in predicting the Saudi freshman student retention process. The variables in the model explained only 30 percent of the variance in student retention. The results of the SEM indicated that four of the nine hypotheses proposed in Tinto’s model were supported by statistically significant results. Moreover, only three variables had direct effects on retention. The largest direct effect on retention was accounted for by initial goal and institutional commitment (0.49), followed by later goal and institutional commitment and pre-college schooling as measured by high school scores (0.10). The second phase of this study utilised a qualitative approach. Qualitative data were obtained from three sources: non-persister students, persister students, and staff members. Seventeen non-persister students were interviewed over the phone; 15 persister students were interviewed using a focus group technique; while staff members were asked to complete a survey. Of the 200 surveys distributed, 37 were returned including responses from 16 lecturers, 12 administrators, 5 librarians and 4 academic advisors. A comparison was made between those students who persisted and those who dropped out using constructs from Tinto’s theory. In relation to students’ levels of goal and institutional commitment, it was found that persister students appeared to be more motivated and to have higher levels of goal commitment than non-persister students. Similarly, persister students appeared to have higher levels of institutional commitment than non-persister students, in part it is suggested, due to the fact that the majority of persister students had been able to select their desired majors whereas the majority of non-persister students had not. In relation to the students’ levels of academic integration, there was no significant difference between both groups of students. Persister and non-persister students both exhibited low levels of academic integration into the university system. In addition, there was no significant difference between both groups of students in terms of social integration. Both groups of students indicated low levels of social integration into the university system. In addition, the participants (persister students, non-persister students, and staff members) were all asked to indicate what they perceived to be the major factors affecting student retention at King Saud University. The findings from the qualitative data not only help to explain and confirm the quantitative findings but also identify why Saudi freshman students leave the university before completing their studies. The most important factors were: difficulties of selecting majors, difficulties of transferring between subjects, lack of academic advice and irregularity of monthly reward.

No description available.

This study took place in the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) in Riyadh. It investigates the effectiveness of teaching four reading strategies on ESL Saudi female students' reading comprehension and on their reported use of these strategies. The strategies taught are two "global" strategies: finding main ideas and prediction. Global strategies are those related to general approach and comprehension of the reading passage. The other two strategies are problem solving strategies: word analysis and guessing meanings of words. Problem solving strategies are concerned with working directly and analyzing the reading text.The study has three goals. First, the study aims to investigate the impact of teaching global and problem solving strategies on preparatory level students' reading comprehension. Second, it compares the impact of teaching global strategies on reading comprehension and that of teaching problem solving strategies on readingcomprehension. Third, it measures how preparatory level students' perception of use of strategies develops after teaching these strategies to the students.There were three groups of preparatory students (beginning) representing two treatment groups and one control group. Each treatment group received training in different strategies. The number of students in the global strategy group was twenty-four, and in the problem solving strategy group it was twenty-two students. Students in the control group numbered twenty-one. Measurements consisted of reading comprehension tests and a questionnaire about reading strategies conducted over pre- and post-training stages.The results obtained from the two measurements lead to three findings. First, the two training groups (global and problem solving) experienced only non-significant improvement in their post- reading comprehension when compared to the control group. This means that reading strategy training did not significantly improve their reading comprehension. Second, there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups in their gain in reading comprehension. This implies that the present study did not show any favor of training students on global strategies over training them on problem solving strategies. Third, there were various results regarding students perception of using the strategies they were taught. Students mostly showed decrease in their perception of using strategies either significantly or non-significantly except for two strategies which were using context clues and prediction. Students showed more significant awareness of using contextual clues after the treatment. They also revealed an almost significant gain in their perception of using prediction. / Department of English

Many South African educators seek employment in Saudi Arabian schools, drawn by monetary incentives and better working conditions. However, little consideration is given to differences in cultural and educational values synonymous with the two entities. This research deals with the role of conflicting values in the teaching experiences of South African educators in Saudi Arabian schools by means of a literature study and empirical investigation. Qualitative data collection was done by in-depth personal interviews and personal narratives, written and sourced via e-mail. Findings revealed that the preconceived educational values of the South African educators sometimes acted as a barrier to teaching, restricting the educators from fully optimising their educational experiences. However, positive features of the Saudi education system were highlighted. The implications indicate a need for better orientation for South African educators working or planning to work in Saudi Arabia with emphasis on societal norms, customs and values. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Saudi Arabian Government has implemented a nation-wide policy to prepare its people for the workforce and has directed that the Saudi Council for Health Specialties (SCHS) be established. Under the SCHS umbrella the Saudi Nursing Board (SNB) has been formed for the purpose of regulating the nursing profession. While Saudi Arabia has for many years been dependent on the international community for nurses, it is now establishing its own nursing workforce. One challenge for the SCHS and the SNB is to ensure that practice standards are developed, since ultimately nursing practice affects the quality of the patient services and patient health outcomes. The Saudi nursing profession has a responsibility to develop its social mandate and provide a full range of services to the Saudi public. Systems and education programmes are required for all aspects of the regulatory process, including continuing professional development. Effective regulation systems are not based on a “one size fits all” approach. Furthermore, nurses need to insist on high quality education to develop both basic and ongoing competence and should be able to depend on the profession for social status and credibility. The purpose of this research was to develop, implement, validate and evaluate a continuing professional development learning programme for nurses working in Saudi Arabia. The learning programme was built from a vision of nurses (regardless of country) engaging in lifelong learning for the purpose of ensuring quality patient care and population health. The development of a continuing professional development learning programme is an initial step in fulfilling the need for educational structures to support standards of practice. The overall outcome of the research was functional by nature in that the knowledge of continuing professional development in nursing was generated and applied to nursing practice in Saudi Arabia. In view of the nature of the question, a mixed methodology was selected. Although the qualitative aspect was dominant, both the qualitative and quantitative aspects were used simultaneously. The design included exploratory and descriptive aspects. Furthermore, the researcher employed qualitative methods to develop, implement and evaluate the provisional learning programme and quantitative methods to validate the provisional programme, resulting in a partial explanation of the research phenomenon. The primary theoretical drive was inductive, as the purpose was to discover rather than to test the learning programme contents. Botes’ Research Model and King’s Theory of Goal Attainment were utilised. They complemented each other, as they both support a comprehensive, dynamic scientific approach to learning (health) outcomes influenced by the quality of nursing practice and practice environment. The research, which was outcomes–based, was carried out in the context of quality patient care (population health) and nursing practice situated within the Saudi Arabian setting, where the nursing regulatory system is emerging. As the questionnaire mean ( X ) results revealed scores of 3.0 to 3.9, data saturation was achieved during the first round of the Delphi technique. Fourteen experts from six different countries were asked to validate the provisional learning programme, which was duly done. The programme was implemented in a tertiary research hospital in Saudi Arabia. Formative and summative evaluations were also conducted. The results of the implementation and evaluation affirmed the effectiveness of the learning programme. Boyer’s Model for Scholarship was used to triangulate the research findings. These results formed the basis for the recommendations and final summary. The five broad recommendations that emerged from the research were that nurses should take on self-regulatory and leadership responsibilities; that they should engage in continuing professional development collaboration; that the nursing profession’s self-regulation responsibilities be acknowledged; that a healthy (quality) workplace environment be ensured; and that further research be done in this field. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die regering van Saoedi-Arabië het ʼn landwye beleid geïmplementeer om die mense van die land vir die arbeidsmag voor te berei en het opdrag gegee vir die stigting van die Saudi Council for Health Specialties (SCHS,) ʼn raad wat spesifiek met gesondheidsdienste gemoeid is. Die Saoedi Raad vir Verpleging (Saudi Nursing Board oftewel SNB) is tot stand gebring met die doel om die verpleegdiens in die land te reguleer. Nadat Saoedi-Arabië vir baie jare van die internasionale gemeenskap vir verpleegkundiges afhanklik was, word ʼn eie verpleegkorps nou in die land gevestig. Een van die uitdagings waarmee die SCHS en die SNB te kampe het, is die noodsaaklikheid om te verseker dat standaarde vir die praktyk ontwikkel word, aangesien die verpleegpraktyk inderdaad die gehalte van pasiënte-diens en gesondheidsuitkomste beïnvloed. Die verpleegberoep in Saoedi-Arabië is daarvoor verantwoordelik om sy maatskaplike mandaat te ontwikkel en ʼn volledige reeks dienste aan die mense van die land beskikbaar te stel. Stelsels en opvoedkundige programme is nodig vir alle aspekte van die reguleringsproses. Dit sluit voortgesette professionele ontwikkeling in. Vir ʼn reguleringstelsel om werklik doeltreffend te wees moet dit op spesifieke behoeftes gerig wees en kan een stelsel nie aan al die vereistes van diverse instellings voldoen nie. Dit is noodsaaklik dat verpleegkundiges op onderrig van ʼn hoë gehalte aandring ten einde basiese en voortgaande bevoegdheid te ontwikkel. Daarbenewens behoort hulle op die beroep te kan steun vir sosiale status en geloofwaardigheid. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om ʼn voortgesette leerprogram vir die professionele ontwikkeling van verpleegkundiges wat in Saoedi-Arabië werk, te ontwikkel, te implementeer, te valideer en te evalueer. Die leerprogram het onstaan uit ʼn visie van verpleegsters (ongeag hulle land van oorsprong) wat hulle met lewenslange leer besig hou met die doel om diens van ʼn hoë gehalte aan pasiënte asook bevolkingsgesondheid te verseker. Met die ontwikkeling van ʼn leerprogram vir voortgesette professionele ontwikkeling is die eerste stap gedoen om in die behoefte aan opvoedkundige strukture ter ondersteuning van praktykstandaarde te voorsien. Die algehele uitkoms van die navorsing was funksioneel van aard deurdat die kennis van voortgesette professionele ontwikkeling in verpleging deur die verpleegpraktyk in Saoedi-Arabië gegenereer en ook daarop toegepas is. Vanweë die aard van die navorsingsvraag is besluit om ʼn gemengde metodologie, dit is kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe aspekte gelyktydig te gebruik, met die kwalitatiewe aspek as die dominante metode. Sowel verkennende as beskrywende aspekte is in die ontwerp ingesluit. Daarbenewens het die navorser kwalitatiewe metodes gebruik om die voorlopige leerprogram te ontwikkel, te implementeer en te evalueer, en kwantitatiewe metodes om die voorlopige program te valideer. Die navorsingsverskynsel is deur middel van ʼn gedeeltelike verklarende metode ontleed. Die primêre teoretiese dryfkrag was induktief, aangesien dit die doel van die navorsing was om die leerprogram se inhoud te ontdek eerder as om dit te toets. Daar is van Botes se Navorsingsmodel en King se Teorie van Doelbereiking (Theory of Goal Attainment) gebruik gemaak. Hulle het mekaar aangevul aangesien albei ʼn omvangryke, dinamiese wetenskaplike benadering tot leer- (gesondheid-) uitkomste, wat deur die gehalte van verpleegpraktyk en die praktykomgewing beïnvloed word, ondersteun. Die navorsing, wat uitkomsgebaseerd was, is uitgevoer binne die konteks van pasiëntediens van gehalte (bevolkingsgesondheid) en verpleegpraktyk, gesetel in die Saoedi-Arabiese milieu, waar die reguleringstelsel vir verpleegkunde aan die ontwikkel is. Data saturasie is reeds bevestig tydens die eerste rondte van die Delphi tegniek met gemiddelde tellings van ( X ) 3,0 en 3,9. Die navorsingsontwerp is daardeur verder versterk. Veertien deskundiges van ses verskillende lande is gevra om die voorlopige leerprogram te valideer, wat hulle ook gedoen het. Die program is in ʼn tersiêre navorsingshospitaal in Saoedi-Arabië geïmplementeer. Formatiewe en summatiewe evaluering is gedoen en die resultate van die implementering en evaluering het die doeltreffendheid van die leerprogram bevestig. Boyer se Wetenskaplikheidsmodel (Model for Scholarship) is gebruik om die navorsingsbevindinge te staaf. Hierdie resultate het die grondslag gelê vir die aanbevelings en die finale opsomming. Die vyf breë aanbevelings wat uit die navorsing voortgekom het was dat verpleegkundiges selfregulerende en leierskapverantwoordelikhede aanvaar; dat hulle aan samewerkingsaksies ten opsigte van voortgesette professionele ontwikkeling deelneem; dat die verpleegberoep se verantwoordelikhede ten opsigte van selfregulering erken word; dat ʼn gesonde (gehalte-) werkomgewing verseker word; en dat verdere navorsing op hierdie gebied gedoen word.

The study used Social Cultural Theory as an analytical framework to understand the professional preparation of kindergarten teachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A multi-method approach to data collection was adopted, involving a questionnaire, interviews and documentary analysis of both the pre-school curriculum in KSA and the programme content. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were therefore employed to achieve the research objectives. The research methodology was based on the interpretive approach and included a case study. The participants were student-teachers studying on the four-year teacher training programme at one of the universities in KSA. Responses to four hundred and nineteen questionnaires completed by student-teachers across the four years of the programme were analysed, and a detailed case study involving 32 student-teachers was carried out. These student-teachers were interviewed three times each over three terms, with a focus on the nature of their knowledge and beliefs. The quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using SPSS to summarise the results of the closed questions in the questionnaire and to compare the differences between the student-teachers’ perspectives in each study year. All interviews were taped and transcribed. The data were coded and recoded several times using the continuous comparative process. When broad categories/themes emerged, these created sub-categories. Similarly, the data gained from the questionnaire’s open-ended questions were also analysed qualitatively. The findings focus on the results from the questionnaire for each study year, followed by a direct comparison of student-teachers’ knowledge and beliefs across the four years. The findings from the interviews with student-teachers are presented separately for each study year in order that the development of their knowledge and beliefs over the four-year programme can be seen. The findings revealed that student-teachers’ beliefs and their knowledge were closely linked. Although student-teachers’ knowledge developed as a result of their learning, some of their beliefs about Early Childhood Education (ECE) in general seemed to remain stable over the period of their university course. Many factors influenced the training of the student-teacher within Saudi culture and practices, such as the cultural context, the society, national policy, religion, module content, styles of teaching, visits to kindergarten, self-learning, and others’ knowledge/experience and support. These others included friends, other student-teachers, and relatives who were studying on the kindergarten programme or worked in the field of ECE. The findings showed that student-teachers built their teaching identities on the wider social-cultural purposes of education in Saudi society, which were consistent with expectations of their roles in society. However, various constraints related to the university context, to the kindergarten context and to the social-cultural context influenced their preparation as teachers. The study indicated many limitations to the current apprenticeship approach, due to the predominantly transmissive style of education at university. Student-teachers were not progressively immersed in a more fully developed apprenticeship model in which teachers learnt about the cultures and practices of ECE within the contexts of practice. This study strongly challenges a system where student-teachers only have one term of teaching practice. It is argued that teaching practice should start much earlier in the programme and be extended. A model for developing professional preparation programmes of Initial Teachers (IT) in the field of ECE is presented. Implications arising from this study and recommendations which could improve Teacher Education (TE) in KSA are outlined. Finally, suggestions for further research are presented.

The purpose of this study was to determine (1) the size of the Saudi Arabian manpower shortage in light of the Second Development Plan, (2) the number of skilled and semi-skilled workers that will be graduated from vocational and technical programs during the plan period, and (3) the factors that explain the major causes of the labor shortage problem. In order to accomplish these objectives, the study has considered two questions: (1) Is there a consistency between the manpower needs of skilled and semi-skilled workers and the vocational and technical training programs' output? (2) What are the major factors that explain the labor shortage in Saudi Arabia?

This study investigated the reactions of Saudi college students to collaborative learning techniques introduced in two modalities: face-to-face and web-based. Quantitative data were collected with a questionnaire that examined the changes of three constructs: attitudes toward collaboration, social self-efficacy, and perceived peer academic support of composition students at Umm Alqura University, Saudi Arabia. Students in the experimental group collaborated electronically using Blackboard, a web-based environment while students in the control group collaborated face-to-face. Students' responses to the questionnaire did not show any significant differences between the experimental group and control group with respect to the three variables.Three factors might have led to such results. First, one of the scales used in the questionnaire had low reliability that could have affected its procedure implementation. Second, collaborative learning is a new technique to Saudi students that could have contradicted the learning styles they studied according to since elementary school. Third, there were technical obstacles experienced during the experiment (i.e. no enough computer labs and no full access to the Internet) that could have been a discouraging factor for the subjects.Qualitative data collected through a post-study survey reflected the participants' positive attitudes towards peer response techniques applied throughout the experiment, giving and receiving comments, and working with computers. Such positive attitudes reflect the need to update composition teaching methods, introduce process-oriented pedagogies, foster group work strategies, and develop more computer resources and networking facilities. / Department of English

Many South African educators seek employment in Saudi Arabian schools, drawn by monetary incentives and better working conditions. However, little consideration is given to differences in cultural and educational values synonymous with the two entities. This research deals with the role of conflicting values in the teaching experiences of South African educators in Saudi Arabian schools by means of a literature study and empirical investigation. Qualitative data collection was done by in-depth personal interviews and personal narratives, written and sourced via e-mail. Findings revealed that the preconceived educational values of the South African educators sometimes acted as a barrier to teaching, restricting the educators from fully optimising their educational experiences. However, positive features of the Saudi education system were highlighted. The implications indicate a need for better orientation for South African educators working or planning to work in Saudi Arabia with emphasis on societal norms, customs and values. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)