Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Jacqueline Spears / The purpose of this study is to explore the classroom configurations and technologies used to mediate instruction to female students in gender-separated classrooms at Qassim University and Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia. The study describes the methods used, evaluates and compares the effectiveness of the approaches, and describes the issues and challenges that female students and their male professors face in gender-separated classrooms. The study was conducted using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design and contains two phases, a qualitative phase and a quantitative phase. Two theoretical frameworks, Community of Inquiry and Technology Acceptance model, were used to guide the data collection in the qualitative component of the study. The results of the qualitative component were then used to develop a survey instrument that was used to collect data from a larger sample of the population. The qualitative phase focused on identifying the approaches used to mediate instruction to female students and explored the experiences of female students and male professors in gender-separated classrooms. A multiple case study design was used for collecting and analyzing the qualitative data. It included observations of five gender-separated classrooms that are equipped with different technologies and classroom configurations in Qassim and Alfaisal universities, focus groups made up of female students, and interviews with the male professors who taught those classes. Based on the themes and findings from the qualitative study, a survey instrument was developed and distributed to a sample of female students and male faculty members who teach female classrooms at Qassim University. The quantitative data enabled the researcher to report findings reflective of a larger and more diverse sample of female students and male professors at Qassim University. In conclusion, the qualitative phase of this study identified five different classroom configurations used in gender-separated classrooms: VCR, CCTV, and VC at Qassim University and Double deck and Partition at Alfaisal University. VCR was found to be the least effective classroom configuration due to the numerous technical problems associated with its use and limited instructional capabilities. CCTV was found to have fewer technical problems but also had limited instructional capabilities. VC also had fewer technical problems and advanced instructional capabilities, making it the most effective classroom configuration observed at Qassim University. At Alfaisal University, Partition classrooms appeared to be the most effective due to the enhanced educational experience provided by face-to-face instruction in the small sized classrooms. Double deck classrooms were found to be less effective. Students reported feeling isolated and disconnected in the classroom.

Palm.L ”Sometimes you feel shame to ask such questions” A qualitative study of  a group of female newly arrived refugees view on education of virginity norms in school. Master thesis (sexology) 30 hp. Malmö University: Faculty of Health and Society, Department of Social Work, January 2021.  The aim of this study is to gain an understanding of how a group of female newly arrived refugees wish that the school teach, discuss and give information concerning virginity and virginity norms in a school context.  The study focuses on virginity norms hence they constitute a central part of the honour-related violence. Previous studies indicate that there is a strong connection between virginity norms and honour-related violence and oppression and that the preventive work against that could be dealt with in school. Both professionals who meet female refugees as well as researchers, highlight the importance of cultural knowledge when talking about sex and reproduction. Furthermore, recently made surveys indicate that virginity norms are affecting adolescents negative.   The data in this study was collected through focus-group discussions with three different ethnically homogeneous groups. The study uses Foucault’s theories about discourse, power and cultural relativism. The results of this study indicate that a cultural sensitive approach in the preventive work against honour-related violence and oppression is important. The informants wish that the information and discussions concerning virginity norms should be given in gender-separated groups by female professionals. The informants opinions concerning the methods used in giving such information does not entirely correlate with the material published by RFSU and Youmo. Despite some similarities, the informants in this study emphasizes their own cultural background, the impact of their religion and the sensitivity concerning topics like virginity and virginity norms.