The problem on which this research was based was that little data were available for describing the Adult Basic Education (ABE) teachers--how they teach and how certain variables contribute to their teaching. Accordingly, the purpose of the study was to describe ABE teachers in Kuwait--who they were, how they taught, and how they were viewed by adult Kuwaiti students. This description was organized around four questions:1. How does the culture of the ABE teacher—educational background and training, language, habits and customs-contribute to what happens in the classroom?2. How does the planned curriculum--goals, objectives, materials, instructional approach, evaluation--contribute what happens in the classroom?3. How does the ABE teachers' role in Kuwaiti society contribute to what happens in the classroom?4. How does Quality of Personal Life contribute to what happens in the classroom?A variety of methods were used to gather data-teacher and student surveys and interview guides, a classroom observation instrument and a diary. Forty-one teachers and 155 students were surveyed. Ten teachers and thirty-six students were interviewed. Sixteen teachers were observed on one occasion. Three teachers were observed on three different occasions--at the beginning, the middle and the end of the study--over an eight-week period. A diary was kept on a daily basis.Mean scores on each item and a composite score for all items were tabulated for the surveys. Raw scores and percentages were tabulated in all other cases. From the analysis of data, major findings included:1. The cultural background of ABE teachers--language, customs, habits--does not interfere with their teaching because most of the teachers have been in Kuwait long enough to have adopted the Kuwaiti culture or to have adjusted to the culture.2. The ABE classroom involves a limited amount of planning, narrowly defined as use of textbook, chalkboard and lecture.3. ABE teachers see themselves as having an important role to play in Kuwaiti society, related to the development of the country. Whereas students view the teachers as respected, however, the teachers do not believe they are.4. In terms of Quality of Life--defined as the ABE teachers' perceived level of satisfaction--the ABE teachers felt underpaid and expressed resentment about differential treatment as compared to Kuwaiti ABE teachers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/174800 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Al-Sheik, Abdullah M. |
| Contributors | Weaver, Roy A. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 3, x, 184 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | a-ku--- |
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