Teaching critical thinking, an educational goal widely discussed in the last 30 years (Halpern, 1993), is an essential element of professional and higher education as it promotes reasoned judgments under ‘conditions of uncertainty,’ a hallmark of professionalism (Levine, 2010; Shulman, 2005; Perry, 1970). In this study, the researchers present the implications of teaching CT in a course format in a Saudi private university that is preparing female professionals for the workforce. The course is taught as part of the general education requirements in the freshman year of study. Female students in the fields of business, computer sciences, and interior design participated in a CT pre-test /post-test sequence given at strategic times throughout the semester. The data illustrate significant improvement in the area of argument identification and analysis, but moderate to low improvement in the other markers of critical thinking. The results not only reflect course instruction as well as other external factors. The study suggests and recommends that in order for students to be critical thinkers, critical thinking would ideally be embedded or integrated throughout the students’ academic career, not just in one, stand-alone course
The global spread of COVID-19 has prompted countries worldwide to design initiatives and measures to ensure public health and safety. Saudi Arabia launched a “Stay-at-Home” initiative in March 2020 involving all sectors of society. This exploratory study employed a qualitative research design using written journal reflections to discern the views and opinions of Saudi female graduate students at a large public university in the Eastern Province. The research posed three questions: (1) What were participants’ perspectives of the impact of the “Stay-at-Home” initiative; (2) What values did participants manifest during the initiative; and, (3) What were participants’ recommendations and innovative solutions to deal with the initiative’s effects? Findings reveal that boredom and loneliness, fear of infection, and financial concerns dominated students’ perceptions of the impact of the initiative. Participants further identified divine protection and global unity as two key values that were heightened to deal with the initiative and the pandemic. Finally, innovative solutions to mitigate the effects of the initiative were categorized into 13 sub-themes organized around two main spheres of Saudi life — public (governmental/societal) and private (family/home).
Keywords: COVID-19, Saudi Arabia, higher edducation
This study explored faculty members' knowledge, perceptions, and application of the concept of curriculum alignment (CA) after completing educational workshops at a large public university in Saudi Arabia. The research focused on two questions: 1) Is there a significant gain in the participants' knowledge of the concept and elements of CA post workshops; and, 2) What are participants' perceptions and application of the concept upon return to their colleges/departments. The mixed-method research design included a pre/post-test instrument (n = 202) and semi-structured interviews (n=10) with participants who completed four faculty development sessions focused on curriculum concepts: 1) curriculum foundations, 2) teaching and learning strategies, 3) lesson design, and 4) assessment. Statistical analyses of pre/post workshop results and a content analysis of interview responses post workshops explored the knowledge and perceptions of participants. The quantitative results showed a significant gain post-workshop in all four areas of CA, however, limited knowledge of the concept overall, with the exception of lesson design. The content analysis revealed three themes based on the participants' perceptions and subsequent application of the concepts: 1) strong awareness and application of teaching strategies; 2) a basic foundation of CA; however, 3) minimal understanding and application of the deeper concepts of and connection between elements of CA. The study concludes with implications for future development focused on more cohesive faculty education in CA, curriculum-related competences linked to faculty development, and sustainable application of curriculum concepts learned in the colleges/programs.
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