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Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in the Arab World are still in their infancy. Many Arab countries are now starting to launch their MOOC platforms; however, there are only a few who have actually implemented such systems. This paper will explore online learning, in particular the rise of MOOCs around the world and their impact on the Arab World. The purpose of this paper is to give a true picture of the development of the first MOOC platforms in the Arab World. It will analyse in detail the concept, definitions, background, and types of MOOCs (xMOOCs and cMOOCs), as well as the main MOOCs platform in the Western and Arab worlds, and a timeline of the development of MOOCs. It will then observe the status of MOOCs in the developed world, opportunities in the Middle East, and the influence of Western MOOCs on the Arab world, from many perspectives, e.g. educational, religious, cultural and social.

Women's economic empowerment and equality are issues in focus for nations across the globe. While many nations have made progress in raising their Female Labor Force Participation (FLFP), an important marker of women's progress, over the past decades Jordan's FLFP has remained largely stagnant. As of 2017, Jordan's FLFP is one of the lowest in the world, lower even than Saudi Arabia and Iran. This paper hopes to illuminate new ways to increase FLFP by focusing on migrant child care labor availability, instead of the often cited cultural or religious explanations. Immigrant child care labor had a notable effect on the FLFP of nations in the Global North, but has been applied less frequently to the Middle East. This paper, by comparing two predominantly Muslim countries, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, will explain how the differing availability of migrant child care has kept Jordan's FLFP below the rest of the region and the world, suggesting that further child care support would be a welcome step toward raising FLFP rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies on language acquisition and motivation have targeted Japanese language learners in a formal educational context, with less attention paid to learners who study Japanese informally. The current study aims to investigate the impact of Japanese animations in the context of informal third language acquisition. It targets the native speakers of Arabic who are interested in learning Japanese as a third language (L3), and investigates the motivations of Arab teenagers and young adults to learn Japanese. Further, the paper also focuses on examining aspects of Japanese language proficiency among teenagers and young adults, including vocabulary enhancement and grammar competence. The methodology used in the current study is twofold: an online survey questionnaire adopted from Armour and Iida (2016), followed by an engaging experiment in which participants were divided into two groups (reality anime group vs. action anime group) in order to examine the effectiveness of anime selection in boosting proficiency level. The findings of the online survey indicate that Arabic native speakers are highly motivated to learn Japanese, while the experiment results confirm that the type of anime and consistency of exposure do support the acquisition process. Further, the study concluded that consumption of anime series contributes to the learning process and facilitates learners' proficiency in general and vocabulary learning in particular. However, it remains unknown whether or not Arabic native speakers' motivations lead to their enrollment into formal Japanese foreign language education. Avenues for future research and implications are also presented toward the end of the paper.

Background: One of the most important issues in public policy and welfare state is health care. Poor management leads to the waste of resources, including money, human resources, facilities, and equipment. Aims: This paper seeks to answer the question of which eastern Mediterranean countries are more effective in allocating their health resources, and does Iran, in relation to those countries, have an effective health system. Methods: This study examined technical efficiency among eastern Mediterranean countries in 2018. Data were extracted from Global Health Observatory data World Health Organization. We applied input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models to estimate efficiency scores. Inputs are Physicians density per 10,000 populations, Total hospital beds per 10,000 populations, Current expenditure on health, % of gross domestic product and outputs are infant survival rate and Life expectancy. Results: The most efficient health systems in the eastern Mediterranean were Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. The inefficient countries are Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine and Saudi Arabia. Conclusions: Among the efficient countries, one category of high-entry countries such as Bahrain and Qatar with high input especially in health expenditure had higher output. The second group of countries with lower inputs such as Iran and Morocco has been able to produce similar output with other countries. Also, inefficiency in countries such as Saudi Arabia can be attributed to this with higher input such as health expenditure has lower output such life expectancy and infant survival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomena of disabilities in the Arab world can be viewed from various perspectives, considering historical times, epistemological programmes and theoretical models. This article is a theoretical review and comparative data analysis of the problems regarding the evolution of attitudes and current concept of disability and theoretical assumptions of caring for disabled people in the Arab world. Content of the theoretical part of the paper includes reasons for caring for disabled Arabs, including: analysis of human orientation aspects, social orientation, equality of opportunity and principles of democracy orientation and human development orientation. In the second part of the article the authors discuss empirical comparative data related to disability in the Arab world as: various causes of congenital or acquired disabilities, including culturally bounded causes of disabilities in Arab world, related to marriages in close families and marriages of underage girls. The paper illustrates key aspects of conceptualization of disabilities in the Arab countries and gives comparative analysis of the latest data on the situation of children with disabilities in education sectors and adults in the labor market. This part of comparative analysis broadly refers to the primary data from the Arab countries published as research report in 2018 by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The report is entitled "Disability in the Arab Region".

The phenomena of disabilities in the Arab world can be viewed from various perspectives, considering historical times, epistemological programmes and theoretical models. This article is a theoretical review and comparative data analysis of the problems regarding the evolution of attitudes and current concept of disability and theoretical assumptions of caring for disabled people in the Arab world. Content of the theoretical part of the paper includes reasons for caring for disabled Arabs, including: analysis of human orientation aspects, social orientation, equality of opportunity and principles of democracy orientation and human development orientation. In the second part of the article the authors discuss empirical comparative data related to disability in the Arab world as: various causes of congenital or acquired disabilities, including culturally bounded causes of disabilities in Arab world, related to marriages in close families and marriages of underage girls. The paper illustrates key aspects of conceptualization of disabilities in the Arab countries and gives comparative analysis of the latest data on the situation of children with disabilities in education sectors and adults in the labor market. This part of comparative analysis broadly refers to the primary data from the Arab countries published as research report in 2018 by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The report is entitled "Disability in the Arab Region".

This paper rests on a survey among students of Arab Open University (AOU) that covered 6,369 students from all branches (in eight countries) and across all four colleges. It endeavours to raise a case for introducing entrepreneurship education in AOU. The Survey results show a surprisingly high level of entrepreneurial intention among the students, and the overwhelming majority of them are demanding introduction of entrepreneurship education. The Paper uses results of the Survey to present how the students of AOU desire their entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship training programmes to be organised, and to identify the target groups of each of the two programmes. Based on these results and on selected literature review of the concepts of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship training, an outline of entrepreneurship curricula and of teaching and training methods are suggested. Both curricula and methods advanced could be of relevance beyond the specific case of AOU.

Purpose: The aim was to critically appraise, synthesise and present the evidence of medication errors amongst hospitalised patients in Middle Eastern countries, specifically prevalence, nature, severity and contributory factors. Methods: CINAHL, Embase, Medline, Pubmed and Science Direct were searched for studies published in English from 2000 to March 2018, with no exclusions. Study selection, quality assessment (using adapted STROBE checklists) and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers. A narrative approach to data synthesis was adopted; data related to error causation were synthesised according to Reason's Accident Causation model. Results: Searching yielded 452 articles, which were reduced to 50 following removal of duplicates and screening of titles, abstracts and full-papers. Studies were largely from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. Thirty-two studies quantified errors; definitions of 'medication error' were inconsistent as were approaches to data collection, severity assessment, outcome measures and analysis. Of 13 studies reporting medication errors per 'total number of medication orders'/ 'number of prescriptions', the median across all studies was 10% (IQR 2–35). Twenty-four studies reported contributory factors leading to errors. Synthesis according to Reason's model identified the most common being active failures, largely slips (10 studies); lapses (9) and mistakes (12); error-provoking conditions, particularly lack of knowledge (13) and insufficient staffing levels (13) and latent conditions, commonly heavy workload (9). Conclusion: There is a need to improve the quality and reporting of studies from Middle Eastern countries. A standardised approach to quantifying medication errors' prevalence, severity, outcomes and contributory factors is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources in the Middle East are very scarce and the management of these resources is a challenge. In this paper, the use of stochastic analysis, modeling, and simulation (SAMS) software package to selected hydrologic data in the Middle East (namely Jordan and Saudi Arabia) are explored. Modeling and simulation experiments were conducted to test the capabilities of SAMS to be used for stochastic modeling and simulation in the Middle East region. The hydrologic data used in this study consist of historic observed rainfall data of different lengths at various sites in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The models used in this study include: autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models, periodic autoregressive moving average (PARMA) models, multi-site contemporaneous autoregressive moving average (CARMA) models, and temporal disaggregation models. Results indicate that SAMS can be used as a tool for stochastic modeling and simulation of hydrologic data in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It is important for managers and decision makers of water resources in these countries to be able to use sophisticated tools such as SAMS while deciding water management policies in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Academic integrity is the expectation that members of the academic community, including researchers, teachers, and students, to act with accuracy, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect. Academic integrity is an issue of critical importance to academic institutions and has been gaining increasing interest among scholars in the last few years. While contravening academic integrity is known as academic misconduct, cheating is one type of academic misconduct and is generally defined as "any action that dishonestly or unfairly violates rules of research or education. Case study: The case study presented in this paper describes the elements of academic misconduct in three Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan). Four categories of factors were analyzed, namely personal, cultural traits, contextual, and institutional. Moreover, a comparison of factors of misconduct is conducted in the three countries in order to examine how different learning environments and cultures can affect academic cheating. The study also investigates the role of teachers and administration system in enforcing integrity policy in educational institutes. Discussion and evaluation: An evaluation of the main causes of cheating and plagiarism among students in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan is conducted by analyzing students' response to a 20 questions survey. The nonparametric Dunn's statistical analysis is performed to compare the variance and frequency of factors that may affect academic integrity. The significant results are reported in terms of the Krushal F statistic and p-value < 0.05. The evaluation was a useful process that demonstrated the main factors affecting academic integrity in the three countries. Conclusion: Survey results show that the role of individual social-demographic and culture factors are significant for predicting misconduct in Saudi Arabia and Egypt but not in Jordan. Most students blamed their misconduct on laziness and willingness to achieve higher education performance. Students are more likely to cheat and plagiarize because they lack the ability or information to tackle assignments. Results illustrate that the cultural impact can be a significant factor in academic misconduct. Integrity policies and the level, at which they have been applied, have a large impact on student attitudes towards cheating and their academic misconduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comparative descriptive study sought to determine the impact of glocalization on international social work education. Using quantitative methods, this study reports objective findings for a randomly selected, non-probability, purposive sample of 178 faculty members who were geographically distributed among faculties and departments of social work at 22 universities in eight Arab countries. The primary research instrument used was a standardized paper and pencil questionnaire. Data analysis of the responses of the faculty members found that participants’ attitudes were equally weak on the track of glocalization and international social work education. This could be attributed to the variables of faculty members, social work students, university textbooks, quality of library services, methods of teaching, field practicum, and quality of student evaluation. In contrast, the attitudes of the faculty members averaged on the track of glocalization and international social work education, which could be attributed to the variable of social work curricula. The analysis also revealed a marked absence of sustained contact with social work professionals and scholars from other regions and societies of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Climate change poses a worldwide challenge with anticipated exacerbation in the future, resulting in irreversible consequences. Nursing students may be vulnerable to experiencing psychological effects associated with climate change. Aim: The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward climate change and their psychological distress. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 377 nursing students from three universities located in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt in the Middle East. Data collection was conducted using scales for assessing nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards climate change and their psychological distress. Correlations were assessed and multiple regression analysis was conducted to explore the predictors of students' psychological distress. Results: The current study showed that knowledge regarding climate change significantly and positively correlated to the attitude toward climate change (r = 0.213), then again, the score of psychological distress significantly and negatively correlated to the score of students' knowledge and attitude regarding climate change (r = − 0.182 and − 0.110 respectively). Regression analyses showed that academic achievement had the strongest positive impact on students' psychological distress, while knowledge regarding climate change and attitude toward climate change had negative impacts (β = 0.381, β=-0.205, and β=-0.045 respectively). Moreover, knowledge and attitude regarding climate change were found to be significant predictors of students' psychological distress, collectively accounting for 18.2% of the observed variance. Conclusions/Implication for future practice: The findings highlight the importance of incorporating climate change into nursing education programs. By enhancing nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards climate change, there is potential to reduce their psychological distress. This study underscores the need for curriculum reforms that integrate climate change topics, aiming to foster a well-informed and resilient future nursing workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tries to shed some light on the Disi-Amman pipeline project, which is still under study in the current water-policy literature. Our first finding is that Disi plays an important role in the national water discourse even though it is not sustainable and it is not clear for how long it will be exploitable. Second, we argue that Jordan's approach to the Disi is basically to silence the whole issue, and that a “quiet pumping race” between Jordan and Saudi Arabia is currently going on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to establish the reliability and the validity of Arabic translated versions of the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) and the Effort Assessment Scale (EAS). The FAS and the EAS were translated from the original English following a recommended six-step approach for translating hearing-related questionnaires for different languages. The reliability of the scales was investigated using Cronbach's alpha, item-total correlation, and inter-item correlation. Construct validity was investigated using factor analysis and the hypothesis testing method. The translated scales were completed by 146 participants from Jordan and Saudi Arabia (age range 19–86 years old, 39% male). Participants' hearing level ranged from normal to profound. Item 3 in the translated FAS was removed to improve the scale's construct validity. The translated version of the EAS was found to be as reliable and valid as the original EAS. The availability of standardised versions of the FAS and the EAS provides a quick and easy method for improving hearing rehabilitation in Arabic-speaking countries where audiology services can often be costly and not necessarily accessible to all individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Review of: Farha, Darin J. Sallam (Dir.) (2021), Jordan, Sweden and Saudi Arabia: Talebox and Laika Film and Television [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An asynchronous online translation discussion forum was created and used to post texts to be translated by participating English-Arabic student translators from different countries. Volunteer translation instructors read participants' translations and gave communicative feedback on the location and types of errors. Errors were color-coded. No correct translations were provided. The participants revised their translations and re-posted them for further feedback. Each translation was subjected to several revisions and re-submissions before it reached an acceptable level. Translation tips were given. The participants had access to a variety of online dictionaries and resources. At the end of the semester, participants responded to a questionnaire regarding their online collaborative experience. Participant views and further reflections on online translation instruction are given. [This paper was presented at "Translation Studies: Retrospective and Prospective Views" 9-11 October 2008 "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Romania.]

Data on how Stone Age communities conceived domestic and utilitarian structures are limited to a few examples of schematic and non-accurate representations of various-sized built spaces. Here, we report the exceptional discovery of the up-to-now oldest realistic plans that have been engraved on stones. These engravings from Jordan and Saudi Arabia depict 'desert kites', humanmade archaeological mega-traps that are dated to at least 9,000 years ago for the oldest. The extreme precision of these engravings is remarkable, representing gigantic neighboring Neolithic stone structures, the whole design of which is impossible to grasp without seeing it from the air or without being their architect (or user, or builder). They reveal a widely underestimated mental mastery of space perception, hitherto never observed at this level of accuracy in such an early context. These representations shed new light on the evolution of human discernment of space, communication, and communal activities in ancient times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of human resource development (HRD) education in Middle Eastern countries. In particular, the authors discuss the current state of HRD education, country readiness and challenges that hinder HRD progress in Middle Eastern countries. They argue that HRD programs need to prepare young employees for leadership roles through adapting constructivist pedagogy, including problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. Design/methodology/approach: The design of this paper followed a qualitative approach. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with five HRD experts in Middle Eastern countries and conducted integrative literature review and secondary data analysis. Findings: Data analysis provided an overview of HRD education, looked at options individuals interested in HRD education might have, provided views on constructivism vs instructivism as education pedagogies and discussed cultural factors that impede critical reflection in the workplace. Research limitations/implications: To understand how to introduce constructivist elements to instructivist learning cultures, and to sustain it, HRD scholars in the Middle Eastern countries need to diminish the misalignment between instructional philosophies of trainers, trainees and national or institutional systems. Practical implications: Understanding how policy, resources, infrastructure and culture influence learning expectations is vital to introducing innovative training activities or scaling them up to other workshops and systems. Originality/value: This research sheds light on HRD education in the Middle Eastern countries; provides an overview of employment challenges and opportunities to improve workplace learning; and provides scholars, practitioners and other stakeholders interested in HRD with suggestions to develop successful workforce education.

Objective: There is a rising incidence of diabetes worldwide; however there seems to be a higher incidence and prevalence rates in the Arab world when compared with the global average. Out of the top 10 countries with the highest prevalence rates, six are Arab countries and almost 20.5 million people in that part of the world live with diabetes. Despite this, published scientific research from the 22 Arab countries is limited and seems to be of lower quality when compared with the rest of the developed world. Therefore, our aim was to explore the contribution of the different Arab countries in the world literature, to identify the diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) prevalence and incidence rates and to quality appraise these studies. Method: A systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, was undertaken to identify the incidence and prevalence of DFUs in the Arab world. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase CINAHL, Web of Science (Scopus), Global Health and EBSCO Results: A total of nine papers were identified. The mean prevalence of DFU in Saudi Arabia was 11.85% (4.7-19%), in Egypt was 4.2% (1-7.4%), in Jordan was 4.65% (4-5.3%), in Bahrain was 5.9% and in Iraq was 2.7%. A single study identified DFU incidence in Saudi Arabia as 1.8% between 2009-2010. Conclusion: The mean prevalence rates of DFU were highest in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and lowest in Iraq. Saudi Arabia had the only reported incidence study, thus findings could not be compared to other countries of the Arab world. There were no studies identified during our search reporting prevalence rates of DFU in 17 of the 22 Arab countries. It is clear that further research is required to determine the incidence and prevalance of DFUs in the Arab world and that progress is needed in order to improve the quality of research conducted in those countries. Declaration of interest: The authors have no conflict of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preschool education is an education process that prepares children for primary education, provides the training and upbringing conditions in the home and also aims to remove the inequalities in terms of language and society in the early period. The audit is to evaluate learning and all the factors that affect learning and also prepare the environment and conditions for effective learning. The purpose of this research was to develop a comprehensive point of view for preschool education audit in the world and our country. Document analysis that is one of the qualitative research methods were utilized in this paper as the method. The documents related to the systems in France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Russia, China, Israel, America, Saudi Arabia, Japan, India Jordan, Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Kosovo and Turkey were researched out within the scope of this study.

The common‐pool nature of groundwater resources creates incentives to over pump that contribute to their rapid global depletion. In transboundary aquifers, users are separated by a territorial border and might face substantially different economic and hydrogeologic conditions that can alternatively dampen or amplify incentives to over pump. We develop a theoretical model that couples principles of game theory and groundwater flow to capture the combined effect of well locations and user asymmetries on pumping incentives. We find that heterogeneities across users (here referred to as asymmetries) in terms of either energy cost, groundwater profitability or aquifer response tend to dampen incentives to over pump. However, combinations of two or more types of asymmetry can substantially amplify common‐pool overdraft, particularly when the same user simultaneously faces comparatively higher costs (or aquifer response) and profitability. We use this theoretical insight to interpret the emergence of the Disi agreement between Saudi Arabia and Jordan in association with the Disi‐Amman water pipeline. By using bounded non‐dimensional parameters to encode user asymmetries and groundwater connectivity, the theory provides a tractable generalized framework to understand the premature depletion of shared aquifers, whether transboundary or not. Key Points: Economic and hydrogeologic differences between users affect common‐pool externalities in shared aquifersWhen combined, asymmetries in energy cost, groundwater profitability and aquifer response can exacerbate incentives to overpumpChanging asymmetry conditions might have facilitated the world's first distance‐based groundwater treaty [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the intensification of global migration movements, the importance of studies in the field of acculturation has been increasing. In order to develop a healthy adaptation process between the migrant community and the host society, it is especially necessary to conduct studies on the acculturation processes of young migrants. Exploring the acculturation orientation of migrant students in Turkey, one of the leading countries experiencing the migration movements intensively, this study collected data from a total of 110 migrant students, 69 females and 41 males. "Vancouver Index of Acculturation", "Revised Social Contact Scale", "Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support", "Turkish Proficiency Level Questionnaire" and "Personal Information Form" were employed as data collection tools. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The analyses results revealed that the level of perceived social support of migrant students from their families and the quality of social contact significantly predicted their heritage culture orientation and explained 18% of them. In addition, the quantity of migrant students' social contact and the quality of social contact significantly predicted their mainstream culture orientation and explained 25% of them. As a result, the present study put forth that in order to support the heritage culture orientation of migrant students, the perceived social support from the family should be improved, and the quantity and quality of social contact should be increased to reinforce their mainstream culture orientation and to facilitate the acculturation processes. [This study was presented at the International Eurasian Educational Research Congress (EJER) (7th, Eskisehir, Turkey, September 10-13, 2020).]

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder represent the specific eating disorders. Although eating disorders (EDs) are a rare psychiatric problem globally, millions of people are exposed to severe health consequences including impairments in health, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life. Young people and adolescents, particularly females, are associated with a higher rate of disordered eating attitudes and EDs than the general population. The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview or map of ED and disordered eating attitude prevalence in students in Arab countries, both female and male, and to identify contributing factors. Arksey and O'Malley's six-stage framework for scoping reviews was used to guide the process, which returned a total of 20 relevant articles covering 12 of the 22 member countries in the League of Arab States. The average prevalence of ED was 31.4% in a sample of 17,679 students aged 12-33, with a range from9.6% to 74.5%. Prevalence was higher in female students compared to male students, and the key contributing factors included age, gender, BMI, eating habits, and academic attainment. Given the limitations of this scoping review, especially the lack of a formal critical appraisal process for the included articles, future systematic reviews can use it as a baseline, while empirical researchers and policymakers might pursue its preliminary conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares social work codes of ethics in the Arab countries of Western Asia (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain, Yemen, Palestine, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Syria), to the International Federation of Social Workers Global Statement of Ethical Principles (2018). As of 2020—with Qatar's recent addition of an MSW programme—there are over two dozen bachelor and/or master's degree programmes in social work in the Arab countries of Western Asia. As social work has grown as a profession in the region, many countries have formed national social work associations and are adopting or developing their own codes of ethics. Five of the twelve countries in the study developed their own original social work codes of ethics (Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon). Comparison of these codes to the IFSW principle statements reveals that most include at least half of the IFSW statements. In addition, three of the codes of ethics (Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain) reference Islam, God and/or Islamic concepts. This study suggests that the IFSW Global Statement of Ethical Principles can serve as the guide it was intended to be in the development of social work codes of ethics around the globe, including Arab-Islamic countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We examined the taxonomy of the minute desert geckos of the Tropiocolotes nattereri species complex using the largest morphological sampling, and the first molecular assessment of intraspecific diversity within this complex. We examined variation in mitochondrial and nuclear markers (12S, ND2, c‐mos and MC1R) of 30 samples and analyzed the external morphology of 202 specimens, from across the entire distribution range of the complex from Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. We recognize two species under the name T. nattereri. We thus hereby describe a new species, T. yomtovi sp. n., and we redefine and redescribe T. nattereri, for which we designate a neotype. The species diversity in the genus Tropiocolotes increases to 15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze and compare school subjects to determine the extent to which critical thinking skills are being engaged in school subjects' questions and activities in public education. Five Arab countries are included in this paper; Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Arab Republic of Egypt, and The Tunisian Republic, in elementary school levels (first, second, and third grades.) The study found that all Arab countries focus on operating inductive reasoning skills in their subjects, followed by reasoning and observation, sequentially, while dismissing credibility and assumptions skills. Saudi Arabia focused on developing critical thinking skills in science textbooks for the past three academic years, while Kuwait had the same focus on their Arabic language classes. Both the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Egypt have paid a measurable attention to engaging critical thinking skills in Mathematics and the Arabic language, as well as Tunisia in their science textbooks. The least effective subjects in operating critical thinking skills were the Arabic language in Saudi Arabia, science in Kuwait, Domestic Economics in Egypt, and Islamic education in Jordan and Tunisia.

Introduction: Academic integrity is the expectation that members of the academic community, including researchers, teachers, and students, to act with accuracy, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect. Academic integrity is an issue of critical importance to academic institutions and has been gaining increasing interest among scholars in the last few years. While contravening academic integrity is known as academic misconduct, cheating is one type of academic misconduct and is generally defined as "any action that dishonestly or unfairly violates rules of research or education. Case study: The case study presented in this paper describes the elements of academic misconduct in three Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan). Four categories of factors were analyzed, namely personal, cultural traits, contextual, and institutional. Moreover, a comparison of factors of misconduct is conducted in the three countries in order to examine how different learning environments and cultures can affect academic cheating. The study also investigates the role of teachers and administration system in enforcing integrity policy in educational institutes. Discussion and evaluation: An evaluation of the main causes of cheating and plagiarism among students in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan is conducted by analyzing students' response to a 20 questions survey. The nonparametric Dunn's statistical analysis is performed to compare the variance and frequency of factors that may affect academic integrity. The significant results are reported in terms of the Krushal F statistic and p-value < 0.05. The evaluation was a useful process that demonstrated the main factors affecting academic integrity in the three countries. Conclusion: Survey results show that the role of individual social-demographic and culture factors are significant for predicting misconduct in Saudi Arabia and Egypt but not in Jordan. Most students blamed their misconduct on laziness and willingness to achieve higher education performance. Students are more likely to cheat and plagiarize because they lack the ability or information to tackle assignments. Results illustrate that the cultural impact can be a significant factor in academic misconduct. Integrity policies and the level, at which they have been applied, have a large impact on student attitudes towards cheating and their academic misconduct.

The current research work represents the first calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphic record of the upper Eocene Rashrashiyah Formation in northern Saudi Arabia. The Rashrashiyah Formation is an Eocene carbonate sedimentary unit, exposed adjacent to the Jordanian border, and yielded rich and diverse nannofossil assemblages. The Rashrashiyah Formation overlies the Paleogene rocks of the Umm Wu'al Formation and is unconformably topped by the Neogene (Miocene) Sirhan Formation. Our nannofossil biostratigraphic data recognized 44 species belonging to 21 genera. These taxa indicate a Priabonian age based on the presence of Chiasmolithus oamaruensis, and the recognition of bioevents in concordance with the global Priabonian zonations. Three comparable major zones and zonal boundaries (CP14b/CP15, NP18, and CNE17) were recognized in the study section indicative of a late Eocene age. The Base common (Bc) of Reticulofenestra erbae was detected at the same level as the top of Chiasmolithus grandis, supporting the bioevent reliability in the Tethys realm. A single and more isolated occurrence of Isthmolithus recurvus was observed within Zones CP15 and NP18 at the maximum increase abundance of R. erbae. Our calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy from the Rashrashiyah Formation has coincided with the assignment for units 2 and 3 of the Wadi Esh-Shallalah Formation in Qa' Faydat ad Dahikiya in the eastern desert Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of mobile interactivity dimensions (active control, personalization, ubiquitous connectivity, connectedness, responsiveness and synchronicity) on customer engagement. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative field survey study was conducted to collect the required data from actual users of mobile shopping in three countries: Jordan, the United Kingdom (UK) and Saudi Arabia. Findings: The results are based on structural equation modelling and support the impact of five dimensions of mobile interactivity: active control, personalization, ubiquitous connectivity, responsiveness and synchronicity. The impact of connectedness is not supported. The results also support the significant impact of customer engagement on customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications: This study only considered the shopping activities conducted by mobile channels, while other channels (e.g., online channels, traditional channels and social media shopping channels) are not considered. Furthermore, the current model does not consider the impact of personal factors (e.g., technology readiness, self-efficacy and user experience). The results of the current study present a foundation that can guide marketers and practitioners in the area of mobile shopping. Originality/value: This study enriches the current understanding of the impact of mobile interactivity on mobile shopping, as well as how mobile interactivity can enhance the level of customer engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preventing hypoglycaemia is an essential component of diabetes self-management that is affected by patients' attitudes and perceptions. This study aimed to explore the hypoglycaemia problem-solving ability of patients who have diabetes mellitus and factors that determine their attitudes and perceptions towards their previous events. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2017 and May 2018 in three Arab countries (Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) in patients with diabetes mellitus, who were prescribed antidiabetic therapy and had experienced hypoglycaemic events in the past six months. The Hypoglycaemia Problem-Solving Scale was used in this study. This scale contains two subscales, problem orientation (six questions) and problem-solving skills (eighteen questions), using a five-point Likert scale (range 0–4). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify predictors of hypoglycaemia problem-solving abilities. A total of 895 patients participated in this study from the three countries (300 in Jordan, 302 in Saudi Arabia, and 293 in Kuwait). The average age of the patients was 53.5 years (standard deviation = 13.7) and 52.4% (n = 469) were males. Patients had moderate overall problem-solving ability with a median score of 63.00 (interquartile range = 13.00). Patients' problem-solving skills score (68.1%) was better than their problem-orientation skills score (58.3%). The highest sub-scale scores were for detection control, setting problem-solving goals, and evaluating strategies, 75.0%. The lowest sub-scale score was for problem-solving perception and immediate management, 50.0%. Older age, being educated, being married, having T2DM, prescribed insulin therapy, and not having been admitted to hospital for hypoglycaemia were important predictors of patients' problem-solving ability (p < 0.05). Healthcare professionals are advised to provide more education to patients on how to self-manage hypoglycaemic events. Specifically, they should focus on the overall problem-solving perception of hypoglycaemia and its immediate management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The School Based Reform in Arab Countries (TAMAM) project aims to build leadership capacity for school-based reform. This paper asks: (a) To what extent can a design-based approach frame the design of school improvement projects such as TAMAM? (b) What characteristics of design-based approaches are most relevant to guide the design of school-based improvement projects? Results of the qualitative analysis demonstrate that a design-based approach can be used to describe TAMAM and highlight the most important elements. This study proposes that design-based approaches be used for designing and describing comparable school-based improvement initiatives, especially in contexts similar to the Arab region.

The destiny of any nation begins in its classroom where young people are equipped with knowledge and skills to lead the nation. Higher education is the corner stone in development where the work force is trained to lead the social, economic, political and cultural change. In such a competitive global economy the human capital is the most valuable asset. Higher education institutes are training units, where labor force is made. These institutes are also incubators of scientists and technologists where researchers are qualified to make the scientific and technological change. This role is absent in higher Arab Education Institutes; so this paper aims at specifying the internal and external challenges that are facing higher education institutions in the Arab world; in addition to searching the degree of responsiveness of these institutions to face these challenges, and how to integrate them with the requirements of development and labor market needs.

The current status of interprofessional education (IPE) in Arabic Middle Eastern countries is largely unexamined and there is a need to assess IPE and collaborative practice in these countries. As faculty attitudes towards IPE are believed to be one of the main factors that affect the successful integration of IPE into the different healthcare curricula, this article aims to explore the attitudes and views of pharmacy academics in Arabic-speaking Middle Eastern countries towards IPE and collaborative practice. The findings from this article are part of a larger study investigating pharmacy’s perspectives of IPE and collaborative practice in Qatar and the Middle East. An online survey which included three validated scales was used to gather information from pharmacy academics at 89 pharmacy schools in 14 countries. The response rate was 107 out of 334 (32%) and the majority of the respondents were from Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Statistical analysis was completed descriptively as well as inferentially using a series of independentt-tests. Overall pharmacy academics had positive attitudes towards IPE. The majority of the respondents, 90.8% (n = 99), perceived IPE to be important. Age, likelihood to engage in IPE, and years of IPE experience were the factors that were related to faculty members’ attitudes towards IPE. Highly perceived barriers for implementing IPE included cultural challenges for each profession, scheduling common courses, and activities in addition to limited resources. The study findings indicated that pharmacy academics in the Middle East are ready to pursue IPE. These results can serve as impetus for implementing IPE in Middle Eastern countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is an essential component of learning in and for the workplace, and a key building block of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) "Key Features of Learning Cities." TVET provides pathways to employment, particularly for young people, and skills development and retraining for older workers. Thus, workplace learning and TVET are integral to a learning city approach focused on lifelong learning. Skills development can also contribute to diversification of the economy and sustainable development. This paper synthesizes literature on skills development through TVET and UNESCO's "Key Features of Learning Cities." It also reviews key documents from member cities in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities to identify methods to connect workplace learning to lifelong learning. The findings are applied to developing a framework for how TVET within a learning cities approach is relevant in a Middle Eastern context.

Contemporary Jordanian women writers have transported the act of writing into an act of dissidence to reflect their own perspectives and priorities shaped by a distinctive cultural and aesthetic formation. Writers like Huzama Habayeb, Afaf Batayneh, and Leila Elatrash speak with assertive voices about the confinement and even the abuse of Arab women. Their works reveal an unequivocal sense of pride in overthrowing all confinements, while at the same time condemning and combating the abusive excesses of patriarchy when it appropriates and exploits religious and cultural traditions to preserve its own material hegemony. Their discourse strives, with varying degrees of militancy, for an agenda that is quite dissident and threatening to the fabric of the traditional religious and social Arab norms. Some look at the West for a substitute model of their freedom of expression, while others seek an answer within the framework of Arabic culture. Their writing represents not only a fascinating phenomenon of articulating feelings and perspectives of their own by adopting a dissident stance in their use of language and narrative, but also a promise to extend and expand their scope of focus to an apparent militant and confrontational response to the discourse produced by male-made theocracies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Jordan investigated and evaluated students' attitudes and opinions after attempting a dental objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) for the first time. The OSCE consisted of sixty-seven stations for fourth-year dental students. After the exam, students were asked to voluntarily complete a questionnaire designed to evaluate their attitudes and opinions about the exam. Of the 134 students who participated in the OSCE, 93.2 percent completed the questionnaire; 43.4 percent said they found the exam difficult and 56.6 percent found it easy (p=0.147). Seventy percent reported that the exam was objective, while 30 percent did not (p<0.001); 65.5 percent indicated that it was a better test than traditional patient-based tests, whereas 34.5 percent did not (p<0.001). Sixty-eight percent stated that there were too many stations, while 30.9 percent stated the number of stations was appropriate and 0.8 percent stated there were too few (p<0.001). Of these respondents, 75.6 percent reported the exam was organized, whereas 21.1 percent said the exam was not very well organized and 3.3 percent said the exam was not organized at all (p<0.001). Overall, the students responded that the OSCE was able to test their clinical judgment and skills and it was a better method for evaluating their clinical skills; most preferred to have such tests in the future. Although the students reported the exam had too many stations, they perceived that it was well organized and that the time allocated for each station was appropriate. These dental students perceived that the OSCE was a suitable method to test operative dentistry clinical judgment and skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offers observation on how states prioritize among the potential threats they face in making alliance decisions. Information on the regional alliance choices of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan between 1971 and 1991; View on the security challenges to Third World states; Information on omnibalancing.