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Türkiye with its multifaceted soft power, it aspires to strengthen its influence throughout the surrounding countries of the Arabian Gulf. Türkiye is applying the maximum prominent cultural and educational diplomatic strategies for boosting knowledge and cooperation to preserve its impact inside the Gulf location. By establishing the Yunus Emre Institutes (YEE), the implementation of cultural and educational activities, the ties between Türkiye and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has been reinforced. As a result of the world's rapid change soft power has become essential in the international arena. This article significantly assesses Türkiye's soft power tasks in the GCC area and its implication on the Arabian Gulf regional dynamics. It examines Türkiye's public diplomacy initiatives in the GCC through cultural and educational diplomacies on domestic and regional attitudes.

This comprehensive scoping review aimed to identify and synthesize the existing research on professional development (PD) for educators and educational leaders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between 2018 and 2023. Fourteen scholarly articles covering a wide range of topics related to education in the UAE were collected and analyzed. The review revealed that PD initiatives in the UAE often focus on enhancing teacher effectiveness and leadership skills, particularly in the context of educational reforms and inclusive education practices. However, significant challenges were identified, including implementation gaps, cultural barriers, and resistance to centrally imposed PD programs. The findings suggest that while PD programs positively impact teacher performance and educational quality, further efforts are needed to address the challenges within the UAE's unique socio-cultural context.

As English is today's lingua franca, ESP is a flourishing domain of English language teaching and learning for learners seeking to enhance their professional or academic performance in a specific target situation. This review aims to classify research tendencies in the MENA region through topical themes explored in two major journals of ESP, "English for Specific Purposes" and "Journal of English for Academic Purposes." The study's significance lies in shedding light on the evolving landscape of ESP research in the region, a crucial endeavor given the growing importance of English as a lingua franca in professional and academic contexts. To reach this objective, 26 papers published between 2019 and 2024 were selected based on the authors' institutional affiliation. Scholars from Algeria, Iran, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the UAE authored the selected research papers. The results of this review revealed a major interest in researching target-situation linguistic analysis and pedagogical implications.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about an unprecedented reliance on digital technologies in education, regardless of the pre-existing attitude of teachers. This study explores elementary school teachers' perceptions about teaching mathematics through distance education. Using a quantitative approach, an online questionnaire was administered to primary teachers in the UAE during the spring semester of 2020-2021. The results show teachers' readiness to adopt digital technology in teaching against increased workload. Difficulties emerged in optimizing student performance in online environments. While the institution supports digital integration, teachers prefer traditional in-person classroom instruction. Therefore, the research would inform some educational systems and curriculum planning worldwide on the best way to integrate digital technology within elementary mathematics education. The study aims to close the gap in mathematics education within a digital context to solve the emerging educational demands.

This research aimed to examine the effect of the "Matific" platform on preschool students' academic performance in Mathematics in Al Dhafra Region, United Arab Emirates. It also examined the difference between boys' and girls' academic performance after using the "Matific" platform during mathematics learning. An experimental research design with pre- and posttest was conducted over a four-week period. A convenient sampling technique was used to select twenty preschool students in an intact group (11 girls and 9 boys). Data was collected through the Achievement Test instrument using pretests and posttests. Descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests were used to evaluate differences in pretest and posttest scores among individuals and groups, with further analysis conducted to examine differences between boys' and girls' performance. Findings suggest that there is significant effect of using the "Matific" platform on students' academic performance in Mathematics. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the performance of boys and girls in utilizing "Matific."

This research examines the factors that influence students' choices to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees in the United Arab Emirates. Our study investigates the impact of psychosocial variables, including math anxiety, educational stress, and family expectations, on the decision of 558 children to pursue STEM education. We have discovered that there is a positive correlation between greater levels of school stress and parental expectations and the possibility of enrolling in STEM fields. Moreover, gender appears as a notable indicator, as males have a greater propensity towards STEM. The study emphasises the necessity of implementing comprehensive treatments to tackle math anxiety, educate parents about STEM jobs, and offer efficient stress management assistance for pupils. The implications have a wide reach, including politicians, educators, and parents that aim to foster a varied and driven community of STEM students in the UAE. Additional investigation is advised to explore the complex interactions of psychological elements that influence educational decisions.

This study investigated the use and functions of metadiscourse markers in English as a foreign language (EFL) virtual classroom during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study examined which metadiscourse markers--interactive or interactional--were used more frequently and how they were employed in an EFL context. It explored two interactive metadiscourse resources (code glosses and evidentials) and two interactional metadiscourse resources (attitude and engagement markers). The study utilized a mixed-method approach, using Hyland's (2004) two-componential taxonomy, to analyze a corpus of 303,148 words from 35 online lectures (90 minutes each) delivered by three university instructors in the UAE. The Mann-Whitney U test was employed to determine any significant differences in the use of these resources and their subcategories. The results revealed that the three instructors used more interactional than interactive resources. The qualitative analysis showed that code glosses and evidentials were primarily used to manage the flow of information, provide elaboration on propositional content, and provide evidence to support arguments. They were also employed to achieve cohesion and logical coherence in online classrooms. In contrast, attitude and engagement markers were used to engage students and signal the instructors' attitudes toward their material and audience. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for EFL instructors, students, and syllabus designers to foster social justice and fairness in the online learning environment, ensuring all students feel valued and empowered in their educational journey.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is considered to be an external factor that affects teachers' attitudes toward online professional development. Therefore, this study investigates the use of virtual communication in an online professional development program through the lens of teachers' attitudes toward technology. This study was conducted in 15 schools across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A teacher training program called The Ta'alouf Inclusion Special Education, one of the initiatives of the Al Jalila Foundation (AJL), aimed to train teachers, promote inclusion, and support children with special educational needs and disabilities. Participants (teachers, school leaders, learning support assistants, social workers, and department heads) received 24 hours of virtual training sessions on numerous topics related to inclusive education and special educational needs and disabilities. A concurrent mixed-method approach was utilized to collect quantitative data from participants using an online survey and qualitative data using interviews. The study results reveal that the quarantine of COVID-19 did not affect teachers' continued professional development. On the contrary, teachers felt the ease of using technology and the usefulness of the topics mentioned, which formed their positive attitudes toward using technology and led to their engagement and continuation of developing professionally either during or after the pandemic.

Purpose: Private supplementary tutoring - widely known as shadow education because of the ways in which it mimics regular schooling - is increasingly visible across the globe. The Middle East is no exception, though the phenomenon has received relatively little attention in the English-language literature. This article maps some key features of shadow education, identifying ways in which contextual forces have shaped it. Design/Approach/Methods: The article focuses on patterns across and within the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It draws on literature in both Arabic and English and shows the value of multiple units of comparison. Findings: Private tutoring has a long history as a significant phenomenon in some GCC countries, but in others developed more recently. Some governments have had active policies to dampen the phenomenon, but with little success. Factors in the complex dynamics include social, economic and cultural forces. Originality/Value: The article assembles literature from around the region, noting both commonalities and diversities among GCC members. It contributes to the global literature by providing the regional mapping from this specific part of the world and by showing comparisons with other world regions.

Allowing students to practice science inquiry in the classroom is fundamental for science education. Students should master investigation skills, promoting their understanding of science concepts. Virtual laboratories have emerged as a powerful interactive tool that can be a suitable alternative to real laboratories, especially when lacking enough equipment and safety measures. This mixed approach study investigates the effects of virtual science laboratories on students' motivation and attitude toward science (ATS). Students (n = 237) from grades (7, 8, 9, 10, and 11) were surveyed to evaluate their virtual laboratory experience in an American curriculum private school in Dubai with the theoretical basis of motivation theories. The study reported that virtual laboratories positively impact students' overall motivation in terms of intrinsic motivation, perceived usefulness (U), effort (E), perceived self-efficacy (SE), and ATS. Students, perceived SE and U significantly impact student attitudes toward science (p < 0.001). Students' perceived SE is a predictor of their E in the laboratory by 6.1%. Students with high SE put more E into completing a virtual laboratory task than students with low SE.

This paper aims to assess the impact of the reciprocal teaching strategy on the academic performance of student-teachers enrolled in the Higher Professional Diploma (HDE) program at Ajman University, United Arab Emirates. The study adopts a quasi-experimental design, employing pre- and post-tests and a control-experimental group configuration. The sample comprises 80 student-teachers selected from Ajman University during the second semester of the academic year 2022-2023. An academic achievement test in a multiple-choice format serves as the research instrument. The study's outcomes reveal noteworthy differences, indicating significant mean variations in the post-test scores between the experimental and control groups, favoring the control group in the context of the Reciprocal Teaching strategy. These results hold implications for international students, prompting considerations about the transferability and generalizability of teaching strategies across diverse cultural and educational settings. The findings suggest the broad effectiveness of the reciprocal teaching method, emphasizing the necessity of aligning teaching strategies with international students' specific needs and preferences. The research underscores the importance of tailoring teaching approaches to meet the unique requirements of a diverse cohort of global learners. It suggests that reciprocal teaching demonstrates efficacy across varied groups of international students, emphasizing the importance for instructors to select instructional methods that cater to the distinct needs of their diverse international student body.

This paper shares the reflections of a small group of graduate students and faculty members in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the challenges and affordances of using large language model (LLM) tools to assist with academic writing in an English Medium Education (EME) context. The influence of interpretive grounded theory afforded the authors the opportunity to engage with emerging data from a focus group interview. Ethical issues including academic integrity and maturity formed a major theme of this study, as well as the future-thinking affordances of LLMs in facilitating and democratizing academic writing for all, including those in EME programs. Considering that LLMs are here to stay and will be used by students and faculty alike, the authors consider that the nature of assessment is likely to change and indeed will require higher education institutions to consider the types of assessments in place, with a view to potentially modifying them in light of these technological advances. We recommend the use of deeply personalized, critically reflective writing assignments where students demonstrate how the topic has meaning in their individual context and personal life story, that will ensure academic integrity and maturity while still embracing these new technologies to widen the scope of academic writing.

The aim of the present exploratory study was to examine students' situational engagement and motivation in the statistics classroom at Zayed University, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two instruments were used for this purpose: a) experience sampling method (ESM), and b) the validated Mathematics Motivation Questionnaire (MMQ). This study employed two samples, at undergraduate level (2nd and 4th Semesters). Participants consisted of 100 students enrolled in Statistics I and Statistics II (Probability and Structure of Randomness). The results indicate that, apart from challenge and effort, emotional engagement is not significantly different across different activities. The results also indicate increases in intrinsic value and utility value and decreases in test anxiety. Finally, results indicate higher engagement and effort when social interaction is purposely planned and fostered, such as in small groups. On the contrary, individual class activities seem to generate slightly lower levels of engagement and effort. These findings have significant implications for educators and researchers who seek to enhance students' engagement and motivation in their statistics courses.

Academic credentials play an immensely significant role in the career of a person and in the progress of society. The system in place currently used for the issuance, storage & sharing of academic credentials is quite inefficient in its operations, due to being paper based in large. There is also widespread fraud committed every year in terms of academic credentials, ranging from diploma mills to plain forgery. There presents a need for a total digital transformation in this field, which ensures complete independent authenticity of credentials that could be proven in a fool-proof manner. Blockchain technology promises to alleviate the above identified problems by ensuring complete transparency & verifiable proofs of ownership using decentralized storage of credentials & Public Key Cryptography (PKC) in the form of Digital Signatures. This project implements the proposed solution by using the ECDSA algorithm to (i) sign the accreditation of institute by governing body, such as The Ministry of Education (MOE) (ii) sign the academic credentials by the issuing party (iii) sign the issued credentials by the learner to claim iv) sign the credentials by some governing body like the MOE. The learner can share the signed credential with any third party, such as a potential employer. The ECDSA algorithm can then authenticate the credential by programmatically verifying the signature proof by any party using the corresponding Public Key without going through tedious channels.

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on innovation research, particularly in the manufacturing and information technology sectors in the US and Europe. However, the disruptions caused by the recent pandemic called for more innovations, especially in the education industry. Innovation is viewed as an outcome of a set of various drivers. This study explored faculty perspectives on the drivers of innovation that can transform the curriculum into an interdisciplinary model to promote sustainability in education. Additionally, it examined the relationship between these drivers and the outcome of innovation, particularly at the process level. An explanatory sequential mixed-method approach was employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a purposeful sample of 60 faculty members at one federal higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. Findings indicated that while there is a correlation between the drivers and process of innovation and sustainability in education, other factors played a more significant role in facilitating this transformation. Empowering faculty members and involving them in the process of transformation, connecting them with the institutional vision and mission for innovation, fostering a clear understanding of the value of the transformation, providing faculty with continuous professional learning and development opportunities to promote the use of innovative pedagogical methods, are among the key factors.

This study investigates the impact of connectivism on knowledge acquisition and the willingness of higher education students to apply that knowledge in practical settings. Using an experimental design, it investigates how connectivism manifests in learning processes, particularly focusing on a collaborative online international session (COIL) with 92 business management students from the UAE and South Korea. These students participated in a COIL session aimed at enhancing their understanding of diversity and inclusion management concepts. The study utilized an independent t-test to evaluate the effectiveness of COIL, comparing groups exposed to different modes of participation (connectivism mode and nonconnectivism mode). The results highlight connectivism's role in increasing students' willingness to utilize acquired knowledge. As a connectivism approach, COIL proves pivotal in applying learning practically. This research offers significant insights for curriculum designers, educators, and scholars, demonstrating the impact of social connectivism on learning enhancement. It provides valuable information for incorporating connectivism into traditional educational models, thereby enriching the theoretical and methodological understanding of the relationship between connectivism, COIL, knowledge acquisition, and application willingness. This study is particularly relevant for educators looking to integrate innovative methods in their teaching and expand the scope of knowledge and skill development for future work.

Background: An increasing number of undergraduate positive psychology courses offer students a holistic view of the broader discipline of psychology. Even short-term participation in positive psychology activities as part of a taught course may improve psychological well-being and lower stress. However, there is a dearth of qualitative evidence on how students experience this learning process. Objective: This study aimed to explore UAE-based undergraduate students' reflections on their experiences of an elective positive psychology course and their participation in various positive psychology interventions (PPIs). Method: This qualitative study explored 21 UAE-based undergraduate students' reflections on taking a semester-long positive psychology course, in which they participated in PPIs. The rich data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes emerged, namely "rethinking positive psychology," "changes in perspective on happiness and search for positivity," and "enhanced relationships." Conclusion and Teaching Implications: The study suggests that positive psychology may reach past the time and space of the taught course and have at least a short-term positive impact on students' mental and social lives. Findings from this study imply the potential of positive psychology in higher education and point towards further integration of such courses in undergraduate programs in the UAE and beyond.

With the growing expectations from the field of education, increases the importance of effective school leadership. The school proves its effectiveness depending on various factors; the principal's leadership style is the main one. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the female gender and national culture dimensions on the leadership styles of Emirati female school principals, as educational leaders, and the relationships that exist among the different variables. Explanatory sequential mixed method approach was used in two phases for this study. In the first phase, the quantitative data were collected using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (5X-short) survey and the cultural dimensions survey. In the second phase, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews and qualitative observations. The findings of the study indicated that Emirati female leaders tend to be more transformational in their leadership styles while they still practice transactional leadership to a certain degree. They were found to be more "androgynous" carrying the qualities of both male and female leaders. In addition, the leadership styles and their elements proved to have a significant relationship to national culture dimensions except for management by exception (active). Future research should include a larger sample size and the perspectives of the followers as well. It is important to conduct the study in different organizational contexts not only in schools to confirm the finding that women use "androgynous" style in the United Arab Emirate and beyond.

This study examines emotional well-being variations among students (n = 13,398) across 5 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary analysis is conducted using data from the "Responses to Educational Disruption Survey" (REDS), which focused on the pandemic experiences, including well-being, of 8th-grade students. The study constructs an emotional well-being scale employing bi-factor models and multidimensional item response theory, encompassing students' concerns, loneliness, social isolation, and negative emotions. Cross-analyses with gender and socioeconomic status (SES) reveal significant between-group disparities, measured by Cohen's d effect sizes. It uncovers gender gaps in emotional well-being, with girls consistently scoring lower in most countries. SES effects on emotional well-being vary among countries, with SES group distinctions generally smaller than gender disparities. Thus, gender appears to have played a more significant role than SES in relation to 8th-grade students' emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Higher education institutions have a key role in forming the specialists of the future. In fulfilling their role there is need for transformational leadership, culture of excellence, and academic leadership development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the link between transformational leadership, shaping a culture of educational excellence, and leadership development, as perceived by tertiary education leaders in the UAE. The qualitative approach is of focus groups, using semi-structured questions, with leaders in academia. The main finding is that in the initial stages of an organization life cycle, leadership development precedes transformational leadership and a culture of excellence. In later stages, leadership development is a mediator of transformational leadership and a culture of excellence. In the mature stages of organization life cycle, the three elements engage in an ongoing spiral and synergistic process.

An overview of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the Middle East was published by Kelly and colleagues in 2016. The focus of the review was to explore clinical services, educational opportunities, and published research in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, namely the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The objective of the current paper was to provide an update on the current status of ABA and ASD in the Gulf region, with a focus on successes, challenges, and recommendations for future directions.

Inclusive education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is evolving with ambitious policies and strategic plans. The extent to which these policies and plans are being embedded into practice in mainstream schools across the country has not been fully captured. This research used an online survey to investigate teachers' perceived competence in implementing inclusive education practices with students with disabilities in mainstream schools and explore its relationship with demographic variables. Participants included 999 teachers from public and private schools across the seven Emirates of the UAE. Greater competence was reported in implementing practices that create an environment conducive to effective learning and less competence in implementing practices that use knowledge of the student. Differences were found between demographic variables and teachers' perceived competence in implementing inclusive education practices with recent professional development in inclusive and/or special education emerging as the most significant predictor. Implications for practice and further research are considered.

Inclusive education has been widely accepted as a useful policy to offer equal access to education to all children. However, practices have stalled in many countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), necessitating support for system strengthening to enhance the existing practices in schools. While leadership is at the heart of effective practices, there is little discussion on the leadership required to leverage inclusive practices. In the UAE, little information is available regarding inclusive education leadership at early school levels, which is dominated by female teachers. This study examined the structural validity of the heuristic leadership framework, which focuses on leadership tenets (transaction, transformation and instruction) controlled by school leaders, to explain female leadership practices in the implementation of inclusive education in early education schools in the UAE. A scale based on the study framework (heuristics leadership framework) was used to collect data from 151 school leaders, including principals, vice principals, faculty heads and lead teachers, working at early school levels across the UAE. The results of this study provide theoretical support for the heuristic leadership framework and some demographics, providing valuable insights into leadership practices among female education leaders in the UAE.

Background: The widespread use of information and communication technology (ICT) has led to significant changes in societal aspects, resulting in the emergence of a "knowledge society." However, students and teachers have faced challenges in adapting to this digitalization. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), transitioning to a knowledge-based economy is a primary national agenda goal, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) of ensuring high-quality education. Objectives: This research investigates teachers' perceptions of using ChatGPT as a digital supporting tool for teaching and learning practices. This includes lesson planning, teaching and learning activities, assessment and feedback and the challenges and benefits explored. Methods: This study employs an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design involving quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. An online survey was used with closed-ended items to collect quantitative data, while semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data. The study participants are middle and high school teachers (n1 = 40) from different Dubai and Abu Dhabi private schools. Results and Conclusions: The most noticeable result is that teachers feel the benefits of using ChatGPT in lesson planning, teaching and learning and less in assessment and feedback. Some challenges and benefits were highlighted in each area and recommendations were suggested. However, teachers' biggest challenge was the bias and accuracy of information received and the lack of human interaction. Takeaways: The findings provide valuable insights into the potential of ChatGPT in education and inform future research in this area. Specifically, the study provided insights into the effectiveness of ChatGPT in enhancing students' learning outcomes, engagement and motivation, as well as its impact on teaching practices and paedagogical beliefs.

Digital technology in primary education can both be distracting and increase attentiveness. Many students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) have difficulties with skills that address attention, and teachers are expected to provide support. Such skills are referred to as Executive Function (EF) in neuroscience, relating to self-regulation, attention shifting, and inhibition of behavior. This systematic literature review outlines research on primary education during 2000-2022 that relates students' EF and digital technology through empirical data and suggested SEN-inclusive educational interventions. 288 full-text journal articles were assessed, and 26 were included for analysis. Findings include common game-based solutions for EF and SEN support, enabling explicit goals, short teaching activities, and recorded outcomes. Other examples include EF skills training and classroom management with digital monitoring devices. A substantially increased research interest during 2021-2022 was observed. Aspects needing further research are discussed, such as more special education views with cost-effective behavioral approaches.

Academic institutions need to enhance online and virtual learning strategies to ensure student engagement, satisfaction, and feedback in online classrooms. Providing online education has become the need of the hour because it enhances learning without regard for distance or the need to travel to school. The present study conducted a qualitative research design to explore students' online engagement in Blackboard's discussion forums. The study aimed to investigate students' perceived benefits of discussion forums and their views on improving their engagements in the discussion boards. In the current study 17 students at a federal university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reflected on their engagement in a discussion forum using SWOT analysis. The thematic data analysis technique was used for the data analysis. This study revealed that students perceived the benefit of discussion forums in a number of areas, including by sharing their experiences, reflecting on other students' opinions and giving feedback, and improving students' satisfaction with the course. However, the results indicated that a more technological system could enhance students' engagement in discussion forums by improving the elearning infrastructures and students' needs.

This study investigated the development of preservice teachers' metacognitive knowledge and self-regulation in online learning using the reflective practice model. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic when learning moved completely online. The participants were preservice teachers in an early childhood program in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A sequential mixed-method approach using quantitative and qualitative data was used. The study's results reveal that preservice teachers were able to develop their metacognitive knowledge and regulation due to their use of the reflective model. The preservice teachers set new goals for themselves to achieve and prepare for their future jobs.

With recent advancements in IT, internet systems and and the need for IT-driven society, particularly during COVID-19, online education (online learning, or e-learning) has become inevitable to achieve the multiple objectives (such as cost-effective, time-efficient, quality enhancement, etc.) both for educator and learner. Keeping in view the importance of online education, the current study focuses on pedagogy of how to increase the efficiency of a learner. Therefore, this study is aiming to explore how these two dimensions of online learning style are used to measure new learners' satisfaction with online education, for which this study focuses on identifying the role of a student-teacher-contact (STC) in exploring the degree of learners' satisfaction with online education, and also applying the moderating effect of student-student contact (SSC). A total of 340 target respondents were surveyed in three phases. The results showed that STC interaction was insignificant during phase-I, whereas both interactions were found significant during phase-II & III. The research emphasizes that SSC in the presence of moderators has a significant determinant of the degree of new learners' satisfaction with online education. In addition, the management of online learning institutions will realize that SSC is essential for achieving new learners' satisfaction with online education. Since there is no sufficient literature on the moderating role of STC, this study is a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge.

Since most schools and learners had no choice but to learn online during the pandemic, online learning became the mainstream learning mode rather than a substitute for traditional face-to-face learning. Given this enormous change in online learning, we conducted a systematic review of 191 of the most recent online learning studies published during the COVID-19 era. The systematic review results indicated that the themes regarding "courses and instructors" became popular during the pandemic, whereas most online learning research has focused on "learners" pre-COVID-19. Notably, the research topics "course and instructors" and "course technology" received more attention than prior to COVID-19. We found that "engagement" remained the most common research theme even after the pandemic. New research topics included parents, technology acceptance or adoption of online learning, and learners' and instructors' perceptions of online learning.

Given that school leadership styles are linked to educational outcomes, this study attempted to identify perceived leadership styles of school leaders in two types of schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): (a) international special education schools, which serve exclusively students with disabilities and (b) international general education schools, which serve primarily typically developing students. By utilizing primarily quantitative methods with supplementary qualitative analysis, this study also explored the influence of teacher demographic variables on perceptions of leadership styles. Results indicated a difference in perceptions of transformational and transactional leadership by school type based on teacher education level, as well as a difference in perceptions of passive-avoidant leadership by school type based on total years of experience with the school leader. Results also indicated a difference in leadership perceptions based on teacher nationality (consistent with the notions of collectivist and individualist cultures), total years of experience, and total years of experience in the current position. This study contributes to the knowledge base regarding the influence of teacher demographic variables on leadership perceptions while providing practical recommendations for school leaders and researchers, including professional development, school policy development, and conceptualizing culture as an expanded demographic variable of interest.

The higher education sector in the UAE has expanded exponentially with due attention to quality assurance supported by CAA. Internationalisation dynamics has added to quality enhancement efforts in the country. This study explores the impacts of internationalisation for quality assurance in higher education and it particularly accounts institutional best practices for quality assurance in a research university. The study used literature review, case study and document analysis as research methods. The research relied on relevant literature and documents from the case studied. Standard protocols of systematic literature review, and document analysis were followed in the study. Metaanalysis and meta-synthesis helped to achieve in summarising, analysing, interpreting the findings. The findings indicate that the role of institutional quality assurance department is pivotal to enhance quality. Research universities are expected to uphold higher order quality assurance protocols. The best practices highlighted in this study may offer unique lessons for young and new research universities.

Technology brings tremendous changes in education because it is a system that automates all educational institutions and academic performance. Therefore, the study examines the effect of technology's system, information and service quality on faculty, operational and university performance. To explore the more contextual factors, this study empirically and theoretically tested a proposed model by the D&M theory of IS among UAE universities. The study employed mixed-method research using a sequential explanatory research design. Using a designed survey questionnaire, the study targeted 512 faculty members and conducted 10 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with faculty members of 27 UAE universities. The results reported that system, information, and service quality significantly influenced faculty performance. In addition, system quality strongly affects faculty performance, which is the most necessary part of successful technology implementation. Faculty performance significantly influences operational and university performance; surprisingly, it has the strongest influence on operational performance. In turn, operating performance has a significant impact on university performance. The study further identified four contextual factors, that is, external, individual, organizational, and technical. The study put the novel ideas by contributing performance-level measures that support Delone and Mclean's IS success model to successfully operationalize the university's actual performance. The research uniquely extends the D&M IS success model to assess technology implementation success at individual, operational, and organizational levels within UAE universities, touching previously unexplored areas of post-implementation evaluation. University management in the UAE should prioritize enhancing service, system, and information quality to bolster faculty performance, leading to improved operational and overall organizational outcomes.

Interest in how to promote student wellbeing in schools is growing. Research shows that some drivers of wellbeing are universal, but others are country-specific. No prior study has investigated this question in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where geographic, socio-demographic and school type differences in student wellbeing are substantial. We address this gap by using multilevel regression to analyse data from the PISA 2018 study. Our focus is on life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, meaning and purpose in life, and mental health symptoms of internalizing difficulties. We find large school effects on student wellbeing, the second largest school effects out of 56 countries. School resources are of little importance, whereas factors related to time use, social connections, health and body image, positive school climate, and feelings around school and education are important correlates. These factors help explain a substantial part of the wellbeing inequalities observed across types of schools in the UAE.

This article examines the purposeful introduction of the pedagogy of student-centred education (SCE) in one educational institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to consider its cultural compatibility. The study was undertaken in the largest higher education (HE) institution in the country where a key element of the institution's two strategic plans over a nine-year period was to blend traditional and innovative teaching methods, including student centred approaches, into programmes of study. Interpretative phenomenological analysis is used to analyse the perspectives of seven non-citizen, Western teachers, as they recontextualise their practice. Drawing on Heidegger, the study explores the philosophical nature and significance of place as a way of thinking about the world. Findings revealed aspects of the teachers' student-centred practice are challenging; the universal value of SCE is understood in relative rather than absolute terms with an overall need to diversify universal imaginings of pedagogy. Centralised curricula, high stakes final assessments and individualised performance management models ultimately determined learning experiences, leaving little room for any sustained inquiry into the recontextualisation of SCE. The study concludes that pedagogy is inescapably situated: practiced in terms of place orientated thinking. Transformation necessitates an epistemic institution where change is a public endeavour and teachers are positioned inside participatory processes with possibilities to renegotiate, rearticulate and resignify pedagogy.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected the education sector in many ways. Institutions were forced to implement emergency remote teaching and learning as a preventative strategy to reduce the spread of the virus. Special education need and disabled (SEND) students were among those most vulnerable to dropping their studies because of a lack of support. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the support that was offered to special education need and disabled students at two universities in the United Arab Emirates. The study was conducted as a multiple case study of a federal and a private university in Dubai. We used a qualitative approach and the study's paradigmatic position was interpretive. Sixteen faculty members and support staff were purposely selected to participate in a semistructured interview and complete an open-ended questionnaire. Bronfenbrenner's Social Ecological theory was the theoretical framework for this study, which asserted that as a child grows, they interact with five nested systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. We found that the nature of support offered to students fell into four fundamental nests that helped students' access and succeed in online learning: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. The study concludes that implementing a collaborative working relationship is an indispensable way of enhancing students' access and success in online learning.

This paper explores mobile learning (m-learning) acceptance and use through integrating UTAUT and IS success models to examine whether quality factors (including "Information Quality," "System Quality" and "Service Quality") and behavioral factors (including "Performance Expectancy," "Social Influence" and "Facilitating Conditions") predict students' satisfaction and their intention to use m-learning systems. Data were collected through surveys from a total of 383 higher education male and female students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Structural equation modelling and path analysis were employed to test the proposed research model, showing that "Information Quality," "System Quality," "Service Quality," "Performance Expectancy," "Social Influence," "Facilitating Conditions," and "Satisfaction" determined students' intentions to use m-learning. "Satisfaction" was the most important antecedent of user behavior with m-learning, and "Performance Expectancy" was found to have the highest effect on "Satisfaction." The study's contribution to the advancement of m-learning acceptance and usage is connected to the theory and practice.

Students' persistence and success remain significant issues for universities worldwide, but Tinto (2017a; 2017b) argued that universities need to listen to perspectives of students themselves in identifying what causes them to persist and succeed. This article reports on such perspectives of Indigenous Emirati, Muslim women at one public university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data collection from original doctoral research involved an initial, customised survey completed by 22 Emirati women with subsequent interviews conducted with a further 21 female students. Data for the purpose of this article were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings are presented within Tinto's framework: goals; sense of belonging; self-efficacy; responses to curriculum; and their impact on students' motivation. Tinto's framework provides a valuable insight in understanding the women's experiences, and their statements around persistence and success have important implications for understanding women's progression in higher education in a society where male authority remains significant.

The study aims to identify the barriers and provide remedies for effective curriculum implementation. The identified barriers from the literature review are divided into three categories: students, teachers, and management. An online survey was executed with 150 teachers at the same school to gain their insight on the subject. Besides, 15 heads were interviewed to see the similarities and dissimilarities in their opinions of teachers. For this reason, the study has adopted the mixed-method framework to trace the convergence and divergence in the findings. The online survey has helped gather quantitative data, which was further analysed by statistical methods. In addition, Qualitative data was collected through interviews, and thematic analysis was executed to interpret their responses. Finally, the join display chart format is employed to check the similarity and dissimilarity in their opinions. The finding indicates that heads are giving substantial significance to the teachers' curriculum knowledge and need for professional development. Also, they want higher management to think in this line. In contrast, teachers have shown inconsistency in their responses for both constructs and highlighted the issue of workload. To this end, the study suggests that higher-level management develop concrete and meaningful policies to overcome the barriers. [Note: The publication year (2022) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct publication year for this article is 2023.]

This study aims to examine the effects of electronic games on students' academic achievement. The study was conducted on a sample of parents in the city of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. A questionnaire was used for data collection, with a sample of 76 parents randomly chosen, comprising 64 females (84.2%) and 12 males (15.8%). The study findings revealed that most students who preferred adventure games used electronic games on weekends for entertainment. However, excessive usage of these games had a negative impact on their academic achievement. Games tend to consume students' time, which in turn, affects their achievement. Based on the study results, the researchers recommended raising awareness among families regarding the risks of electronic games for children and their effects on their academic achievement through workshops, lectures, and seminars. Further research studies should be conducted to highlight the effects of electronic games on students' academic achievement from the perspectives of students themselves and their teachers.

The study aimed to explore students' perceptions at Al Ain University about the ethics of the teaching profession practiced by their professors and possible ways of enhancing them. The study sample consisted of (448) male and female students, who were randomly selected in class. The questionnaire was distributed among them. The results of the study showed that the ethics of the teaching profession among faculty members at Al-Ain University of Science and Technology was medium. The study also showed that there are no statistically significant differences in the availability of educational ethics due to gender, major, and Level of study. The study also revealed that there are (18) aspects of the ethics of the teaching profession among faculty members at Al Ain University, which were agreed upon by the students of the university.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way instructors teach and students learn. Rather than receiving education face-to-face on-campus, remote online education emerged as an alternative solution. If implemented properly though, online education can have its positive impact on the teaching and learning processes. Online education, however, may have its deficiencies, especially in terms of mental health. This paper is a follow-on study comparing students' perceptions towards remote online education versus their perceptions towards on-campus education as regards mental health specifically. Involving sixty-two engineering students at a private university in Dubai, where this study was implemented, the researchers utilized a questionnaire focusing on both online and on campus education models, which was conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown time and on-campus education following the lockdown period. Based on the study's findings, most respondents were in favor of on-campus education, particularly in relation to its impact on student mental health.

This study aimed to research the significance of using shared reading approach on improving KG students' reading comprehension. The research was implemented with five students from KG2 who attend government kindergarten in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The research followed a mixed methods research design, considering both quantitative and qualitative data. A reading comprehension rubric and cloze test were used as quantitative data collection tools to masseur the students' comprehension progress. An observation note was considered to observe students' interaction while implementing the shared reading approach and recorded the occurrences of behaviors. A rating scale were utilized to further explore the students' interactions. Additionally, an interview investigated English teachers' perspectives about the shared reading and their outlook on its significant and strategies. Graphs were used to compare students' progress. The findings showed a significant growth in students' comprehension abilities. Results from reading comprehension rubric and cloze tests exhibited a substantial increase in comprehension. Observation notes and rating scale results showcased a positive improvement in students' interaction skills. Implications from this study indicate the positive effects of using the shared reading approach to improve the students' comprehension. Therefore, it is encouraged to further explore the impact of this approach on students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDS), and the students' fluency skills.

Financial constraints caused by the economic slowdown in 2020 and COVID-19 that followed, affecting the student motivation for academic achievements, are of strategic importance to the global higher education (HE) sectors. This study aims to examine the effects of financial constraints on the motivation and academic performance of students of different nationalities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the pandemic. This study will help us recognize the challenges among students from different backgrounds and nationalities and develop remedial strategies with a global perspective. We used a Likert scale-based questionnaire to collect data on motivation level, and associated variables from a sample of 371 students enrolled in different colleges in the UAE. Statistical techniques such as t-test, F-test, and chi-square test were used to explore the relationship between the variables in the data. The findings of the study revealed that financial constraints during the pandemic did not significantly affect academic motivation, regardless of gender, nationality, and age. The participants expressed that they were prepared and aware of the sunk costs involved in education. However, as the financial impact of the pandemic extended beyond 2020, unemployment increased, and parents were less prepared to bear their children's education costs. This inevitably increased the responsibilities of the universities to provide financial support to deserving students.

This study aims to identify the dominant leadership styles of chairs from the perspective of faculty members in different college departments in higher education in the UAE. Furthermore, the study aims to identify the teachers' perceptions of leadership styles that affect their job satisfaction. The study used quantitative means with faculty members in different higher educational settings in the UAE. The survey used a five-point Likert scale. The leadership styles have values (completely agree =5, agree = 4, neutral =3, disagree=2, completely disagree=1). The job satisfaction questions have values (completely satisfied =5, satisfied = 4, fairly satisfied =3, dissatisfied =2, completely dissatisfied=1). The chosen subjects were faculty members from different colleges. Those subjects are 135 university teachers who are divided into four age groups. The data revealed no dominant leadership styles in the colleagues from faculty members' perspectives; however, the statistics lean towards the laissez-faire leadership style. It also reveals correlations between the three leadership styles and job satisfaction. The democratic leadership style has the greatest impact and most significant environment and incentives among the three independent variables. [Note: The page range (119-134) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 119-135.]

The study employs the correlative description method to develop two questionnaires: one on educational thought and another on educational quality. The sample of the study consisted of 450 teachers chosen through the relative stratified random sampling. It has been found that the teachers' practise of educational thought in UAE schools is considerable and without any statistically significant differences attributed to the sex variable. It has also been shown that the practise of educational performance quality is considerable and without any statistically significant differences attributed to the sex variable, too. In addition, there is correlation between the teachers' educational thought and the quality of their educational performance.

The study aims at investigating the STEM faculty members' perspectives and challenges towards distance learning and virtual classes during COVID-19 outbreak. The results are compared with those of non-STEM faculty members from the same institution. Data collection was performed at the United Arab Emirates University in view of four demographic independent variables: Faculty Gender, Experience, Academic Rank, and Academic Track. The researchers adopted and implemented a questionnaire where its validity and reliability for collecting data have been verified. Mean, standard deviations, and one-way ANOVA tests were conducted. The results indicate that the overall of faculty members' perspectives towards distance learning and virtual classes and for both tracks (STEM, and humanities and social sciences) are Medium. The results do not show a significant difference at the level ([alpha] = 0.05) for the independent variables: gender, and experience. However, we observe significant differences for the academic track and academic rank. We notice some significant differences in favor of full professors and associate professors as compared to lecturers. We also observe some significant differences between STEM and non-STEM tracks in favor of the former one. The results show that the calculated means for the challenges in using distance learning and virtual classes for the STEM, and humanities and social sciences tracks are Weak. This indicates that there are no apparent challenges that hinder the effort in teaching. The results do not show a significant difference at the level ([alpha] = 0.05) for all independent variables: faculty gender, experience, academic rank, and academic track. The study concluded with few recommendations. The university should continue supporting the current efforts to provide all the requirements of teaching and learning via distance learning and virtual classes such as suitable infrastructure, internet, smart apps, and technical support. There is always a need for continuous updates of the teaching and learning platforms in line with ongoing development and training for instructors and students.

Past research of rhetoric has relied on simple binary comparisons between groups that either do, or do not, possess a cultural trait. While countries like Korea and the UAE may share cultural values such as an acceptance of unequal power relationships (power distance) and a preference for group action (collectivism), these traits vary in degrees of intensity. To understand how these similar cultural traits may manifest differently within rhetoric, three separate corpora of persuasive essays written in English were compiled from female learners with Arabic, Korean, and English L1s. Next, frequencies of rhetorical devices from three categories (pronoun deixis, modals, and epistemic stances) were tallied and statistically compared using Friedman's Two-Way Analysis of Variance. Results did not reveal statistically significant differences for average frequencies, yet analysis of specific rhetorical devices within each category exposed some notable disparities between corpora. Emirati (Arabic) learners, who have a strong cultural preference for power distance, tend to lessen authority of propositions and avoid a direct connection with the reader, making an argument less personal (increasing power distance). Korean learners tend to use more direct and authoritative rhetorical strategies (decreasing power distance), while simultaneously hedging with epistemic stances to maintain some degree of power distance. Hedging also appears to support Korean collectivist values that promote conflict reduction and group cohesion. Ultimately, more research of cultural influences on rhetoric is needed to develop culturally responsive pedagogy that promotes better intercultural communication.

This work describes an international collaboration experience carried out between our process design and petroleum property evaluation courses. This collaboration was developed as part of a partnership between the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, using a program called Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) from the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The COIL program provides training to faculty on engaging students in international and cross-disciplinary projects to promote skills needed in the current work force. The COIL training meetings facilitated pairing faculty of different disciplines in different parts of the world and provided a structure for developing a collaborative project. The collaborative project that we undertook in fall 2021, and which we detail throughout this article, was titled Upstream and Downstream of Petroleum Economics.

The innovative-based economies such as Finland and other developed countries, offer a viable cohesive, and sustainable curriculum centralized around Project-Based Learning (PBL) and built on the Rigorous Curriculum Design (RCD). Such curriculum is developed by schools and warrants examination in developing countries such as the United Arab Emirates to ensure contextual, cultural, and work-driven demands of second language learners and how it impacts students' achievements and high-stake testing. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the rigorous curriculum design for project-based learning implementation on middle school students' science achievement and MAP progress in a private American school in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The study followed a quantitative approach by collecting data using the Standardized Science Knowledge Test (SSKT) and the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) in science for 304 middle school students from grades 6 to 8. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results have shown that the RCD-PBL science units have a positive impact on teaching and learning and largely impact the students' achievements and improve their MAP progress and scores. All students in the experimental groups of grades 6, 7, and 8 showed improvement in the SSKT and outperformed their corresponding control groups. Participating middle-grade students on all levels who implemented the RCD-PBL demonstrated greater science academic growth, as indicated by both tools, the SSKT and the MAP, than their counterparts who received textbook-based instruction and thus, confirmed the positive effect of implementing and centralizing PBL in the curriculum using the RCD model.