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This paper provides an analysis of the literature on transnational education to identify the key challenges and success factors for the sustainable operation of transnational higher education (TNE) programmes as perceived by key stakeholders. Probing the stakeholders' perspectives and applying a systematic approach, this study analyses 227 English-written articles retrieved from the Web of Science database published from 2000 to 2021. Key challenges identified include difficulties in managing the TNE programmes, ensuring quality assurance, adapting the curricula to the local contexts, accommodating offshore students' learning styles, creating studying environments for TNE students equivalent to those in the home institutions, ensuring preparedness of the academic staff, and facilitating the knowledge transfer in the host countries. The analysis also highlights six factors for the sustainable development of TNE programmes, including the effectiveness of the operations, the internationalization of the curricula, the transnational experience of the students, the development of the transnational staff, the existence of a proper regulatory framework in the host countries, and the development of a global systematic data collection for quality assurance. In addition, the evidence collected suggests that while the transition from domestic into a foreign programme can be rewarding, it demands appropriate planning and implementation.

Virtual Classroom (VC) learning approaches have recently drawn considerable attention because they have the potential to encourage student engagement to ensure active and collaborative learning. Although research on online learning has gained visibility in recent times, VC learning has not received notable attention, especially in Gulf countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study examines students' perception and experience of VC in a university in UAE during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of its necessity and helpfulness. This research also examines the situational pressure of VC and aims to explain the reasons for its desirability and inevitability. As a current learning space beyond the conventional face-to-face classroom learning, VC learning is available in various forms and quality depending on creating opportunities for the learners' participation. However, there are issues with VC practice too. Our analysis of survey data (N = 334) leads to portraying autonomous learning freedom in different learning environments in VC. We argue that students may resort to VC not because of its proven effectiveness but because of the necessity to continue addressing their learning needs. This study contributes to the general understanding of the online and traditional in-person classroom learning and virtual learning resources in the teaching of English as a globally desired language.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationship between students' happiness, stress and emotional closeness to others to help move toward evidence-based practices in the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) higher education. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to examine whether college students' perceived happiness differed significantly based on stress, frequency of stress management techniques and emotional closeness to others (social support). Design/methodology/approach: An increasing number of studies suggest that the relationship between higher education and happiness is either significant or positive. However, most of these studies use life satisfaction as a proxy for happiness. The survey was conducted during the academic semester whilst students were studying, to measure happiness during the performance of different duties and to avoid the impact of having free time on raising the ratio of happiness. "This period of time was chosen to depict the study-related happiness elements during experiencing these factors by the students." The sampling technique used in this research is the simple random sampling technique to enable the researchers to use the probability sampling techniques in testing the research hypotheses and for the purpose of generalizing the research results. The sampling unit is the student who is enrolled in the population of Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) students during the academic year 2020-2021. The sample is randomly representing all levels of students as well as all faculties and campuses of the HCT. The 400 HCT participants represented both male and female local UAE students with differing GPAs. The reason to have only one nationality is the policy of HCT that accepts only local students to be enrolled in the fall and spring semesters, which are the semesters of the data collection period of the academic year 2020-2021. Prior to completion of the survey, students were interviewed in a class environment to explain the research and to gain their consent for participation in the research. The data collection has been supported by discussions and interpretations with two focus groups including 20 students to validate the research results. Findings: The research has statistical evidence on the relationship between the positivity of expectations and happiness with achievement. Each one of these two main factors is measured by sub-constructs like positivity about the career, conformance between expectations and reality, believing in the kindness of people, strong English language skills and feeling the fairness and similarity with other students in the same context. Originality/value: The regression analysis results of this study reveal a strong positive impact of the positivity of expectations in students' perception on the level of happiness with achievements. The model is capable to predict the future behavior of the students' happiness with achievement and that it is determined by the level of positivity of expectations. This paper investigates the relationship between higher education happiness with achievements and the positivity of expectations of an undergraduate student.

Purpose: This study aims to identify critical online teaching effectiveness factors from instructors' perspectives and experiences during COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a qualitative phenomenology approach. In addition, the research used a snowball sample to identify faculty in the engineering and engineering technology fields with experience in online teaching and learning. All interviews were conducted online by the researchers. The interview questions were based on findings in the current literature. Further, the questions were open-ended. Findings: The analysis identified eight major themes that impact online teaching effectiveness--class recordings; course organization; collaboration; engagement; exam, assignment and quiz grades; games; valuable course content; and student timely feedback and response. Research limitations/implications: The study was not designed to be generalizable to the entire population of professors who teach online classes but to gain insights from faculty who taught online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications: Faculty can use the factors identified for online teaching effectiveness to enhance their course design and delivery while teaching online or blended courses. Originality/value: This research provides insights into factors that impact online teaching effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the plethora of m-learning acceptance studies, few have tackled the importance of examining the actual use of m-learning systems from the lenses of social influence, expectation-confirmation, and satisfaction. Additionally, most of the prior technology adoption literature tends to use the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in analyzing the structural models. To address these limitations, this study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) with the expectation-confirmation model (ECM) and social influence to predict the actual use of m-learning systems. A comparative approach using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and machine learning algorithms was employed to test the proposed model with data collected from 448 students. The results revealed that both techniques have successfully provided support to all the hypothesized relationships of the research model. More interesting, the J48 classifier has performed better than the other classifiers in predicting the dependent variable in most cases. The employment of a comparative analytical approach is believed to add a significant contribution to the information systems (IS) literature in general, and the m-learning domain in specific.

This study seeks to explore the effect of fear emotion on students' and teachers' technology adoption during COVID-19 pandemic. The study has made use of Google Meet© as an educational social platform in private higher education institutes. The data obtained from the study were analyzed by using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and machine learning algorithms. The main hypotheses of this study are related to the effect of COVID-19 on the adoption of Google Meet© as COVID-19 rise s various types of fear. During the Coronavirus pandemic, fear due to family lockdown situation, fear of education failure and fear of losing social relationships are the most common types of threat that may face students and teachers/educators. These types of fears are connected with two important factors within TAM theory, which are: perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU), and with another external factor of TAM, which is subjective norm (SN). The results revealed that both data analysis techniques have successfully provided support to all the hypothesized relationships of the research model. More interesting, the J48 classifier has performed better than the other classifiers in predicting the dependent variable in most cases.

This study developed and empirically tested a theoretical model to predict the factors affecting students' acceptance and behavioral intentions toward using mobile learning (m-learning) in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The present study explored the behavioral intention to use m-learning from the angle of consumers by applying the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model with the addition of service quality, perceived enjoyment and mobile self-efficacy and satisfaction. M-learning user data was derived from an online survey with 395 respondents and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analysis. The results revealed that: (1) behavioral intention was significantly and positively influenced by satisfaction; (2) performance expectancy and effort expectancy were positively associated with satisfaction; and (3) perceived enjoyment, service quality and mobile self-efficacy had a significantly positive effect on performance expectancy and effort expectancy. SEM analysis showed that satisfaction was central to users' behavioral intentions and mediated the effects of performance and effort expectancy on behavioral intentions. Findings correspond with the UTAUT model. A number of implications for theory and practice are derived based on the findings.

The use of interactive technologies has been demonstrated to enhance verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as the social interaction tendencies of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We examined effects of using Virtual Voice Assistant (VVAs) in children with ASD with respect to two outcomes: speech skills and social interaction skills. A single-case study included three children with ASD (4-11 years old) that utilized VVAs for three months. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to measure the communication and social interaction skills of the participating children. Participant One, Two and Three showed improvement in the number of correct words produced the VVA intervention. All participants showed increases in social interactions in the intervention phase. Overall, the results showed that the VVAs had positive effects on the speech and social interaction skills of autistic children. The findings demonstrate that children with ASD may benefit from VVAs to improve their communication skills.

Research indicates that teachers lack a sophisticated understanding of Nature of Science (NOS), which in turn, can impact their instructional decisions and students' understanding of NOS. The aim of the study was to investigate United Arab Emirates (UAE) early years' science teacher's (N = 433) perceptions about the NOS. Results obtained from a 70-item questionnaire revealed that teachers have an adequate understanding on many aspects related to science and NOS, especially those pertaining to the 'Social-Institutional', 'Scientific Practices' and 'Educational Applications' categories. However, varied perceptions were found on some key concepts such as the role of bias and prejudices on scientific facts, the employment of same scientific practices across different branches of science, and the influence of politics in science. Misconceptions on particular aspects of NOS were also recognised (e.g. the distinction between laws and theories and the fixed nature of procedures followed in experiments). The findings suggest practical and pedagogical implications for teaching and outline an agenda for further research.

Purpose: This paper investigates the social online learning experiences of teacher trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's model gauges the relationships between social presence, sense of community, and collaborative learning in online work-based learning environments. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a cross-sectional design, specifically an online questionnaire, to collect data from teacher-trainees in different years of their university programs. Findings: The findings indicate significant and positive relationships between social presence and both sense of community and collaborative learning, and between collaborative learning and sense of community in a work-based online learning environment. Moreover, collaborative learning was found to mediate the relationship between social presence and sense of community in the study's model. Research limitations/implications: The use of questionnaires to collect self-reported data from a mostly female undergraduate sample is expected to affect the generalizability of the results. Experiments or observation methods and a wider sample of participants can be used in future research to build on the findings of this study. Practical implications: The authors recommend that educators play an active role in improving the students' online social learning experiences, especially their social presence and collaborative learning. By using different interactive methods (e.g. encouraging students to ask questions, express emotions, share resources, and reflect on their learning in a group), educators can help students achieve a sense of community and, hence, realize the many beneficial outcomes tied to community creation in online learning environments. Originality/value: The study contributes to knowledge by highlighting students' social experiences while learning online, a usually overlooked area of study. These insights are especially important in a time when online learning has become a necessity rather than a choice and when students are in dire need of social support and community. Researching the online social learning experiences of teacher-trainees lends additional value to the study, as it is necessary for future teachers to experience and master this type of learning during their pre-service training so they can apply it with higher levels of confidence and efficacy in their future classrooms.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the knowledge and self-efficacy of kindergarten school teachers impact students' learning outcomes namely Arabic language reading skills. The study was a cross-sectional survey and collected data from 120 kindergarten teachers. The study showed that there is a significant positive relationship between knowledge and self-efficacy, both contributing to better learners' experience during early learning periods. The null hypothesis of the study was that there was a difference in the teacher's gender in their ability to create enthusiasm in class. The teacher's gender difference had an insignificant effect. The study also found that there is still a challenge to effectively teach children with reading difficulties like dyslexia.

This study investigated Arabic teachers' perceptions of the practice of extensive reading (ER) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study was conducted as part of an interdisciplinary research project at one of the largest higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country. The project aimed to develop and launch an Arabic online reading tracking tool to mirror its successful English forerunner, the M-Reader. The present study aimed to use teachers' perceptions to proactively address any challenges regarding the support needed from HEIs before launching the tool. A total of 34 teachers of Arabic courses in an HEI responded to an online questionnaire, which explored the reasons for, methods and approaches used, and motivation techniques and difficulties associated with implementing ER. The results showed that the teachers were aware of the benefits associated with ER practice and its positive impact on language competency. They reported encountering difficulties, which included students' lack of interest and time for reading and their inability to read independently. Teachers also reported challenges in motivating students to read and in assessing ER practices, particularly when ER is a standalone course rather than a part of the curriculum. Based on the results, we offer practical suggestions that can benefit ER practitioners in HEIs. We conclude by offering a set of implications for the successful implementation of ER programs.

Students of diverse abilities tend to be divided into groups that advocate academic homogeneity. Ability grouping practice is embedded within the contemporary hyper-accountability culture in education that has shifted the focus of the teaching community from promoting academic attainment in pupils to being highly ranked in the market-based education system. To maintain an ascending position and avoid "punitive measures, schools adopt stratification according to the pupils" academic abilities. Ability grouping strategy is commonplace in countries like the United States of America (USA), Canada, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Australia, but the intensity of this practice is unfavourable. This study aims to visit the scholarly work of the authors of the western world to comprehend the history and the advances in the ability grouping practice. The collected data from several studies endorse that ability grouping leads educational establishments to inculcate diverse educational experiences and opportunities for learners. Thus, dividing learners into academic groups contributes to broadening the socioeconomic gap.

The aim of this study is to highlight the current status of gifted education in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Based on articles, books, and projects on gifted education published in these countries, besides relevant information gleaned from semi-structured interviews with 120 gifted education teachers (male = 53, female = 67), the researcher gathered structured data on gifted education policies and initiatives in the targeted countries. The qualitative-analytical approach was used to analyze the responses of teachers in semi-structured interviews, documents, and literature. The descriptive-analytical method was used to characterize the demographic data that the researcher obtained from the teachers. The study's results revealed the differences between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries' policies and procedures for identifying and nurturing gifted students. There were also weaknesses related to the absence of a common definition of giftedness, a dearth of tools to identify gifted students, the deficiency of programs to prepare teachers for teaching gifted students, and finally, the deficiency of programs for the artistically gifted due to cultural considerations.

An insufficient number of studies investigated the criteria for Arabic letter teaching in schools. Teachers play an integral role in understanding Arabic letters among young children, as it is essential for acquiring reading in the Arabic language early in life. The criteria for teaching letters in a current study include ease of pronunciation, long vowels, short vowels, ease of pronunciation, sound, shape, and letter names. It is important to consider letter teaching as it helps in the early recognition and identification of the language and in performing better academically. The focus of the current study is to explore the orthographic attributes of Arabic letters, how teachers teach these letters, the order and criteria they follow, and the relative difficulty of letter knowledge items within the Arabic alphabet framework. Arabic letter teaching criteria tests were conducted among 80 teachers from Arabic-speaking countries in UAE. These teachers taught Kindergarten, grade 1, and special needs children. The current study's findings revealed that Arabic letter teaching efforts are dynamic as chi-square results are non-significant, reflecting that teachers' criteria and order adopted do not depend on teachers' level of education or their specific area of expertise. Findings show that most teachers who adopt ease of pronunciation of letters in teaching students start with long vowels. Furthermore, results indicated that most teachers introduce Arabic letters, sounds, and shapes when teaching young learners.

Unfavorable test-taking behaviors, such as speededness and disengagement, have long been a validity concern for large-scale low-stakes assessments. Understanding the presence and extent of such behaviors is important for ensuring the validity of inferences based on test scores. This study examined test-taking behaviors using item response time (RT), a process data-derived variable from the TIMSS 2019 database. Analyses compared the United States to three other countries (England, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates) that administered the digital version of TIMSS (eTIMSS) 2019 in English at grade 8. Test-taking behaviors were identified within each country and compared within and across countries. Specifically, to identify distinct types of test-taking behaviors, mixture modeling was employed on RT and item scores from Booklet 1, Part 1, of the eTIMSS 2019 eighth-grade assessment. The results indicated that each country had several latent classes of students with different pacing trajectories and performance. The test-taking behaviors of these latent classes were labeled as "Steady;" "Disengaged" or "Very disengaged;" "Speeded" or "Very speeded;" and "Efficient" and "high-performing." Most of the students in each country had a "Steady" pace (medium to high sum score; steady RT throughout the test): 71% in England, 74% in both Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, and 84% in the United States. "Disengaged" or "Very disengaged" students (low sum score; short RT) were identified in each country but were more prevalent in England and the United Arab Emirates (above 20% in both) than in the United States and Singapore (both below 10%). The study also revealed small percentages of "Speeded" or "Very speeded" students (low to medium sum score; long RT at first but very short RT toward the end) in England, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States (1%, 5%, and 6%, respectively) but not in Singapore. A unique class of "Efficient and high-performing" students (high sum score; short RT) was identified only in Singapore (24%). This study demonstrated that mixture modeling is a useful technique for identifying distinct test-taking behaviors and highlighted the presence and extent of unfavorable test-taking behaviors within each selected country using data from Booklet 1, Part 1, of the eTIMSS 2019 eighth-grade assessment.

The current master's curriculum in English Translation major in Iranian universities has not satisfied the demands of the society in which it was developed. Translation students have complained that some essential skills are not considered in the curriculum. Therefore, this study is aimed at proposing some guidelines for curriculum reformers in Iran to update the curriculum. To investigate effective components for updating the curriculum, it is necessary to focus on the curricula of other universities in foreign countries and compare them with that of Iran. For this aim, a qualitative-comparative analysis is used to compare the revised master's curriculum of English Translation in Iran with seven prominent Asian universities, to investigate the strength and weaknesses of the curriculum in Iran, and to recognize the effective components included in the curriculum of those seven prominent universities to be recommended to update the curriculum of Iranian universities. Hence, the curricula of eight universities have been compared with five criteria, including the title of the Master's degree, the number of credits, the course structure, the instructional objectives, and the course content. Results show that to update the curriculum of Iranian universities, a list of courses and instructional objectives needs to be added to train translators who can work with technological tools. To achieve this objective, a course named "co-translator software" should be added to the curriculum. The other objective is to improve students' interpretation skills, which are accessible by adding a course in interpretation. The findings provide novel information for Iranian curriculum reformers to work on updating the curriculum.

Objective: To examine whether self-reported sleep duration and visual impairment were associated among College students. Participants: Students (n = 1002, age 17-35 years) from Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. Methods: Students were asked to complete a validated questionnaire between October 2018 and May 2019. The questions were related to sociodemographics, lifestyle characteristics, visual impairment status, sleeping pattern, mobile-phone use and chronic conditions. Results: 18.3% of the respondents reported to suffer from visual impairment. Among them, 72.7% were females (p < 0.001), 65% admitted to frequently use mobile phones before sleeping (p < 0.001), 54.6% reported to sleep less than 7 h (p = 0.008) and 71.6% reported to suffer from sleep disturbances (p = 0.05). Visual impairment was associated with poor sleep quality (p < 0.001), mobile phone use before sleeping (p < 0.01) and daily stress (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Visual impairment in college students is associated with short sleep duration, mobile phone use before sleeping and stress level.

One way the United Arab Emirates uses to increase the employability skills of its nationals is by promoting and encouraging students to pursue technical and vocational education and training (TVET). This goal includes both female and male Emirati youth. However, studies show that females are still under-represented in TVET. Therefore, this study aims at exploring Emirati female students' perceptions of their educational experiences in TVET, the challenges they faced, and their future expectations. The study followed a mixed methods design with data collected through an online survey. Findings revealed that participants have an overall positive educational experience despite the academic and cultural challenges they experience. They believe their vocational education enables them to have a better future be it a career or in continuing their education. Despite these positive influences, additional efforts are needed to improve vocational training and alter the mindset and perception of vocational education.

Creative potential is one of the most important topics for research. It is difficult to study because, unlike creative products, potential is by definition latent. There are several useful methods. One involves comparing creative activity expressed in various settings. Previous research has, for example, compared creativity expressed in school with that expressed by the same individuals when they are in the natural environment (i.e., outside of school). There tends to be more creative activity outside of school, suggesting that individuals have creative potential but it is only expressed in certain settings. The present investigation extended this line of research by comparing creative activity in school, at home, and that occurring outside of school and home. Results indicated that the creative activity scores from the three settings shared less than 52% of their variance. The measures were highly reliable, so the conclusion was that, as in previous research, various settings do indeed differentially allow the expression of creative potential. Comparisons of means also supported this finding. Interestingly, creative activity at home was significantly more common than creative activity at school and when outside of the home and school. A statistical test of method variance indicated that it was not a notable contribution nor confound. Limitations are discussed at the end of the article.

Background: This paper investigates how the COVID-19 school closure has affected the gender gap in grade-8 students' performance and what are the drivers behind this. By analysing four different countries (i.e., the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates), the paper represents the first study addressing the issue from a comparative perspective. Methods: The study uses data from the Responses to Educational Disruption Survey (REDS) survey, which comprises international comparable data on how students approached remote learning during the COVID-19 disruption. The extent of the gender gap is estimated by employing an ordered logit model, while the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) decomposition method is used to analyse the different potential channels that could account for the gender gap during COVID-19. Results: The empirical results reveal that, during the COVID-19 school closure, girls tended to perceive changes in their learnings less favourably than boys, both in terms of improvement in self-perceived learning and self-reported improvement in grades--with odds of a more affirmative response between 20 and 25% lower for girls relative to boys. The main drivers explaining this gender gap are physical activity and psychological distress of students during the COVID-19 disruption, as well as the perceived family climate. Conclusions: The paper shows systematic gender differences in how students perceived their educational outcomes changed due to the COVID-19 disruption, providing evidence on the factors driving these differences. The findings could be employed to design policy actions aimed at increasing gender equality in education.

Purpose: This study aimed to understand how parents and librarians describe their lived experiences in a modern children's library that aims to create a triad bond through the organization of multiliteracy events and activities. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a phenomenological case study approach using two semistructured interviews, the first with parents (n = 5) and the second with library staff (n = 5), to record their lived experiences in creating and attending literacy events and activities. Findings: The findings indicated multiplicities of transformative and heterotypic spaces that juxtapose different yet compatible and vicarious experiences for librarians, parents and their children. The virtual and interactive features of the library fuel children's curiosity and creativity and afford them authentic materials through a creative blend of local heritage and technology-mediated multimodal literacies. Moreover, the librarians engage in constant program evaluation and upgrades. The library environment creates a vibrant bio-network for disseminating literacy through creativity and ingenuity and affords an affinity space for community socialization. Research limitations/implications: This study has some limitations and delimitations. The data for this study were collected during the pandemic, which affected the sample size. Moreover, the children's views were not considered, which could broaden our understanding of the phenomena. Furthermore, the study relied on interviews as the sole source of data; other sources, such as archival data and documents, could enrich the data and increase the study's rigor. Finally, the study is confined to only one site. Practical implications: The study found that a "living library" philosophy with an enthusiastic and attentive staff that caters to patrons' interests draws parents and children to visit. Additionally, unexpected fun activities that occur when sufficient children are present keep them engaged and motivated to stay and learn more. The study suggests that librarians, architects, school leaders, policymakers and educators should consider how to conceptualize, design and experience a modern library space that prioritizes literacy activities and incorporates technology to inspire children's innovations. The findings can be applied to both public and academic libraries. Originality/value: The findings from this study could provide researchers, teachers, administrators, librarians and artificial intelligence with a viable orientation to envision new ways of reconceptualizing public and school libraries to create affinity spaces for the literate community, especially in a non-western context such as the United Arab Emirates.

Purpose: The research aims to identify the effectiveness of using the blended learning strategy on achievement among students of higher colleges of technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), through the answer to the following question: Is there a statistically significant difference at the significance level (a = 0.05) in students' achievements in general studies courses at higher education attributed to the method of teaching (blended learning, traditional). Design/methodology/approach: The research applied a Quasi-experimental. The current research used two groups experimental group and controlled group across two phases: pilot study and experimental study. Phase 1 examined the difference between the pilot group and the nonpilot group at Sharjah colleges across three different courses: Fundamentals of Applied Mathematics, Professional Communication and Reporting and Basic Research Methods during the spring semester 2019 at Sharjah colleges. Phase 2 examined the difference between the experimental group (using blended learning during summer 2019) and the controlled group (learned the same courses during summer 2018) across three different courses and the same three courses. Findings: There is no statistically significant difference at significance level (a = 0.05) in students' achievements in the Fundamentals of Applied Mathematics (LSM 1000) course between the experimental and controlled groups. There is a statistically significant difference at significance level (a = 0.05) in students' achievements in the Professional Communication and Reporting (LSC 1103) in favor of the experimental group course at higher education attributed to the method of teaching (blended learning, traditional). There is no statistically significant difference at significance level (a = 0.05) in students' achievements in the Basic Research Methods (LSS 1123) between the experimental and controlled groups. Research limitations/implications: (1) The study is limited to students of Higher Colleges of Technology in the UAE; (2) The study is limited to the General Studies Department at Higher Colleges of Technology; and (3) The achievement test used in the study is a standardized test developed by the college. Originality/value: This research considered the first research to discuss the effectiveness of using blended learning where three teaching strategies are combined together (normal face-to-face classes, flipped classroom and online face-to-face classes) in students' achievement at higher education in the UAE.

Open access (OA) publishing presents university librarians, administrators, and faculty researchers with a paradox of both opportunities and challenges. For faculty researchers in particular, the decision of whether to pursue OA publication of their scholarship is driven by their perceptions of the credibility and quality of OA publishing. While there is a variety of extant literature broaching these perceptions, there are few quantitative analyses with an n greater than 100 respondents, and a notable lack of research in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study mitigates this gap in scholarship regarding OA publishing, offering a quantitative analysis of a survey sample of 134 UAE faculty researchers. We find statistically significant findings regarding the relationship between one's position on OA and length of publishing career and professorial rank. Similarly, we find that those with favourable views of OA publishing are more likely to believe that OA journals are peer reviewed, increase likelihood of being cited, allow authors to repost content, and are a more principled alternative to traditional publishers. Those who believe that their research should be freely available to all readers or that OA publishing broadens their research impact were also highly likely to hold favourable views of OA publishing. Finally, our findings suggest that support for OA publishing at the departmental and institutional level remains ambiguous, with findings yielding contradicting results on the matter. The study contributes to content regarding scholarship, library science, and university administration.

Backgrounds and aims: Echolalia, the repetition of previous speech, is highly prevalent in Autism. Research into echolalia has historically assumed a clinical standpoint, with two opposing paradigms, behaviourism and developmentalism, offering differing support and intervention programs. These paradigms offer a multitude of clinical operationalised definitions; despite attempts, there continue to be challenges regarding how echolalia is to be defined. Stepping out of the dichotomous clinically orientated literature, we examined how parents summarise and formalise their understanding of echolalia as a communication partner. The objectives of this study were three-fold: (1) to investigate how echolalia is described and defined by parents; (2) to examine if existing clinical definitions align with those of parents; and (3) to begin to consider the implications of such findings for a collaborative approach between clinical perspectives and the parent experience. We bring to the fore the voices of parents, who have historically remained absent from echolalia literature. That is to say, we step outside of the clinical realm and listen to parents: something which has been previously unconsidered but represents a new vital addition to the echolalia literature. Methods: We employed a Grounded Theory approach to document the definitions of 133 parents. Results: We found that parents reported a multiplicity of important elements that are key to their understanding of echolalia. Conclusions and implications: Additionally, we found that clinical definitions do not resonate within the parent experience; parents experience echolalia in a different way to that of clinicians and parents can offer insight into our understanding of the phenomena. Our findings show that while some parents might align themselves with either a behavioural or developmental positionality, sometimes there is an overlap depending upon the context in which their child repeats and some parents advance interpretations that are not readily aligned with either of the traditional clinical schools of thought. We present implications for both clinicians and parents in ways that point towards a collaborative approach to support the person with echolalia.

This paper explores the nexus between University-Industry Collaborations (UIC) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region informed by a multiple-country-case study design. This study aims to explore the motives, opportunities and challenges, and propose effective practices in the MENA region context. Based on qualitative data retrieved through a series of 72 semi-structured interviews with university stakeholders (i.e., faculty, directors of corporate training, administrative staff, gatekeepers, company representatives and liaisons) conducted from March 2021 to September 2022. The sample was determined by a criterion sampling approach that enabled the development of cases from five countries in the MENA region (United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco) with each country sample comprising five university cases on average. This study was designed on a Multiple Case Study Research Design Approach (Yin, 2013) and this was supplemented by Template Analysis (a form of thematic analysis), and to incorporate the cross-national comparative dimension, Yasin and Hafeez (2022) approaches were adopted. The findings illustrate a wide range of motives, challenges, opportunities, and effective factors that are linked to varying objectives such as (1) the vision and ownership structures, (2) the stakeholder connections of universities (3) the brand reputation of the university provider (4) the perception and ranking of universities as well as (5) approaches undertaken by the University representative to negotiate the expectations of live projects. As a result, a contextualized framework is proposed in this study as the "five [essential] keys" for successful collaborations for the nexus between university and industry collaborations. The originality of this study is inherent in the qualitative cases and contextualized influences in non-westernized countries that are empirically under-explored, as well as the five keys framework that is useful from a theoretical and practical standpoint for academics, policymakers, and university leadership.

Purpose: Demonstrate the importance of programming, discuss the pedagogical philosophy of how programming is taught, identify the barriers to the proper implementation of programming education in United Arab Emirates (UAE) primary schools, and find solutions to overcome these barriers. Methodology: The study adopted a qualitative approach. Thirteen ICT teachers, from different schools in the UAE, were interviewed to investigate their perception of the teaching of programming to primary students. Findings: The good application of programming education in UAE schools is yet to be accomplished. There is a need to reform the teaching of programming in primary schools in the UAE and to raise awareness about it and its importance in the school domain (school principals, teachers, and students). Implications: One significant implication is that teaching programming should be taken seriously by educational policymakers and school leaders as a core subject that should be taught to all students. The study also contributed to the growing body of literature on the value of programming skills and the role of the appropriate curriculum in developing these skills. Originality/value: This study provides new insights at both practical and scholarly levels. It can shed light on the field's expansion prospects. The outcomes of this study may assist educational policymakers in better implementing programming education, particularly in primary school. Moreover, it helps teachers better prepare for the problems that primary students may encounter with learning programming in schools.

The hybrid nature of reading-to-write tasks calls for more empirical research on understanding the relationship between L2 reading, writing, and proficiency. This study examines summaries written by 46 Emirati university students, who were asked to write a 150-word summary of an expository text on the topic of "consumerism" during class hours. The summary was assessed based on an analytic rubric. It was also assessed quantitatively in terms of the inclusion of the number of important ideas from the source text, namely, content analysis scores. In addition, the students' language proficiency, reading proficiency, and writing proficiency had already been externally ascertained with their recent IELTS scores. Significantly positive correlations were found between summary scores and IELTS reading scores, IELTS writing scores, and IELTS proficiency scores. Only a significantly positive relationship was found between content analysis scores and IELTS reading scores, but not the IELTS writing scores and IELTS proficiency scores. This implies the importance of enhancing students' reading, writing, and language proficiency to help them write an effective summary, and reading in itself is insufficient in the production of an effective summary.

Developing statistical thinking is vital to fostering students' critical thinking; however, it requires suitable curricula, appropriate textbooks, and well-prepared teachers. For many decades, statistics education was almost absent in the K-12 education in the Arab world. During the past few years, noticeable education reform efforts at all educational levels have introduced advanced curricula that aim to equip students with the skills that would enable them to compete internationally. This study aims to analyze the new statistics curricula in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as a leading educational model, and assess their alignment with the best international practices in developing statistical thinking at the primary school levels. Content analysis of the statistics component in mathematics textbooks from Grades 1-4 in UAE will be conducted, benchmarking the statistics content with the best international practices. Finally, recommendations on efficient and practical approaches to ensure appropriate development of statistical thinking at early educational stages are showcased.

This article investigates the importance of global competence and its incorporation in interventions from Grade 5 to Grade 12 public education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to prepare learners for local and global challenges, such as sustainable development, technological innovation, climate change, etc. Using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2018) and a machine learning model, the study presented here reveals that three key "global competence indicators" contribute to student academic performance in both the UAE and member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These three indicators are (1) self-efficacy regarding global issues; (2) awareness of global issues; and (3) awareness of intercultural communication. The study identifies that boys attending public (UAE government-funded) K-12 schools need particular interventions to improve all three key global competence skills, while girls would benefit from building stronger self-efficacy regarding global issues and from improving awareness of intercultural communication. This article details evidence on which global competence interventions can be built and integrated with efforts to close achievement gaps in UAE K-12 public schools. The authors recommend intervention designs and target population groups which would benefit most from the findings of this research study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to validate the psychometric properties of the Self-Perceived Employability Scale in the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE-SPE) and to verify the model fit of the UAE-SPE and University Commitment Scale (UC) (Rothwell "et al.," 2008) for undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey study was carried out to collect the data using a web-based survey tool (Qualtrics) at a public university in the UAE. The sample was 646 undergraduate students. Findings: As a result of the factor analysis, the study validated three factors of SPE for undergraduate students in the UAE that explain their perceptions of their university reputation, their field of study, the state of the UAE labour market and confidence in their skills. Confirmatory factor analysis verified good model fit indices of UAE-SPE and the UC scale. In addition, the study found a statistically significant positive relationship between the UC scale and the three factors of UAE-SPE. Originality/value: Currently, there is a scarcity of published research on self-perceived employability amongst undergraduate students in higher education institutions in the UAE and the Arab region. This article not only contributes to research on this topic but also validates two scales, allowing cross-cultural comparisons of SPE and UC of undergraduate students in the Arab region and worldwide.

Emirati children's reading skills have consistently lagged behind global standards on international standardized tests. Given the United Arab Emirates's Vision 2031, which aims for a world-class education system, and given the importance of Arabic literacy in preserving national identity and cultural heritage, there is an urgent need to investigate the factors that influence Arabic literacy among Emirati children. Therefore, this study, using data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 database, aimed to examine the relationships between parents' attitudes toward reading, early literacy activities, early literacy tasks, and Arabic literacy. Specifically, the study aimed to (1) determine the predictive value of parental attitudes toward reading for Arabic reading literacy among Emirati children; (2) examine how early literacy activities and tasks contribute to Arabic reading literacy; and (3) examine the mediating role of early literacy activities and tasks in the relationship between parental attitudes and Arabic reading literacy. The results of the study suggest that parental attitudes toward reading are an important predictor of their children's Arabic reading literacy. Participation in early literacy activities before primary school and mastery of early literacy tasks at the beginning of primary school were both associated with reading proficiency in Arabic. Furthermore, both early literacy activities and early literacy tasks significantly mediated the relationship between parental attitudes toward reading and children's reading proficiency in Arabic. The findings are critical for educators to adapt teaching methods, curricula, and parental involvement programs to more effectively support Arabic literacy development. The study highlights the need for an inclusive approach involving parents, educators, and policymakers to create an enabling environment for the development of Arabic literacy, which is essential for academic success and cultural preservation.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the entry-level student's awareness of environmental sustainability focussing on the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) campus and measure the effectiveness of the course materials. A comparison between the students who took the general education sustainability (GESU 121) course face to face and the ones who tool it online was applied. Design/methodology/approach: This study was descriptive in nature, and the data is obtained using a cross-sectional survey of the students attending the UAEU in 2020. The data collection was done in two semesters, Spring 2020 [face-to-face class] and Fall 2020 [online class, after COVID-19 effect]. A total of 160 participants responded to the survey. The Pearson's Chi-square test for independence was conducted and used to identify if any statistical differences exist between the studied variables. Findings: This study revealed that the awareness of environmental sustainability was increased in both groups [face-to-face students and online students], after taking the course. In addition, around 80% of the students were interested to participate in sustainability initiatives on the UAEU campus. The students' perception of the statements about the UAEU campus environmental sustainability varied from Spring 2020 (53.3% were not sure that the UAEU campus is environmentally sustainable) to Fall 2022 (63% of the online students believed that the campus is environmentally sustainable). Originality/value: Students' awareness and perception are very important to improve the environmental sustainability of the University campus. The novelty of this study is to examine the awareness of entry-level students among the environmental sustainability focussing on the UAEU campus and examine the effect of COVID-19 [online classes] on delivering the course knowledge. The findings of this study provide the information for the improvement of the course for the future semesters.

The current study explored how students in various universities across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) conceptualized inclusive education and views of the future with participation from twenty-one pre-service teachers from different universities within the UAE. Data collection consisted of an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews analyzed using a qualitative case study within an interpretive paradigm. Results indicated that students unanimously conceptualized inclusion from a holistic point of view and projected the future to be associated with a higher level of differentiated instruction. However, the conditions of the Education Act and the results were not in agreement with the premise of liberation pedagogy, as students with special needs reverted to a passive state and adopted a dependent relationship with the teacher. In conclusion, teachers' motivation was faith in humanity, the rejection of fatalism, and the belief that all learners can actively participate in the transformation of the world by participating in liberation pedagogy, which caters to the diverse needs of students in present and future environments.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institution to rapidly switch to online delivery. Even if the pandemic seems to be over, online learning will continue to constitute at least a part of the course's delivery in the future. With that in mind, this study aims to explore the factors that influence teaching presence online and how these perceptions will guide teachers to adopt practices that will impact their presence accordingly. Given the changes implemented due to the pandemic, this study is essential to identify the significance of teaching and social presence in online classes. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were used to find answers to the posed research questions. Exploring the perceptions and experiences of four university teachers, this study, informed by the community of inquiry (CoI) model, investigated the impact of teaching and social presence on the online learning experience in higher education. Findings: The findings indicate that teachers acknowledged the importance of these two elements in teaching online. Moreover, the study investigates how teachers could establish teaching and social presence to enhance the online learning experience. Originality/value: The study explores teachers' views on the importance of presence, their practices to achieve in an online learning environment and addresses a gap in the literature on "teaching presence from the educator's perspective, [since] most studies exploring the student's perspective" (Gurley, 2018, p. 200).

The posing of Intensive Reading (IR) as a fundamental rudimentary reading act and the endorsement of Extensive Reading (ER) as supplemental reading practice seems to be essential for literacy educators. This study tried to unearth the nature of the interplay between intensive and extensive reading as experienced by graduate Arabic native speakers in the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, the study aimed at capturing the students' views about the roles of the intensive reading and extensive reading in shaping their reading experiences. The study employed a sequential explanatory mixed method design. The first phase of the study featured a questionnaire that was collected from students (n=50) followed by interviewing students (n=4) in the second phase. The results revealed that graduate students dealt with reading as a discursive act where they gained from the interplay between the (IR) and (ER). The students viewed the relationship between (IR) and (ER) as reciprocal and hence (IR) promoted (ER) and vice versa. Nonetheless, the nature of the overt instruction and the pre-selected materials used by instructors are viewed as obstructive to the natural flow of (ER). The study recommends that (ER) and (IR) should be treated as part of the continuum in literacy process.

Recently, psychologists and educators have been interested in the study of anxiety, motivation and achievements. The modern approach to the phenomenon of anxiety is based on the fact that anxiety should not be regarded as an initially negative personality trait; it is a signal of inadequacy of subject's activity in relation to the situation. Each person is characterized by the optimal level of anxiety, the so-called positive anxiety, which is a necessary condition for the development of personality, and there is a set of anxiety situations -- depending on the experience and personal resources. The relevance of the research topic is explained by the constant updating of the content of education. The latter often leads to meager understanding by students of their future profession and influences the formation of students' self-regulation techniques, necessary for a favorable independent learning and active life position. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of anxiety on motivation and performance. The results of the study showed that 49% of high-performing students have a medium level of anxiety, and 41% are highly anxious. High rates of internal and external motivation are among respondents with an average value of situational anxiety. Significantly lower motivation is in students with a high level of trait anxiety. A high level of anxiety contributes to a high level of academic achievement, but at the same time reduces the motivation for learning. A low level of anxiety leads to a decrease in academic performance, but the level of motivation is quite high. Therefore, the results of the study can be useful for teachers, university management, as well as for those who are responsible for the preparation and conduct of examination sessions.

Knowledge management is classified as one of the basic means that enable university administration to achieve development and change excellently. Thus, it is important to pay particular attention to the quality of knowledge management at the university. This study aimed to identify the knowledge sharing behavior among United Arab Emirates educational organizations and the factors affecting the knowledge sharing. The current study was based on a descriptive approach. The study sample consisted of 356 university professors. The results showed that the assessment of the teaching staff at nature of the knowledge sharing came to a medium level, and factors affecting the knowledge sharing among organizations are weak planning to enrich the curriculum, and lack of confidence among participants in the knowledge exchange process. For the experience variable, the value of F is 2.76 with a statistical significance 0.06. According to scientific level variable, the value of F is 0.93 with a statistical 0.43, where the value of (F) of the specialization variable is 0.36 with a statistical significance 0.78. The conclusion of this research was there were no statistically significant differences in the behavior. Both internal and external factors influence knowledge sharing were also defined.

The design and creation of digital interactive content for teaching and learning are gaining increasing importance. As this technology advances, the need to cope with everyday demands necessitates teachers and content developers to accommodate their students in this aspect. Interactive digital content provides opportunities for students to study anywhere and anytime, with classmates or independently, and within conventional or blended teaching and learning environments. The Almekhlafi Digital Interactive Content (ADIC) model is a systematic guide that could be used to produce interactive digital content on any subject. This model can serve as a framework for developing such content. The model consists of four major phases: Planning, designing, production, and evaluation. Each of these phases consists of a number of steps. The model was content-validated and tested for its reliability in real contexts. The model was piloted with 28 university faculty members and implemented with 81 university students. The results support the implementation of the model for designing and creating interactive digital content. The paper recommends that K-12 schools and higher education institutions should train students, teachers, and university faculty members to use the model effectively for producing sound, worthwhile, and interactive digital educational content.

The study aims to identify the gifted students in basic interior design courses by utilizing new teaching strategies to support their capabilities and their intellectual growth within the interior design program. This research used a descriptive correlational study design to recruit the gifted students studying at Ajman University during the academic year 2018-2019, where the female students were 77% and 23%, male students -- percentages based on a total of 130 students - with no statistically significant difference for teaching strategies based on gender variable. The results also showed that 66% of these students joined the interior design program due to their passion, and 95% had learned how to determine the requirements of a successful interior design project effectively. The findings have shown a significant and positive difference for teaching strategies based on 3rd level students (F=11.895, p=0.007). The study concluded that the use of creative and critical thinking strategies needs the exclusion of conventional teaching methods, which include monocratic and memorizing techniques to aid, precisely the gifted students' GS, to reach the same motivational level as their counterparts.

The purpose of this study was to examine the views of secondary school science teachers regarding the inclusion of socio-scientific issues (SSI) in the curriculum, and the factors that may facilitate or impede their inclusion. A survey administered to 130 science teachers of different background and experiences. The findings revealed that science teachers had positive views on the inclusion of SSI in the curriculum. Participants identified resources, teaching strategies, and knowledge as factors that facilitated the inclusion of SSI in the curriculum. Factors that could impede the inclusion of SSI in the curriculum included the need to implement teaching strategies based on actual socio-scientific issues, students' lack of maturity, and cultural influences that might limit participation levels. There were statistically significance differences between the views of science teachers who had prior knowledge of SSI, and the SSI content provided in the professional development programs attended. Science teachers' prior knowledge and professional development programs attended have also affected their views about the factors that facilitate or impede the inclusion of SSI in the curriculum. The findings were discussed in the context of science education research and how science teachers might adapt the science curriculum to effectively incorporate SSI.

The service quality in educational institutions has been focused on two dimensions, namely core and value-added service quality. The core service quality is the various basic service quality variables established by the pioneer in the field. These are reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, and tangibles. The paper focuses on the core service quality as viewed by the students of selected Higher Education Institutions in the UAE.

Understanding a process is the key to maximizing the outcomes of such a process; teachers' professional development (PD) can be further facilitated through fully apprehending the process by which they grow professionally and the factors that contribute to such growth. In this study, the author intends to explore the relationship between a school environment and teachers' readiness for PD as well as how they perceive of the impact of PD on their professional and personal qualities, students' performance, teachers' career progression, and commitment to the job and workplace. The author administered semi-structured interviews with three English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers who are in their mid-career stage and work for private, American curriculum-based schools in Dubai. The results show that all three interviewees admit the positive influence of PD on their professional performance, personal qualities, students' outcomes, career progression and commitment to the profession. How a progressive school culture would impact teachers' inclination towards PD has also been brought to attention by the interviewees as a critical aspect. As potential areas of research on PD, it is recommended that students' academic performance is to be looked into closely through examining their assessment results in order to muster tangible evidence on the significance of teachers' PD. Also, a conversation analysis of classroom discourse following a number of classroom observations of teachers in different career stages would be another informative research method to investigate the impact of PD on teachers' performance and on classroom dynamics.