Reflecting on the Distance Learning Provision in Dubai Private Schools

Dawson, Charlotte; Heylin, Claire

doi:10.18502/gespr.v2i1.10049

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Special needs students were the most affected group because many of their requirements in education were dependent on teachers' physical assistance (Bakaniene et al, 2022). Further, a considerable number of teachers across the globe, including those in the education sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), were not prepared enough for the drastic transition from face-to-face teaching to the online mode of instruction (Erfurth & Ridge, 2020;Dawson & Heylin, 2022;Maatuk et al, 2022). The requirements for inclusive education, which teachers achieved through their direct physical help in the classroom, became a challenge for teachers with the online mode of instruction (Yazcayir & Gurgur, 2021;Paramasivam et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploration of In-Service Teachers’ Preparedness and Perceived Challenges about Inclusive Education in the United Arab Emirates

Meda

ElSayary

Mohebi

2023

JESR

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The Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic led to the deterioration of exclusive pedagogical practices in different learning institutions. This is because the pandemic forced teachers to make an abrupt instructional switch from face-to-face to online learning without having sufficient time to prepare. Various studies have reported that students with special needs in learning have to tolerate the burden of this tumultuous instructional transition. The educational policymakers have requested that in-service teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) attend an inclusive education professional development program to equip them with knowledge and skills for teaching and supporting special needs children. The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which in-service teachers were prepared to teach inclusively and the challenges they perceive after completing a six-month inclusive education teacher professional development (TPD) program. The study was done using a qualitative case study within an interpretive paradigm. Fourteen teachers from different schools across the country were purposively selected to complete an open-ended questionnaire and participate in semi-structured interviews. It was found that teachers gained comprehensive knowledge from the program and they felt confident and ready to implement inclusive pedagogical approaches in their classrooms. Received: 1 November 2022 / Accepted: 29 December 2022 / Published: 5 January 2023

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploration of In-Service Teachers’ Preparedness and Perceived Challenges about Inclusive Education in the United Arab Emirates

Meda

ElSayary

Mohebi

2023

JESR

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“…Specifically, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), most expatriate teachers are employed in private school settings, where COVID-19 had budgetary implications (Masudi, 2020). To justify tuition fees, teachers were under pressure by school administrators to maintain the highest standards of online and hybrid learning (mix of online and in-person education) (Dawson & Heylin, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teachers’ Resilience and Burnout in the United Arab Emirates: Teaching Through the COVID- 19 Pandemic

Bryan

Suchodoletz

2023

gespr

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Many factors contributed to resilience and burnout among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as educators were forced to respond quickly to unexpected and unmanageable job demands and stressors. This research investigates the factors perceived by expatriate teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that influenced resilience and burnout one year from the start of the pandemic. The study observed n = 529 expatriate teachers spread across three distinct waves of data collection as schools transitioned from online to in-person education delivery in the UAE. A series of structural equation model analyses examined the relationships between latent variables of supportive and challenge factors with outcomes of resilience and burnout. Results highlight that supportive organizational environments were directly associated with higher resilience and indirectly with lower burnout scores across all three samples. Together, the results suggest that characteristics of the organizational environment should be viewed as key influencing factors in the development of teachers’ resilience. Thus, resilience interventions should go beyond individualistic approaches and include organizational factors. Additionally, education policies should prioritize creating work environments where emotional resources are available; leadership is perceived as supportive, fair, and accepting; and teachers are proud to be employed.

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“…Only 57% of the participating students in a study conducted in the Saudi Arabia had the perception that technical tools were able to cover all their educational needs during the online learning [3]. Though a minor portion of modernised educational institutions had the tools/technology background to implement online teaching [4], many institutions, inservice teachers, and students, who had no previous training in online teaching platforms suffered to meet the requirements [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teacher Candidates’ Perception of Their First Week School Placement: Comparison Between Online and Face-To-Face Practicum Learnings and Challenges

Mohebi¹,

ElSayary²,

Meda³

2022

P Sci Edu

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Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the pre-service teachers’ education system because the need for social distancing forced pedagogies to shift the mode of practicum from face-to-face to online spaces. It was noticed that studies highlighting the differences in the pre-service teachers’ perceptions about the online and face-to-face modes of practicum are rare in the UAE context. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the differences between learning outcomes and challenges of pre-service teachers, who have enrolled in face-to-face practicum and those who did online practicum. Study participants and methods. After obtaining the written informed consent, a sample of 20 pre-service teachers (10 from online and 10 face-to-face practicum) from the UAE was selected. The data was collected from the participants in the form of qualitative answers in essay format, after the first week of the practicum. The data analysis was performed using the thematic analysis method. Results. The findings show that face-to-face practicum is superior to online practicum in terms of observation and practice-based learnings for skills like classroom management, student-engagement and teaching customization and differentiation. This superiority was mainly due to the lack of proper tools in online classroom management and to achieve person-to-person interactions. The curriculum plan was also more suited to face-to-face teaching. The non-cooperation of the mentors is the common challenge faced by pre-service teachers from both face-to-face and online groups. This study highlights the need for developing proper tools to enhance the online practicum and to improve the personal interactions. Need for improving the mentors’ involvement in practicum is also underscored. Practical significance. This study explored the differences in efficacy between the online and face-to-face practicum and the challenges faced by the pre-service teachers during the first week of their practicum in the UAE context. The results of this study highlight the areas of concern in both online and face-to-face mode, which can be used by the policy makers in the UAE to improve the teacher education programs.

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Reflecting on the Distance Learning Provision in Dubai Private Schools

Cited by 4 publications

References 16 publications

Exploration of In-Service Teachers’ Preparedness and Perceived Challenges about Inclusive Education in the United Arab Emirates

Exploration of In-Service Teachers’ Preparedness and Perceived Challenges about Inclusive Education in the United Arab Emirates

Teachers’ Resilience and Burnout in the United Arab Emirates: Teaching Through the COVID- 19 Pandemic

Teacher Candidates’ Perception of Their First Week School Placement: Comparison Between Online and Face-To-Face Practicum Learnings and Challenges

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