The citizenship values included in intermediate stage Arabic-language textbooks and teachers’ awareness of them in the UAE: A case study

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the extent to which Citizenship values are included in Arabic-language textbooks for the intermediate stage, and teachers' awareness of them in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this study, the researchers used a descriptive-analytical approach. Study tools consisted of a list of citizenship values, the presence of which values these textbooks were analyzed for, in addition to a 20-item questionnaire that was administered to 140 teachers. The results showed that a total of 214 instances of citizenship values were contained in the Arabic-language textbooks, with representation of various values. The results also showed that Arabic-language teachers’ awareness of the citizenship values included in those textbooks are at a high level, with an average ±standard deviation of 3.67 ± 1.18. The study recommends that citizenship values should be included as an independent subject textbook in the educational curriculum.

The Representation of Citizenship Values in Arabic Textbooks: Marrying Delanty and Hopkins Concepts

“…Meanwhile, in the English dictionary, "Kewarganegaraan" from the origin of the word citizen (citizen) is a person who lives in a nation-state and has certain rights and privileges, as well as obligations to the state, such as loyalty to the government (Althof & Berkowitz, 2006;Azra, 2001). One of the studies related to the value of citizenship in Arabic textbooks by Al Qatawneh reported that the frequency for several citizenship values in textbooks, such as respect for human rights, justice, freedom, courage and interaction with community organizations civil) in four textbooks studied is still lacking (Al-Qatawneh et al, 2019). Sperling (2009) emphasizes the need to create interactions between textbooks and citizenship outcomes to provide learners with lifelong learning skills and increase their sense of responsibility towards society.…”

“…This is an important point whose implementation is expected to emerge from the compilers of the book as an extension of information from the regulations that the Government has set, the Byram concept needs to be introduced, and this step is taken to be a reference by the book compilers and to the process of delivering learning in class which the teacher will execute. Al-Qatawneh et al (2019) reported that the lack of content of citizenship values in textbooks is due to the literal lack of experience and compliance by writers and curricula experts in integrating civic values into learning.…”

“…In Japan, Davidson and Liu (2020) reported the cultural representation and perception of global citizenship in English textbooks for Japanese primary schools. In addition, in the UAE, Al-Qatawneh et al (2019) found the extent to which citizenship values are included in Arabic textbooks for the intermediate-stage and teacher awareness of ethics in the United Arab Emirates. In Hong Kong, Shan (2011) showcased his research findings regarding challenges in teaching civic values where the educational practice is increasingly coupled with political and economic considerations rather than ethical issues.…”

“…Nevertheless, on the other hand, the influence of global progress demands the importance of teaching global citizenship, which presents various innovations, scientific creativity, and technological and communication revolutions that consciously or unconsciously cause the loss of boundaries between countries in the world as a global village. As a result, allowing transfers from different cultures affects people's privacy and causes an imbalance that affects civic values and loyalty among members of society (Abdi et al, 2006;Al-Qatawneh et al, 2019). Facing a dilemmatic position, educational institutions need to fully participate in instilling civic values so that students gain proportional knowledge and understanding, one form of participation is by integrating them into subjects, including Arabic language lessons, especially in Islamic Junior High Schools.…”

Investigating Students’ Attitudes Toward Arabic and English Textbooks in Communication and Media

“…Prior researches have been conducted on textbooks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE; Abosalem, 2016;Al-Qatawneh et al, 2019;Khine & Yang, 2017). However, most of these studies reported different issues related to school textbooks and not to the textbooks used by higher education institutions.…”