Assessing the Emotional Intelligence of Gifted and Talented Adolescent Students in the Kingdom of Bahrain

This study assessed the differences in the emotional intelligence of gifted adolescent students and talented adolescent students in Bahrain. The sample consisted of 80 gifted adolescent students and 80 talented adolescent students in Grades 9 through 12. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicates that there were significant differences in emotional intelligence levels, as measured by the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory, between gifted students and talented students in Bahrain in the direction of gifted students. There were differences between the gifted and the talented students in intrapersonal, adaptability, general mood subtest, and total emotional intelligence scores. Finally, gifted males had higher total emotional intelligence scores than gifted females; talented females had higher interpersonal scores than talented males.     

Evaluating students experiences using a virtual learning environment: satisfaction and preferences

Educational technology research and development - Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are web-based software systems that enable students to interact with their teachers and classmates, access...     

The challenge of basic education for all

UNICEF Representative in China. Author of several books and articles ou non-formal education, rural development and educational planning.     

The need for Saudi faculty and the media for instruction in Saudi Arabian universities

The past three decades have witnessed rapid growth and expansion in higher education. This study attempts to throw some light on the extent to which Saudi universities have attracted national faculty to match the level of increase in students' enrollment. Another important issue which is discussed in this article is the extent to which Arabic, the national language, is used as a medium of instruction in Saudi universities.Saudi government publications, as well as some international statistical documents, have been utilized in evaluating the possibility of achieving a national faculty and the possibility of using Arabic as the medium of instruction. Practical suggestions are offered to help the higher educational system in Saudi Arabia overcome some of the current problems.     

Preparation of counsellors in Pakistan: A proposed model

Summary This paper proposes a comprehensive counselor preparation model within the philosophical and religious beliefs of Pakistan. A series of courses are presented to provide a cohesive and comprehensive body of knowledge to counselors to work in educational, business, health and community settings. The proposed curriculum reflects the philosophy, beliefs, and values of the country in terms of human development, life/career and educational planning. Furthermore, this model proposes a pre-service preparation to replace the current in-service preparation model for counselors.Paper presented at the Tenth International Round Table for the Advancement of Counselling (Working Group: The Training of Counsellors), University of City-Dorigny. University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, September 5–9, 1982.     

Views of Omani post-basic education students about religious and cultural tolerance

The study aims to investigate the views of Omani post-basic education students (Grades 10–12) about religious and cultural tolerance. The sample consisted of 1390 male and female students in grades 10, 11 and 12, from four of Oman’s seven regions. A questionnaire was used to gather data, which consisted of 27 items divided into five domains. The results showed that students place a strong emphasis on the importance of religious and cultural tolerance, both within Oman society and worldwide. They are also not in favour of any type of aggression, religious and cultural symbols or the fuelling of disagreements between religions or cultures. The results also indicated that female students are more strongly concerned with tolerance than males, grade 12 students more concerned than those in grades 10 and 11, and students from Muscat more concerned than those in other less urban areas.     

Learning sorting algorithms through visualization construction

Recent increased interest in computational thinking poses an important question to researchers: What are the best ways to teach fundamental computing concepts to students? Visualization is suggested as one way of supporting student learning. This mixed-method study aimed to (i) examine the effect of instruction in which students constructed visualizations on students’ programming achievement and students’ attitudes toward computer programming, and (ii) explore how this kind of instruction supports students’ learning according to their self-reported experiences in the course. The study was conducted with 58 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in their second programming class. They expect to teach information technology and computing-related courses at the primary and secondary levels. An embedded experimental model was utilized as a research design. Students in the experimental group were given instruction that required students to construct visualizations related to sorting, whereas students in the control group viewed pre-made visualizations. After the instructional intervention, eight students from each group were selected for semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the intervention based on visualization construction resulted in significantly better acquisition of sorting concepts. However, there was no significant difference between the groups with respect to students’ attitudes toward computer programming. Qualitative data analysis indicated that students in the experimental group constructed necessary abstractions through their engagement in visualization construction activities. The authors of this study argue that the students’ active engagement in the visualization construction activities explains only one side of students’ success. The other side can be explained through the instructional approach, constructionism in this case, used to design instruction. The conclusions and implications of this study can be used by researchers and instructors dealing with computational thinking.     

Role Conflict and the Dilemma of Palestinian Teachers in Israel

This paper explores the dynamics of conflicting role expectations among Palestinian teachers in Israel while focusing on the ways by which these expectations are generated and shaped by the broader sociopolitical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on the educational system. Following a brief review of the historical background and the changing role patterns among Palestinian teachers in general, the paper focuses on Palestinian education in Israel and the role of Palestinian teachers within it. The central argument is that the Israeli authorities have been systematically using formal education and the teachers' role in order to repress national identity and awareness among Palestinian students. Data from interviews with Palestinian student activists about the contribution of the formal education to their national identity is used to illustrate the dilemmas and challenges experienced by their teachers.     

Principals' and teachers' attitudes and knowledge of inclusive education as predictors of effective teaching practices in Ghana

Surveys and observations were undertaken in selected primary schools in Ghana to determine whether principals' and teachers' attitudes towards and knowledge of inclusive education, as well as principals' expectations of teachers in implementing inclusion, were predictors of effective teaching practices in their classrooms. The sample of 128 educators (20 principals and 108 teachers) drawn from 20 primary schools in two districts, were required to respond to questionnaire measures of Attitude Towards Inclusive Education Scale (ATIES), Knowledge of Inclusive Education Scale (KIES) and Principals' Expectations Scale (PES). Of the total number of teachers ( N  = 108), 37 were observed during instructional delivery in their classrooms. The data were analysed by a variety of statistical procedures including Regression Analysis and Discriminant Function Analysis. In the context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1985), the results showed that whilst attitudes towards inclusion (attitude element) and knowledge of inclusion (perceived behavioural control element) predicted effective teaching practices, principals' expectations (subjective norm) did not. Implications for the implementation of effective inclusive practices in Ghanaian schools and the need for future research are discussed.