An Investigation of the Educational Challenges During COVID-19: A Case Study of Saudi Students' Experience

<p style="text-align: justify;">The outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has shaken the world, forcing countries to implement a state of emergency, including the education system. Students have been forced to remain in hostels or houses since they cannot get to university campuses. As a result of this predicament, university authorities have no option but to implement an online learning environment. Specifically, Saudi universities have faced numerous difficulties in bringing the online learning systems to continue the educational process. On the other hand, students faced difficulties to cope with such circumstances (complete online learning) without any preparation or backup plan. According to the findings of the literature research, students experienced difficulties that were difficult to overcome. The aim of this study was to determine the challenges that first-year students of the University faced. The present research got a total of 234 valid responses from the participants. The findings indicate that respondents were not fully prepared in this situation in terms of physical, environmental, and psychological readiness, with some variances in viewpoints depending on their gender and age. Respondents expressed concern about the effect of lockdown on their ability to perform well academically. In this study, the researchers found that switching suddenly to an all-online alternative cause significant obstacles for students. It was determined that the present blended learning model, which utilizes online learning to support face-to-face instruction, has encountered a critical challenge when it comes towards replacing it, particularly with underprepared learners.</p>

Potential Changes in Saudi Students’ Motivations and Attitudes towards Learning English as a Foreign Language after Immersion in an L2 Learning Environment

This study traces potential changes in the motivation of Saudi students studying English as a second language (L2) in the UK. It investigates whether the beliefs and motivations of these students have changed during their learning experience, and identifies the pedagogical implications of such change for English teaching, not only to Saudi students in the UK but also to Saudi students enrolled in Saudi higher education institutions. It aims to identify the reasons behind changes in motivation as well as the impact these may have on students’ attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Data from questionnaires, interviews, and observations are used through three phases of the English academic programme. The study subjects are newly arrived Saudi students (three PhD students and 29 Master’s students) studying in four different universities in the UK under the fields of Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, and Translation. The conceptual framework is based on Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System Theory and Dörnyei & Ushioda’s motivation and L2 self-framework. Changes in motivation are usually accompanied by changes in students’ classroom involvement, attitudes towards the target language, and positive or negative impacts on the students’ outcomes and language competencies. Similar to other types of learning, L2 learning cannot take place in a vacuum. The present study has various contributions to the field of SLA. First, it validates earlier studies about the issue of motivation in linguistics, attitudes towards language, and changes in one’s self-identity as an outcome of language development. Second, it serves as an addition to the body of knowledge pertaining to motivation and attitude of Saudi students towards English as L2 and the important role of culture in this process. Further, it serves as an important contribution to how Saudi students’ L2 acquisition is understood using Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self System.

Exploring EFL Teachers’ Perspectives on Sources of Challenges in Writing Classroom

This mixed-method study explores Saudi EFL teachers’ perspectives on students’ writing competencies and their concerns regarding the writing challenges, particularly in relation to EFL teachers, learners, and textbooks. The study sample consisted of 139 female EFL teachers working in Saudi Arabia. Data was gathered using a questionnaire composed of three sections: demographic information, 15 close-ended items, and three open-ended questions. The findings revealed that Saudi students’ writing skills are poor and fall below expectations. The results mainly showed their lack of vocabulary, grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, transition words, legible handwriting, logical paragraph arrangement, concept flow, and genuine and supportive examples. The first open-ended question results revealed that these EFL teachers highlighted ten issues as negatively impacting the quality of students’ writing. The second open-ended question results showed eleven potential sources of these challenges related to learners. Finally, the results of the third open-ended question revealed six factors focusing on problems associated with textbooks potentially exerting a negative influence on the quality of students’ writing. The study concludes with some practical recommendations and suggestions for further research.

The Effects of Learning Stations on Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students’ Achievement and Self-Regulated Learning

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of learning station strategies on developing academic achievement and self-regulated learning among middle school students of low socioeconomic status. The sample group consisted of 68 female Saudi students. We applied a quasi-experimental design with an experimental and control group and a pretest and posttest. We examined the correlation between academic achievement and self-regulated learning. The data collection instruments included an academic achievement test and self-regulated learning questionnaire. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of both instruments in favor of the experimental group. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between development of academic achievement and self-regulated learning among the students for the experimental group. The study’s findings suggest that the learning stations created a dynamic classroom, which prompted students to engage in self-regulatory behaviors and develop their knowledge and understanding.

General Intelligence: An Analysis of the Saudi Students’ General Mental Ability and Elementary Cognitive Task Performance

Previous studies on human intelligence has revealed that varied factors influence cognitive performance, and some studies have hypothesized the presence of &ldquo;general intelligence&rdquo; (g factor) that is responsible for intelligence. However, most studies have been centered on Western cultures. This study thus examines the Saudi students and the g factor hypothesis. A group of Saudi college students participated in a battery of general mental ability tests and elementary cognitive tasks and were assessed for the influence of various factors on cognitive performance. The study results revealed an increase in the average of Saudi students&rsquo; intelligence compared to the results of the previous studies, but it did not yield a g factor.

Knowledge and Attitude of Saudi Students towards Plagiarism—A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Background: Plagiarism (Plg) is an unacceptable practice since it affects the integrity of scientific literature. Aim and objectives: To seek students’ knowledge and attitude regarding Plg and solicit suggestions to prevent Plg in our institute. The specific objectives of the study were to ascertain whether students’ knowledge and attitudes about Plg differ by their demographic characteristics and academic years. Methodology: A 32 item questionnaire was given to all the undergraduate (UG) students of the College of Medicine and Dentistry, Jouf University, KSA. The research questions focused on demographic information, knowledge and attitude regarding Plg, and suggestions to curb Plg. Results: A total of 134 UG students filled out the survey. The samples consisted of 97 males and 37 females. Most of the students displayed adequate knowledge regarding Plg in terms of copying words or ideas, quoting references, and copying words without changing the matter. As compared to female students, male students had better awareness regarding meaningful and harmful effects of practicing Plg (p < 0.05). Additionally, our results indicate that as students climb the academic ladder, their awareness on Plg tends to rise. Common reasons for plagiarizing are discussed here together with suggestions to combat Plg. Conclusion: The results of this study can be mainly taken as an eye opener which demonstrates the vital factors pertaining to the level of students’ knowledge about Plg, and to eradicate the problem, there is a need for more discussions and training on this topic for students.

Adult Saudi Students’ Practices and Perceptions of Utilizing Twitter for English Language Learning in the UK

Twitter is one of the most widely used social media platforms in Saudi populations; however, research is limited regarding the efficiency, practices, and perceptions of utilizing this platform for the purpose of learning English. This study investigates the ways in which adult Saudi students in the UK use Twitter to learn the English language, and assesses the general practices and perceptions of the social media platform. Employing a sequential explanatory research design by conducting questionnaire and interviews for data collection and analysis, this study reveals that there are several opportunities for English language learning through the use of Twitter. Participants consisted primarily of digital residents who use Twitter to practice and learn English, and many noted that Twitter contributes to refined different language skills and an enhanced vocabulary. Therefore, we strongly recommend that instructors and educators encourage students to use Twitter in an English language learning capacity wherever access is possible.

The Role of English Songs in Saudi Students’ Self-Learning of English

The present study aimed to explore the role of English songs in Saudi students’ self-learning of English as a foreign language. The study employed one data collection tool which was an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 38 Saudi students at the Community College of King Saud University in the second semester of the academic year 2020. The examination and analysis of the data showed that listening to English songs motivated the Saudi students to learn English in a self-study mode, augmented their English vocabulary, improved their speaking skill and developed their spelling or writing skill to a considerable extent. It is, therefore, recommended that more large-scale quantitative or qualitative studies on the role of English songs in Saudi students’ self-learning of English as a foreign language be conducted to confirm the findings of the present study, challenge them or yield new ones.