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    High school teacher motivation to engage in continuing professional development (CPD) : a mixed method research study : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Alghamdi, Yahya
    Numerous studies have confirmed that continuing professional development (CPD) is a significant contributor for improving teacher effectiveness. A number of studies also emphasise that teacher motivation to engage in CPD is critical in order to achieve the desired goals of CPD. However, investigations of teacher motivation to engage in CPD is scarce in the literature, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study attempts to address that gap by exploring the motivation of high school teachers in Saudi Arabia to engage in CPD. In addition, the study aims to investigate what influences teacher motivation to engage in CPD. The study adopted a mixed methods research (MMR) approach for collecting and analysing the data. Specifically, it used a sequential explanatory design that starts with a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. To collect the quantitative data, an online questionnaire designed in Google Forms was used. The total sample of online questionnaire participants comprised 425 high school teachers from throughout the country. For the qualitative phase, 29 high school teachers who lived in Jeddah made up six focus groups comprising up to 5 teachers per group. The findings showed that high school teachers were motivated to engage in CPD. Moreover, they highly valued CPD for their professional development. The findings also identified 48 influential factors that highly enhanced teacher motivation to participate in CPD. These factors were organised into four categories: government and policy, school, CPD and personal factors. Based on the findings from the study, a conceptual framework was developed that has the potential to contribute to the knowledge base on teacher motivation to engage in CPD. In conclusion, the study made recommendations that can assist stakeholders to ensure that teachers are motivated to engage in CPD, as well as providing some suggestions for future research.
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    Preparedness to teach : the perceptions of Saudi female pre-service mathematics teachers : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Alsaleh, Fatimah Ibrahim
    Being well prepared and experiencing a sense of preparedness for teaching is a key learning outcome of any initial teacher education (ITE) program. In order to understand more about the nature, development, and sufficiency of mathematics teacher readiness to teach, this study explores the phenomenon of preparedness. The aim of this study was to investigate how well Saudi pre-service teachers (PSTs) feel prepared to teach mathematics at secondary or middle schools (i.e. to explore their sense of preparedness to teach), delving into the nature and origins of that sense. The participants in the study were a sample of female mathematics PSTs (N=105), who were near the end of their teaching methods course in the final year of their 4-year education degree. The construct of preparedness was operationalized through a survey of PSTs’ efficacy to teach mathematics and an interview-based exploration of the factors influencing these perceptions. The data were collected over 4 months from 2015 to 2016. The quantitative data were analysed in SPSS and thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. The key findings of this study indicated that for the PSTs, being prepared to teach means having teaching efficacy, good knowledge for teaching, a sense of preparedness, and professionalism. However, PSTs are not fully aware of all the kinds of knowledge needed for being prepared. The study showed that PSTs were generally confident that they were sufficiently prepared to teach. They felt most confident in the areas of content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK) rather than pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The findings showed that the PSTs felt inadequately prepared in some aspects of their teaching roles, and needed more support and guidance from their university–school communities. The majority felt that classroom and behaviour management was the aspect in which they felt least prepared. They also expressed only a moderate level of general teaching efficacy (GTE), expressing a lower sense of efficacy relating directly to supporting students as learners. These were related to the disjunction between theory and practice that resulted from the two most influential factors shaping PSTs’ sense of preparedness and feelings of efficacy: the practicum experience and the ITE. Although these factors had positive impacts on their perceptions, they also expressed how the classroom environment, challenges, and school culture encountered during the practicum had lowered the PSTs’ sense of preparedness and teaching efficacy. Indeed, half of the PSTs felt that the school was neither sufficiently prepared nor sufficiently resourced to support PSTs learning the work of teaching. The challenge of closing the gap between theory and practice has led to PSTs’ desire to have more time in the mathematics methods course, as well as extra time in the practicum. It is hoped that the findings from this study concerning PSTs’ current perceptions about preparedness, combined with the suggestions for improving their levels of preparedness, will contribute to improvements in ITE and teaching quality in Saudi Arabia.
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    Generic skills in accounting education in Saudi Arabia : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Accountancy at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) AL Mallak, Mohammed Ali
    This study examines the development of generic skills in the Saudi Arabian accounting education. The lack of generic skills among accounting graduates is an issue of ongoing concern as the gaps between the needs of employers and the skills of graduates hinders the economic development in Saudi Arabia. This concern over the development of generic skills in accounting education in Saudi Arabia provided the motivation for this study. Based on International Education Standards (IES) 3 and 4, this study examined five categories of generic skills: intellectual, personal, organizational and business management, interpersonal and communication, and ethics. Further, using Bui and Porter’s (2010) theoretical framework, the study assessed within-group constraints gap of three stakeholder groups (final year students, accounting graduates and educators), and the factors hindering the development of generic skills (i.e. constraining factors). The within-group expectation-performance gap of employers and between-group comparisons of the expectation gap and performance gap (educators vs. employers) were also explored. Finally, this study compared the expectation gap and performance gap between groups (students, graduates, employers, educators). Interviews and survey questionnaires were used to collect the data for the perceptions of the four stakeholder groups in Saudi Arabia. The results show that all stakeholders considered all generic skills as important for accounting graduates to be successful in employment with ethical skills being rated as most important. In addition, they perceived that graduates should acquire a reasonably high level of competence in all five skills categories. The stakeholder groups believed the level of competence that have been acquired by graduates is lower than the level of competence that should be acquired suggesting that there were constraints gap and expectation-performance gap. This finding indicates that accounting education in Saudi Arabia is not producing graduates with the competencies needed in the workplaces. A number of constraints were found to have hindered the development of generic skills in accounting education and they were mostly institutional related (e.g., content oriented curriculum; large class sizes and insufficient time), and student related (e.g., students’ own motivation and lack of ability). This study contributes to the literature on generic skills in non-western nations, where not much of the current literature is focused on. The results provided evidence of skills gaps, highlighted areas of concern in the Saudi graduates’ skill development in accounting education and had implications for the human capital of the nation. Some suggestions for improving graduates’ skills development were provided.
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    Virtual social network-mediated English language learning in a Saudi tertiary EFL context : innovation and agency : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Alqasham, Fahd Hamad A
    The study explores the nature and roles of virtual social network (VSN) within a Saudi tertiary EFL (English as a foreign language) context, and the trajectory of the students’ experiences and perceptions of Twitter inside the classroom and of WhatsApp outside the classroom throughout a 12-week semester. The study draws on the three broad phases of Fullan’s change process (Fullan, 2001, 2007, 2016) for its underpinning theoretical framework and utilizes agency theory (van Lier, 2004, 2008, 2010) as an analytical tool for developing a deep understanding of the ways the innovative use of a VSN can aid students in and outside the classroom by allowing them to practice and collaborate in English learning. The study utilizes a mixed methods approach for data collection, divided into two stages; one designed to gather background information and another for a longitudinal study. The data collection instruments employed for the background stage included a questionnaire, interviews, and classroom scenarios, to gather data from 93 English language teacher trainees and 84 Preparatory Year Program (PYP) students from three different colleges at Qassim University (QU) in Saudi Arabia. The data collection instruments for the longitudinal study stage, which consisted of initial and post-project interviews, focus group participation, research log observations in and outside the classroom, and a post-project questionnaire, were employed to gather data from 25 PYP students throughout the 12-week semester. The study results revealed that VSN in the Saudi EFL context is divided into two types, private- and public-based, and that participants’ use and activity in each type varies depending on the platform affordances. It also suggests that, while students may have a positive attitude toward the use of a VSN in their daily lives, contextual constraints could mean that classroom use may fail to be sustained over a relatively long period of time. Within the study, although Twitter’s affordances in terms of anonymity and perceived newness initially motivated the students to exercise their agency in English learning, their anxiety, the teacher’s role, and the university infrastructure all played a crucial role in the failure of Twitter’s use to be sustained inside the classroom beyond the ninth week. However, WhatsApp’s implementation exhibited its sustainability by continuing even after the study ended and until the end of the semester. WhatsApp allowed the students to collaborate, practice what they were learning, develop autonomy, and transit from being passive to active learners, not only in English but also in other subjects. Finally, this thesis concludes by illustrating the value of interpreting the complex and dynamic nature of the innovation’s implementation process using agency theory from an ecological perspective. It also recommends ways in which teachers could implement VSN in the language classroom.
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    EHRs at King Fahad Specialist Hospital : an overview of professionals' perspectives on the use of biometric patient identification for privacy and confidentiality, taking into consideration culture and religion : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master in Information Science, Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Khwaji, Adel Abdulrahman
    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is focused on expanding use of biometric technologies and it is a matter of time before this expansion includes medical institutions. However there is a lack of research on Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in Saudi Arabian hospitals, especially on the staff views and attitudes in relation to confidentiality, privacy, and security policies in the context of Saudi society, which is governed largely by culture and Islam. This research utilised an online survey tool to ask doctors, managers, and IT professionals, at the King Fahad Specialist Hospital (KFSH) about these aspects and explored if they recommend the classic non-biometric access method over the rather intrusive, yet more advanced, biometric patient identification (BPI) technology. Encouragingly, all the participants recommended BPI methods with the least favoured method being the facial recognition method for Saudi female patients. This study also focused on whether staff believed that religious and cultural issues influence EHR privacy and confidentiality, as the literature showed that in certain cases unauthorised revelation of an EHR could lead to honorary killing of the patient. Implications of this research include the need for comprehensive staff training on being culturally aware, as well as training on EHR security policy, privacy, and confidentiality.
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    Exploring the development potential of Saudi Arabian Airlines, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Aviation at Massey University, (Manawatu), New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Gamraoyi, Khaled
    This thesis will examine the possible factors that could greatly influence the future development of the legacy carrier of Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabian Airlines. Furthermore, this thesis delved into the feasibility of a new route from Jeddah to Auckland and how this route could impact the growth of Saudi Arabian Airlines. The research questions were answered through the use of a mixed method approach. The research was carried out in two phases. The first phase involved environmental scanning through the process of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, where the strengths and weaknesses of the internal environment of Saudi Arabian Airlines were appraised. It also examined the possible opportunities and threats of the external environment (i.e. the Middle East region), where Saudi Arabian Airlines is situated. The second phase involved a survey where the feasibility of a new route (i.e. Jeddah–Bali–Auckland) was examined and evaluated. The results suggested that the exponential growth of the aviation industry in the Middle East can be capitalized by Saudi Arabian Airlines by using its recognized strengths and addressing the concerns that have emerged in this study. A possible strategy by which these concerns can be addressed is through establishing a new route that Saudi Arabian Airlines can take advantage of in the future to fulfil its ambitions of becoming one of the top airlines in the aviation industry. One specific route that the thesis examines is the Jeddah–Bali–Auckland route, where there is a substantial market which will yield an increased profit margin and therefore impact the growth of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
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    Factors associated with breastfeeding in Western of Saudi Arabia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Human Nutrition at Massey University Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2014) Shahbar, Anwaar
    Background information: The recommendation for optimal breastfeeding duration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is based firstly on the Quran and then the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation. The rate of initiation of breastfeeding in Saudi Arabia is over 90%, with the early introduction of infant formula. Objective: To investigate breastfeeding practices at birth and one month postpartum and its association with the BFHI status of the hospital where delivery occurred, and with women’s intentions, self-efficacy, knowledge and attitudes, previous experience, support, and discouragement for breastfeeding. Study design: Longitudinal study with data collection at baseline and follow-up at one month postpartum. Method: Women were recruited from two private hospitals in Jeddah, one of these hospitals has baby friendly hospital policies (BFHI). A semi-quantitative questionnaire was used for collecting data by face-to-face interviews with women in the hospital after giving birth and by a phone interview at one month postpartum. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Results: One hundred and two women completed the baseline survey, and 77 women completed the study at one month (36 from the BFHI and 41 from the non-BFHI). At baseline, 77% women at the BFHI hospital had introduced breast milk as first nutritive substance, while only 7% of women in the non-BFHI hospital did. However, at one month postpartum, mixed-feeding was the most common feeding method (58%), and there was no difference in feeding method between women in both hospitals. All Egyptian women in the sample (n= 10) were fully breastfeeding at one month, and Saudi women were more likely to use mixed-feeding. Breastfeeding attitudes, self-efficacy, and previous experience were related to breastfeeding practice at one month. Considering all variables, logistic regression found that breastfeeding self-efficacy was the only variable associated with breastfeeding practice at one month, and women with a higher score were more likely to be exclusively, fully, or predominantly breastfeeding at one month (p= 0.001). Conclusion: The BFHI was found to be effective in making breast milk the first nutritive substance infants received, and in encouraging early breastfeeding initiation. Breastfeeding self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of breastfeeding intention and practice at one month.
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    Studies of EHR implementation and operation in different countries with particular reference to Saudi Arabia : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements of degree of Master in Information Science at Massey University, Albany campus, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Alsahafi, Yaser Abdulaziz
    Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have led to a significant transformation in the healthcare sector. EHRs have improved the nature of healthcare delivery in the various healthcare organizations. While recognizing the changes in healthcare sector, this thesis studied the implementation and the use of EHRs in four developed countries, the United State (US), United Kingdom (UK), Australia and New Zealand and one developing country, Saudi Arabia. By employing primary and secondary literature, EHR’s benefits, challenges, success factors as well as lessons for developing countries were identified. The implementation of the EHRs in the ambulatory care was almost universal in the UK, Australia and New Zealand (each >90%), except the US which is lagging behind (46%). The low rate of EHR adoption in the US was attributed to factors such as lack of requirements imposing the use of computers in medical practises. Although, there is no good data for the use of EHRs in hospitals in the studied countries, EHR use remains uncommon in hospital settings. The use of EHRs in Saudi Arabia is uncommon; however several projects have been established by the government of Saudi Arabia to increase the awareness of such technologies as well as to develop strategies for implementing EHRs. Saudi Arabia and other developing countries should learn the best practices from developed countries and that it is important that they come up with initiatives and legislations to support the implementation of EHRs. Currently, all of the studied countries set the implementation of a national EHR as a priority in their healthcare system reform. Two approaches for the presentation of national EHR database were identified in the developed countries; centralised or distributed. While EHR provides various benefits to clinicians, patients and healthcare managers, its implementation poses many challenges such as confidentiality, privacy, security, lack of standards, start-up cost and content of discharge summary. To achieve successful implementation of EHRs, factors such as leadership, organization structure, goals, visions, communication, organization culture and workflow redesign should be considered.