Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Saudi female higher education'

Current technological revolutions have led to the increased availability of information resulting in many teaching institutions that have adopted change and teaching methods. Consequently, many educational institutions have integrated teaching and learning systems with technology, and learners nationwide are embracing the flexibility of online education. Online education is a new educational delivery mode in Saudi Arabia, which has been influenced by economic and social changes. As a result, the impact has created an increased demand for graduate degrees as online education has created the opportunity for Saudi women to access higher education. Thus, for Saudi female students, who want to study and work simultaneously, online education is possibly feasible option. Through online education, female Saudi students are able to obtain an education at home with flexibility, and the number of Saudi students taking online education has significantly increased. This thesis analyzes what female Saudi students in the United States have experienced about online education, and their attitudes toward online education.

Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and systematically describe the essence of the experience of two-year college female basketball athletes coached by male and female coaches.

Methodology. A phenomenological design was used to explore two-year college female basketball athletes’ experiences being coached by male and female coaches. The researcher interviewed 10 two-year college female basketball athletes from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties in southern California. The researcher chose the hermeneutic approach because it was grounded in interpretation. As defined by Wojnar and Swanson (2007), “hermeneutic phenomenology is the interpretation of the structures of experience and with how things are understood by people who live through these experiences” (p. 173).

Findings. Transcripts from interviews were reviewed and common themes emerged from statements made by the participants. Four major themes emerged from the interpreted meanings, and supported by the participants. The essence of the two-year college female basketball athletes’ experiences of being coached by male and female coaches was described.

Conclusions. The results of the study supported previous findings on this topic. However, the results explored an underrepresented group of two-year college female basketball athletes. The key themes that emerged were fundamental basketball (being taught the rudiments of the game, discipline, and structure); perceived authority; coaching preference (male coaching qualities viewed more positively than female coaching qualities), and coaching characteristics (fostering relationships and building trust).

Recommendations. Future studies could involve more participants, random sampling, or other qualitative or quantitative methods that would provide results more generalizable to a larger population. This study was performed after two-year college female basketball players completed their first year of sports eligibility and required the athletes to recall their past experiences. Further phenomenological research could be conducted looking at two-year college, high school, travel ball (AAU), and four-year college female players in different regions. Finally, the researcher recommended exploring the male and female coaches’ backgrounds in basketball to explore their experiences and training methods, and how those played into the coaching relationship.

The purpose of the study was to identify perceived effective leadership in higher education by examining the indicators of effective leadership in a holistic viewpoint from an executive female leaders approach. Theoretical studies have examined female leadership development; however few have statistical data to address the concept. In addition, leadership competencies in four year higher education institutions have not been clearly stated; therefore evaluations are not consistent and have no baseline by which to begin. The study addressed both leadership competencies in four year institutions as well as female leadership. The study utilized Q Methodology with a two tier approach to conceptualize the perception female leaders in higher education have on effective leadership. Participants received a concourse of 61 statements to sort according to their perception of effective leadership indicators which they have observed in others they have worked alongside with a ranking system of “most effective leadership indicator” (+5) through “least effective leadership indicator” (-5). Participants were also asked to sort the same statements, with the same ranking scale, based off the perception of their own leadership indicators. Participants included 18 (for Qsort1) and 15 (for Qsort2) female vice-presidents/chancellors from higher educational institutions in North Carolina and Maryland. In addition, participants completed post-sort questions for demographic purposes as well as to further explain their rankings of the top three and lowest three statements in each of their sorts. For both Qsort1 and Qsort2, two factors emerged from each as effective leadership indicators: Adaptive Leadership and Enabling Leadership.

The results of this study indicate that effective leadership in higher education needs to be both adaptive and enabling to the environment in which one is placed. A primary need for effective leadership is the ability to provide long-range planning through objective analysis, thinking ahead, and planning. In addition, using frameworks to analyze complex situations and understanding complexities as well as emerging trends in higher education are important for effective leadership in higher education. The overarching areas which the participants point toward in their rankings of the statements are the need for flexibility, adapting to circumstances, and helping others learn their roles to be self-sufficient. The area which did not appear as important for effective leadership was the theme of administrative leadership. These statements encompassed following procedure and process to complete tasks.

The insight provided by the female executive leaders in higher education regarding effective leadership indicators are relevant to several areas. Gaining a deeper understanding of what areas females can pursue in order to be effective leaders can only strengthen their positioning in the higher education career ladder. In addition, higher education institutions seeking to utilize more accurate performance standards for those in leadership positions could utilize the results to place a threshold for executive leaders to adhere to. The current study should be utilized as a springboard for future leadership studies in the areas of higher education and female leadership to further provide empirical information which could enhance the leadership skills of future female leaders.

The purpose of this descriptive and comparative study was to identify Information and Technology Communication (ICT) tools used by Saudi faculty and United States faculty, and to investigate relationships between their perceptions of ICT applications and ICT use. A questionnaire was sent to 292 Saudi faculty from six Saudi universities and 253 US faculty from five universities. The questionnaire gathered information about the use of and attitudes toward ICT applications. Results found that 65% of the United States faculty taught part or all of a course online as compared to only 26% of Saudi faculty. Saudi faculty used Social Media applications significantly more often than US faculty. Saudi faculty also reported using Google Documents, Photos and Website links significantly more often than US faculty while US faculty used podcasts and text documents significantly more often. Results from a path analysis of the relationships between ICT attitudes and actual ICT use based on Davis' (1993) TAM framework found that for Saudi faculty, system was the only variable significantly related to actual ICT Use. Ease of Use was significantly related to Perceived Value while Perceived Value was significantly related to Attitude Toward ICT Use. For US faculty, again, system was the only variable to have a significant relationship with Actual ICT use. Perceived Value was found to have a significant effect on Attitude Toward Use of ICT tools. The larger relationship between system use and actual ICT tool use for US faculty suggests that they had more access thus more experience using ICT tools than Saudi faculty. In addition, differences in attitudes toward ICT between Saudi and US faculty may be due Saudi faculty's primary use of social media and email applications as compared to US faculty's use a variety of more complex ICT applications including Audio. Overall results from this study suggest that Saudi faculty would benefit from training in the use of a variety of ICT application in addition to social media and email within the context of Learning Management Systems while US faculty would benefit from training in the use of social media applications as an instructional tool.

Although Black women have made progress in securing administrative positions, historically, they remain underrepresented at the highest levels in American postsecondary institutions (Hamilton, 2004; Howard-Vital & Morgan, 1993; Moses, 1989). Lack of networking, few positive role models, and inadequate mentoring are reasons cited as explanations as to why African American women have limited opportunities for career advancement (Searby & Tripses, 2006). Many Black female mid-level administrators currently face limited opportunities for career advancement due to inadequate opportunities to interact within the greater context of the academy by virtue of their history, race and gender (Collins, 2001).

This qualitative, phenomenological study examined mentoring relationships associated with African American female mid-level administrators' career development experiences, including the relevance of the mentor's race and gender. Additionally, issues of barriers and challenges as well as sources of support were examined. Thirteen African American females who worked in the California Community College System with titles of director, assistant dean, associate dean, and dean participated in face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. The findings indicated that African American female mid-level administrators preferred informal mentor relationships to formal mentor relationships. While the race and gender of the mentor was not a factor, psychosocial support was preferred from mentors over career development support. Findings also determined that numerous barriers prevented the mid-level administrators from advancing in their careers. Black Women's Support networks are necessary and offer tools for the survival of the African American female mid-level administrator.