Abdullah Ambusaidi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Abdullah Ambusaidi
Research in Science Education
Renewable and nuclear energy are two plausible alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy productio... more Renewable and nuclear energy are two plausible alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy production. This study reports students' beliefs about the usefulness of these two options in reducing global warming and their willingness to undertake actions that would encourage their uptake. Using a specially designed questionnaire, students' (n > 12,000; grades 6 to 10) responses were obtained from 11 countries. Links between their beliefs about these energy options and their willingness to act were quantified using a range of novel derived indices: significant differences between beliefs and willingness to act were found across the various counties. One derived index,
Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 7(1), 2013
This study examined the possible differences in health attitudes and habits between Omani student... more This study examined the possible differences in health attitudes and habits between Omani students from Muscat school district (north Oman) and students from Dhofar school district (south Oman). The participants responded to a group of questionnaires that included: health problems, weight satisfaction, attitudes towards physical activities, health and food habits, and attitudes towards and use of harmful substances. The sample consisted of 450 randomly selected middle and high school students. Independent t-tests and Chi-squares were used to answer the study questions. The results showed statistically significant differences in the levels of health problems, attitudes towards physical activities, frequency of eating fast food and hours of watching TV. Students from Muscat had more helath problems, revealed positive attitudes towards physical activities and more frequently eat fast food. No differences were found in weight satisfaction in the two school districts. Student of Dhofar showed higher tendency to use harmful substances than Muscat students did. Evidence was shown for a moderate consumption of fruit and vegetables among all participants, low consumption of soft drinks, of walking habits, low levels of physical activities, and few hours of computer use (with no differences between the two districts in any of these habits).
Journal of Turkish Science Education, 2018
Laboratories are important environments in science teaching. There is no doubt that the employmen... more Laboratories are important environments in science teaching. There is no doubt that the employment of technology in these environments may change the learning of science, especially as the technology has made its way into nearly every aspect of daily life. This study aimed to investigate the impact of using virtual labs on students' achievement and as well as their attitudes towards science and learning by virtual lab. Achievement pre and posttest and attitudes scale towards science were examined for 69 students divided into two control and experimental groups. Another attitude scale towards virtual labs was only administered to the experimental group. The results indicate that the virtual lab has no impact on students' academic achievement or their attitudes towards science. The results show that the students had overall positive attitudes toward learning by virtual lab. Some recommendations and suggestions are proposed to develop effective learning of science.
The present study aimed at investigating Art and Science student teachers' perceptions of the k... more The present study aimed at investigating Art and
Science student teachers' perceptions of the
knowledge integration between art and science
curricula and their attitudes towards the Integrated
Approach to teaching. The sample consisted of (90)
art and science student teachers from the College of
Education at Sultan Qaboos University. To achieve
the above aims, the researchers designed two
instruments: a questionnaire for eliciting art and
science student teachers’ perceptions of knowledge
integration between Art and Science curricula and a
measure of their attitudes towards the Integrated
Approach to teaching. The validity and reliability
of the two instruments were established.
The results showed that the "the importance of
integration between art and science" domain has
the highest average mean score among the other
domains, whereas the "the future picture as a result
of integration between art and science" domain has
the lowest average mean score. Furthermore, the
results showed no statistically significant
differences between art and science student
teachers' perceptions of the integration between art
and science due to their gender, or due to
interaction between gender and specialization.
However, there was a statistically significant
difference that can be attributed to specialization in
favor of Art Teachers.
Art and Science student teachers showed positive
attitudes towards the Integrated Approach to
teaching, but there was no significant difference
between art and science student teachers in their
attitudes due to their gender, specialization and the
interaction between gender and specialization.
The idea of integrated curricula is one of the ideas which have been suggested for developing cur... more The idea of integrated curricula is one of the ideas which have been suggested for developing curricula and improving teaching methods and techniques, especially the ones associated with young children. The integration between science and art has a long history since both subjects are highly interrelated to each other. Science benefits from art in many ways such as explaining scientific phenomena, drawing and building sciences' models, whereas art benefits from science by using scientific phenomena as a source for developing: (1) drawing and painting and (2) children's imagination. The aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of using the integration approach between science and art to develop science process skills among 5th grade female students. The sample consisted of 58 female students which were divided into two groups; the experimental group (N=29) which was taught the science content by the integration approach and the control group (N=29) which was taug...
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2014
Previous studies have shown that there is what has been called a 'gap' between environmental know... more Previous studies have shown that there is what has been called a 'gap' between environmental knowledge and a willingness to act in a pro-environmental manner. For the individual, this gap is probably the result of the huge complexity of factors that affect behaviour. The way in which this 'gap' is sometimes identified in the literature, however, is also partly a function of the fact that much of the research in this area has compared environmental attitudes in general with a willingness to take actions that are specific. In the present study, we have circumvented this latter issue by exploring links between a declared willingness to undertake specific actions and the level of belief in the efficacy of those particular actions in reducing global warming. Here we report findings on actions concerning personal transport. Because the questionnaire was designed to provide quantitative measures, novel indices could be constructed that indicate, for example, the extent to which persuading people that an action is effective might increase their willingness to undertake it. Responses were obtained from students in 11 countries with different cultural mores. This enabled us to explore possible associations between a readiness to undertake specific actions and previously published socio-cultural indices. The implications for education about these issues are explored.
International Journal of Science Education, 2006
Science Education in the Arab Gulf States, 2015
This chapter sheds light on science education research in Oman. More specifically, it analyses th... more This chapter sheds light on science education research in Oman. More specifically,
it analyses the representation and diversification of socio-cultural factors by science
education researchers in Oman. To achieve this goal, a survey study was conducted
with 16 science education researchers. They all held PhD degrees and conducted
science education research. The findings indicate that the science education research
in Oman does not factor in very many socio-cultural factors into its models.
The impact of different factors (such as religious beliefs, non-Arabic spoken
languages, age levels, school locations, mixed gender school settings) on science
teaching and learning practices has not been given appropriate attention by science
education researchers. The interactions among these factors within different Omani
geographical regions, which differ in terms of cultural traditions and environmental
diversity, seem to have been omitted. The reasons behind these findings are discussed.
Also, the authors suggest some recommendations to enhance the representation and
diversification of socio-cultural factors within science education research in Oman,
and in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
Health Education in Context, 2012
"The Sultanate of Oman seems to have in place a sound system of health education, evident in... more "The Sultanate of Oman seems to have in place a sound system of health education, evident in both science curriculum content and supporting projects, and operating across all sectors of the education system. The science curriculum covers many concepts and themes related to health education. The supporting projects are varied and target students of different ages and stages. Both male and female students benefit from these projects. None of these projects could be implemented in the field and achieve its aims without the support and collaboration of the government, private-sector, and international organizations operating in Oman."
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2014
Previous studies have shown that there is what has been called a 'gap' between environmental know... more Previous studies have shown that there is what has been called a 'gap' between environmental knowledge and a willingness to act in a pro-environmental manner. For the individual, this gap is probably the result of the huge complexity of factors that affect behaviour. The way in which this 'gap' is sometimes identified in the literature, however, is also partly a function of the fact that much of the research in this area has compared environmental attitudes in general with a willingness to take actions that are specific. In the present study, we have circumvented this latter issue by exploring links between a declared willingness to undertake specific actions and the level of belief in the efficacy of those particular actions in reducing global warming. Here we report findings on actions concerning personal transport. Because the questionnaire was designed to provide quantitative measures, novel indices could be constructed that indicate, for example, the extent to which persuading people that an action is effective might increase their willingness to undertake it. Responses were obtained from students in 11 countries with different cultural mores. This enabled us to explore possible associations between a readiness to undertake specific actions and previously published socio-cultural indices. The implications for education about these issues are explored.
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2012
A 44-item questionnaire was designed to determine students’ views about how useful various specif... more A 44-item questionnaire was designed to determine students’ views about how useful various specific actions might be in helping to reduce global warming, their willingness to undertake these various actions and the extent to which these two might be related. The instrument was administered to students in Grades 6 to 12 (N = 1532) from 12 schools in the Sultanate of Oman. The findings indicated that the majority of Omani students believe that global warming is happening now, and are concerned about it. Students are willing to undertake some actions, such as switching off unused domestic appliances, more than others, such as using public transport, despite the fact that they believe the latter would reduce global warming. Novel indices were constructed to explore the relationship between belief and willingness to act for specific actions. The findings suggest that the link between belief and willingness to act is stronger for some actions, such as increasing recycling, than others, such as using smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. This approach allows us to identify pro-environmental actions that may, in terms of effecting behaviour change, be useful to include in teaching schemes.
Boyes, E, Stanisstreet, M, Skamp, K, Rodriguez, M, Malandrakis, G, Fortner, R, Kilinc, A, Taylor,... more Boyes, E, Stanisstreet, M, Skamp, K, Rodriguez, M, Malandrakis, G, Fortner, R, Kilinc, A, Taylor, N, Chhokar, K, Dua, S, Ambusaidi, A, Cheong, I, PA, Kim, M & Yoon, HG 2011,'Student mental models of global warming and climate change: what does research ...
3rd ICOET Proceeding, 2015
This paper aims to measure the effectiveness of the 3-D lab on Omani students' achievement in ter... more This paper aims to measure the effectiveness of the 3-D lab on Omani students' achievement in terms of knowledge, application, and metacognitive abilities in science education. The study design adopts the experimental design with Pre-Post Test Control Group Design, where the experimental and control groups (30 students each) have conducted achievement tests. Findings show statistically significant differences in student achievement in favor of the group that studied using the 3-D lab with large effect size. The paper then draws conclusion and recommendations.
Research in Science Education
Renewable and nuclear energy are two plausible alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy productio... more Renewable and nuclear energy are two plausible alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy production. This study reports students' beliefs about the usefulness of these two options in reducing global warming and their willingness to undertake actions that would encourage their uptake. Using a specially designed questionnaire, students' (n > 12,000; grades 6 to 10) responses were obtained from 11 countries. Links between their beliefs about these energy options and their willingness to act were quantified using a range of novel derived indices: significant differences between beliefs and willingness to act were found across the various counties. One derived index,
Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 7(1), 2013
This study examined the possible differences in health attitudes and habits between Omani student... more This study examined the possible differences in health attitudes and habits between Omani students from Muscat school district (north Oman) and students from Dhofar school district (south Oman). The participants responded to a group of questionnaires that included: health problems, weight satisfaction, attitudes towards physical activities, health and food habits, and attitudes towards and use of harmful substances. The sample consisted of 450 randomly selected middle and high school students. Independent t-tests and Chi-squares were used to answer the study questions. The results showed statistically significant differences in the levels of health problems, attitudes towards physical activities, frequency of eating fast food and hours of watching TV. Students from Muscat had more helath problems, revealed positive attitudes towards physical activities and more frequently eat fast food. No differences were found in weight satisfaction in the two school districts. Student of Dhofar showed higher tendency to use harmful substances than Muscat students did. Evidence was shown for a moderate consumption of fruit and vegetables among all participants, low consumption of soft drinks, of walking habits, low levels of physical activities, and few hours of computer use (with no differences between the two districts in any of these habits).
Journal of Turkish Science Education, 2018
Laboratories are important environments in science teaching. There is no doubt that the employmen... more Laboratories are important environments in science teaching. There is no doubt that the employment of technology in these environments may change the learning of science, especially as the technology has made its way into nearly every aspect of daily life. This study aimed to investigate the impact of using virtual labs on students' achievement and as well as their attitudes towards science and learning by virtual lab. Achievement pre and posttest and attitudes scale towards science were examined for 69 students divided into two control and experimental groups. Another attitude scale towards virtual labs was only administered to the experimental group. The results indicate that the virtual lab has no impact on students' academic achievement or their attitudes towards science. The results show that the students had overall positive attitudes toward learning by virtual lab. Some recommendations and suggestions are proposed to develop effective learning of science.
The present study aimed at investigating Art and Science student teachers' perceptions of the k... more The present study aimed at investigating Art and
Science student teachers' perceptions of the
knowledge integration between art and science
curricula and their attitudes towards the Integrated
Approach to teaching. The sample consisted of (90)
art and science student teachers from the College of
Education at Sultan Qaboos University. To achieve
the above aims, the researchers designed two
instruments: a questionnaire for eliciting art and
science student teachers’ perceptions of knowledge
integration between Art and Science curricula and a
measure of their attitudes towards the Integrated
Approach to teaching. The validity and reliability
of the two instruments were established.
The results showed that the "the importance of
integration between art and science" domain has
the highest average mean score among the other
domains, whereas the "the future picture as a result
of integration between art and science" domain has
the lowest average mean score. Furthermore, the
results showed no statistically significant
differences between art and science student
teachers' perceptions of the integration between art
and science due to their gender, or due to
interaction between gender and specialization.
However, there was a statistically significant
difference that can be attributed to specialization in
favor of Art Teachers.
Art and Science student teachers showed positive
attitudes towards the Integrated Approach to
teaching, but there was no significant difference
between art and science student teachers in their
attitudes due to their gender, specialization and the
interaction between gender and specialization.
The idea of integrated curricula is one of the ideas which have been suggested for developing cur... more The idea of integrated curricula is one of the ideas which have been suggested for developing curricula and improving teaching methods and techniques, especially the ones associated with young children. The integration between science and art has a long history since both subjects are highly interrelated to each other. Science benefits from art in many ways such as explaining scientific phenomena, drawing and building sciences' models, whereas art benefits from science by using scientific phenomena as a source for developing: (1) drawing and painting and (2) children's imagination. The aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of using the integration approach between science and art to develop science process skills among 5th grade female students. The sample consisted of 58 female students which were divided into two groups; the experimental group (N=29) which was taught the science content by the integration approach and the control group (N=29) which was taug...
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2014
Previous studies have shown that there is what has been called a 'gap' between environmental know... more Previous studies have shown that there is what has been called a 'gap' between environmental knowledge and a willingness to act in a pro-environmental manner. For the individual, this gap is probably the result of the huge complexity of factors that affect behaviour. The way in which this 'gap' is sometimes identified in the literature, however, is also partly a function of the fact that much of the research in this area has compared environmental attitudes in general with a willingness to take actions that are specific. In the present study, we have circumvented this latter issue by exploring links between a declared willingness to undertake specific actions and the level of belief in the efficacy of those particular actions in reducing global warming. Here we report findings on actions concerning personal transport. Because the questionnaire was designed to provide quantitative measures, novel indices could be constructed that indicate, for example, the extent to which persuading people that an action is effective might increase their willingness to undertake it. Responses were obtained from students in 11 countries with different cultural mores. This enabled us to explore possible associations between a readiness to undertake specific actions and previously published socio-cultural indices. The implications for education about these issues are explored.
International Journal of Science Education, 2006
Science Education in the Arab Gulf States, 2015
This chapter sheds light on science education research in Oman. More specifically, it analyses th... more This chapter sheds light on science education research in Oman. More specifically,
it analyses the representation and diversification of socio-cultural factors by science
education researchers in Oman. To achieve this goal, a survey study was conducted
with 16 science education researchers. They all held PhD degrees and conducted
science education research. The findings indicate that the science education research
in Oman does not factor in very many socio-cultural factors into its models.
The impact of different factors (such as religious beliefs, non-Arabic spoken
languages, age levels, school locations, mixed gender school settings) on science
teaching and learning practices has not been given appropriate attention by science
education researchers. The interactions among these factors within different Omani
geographical regions, which differ in terms of cultural traditions and environmental
diversity, seem to have been omitted. The reasons behind these findings are discussed.
Also, the authors suggest some recommendations to enhance the representation and
diversification of socio-cultural factors within science education research in Oman,
and in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
Health Education in Context, 2012
"The Sultanate of Oman seems to have in place a sound system of health education, evident in... more "The Sultanate of Oman seems to have in place a sound system of health education, evident in both science curriculum content and supporting projects, and operating across all sectors of the education system. The science curriculum covers many concepts and themes related to health education. The supporting projects are varied and target students of different ages and stages. Both male and female students benefit from these projects. None of these projects could be implemented in the field and achieve its aims without the support and collaboration of the government, private-sector, and international organizations operating in Oman."
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2014
Previous studies have shown that there is what has been called a 'gap' between environmental know... more Previous studies have shown that there is what has been called a 'gap' between environmental knowledge and a willingness to act in a pro-environmental manner. For the individual, this gap is probably the result of the huge complexity of factors that affect behaviour. The way in which this 'gap' is sometimes identified in the literature, however, is also partly a function of the fact that much of the research in this area has compared environmental attitudes in general with a willingness to take actions that are specific. In the present study, we have circumvented this latter issue by exploring links between a declared willingness to undertake specific actions and the level of belief in the efficacy of those particular actions in reducing global warming. Here we report findings on actions concerning personal transport. Because the questionnaire was designed to provide quantitative measures, novel indices could be constructed that indicate, for example, the extent to which persuading people that an action is effective might increase their willingness to undertake it. Responses were obtained from students in 11 countries with different cultural mores. This enabled us to explore possible associations between a readiness to undertake specific actions and previously published socio-cultural indices. The implications for education about these issues are explored.
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2012
A 44-item questionnaire was designed to determine students’ views about how useful various specif... more A 44-item questionnaire was designed to determine students’ views about how useful various specific actions might be in helping to reduce global warming, their willingness to undertake these various actions and the extent to which these two might be related. The instrument was administered to students in Grades 6 to 12 (N = 1532) from 12 schools in the Sultanate of Oman. The findings indicated that the majority of Omani students believe that global warming is happening now, and are concerned about it. Students are willing to undertake some actions, such as switching off unused domestic appliances, more than others, such as using public transport, despite the fact that they believe the latter would reduce global warming. Novel indices were constructed to explore the relationship between belief and willingness to act for specific actions. The findings suggest that the link between belief and willingness to act is stronger for some actions, such as increasing recycling, than others, such as using smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. This approach allows us to identify pro-environmental actions that may, in terms of effecting behaviour change, be useful to include in teaching schemes.
Boyes, E, Stanisstreet, M, Skamp, K, Rodriguez, M, Malandrakis, G, Fortner, R, Kilinc, A, Taylor,... more Boyes, E, Stanisstreet, M, Skamp, K, Rodriguez, M, Malandrakis, G, Fortner, R, Kilinc, A, Taylor, N, Chhokar, K, Dua, S, Ambusaidi, A, Cheong, I, PA, Kim, M & Yoon, HG 2011,'Student mental models of global warming and climate change: what does research ...
3rd ICOET Proceeding, 2015
This paper aims to measure the effectiveness of the 3-D lab on Omani students' achievement in ter... more This paper aims to measure the effectiveness of the 3-D lab on Omani students' achievement in terms of knowledge, application, and metacognitive abilities in science education. The study design adopts the experimental design with Pre-Post Test Control Group Design, where the experimental and control groups (30 students each) have conducted achievement tests. Findings show statistically significant differences in student achievement in favor of the group that studied using the 3-D lab with large effect size. The paper then draws conclusion and recommendations.