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Zahra Mohamed

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Papers by Zahra Mohamed

Research paper thumbnail of Contending with the unforeseen “messiness” of the qualitative data analysis process

Waikato Journal of Education

Qualitative data analysis (QDA) is often depicted as a linear process that employs an organised s... more Qualitative data analysis (QDA) is often depicted as a linear process that employs an organised structure to derive themes inductively or deductively. However, I realised the “messiness” of the process during my doctoral studies on primary teachers’ use of digital technologies in ESL classrooms in Maldivian schools. My own experience revealed that QDA is a nonlinear, iterative and recursive process. Adopting a phenomenological research design to capture my nine participants’ “lived” experiences, I gathered data from various sources over eight months. Shared through this paper is a selection of my experiences that exemplify the nonlinearity of QDA, including the emergent need to develop an NVivo-enhanced Spiral-QDA process to accommodate my unforeseen data analysis experience. Therefore, reflections from my doctoral research experiences may be edifying and helpful for postgraduate students and supervisors in their own QDA process.

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges to education from the Covid-19 pandemic: A SIDS perspective with special reference to the situation in the Maldives

The International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, Nov 16, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of ICT Integration at Villa International High School: Challenges from the Perspective of the Users

Journal article, 2016

The integration of ICT in schools provides enhanced opportunities for successful teaching and lea... more The integration of ICT in schools provides enhanced opportunities for successful teaching and learning. To make this process effective, it is important to understand the obstacles and possible ways to overcome them. This paper investigates the challenges and barriers faced by the students and teachers of Villa International High School, Maldives. Villa International High School (VIHS) is an English medium school in the Maldives preparing students for the GCE Advanced Level Examinations of Edexcel, Pearson International, UK and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations of the Department of Public Examination (DPE), Maldives. The school has introduced the use of student portals, on the MOODLE platform, where students can access lessons and quizzes and upload assignments. The challenges in implementing this system were investigated using the qualitative approach. Interviews with teachers and students were conducted in the presence of two interviewers. The data was transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. The findings show that although the students and teachers were enthusiastic about the system, a number of barriers were encountered. The major barriers identified are in the areas of quality of ICT tools, internet access, and misconceptions about and resistance to technological change. Recommendations are provided to address the issues identified in the study.

Research paper thumbnail of Education in the Time of COVID 19 in the Maldives: The Experience of one Small Island Developing State

NORRAG, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has significant implications for small island developing states (SIDS) such... more The COVID-19 pandemic has significant implications for small island developing states (SIDS) such as the Maldives. We discuss how the Maldives is being impacted and how the education system is responding. Particular attention is given to online schooling as we highlight the importance of context in determining educational priorities.

Research paper thumbnail of Dhi-English: Influence of Dhivehi language features on the English narratives of Maldivian ESL learners

International Journal of Social Research and Innovation, 2020

This qualitative descriptive study explored the influence of Dhivehi, the first language (L1) of ... more This qualitative descriptive study explored the influence of Dhivehi, the first language (L1) of the Maldivian students on learning English, their second language (L2). The questions raised in this paper enabled to identify morphological, lexical and syntactic transfer errors present in the narratives written by thirty-three students at secondary level from three schools in Male', the capital of the Maldives. Transfer Analysis was used to analyze errors present in the English narratives written by Maldivian ESL (English as a Second Language) learners. The analysis uncovered negative transfer of Dhivehi linguistic features in their written English at morphological, lexical, as well as syntactic levels. The findings provide invaluable pedagogical implications for second language learning in the Maldivian context. Thus, it is recommended that ESL teachers as well as curriculum developers in the Maldives take into consideration the possibility of the influence of students' mother tongue or Dhivehi linguistic features on the process of learning English.

Research paper thumbnail of Contending with the unforeseen “messiness” of the qualitative data analysis process

Waikato Journal of Education

Qualitative data analysis (QDA) is often depicted as a linear process that employs an organised s... more Qualitative data analysis (QDA) is often depicted as a linear process that employs an organised structure to derive themes inductively or deductively. However, I realised the “messiness” of the process during my doctoral studies on primary teachers’ use of digital technologies in ESL classrooms in Maldivian schools. My own experience revealed that QDA is a nonlinear, iterative and recursive process. Adopting a phenomenological research design to capture my nine participants’ “lived” experiences, I gathered data from various sources over eight months. Shared through this paper is a selection of my experiences that exemplify the nonlinearity of QDA, including the emergent need to develop an NVivo-enhanced Spiral-QDA process to accommodate my unforeseen data analysis experience. Therefore, reflections from my doctoral research experiences may be edifying and helpful for postgraduate students and supervisors in their own QDA process.

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges to education from the Covid-19 pandemic: A SIDS perspective with special reference to the situation in the Maldives

The International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, Nov 16, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of ICT Integration at Villa International High School: Challenges from the Perspective of the Users

Journal article, 2016

The integration of ICT in schools provides enhanced opportunities for successful teaching and lea... more The integration of ICT in schools provides enhanced opportunities for successful teaching and learning. To make this process effective, it is important to understand the obstacles and possible ways to overcome them. This paper investigates the challenges and barriers faced by the students and teachers of Villa International High School, Maldives. Villa International High School (VIHS) is an English medium school in the Maldives preparing students for the GCE Advanced Level Examinations of Edexcel, Pearson International, UK and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations of the Department of Public Examination (DPE), Maldives. The school has introduced the use of student portals, on the MOODLE platform, where students can access lessons and quizzes and upload assignments. The challenges in implementing this system were investigated using the qualitative approach. Interviews with teachers and students were conducted in the presence of two interviewers. The data was transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. The findings show that although the students and teachers were enthusiastic about the system, a number of barriers were encountered. The major barriers identified are in the areas of quality of ICT tools, internet access, and misconceptions about and resistance to technological change. Recommendations are provided to address the issues identified in the study.

Research paper thumbnail of Education in the Time of COVID 19 in the Maldives: The Experience of one Small Island Developing State

NORRAG, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has significant implications for small island developing states (SIDS) such... more The COVID-19 pandemic has significant implications for small island developing states (SIDS) such as the Maldives. We discuss how the Maldives is being impacted and how the education system is responding. Particular attention is given to online schooling as we highlight the importance of context in determining educational priorities.

Research paper thumbnail of Dhi-English: Influence of Dhivehi language features on the English narratives of Maldivian ESL learners

International Journal of Social Research and Innovation, 2020

This qualitative descriptive study explored the influence of Dhivehi, the first language (L1) of ... more This qualitative descriptive study explored the influence of Dhivehi, the first language (L1) of the Maldivian students on learning English, their second language (L2). The questions raised in this paper enabled to identify morphological, lexical and syntactic transfer errors present in the narratives written by thirty-three students at secondary level from three schools in Male', the capital of the Maldives. Transfer Analysis was used to analyze errors present in the English narratives written by Maldivian ESL (English as a Second Language) learners. The analysis uncovered negative transfer of Dhivehi linguistic features in their written English at morphological, lexical, as well as syntactic levels. The findings provide invaluable pedagogical implications for second language learning in the Maldivian context. Thus, it is recommended that ESL teachers as well as curriculum developers in the Maldives take into consideration the possibility of the influence of students' mother tongue or Dhivehi linguistic features on the process of learning English.

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