soheil salha - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by soheil salha

Research paper thumbnail of A Comprehensive Framework for Comparing Textbooks: Insights from the Literature and Experts

Sustainability

Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational ... more Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational learning outcomes and developing social and cultural values. However, limited studies provide comprehensive frameworks for comparing textbooks. Most have focused on a specific textbook perspective within a particular discipline. Therefore, this study used a triangulation method to develop a comprehensive framework for textbook comparison. Through a systematic literature review and a two-round Fuzzy Delphi method with 155 textbook experts, a textbook comparison framework with four indicators (structure, content, expectations, and language) was developed. Additionally, some of the developed framework indicators and sub-indicators could be relevant for comparing textbooks in a particular discipline. For example, the page count sub-indicator was proven to be useful for comparing humanities and social science textbooks but not natural science textbooks. The findings of this study could facili...

Research paper thumbnail of ‫ The Effect of the Cubing Strategy in the Achievement of the Basic Seventh Grade Students in Mathematics in Qalqilya Governorate and their Attitudes Towards it's learning ‫‬

Research paper thumbnail of IRT analyses of Arabic letter knowledge in Kindergarten

Reading and Writing, 2020

Little research has been conducted on Arabic letter knowledge. This study investigates the nature... more Little research has been conducted on Arabic letter knowledge. This study investigates the nature of Arabic letter knowledge, its dimensionality, and the relative difficulty of letter knowledge items, all within an item response theory (IRT) framework. Three letter knowledge tests were administered to 142 native Arabic-speaking kindergarteners (mean age = 67 months). The letter recognition task was found to be multidimensional, containing two factors, whereas the allograph and syllable tasks were found to be unidimensional. Results showed that a two parameter model fit best for all three tasks, demonstrating that items varied in degree of difficulty and in discrimination. Findings provide a subset of letters that are most useful for quickly and precisely assessing children’s letter knowledge. Results are discussed in the context of orthographic and linguistic features of Arabic. Implications for assessment and instruction are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Schoolyards’ Design and Students’ Needs from Gender Perspective: The Case of Palestine

International Journal of Architectural Research: ArchNet-IJAR, 2018

This study focuses on the relationship between gender, students’ needs and the physical form of s... more This study focuses on the relationship between gender, students’ needs and the physical form of schoolyards. It investigates whether and how the needs of both male and female students influence the physical form of schoolyards in Palestine, as a Middle Eastern country. The aim is to develop a better theoretical understanding of the relationship between the students’ needs based on their gender, and the physical form of schoolyards. The study follows an environmental approach, which is based on the concept of behavioural setting, to analyse the physical form of schoolyards in relation to students' needs. For the validity of results, both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative approaches (observations, interviews with planners, and school principals, mental maps drawn by students) are used. Different techniques, such as Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), ethnographic (cultural) techniques, photos and written notes are used. The study finds that the components...

Research paper thumbnail of Developing Teaching Practice in Computational Thinking in Palestine

Frontiers in Psychology

Sporadic efforts have been made to introduce computational thinking methods into K-12 education i... more Sporadic efforts have been made to introduce computational thinking methods into K-12 education in Palestine, but these have been held back by the challenging educational environment. However, a recent in-service training initiative, funded and organized by the Ministry or Education of Palestine, constitutes a significant effort to embed computational thinking in K-12 practice. The middle school teachers who participated in the training course were invited to participate in the present study, and 38 did so. A qualitative approach involving both interviews with teachers and classroom observations was used in data collection. All the teachers agreed to be observed in their classrooms, while 20 of the 38 also agreed to participate in the interviews. The findings showed that teachers of a range of topics, including social sciences and languages, employed computational thinking skills in teaching their students, but they were confronted by a number of challenges, including technical infr...

Research paper thumbnail of A Comprehensive Framework for Comparing Textbooks: Insights from the Literature and Experts

Sustainability (MDPI), 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)
Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational learning outcomes and developing social and cultural values. However, limited studies provide comprehensive frameworks for comparing textbooks. Most have focused on a specific textbook perspective within a particular discipline. Therefore, this study used a triangulation method to develop a comprehensive framework for textbook comparison. Through a systematic literature review and a two-round Fuzzy Delphi method with 155 textbook experts, a textbook comparison framework with four indicators (structure, content, expectations, and language) was developed. Additionally, some of the developed framework indicators and sub-indicators could be relevant for comparing textbooks in a particular discipline. For example, the page count sub-indicator was proven to be useful for comparing humanities and social science textbooks but not natural science textbooks. The findings of this study could facilitate the process of comparing textbooks, hence promoting the understanding of knowledge design and acquisition in different contexts, such as when comparing textbooks from different countries.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the factors influencing mobile technology integration in higher education

Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges Facing Online Learning During COVID-19

Radical Solutions in Palestinian Higher Education, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the Characteristics of Gifted Pre-School Children: Teachers’ Perceptions

Sustainability, 2022

Based on SDG4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelon... more Based on SDG4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and based on the fact that education is the core of Palestinian values, the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education launched an inclusive education policy in order to integrate all students into the educational system, regardless of their talents, abilities and disabilities. Therefore, the Palestinian Government seeks to develop educational practices to adapt to the needs of all students, including gifted children. Consequently, the identification of gifted pre-school children in Palestine aims to better include them in the general education curriculum. The current study aims to investigate the characteristics of gifted children through the perceptions of the pre-school teachers in Palestine. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. The quantitative data were collected by the “Scale for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted and Tale...

Research paper thumbnail of The Effect of " Daniel's Model " on seventh grade students Achievement and Tendency towards Mathematics in the Governmental Schools in Tulkarm Governorate

Research paper thumbnail of أثر أنموذج دانيال في التحصيل الرياضي والميل نحو الرياضيات لدى طالبات الصف السابع الأساسي في المدارس الحكومية في محافظة طولكرم

هدفت الدراسة إلى معرفة أثر أنموذج دانيال في التحصيل الرياضي، والميل نحو الرياضيات لدى طالبات الصف... more هدفت الدراسة إلى معرفة أثر أنموذج دانيال في التحصيل الرياضي، والميل نحو الرياضيات لدى طالبات الصف السابع الأساسي في محافظة طولكرم، وتم استخدامالمنهج التجريبي بتصميم شبه تجريبي، من خلال تطبيق الدراسة على عينة (79) طالبة من طالبات الصف السابع الأساسي، وتم التوصل إلى وجود فرق ذو دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى الدلالة (α = 0.05) بين متوسطي التحصيل الرياضي والميل نحو الرياضيات بين طالبات المجموعة التجريبية والمجموعة الضابطة ولصالح المجموعة التجريبية التي درست باستخدام أنموذج دانيال، ووجود علاقة ارتباطية ذات دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى الدلالة (α = 0.05) بين تحصيل طالبات المجموعة التجريبية وميلهن نحو الرياضيات. وبناء على تلك النتائج أوصى الباحثون بتطبيق الأنموذج على مواضيع أخرى غير الجبر، وإجراء المزيد من الدراسات عن أنموذج دانيال في مبحث الرياضيات مع متغيرات تابعة أخرى، كالتفكير الرياضي، والتفكير الإبداعي.

Research paper thumbnail of Using TikTok in Education: A Form of Micro-learning or Nano-learning?

Social media platforms have influenced pedagogical practices, and given rise to new theoretical a... more Social media platforms have influenced pedagogical practices, and given rise to new theoretical approaches that prioritize connected learning with the aim of improving the learning outcomes. Social media applications have raised the popularity of short videos which were originally created in accordance with micro-learning principles. The proliferation of social media and e-learning has led to the emergence of two overarching concepts: micro-learning and nano-learning. Nano-learning refers to the condensing of microcontent into small units that are controlled and delivered by learners to achieve a single learning objective. In this respect, the social media application TikTok can be a potential educational tool in future since it enables the delivery of small learning units in a short timespan (less than 60 seconds). Designing and delivering creative learning content using TikTok can benefit pedagogical methodologies based on nano-learning principles, thereby facilitating the creatio...

Research paper thumbnail of Proposed Special Education Paradigm for Mental Disability People in Palestine in the Light of International Trends and Standards: أنموذج مقترح لمنهاج التربية الخاصة لذوي الإعاقات الذهنية في فلسطين في ضوء المعايير والتوجهات العالمية

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of the Mathematical Modeling on Conceptual Understanding Among Student-Teachers

Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 2021

The present study investigates the effect of mathematical modeling on conceptual understanding am... more The present study investigates the effect of mathematical modeling on conceptual understanding among student-teachers. Also, the study proposes relevant materials and activities in mathematical modeling. Two classes of 140 student-teachers participated in the study. Mathematical modeling instruction was used in the treatment group, while the comparison group was taught by a teacher-centered method. T-Test results showed a difference between the treatment and comparison groups in terms of conceptual understanding. Moreover, the mathematical modeling group showed improvement in the knowledge, comprehension, and application of geometry and measurement concepts. The results of this study are novel as they are introduced to student-teachers to facilitate teaching mathematics among children. The researchers suggested engaging student-teachers in rich modeling activities, which would deepen their students' mathematics learning.

Research paper thumbnail of Virtualization of Higher Education during COVID-19: A Successful Case Study in Palestine

The purpose of the study is to explore students’ and faculty members’ responses to universities’ ... more The purpose of the study is to explore students’ and faculty members’ responses to universities’ migration from face-to-face to online instruction as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. To this extent, a qualitative approach was used for data collection and involved a number of qualitative methods: an open-ended question survey, focus group discussion, social media data, and university reports. Additionally, a thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of the study reveal that students and faculty members were overwhelmed and stressed at the beginning, but as they started to acclimate to it, faculty members were satisfied. However, students seemed to be dissatisfied with this new approach to learning. Furthermore, faculty members and students both mentioned different challenges they had faced. The study reports on the technological tools used to mitigate the emerging challenges of both students and faculty members. Evaluating and assessing students was a m...

Research paper thumbnail of Designing Quality E-Learning Environments for Emergency Remote Teaching in Coronavirus Crisis

According to UNESCO statistics (1), more than 1.5 billion children and youth in 188 countries aro... more According to UNESCO statistics (1), more than 1.5 billion children and youth in 188 countries around the globe have to stay home due to the closure of schools and higher education institutions following the Coronavirus outbreak. Many countries have shifted from traditional face-to-face methods to e-Learning in the light of the new states of emergency. Humans have the right to continue education in times of crisis, disaster, and violence. This is based on the assumption that each student is treated with equity and has access to education, which is not quite in consistence with the reality on the ground, especially in developing countries. Many countries have long used e-learning in emergency situations, including Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, and South of Africa (2-4). Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) is not usually planned in advance and involves a sudden shift from traditional teaching into a remote one in view of emergency situations like the outbreak of Coronavirus in different c...

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding Arab Students’ Behavioral Patterns in an Online Course: An Explanatory Study Based on Hofstede’s National Cultural Dimensions

Sustainability, 2021

The provision of online learning experiences has been implemented by many universities worldwide ... more The provision of online learning experiences has been implemented by many universities worldwide to overcome several challenges, including inequality in education. However, this experience is still not a common approach in public universities in the Arab region. Furthermore, several research studies have pointed out that a country’s culture should be considered in order to enhance online learning, as students may behave differently based on their cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless, little is known about how a given culture may affect the learning behavioral patterns of students. Therefore, to better understand the cultural phenomenon and to enhance the adoption of online learning in the Arab region, this study aims to understand how an Arab culture may affect the online learning behaviors of students. Specifically, this study applies a lag sequential analysis (LSA) approach to understand the behavioral patterns of 116 students from Tunisia in a six-week online course. The study then...

Research paper thumbnail of The Motives and Challenges of developing and delivering MOOCs courses

Education in the Knowledge Society (EKS), 2021

This paper described the experience of developing a MOOC at An Najah National University and how ... more This paper described the experience of developing a MOOC at An Najah National University and how it was transferred into a SPOC from the perspective of its team developers. Learners' responses and participation had been analyzed in order to understand its content. The data collected described the motivation for developing the MOOC and then using it as a SPOC, in addition to presenting the challenges that face its development and implementation. The development of the MOOC Genetic and Society at An Najah National University went through different stages starting from offering the course to students face to face and then developing the course online and then preparing it as a MOOC, finally using it as a SPOC to student university. The findings showed the main motives for developing the MOOC such as the well to increase the online Arabic content in this area. The main challenge that faced the course designers was the lack of technical support. The paper recommends developing more M...

Research paper thumbnail of Best Practices of School Teachers to Sustain Their Students Learning During Crisis

Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 2021

This research aims to identify the best practices implemented by school teachers in Palestine onl... more This research aims to identify the best practices implemented by school teachers in Palestine online during COVID-19. A qualitative approach was used to explore in-depth the best practices through two focus group sessions composed of 24 different specialty teachers from different schools. Moreover, semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers were also conducted to listen to their lived experiences and how they sustain teaching and communicating with their students. A grounded theory was used to analyze and categorize the qualitative data. The findings of this study are unique and novel since no other studies related to online learning were done during COVID- 19 in Palestine to support best practices that teachers should adopt. Moreover, the results will benefit teachers to rejuvenate and adapt their methods and strategies in different ways to fit learners’ needs. The results revealed that teachers use many free tools such as Google Classroom and Zoom and spend a lot of time understa...

Research paper thumbnail of Students' Characteristics Influence Readiness to Use Mobile Technology in Higher Education

Education in the Knowledge Society (EKS), 2021

The purpose of the current study was to explore students' characteristics that influence stud... more The purpose of the current study was to explore students' characteristics that influence student's readiness to use mobile technology at An-Najah National University in Palestine. The researchers used a quantitative approach to achieve the purpose of the study. 214 students from different schools were participated in the study. A descriptive and one-way ANOVA to test the hypotheses were used in data analysis stage. The findings of the study revealed that the availability of technology is an important factor to use mobile technology in higher education, as well as the student's capability to use mobile technology for her study. Furthermore, student's attitudes towards mobile technology integration plays crucial role in student's readiness to use it. Higher education institutions could benefit from the findings of the study through designing capacity building programs for students to encourage them to use the mobile services inside and off campus. The limitations o...

Research paper thumbnail of A Comprehensive Framework for Comparing Textbooks: Insights from the Literature and Experts

Sustainability

Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational ... more Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational learning outcomes and developing social and cultural values. However, limited studies provide comprehensive frameworks for comparing textbooks. Most have focused on a specific textbook perspective within a particular discipline. Therefore, this study used a triangulation method to develop a comprehensive framework for textbook comparison. Through a systematic literature review and a two-round Fuzzy Delphi method with 155 textbook experts, a textbook comparison framework with four indicators (structure, content, expectations, and language) was developed. Additionally, some of the developed framework indicators and sub-indicators could be relevant for comparing textbooks in a particular discipline. For example, the page count sub-indicator was proven to be useful for comparing humanities and social science textbooks but not natural science textbooks. The findings of this study could facili...

Research paper thumbnail of ‫ The Effect of the Cubing Strategy in the Achievement of the Basic Seventh Grade Students in Mathematics in Qalqilya Governorate and their Attitudes Towards it's learning ‫‬

Research paper thumbnail of IRT analyses of Arabic letter knowledge in Kindergarten

Reading and Writing, 2020

Little research has been conducted on Arabic letter knowledge. This study investigates the nature... more Little research has been conducted on Arabic letter knowledge. This study investigates the nature of Arabic letter knowledge, its dimensionality, and the relative difficulty of letter knowledge items, all within an item response theory (IRT) framework. Three letter knowledge tests were administered to 142 native Arabic-speaking kindergarteners (mean age = 67 months). The letter recognition task was found to be multidimensional, containing two factors, whereas the allograph and syllable tasks were found to be unidimensional. Results showed that a two parameter model fit best for all three tasks, demonstrating that items varied in degree of difficulty and in discrimination. Findings provide a subset of letters that are most useful for quickly and precisely assessing children’s letter knowledge. Results are discussed in the context of orthographic and linguistic features of Arabic. Implications for assessment and instruction are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Schoolyards’ Design and Students’ Needs from Gender Perspective: The Case of Palestine

International Journal of Architectural Research: ArchNet-IJAR, 2018

This study focuses on the relationship between gender, students’ needs and the physical form of s... more This study focuses on the relationship between gender, students’ needs and the physical form of schoolyards. It investigates whether and how the needs of both male and female students influence the physical form of schoolyards in Palestine, as a Middle Eastern country. The aim is to develop a better theoretical understanding of the relationship between the students’ needs based on their gender, and the physical form of schoolyards. The study follows an environmental approach, which is based on the concept of behavioural setting, to analyse the physical form of schoolyards in relation to students' needs. For the validity of results, both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative approaches (observations, interviews with planners, and school principals, mental maps drawn by students) are used. Different techniques, such as Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), ethnographic (cultural) techniques, photos and written notes are used. The study finds that the components...

Research paper thumbnail of Developing Teaching Practice in Computational Thinking in Palestine

Frontiers in Psychology

Sporadic efforts have been made to introduce computational thinking methods into K-12 education i... more Sporadic efforts have been made to introduce computational thinking methods into K-12 education in Palestine, but these have been held back by the challenging educational environment. However, a recent in-service training initiative, funded and organized by the Ministry or Education of Palestine, constitutes a significant effort to embed computational thinking in K-12 practice. The middle school teachers who participated in the training course were invited to participate in the present study, and 38 did so. A qualitative approach involving both interviews with teachers and classroom observations was used in data collection. All the teachers agreed to be observed in their classrooms, while 20 of the 38 also agreed to participate in the interviews. The findings showed that teachers of a range of topics, including social sciences and languages, employed computational thinking skills in teaching their students, but they were confronted by a number of challenges, including technical infr...

Research paper thumbnail of A Comprehensive Framework for Comparing Textbooks: Insights from the Literature and Experts

Sustainability (MDPI), 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)
Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational learning outcomes and developing social and cultural values. However, limited studies provide comprehensive frameworks for comparing textbooks. Most have focused on a specific textbook perspective within a particular discipline. Therefore, this study used a triangulation method to develop a comprehensive framework for textbook comparison. Through a systematic literature review and a two-round Fuzzy Delphi method with 155 textbook experts, a textbook comparison framework with four indicators (structure, content, expectations, and language) was developed. Additionally, some of the developed framework indicators and sub-indicators could be relevant for comparing textbooks in a particular discipline. For example, the page count sub-indicator was proven to be useful for comparing humanities and social science textbooks but not natural science textbooks. The findings of this study could facilitate the process of comparing textbooks, hence promoting the understanding of knowledge design and acquisition in different contexts, such as when comparing textbooks from different countries.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the factors influencing mobile technology integration in higher education

Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges Facing Online Learning During COVID-19

Radical Solutions in Palestinian Higher Education, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the Characteristics of Gifted Pre-School Children: Teachers’ Perceptions

Sustainability, 2022

Based on SDG4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelon... more Based on SDG4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and based on the fact that education is the core of Palestinian values, the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education launched an inclusive education policy in order to integrate all students into the educational system, regardless of their talents, abilities and disabilities. Therefore, the Palestinian Government seeks to develop educational practices to adapt to the needs of all students, including gifted children. Consequently, the identification of gifted pre-school children in Palestine aims to better include them in the general education curriculum. The current study aims to investigate the characteristics of gifted children through the perceptions of the pre-school teachers in Palestine. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. The quantitative data were collected by the “Scale for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted and Tale...

Research paper thumbnail of The Effect of " Daniel's Model " on seventh grade students Achievement and Tendency towards Mathematics in the Governmental Schools in Tulkarm Governorate

Research paper thumbnail of أثر أنموذج دانيال في التحصيل الرياضي والميل نحو الرياضيات لدى طالبات الصف السابع الأساسي في المدارس الحكومية في محافظة طولكرم

هدفت الدراسة إلى معرفة أثر أنموذج دانيال في التحصيل الرياضي، والميل نحو الرياضيات لدى طالبات الصف... more هدفت الدراسة إلى معرفة أثر أنموذج دانيال في التحصيل الرياضي، والميل نحو الرياضيات لدى طالبات الصف السابع الأساسي في محافظة طولكرم، وتم استخدامالمنهج التجريبي بتصميم شبه تجريبي، من خلال تطبيق الدراسة على عينة (79) طالبة من طالبات الصف السابع الأساسي، وتم التوصل إلى وجود فرق ذو دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى الدلالة (α = 0.05) بين متوسطي التحصيل الرياضي والميل نحو الرياضيات بين طالبات المجموعة التجريبية والمجموعة الضابطة ولصالح المجموعة التجريبية التي درست باستخدام أنموذج دانيال، ووجود علاقة ارتباطية ذات دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى الدلالة (α = 0.05) بين تحصيل طالبات المجموعة التجريبية وميلهن نحو الرياضيات. وبناء على تلك النتائج أوصى الباحثون بتطبيق الأنموذج على مواضيع أخرى غير الجبر، وإجراء المزيد من الدراسات عن أنموذج دانيال في مبحث الرياضيات مع متغيرات تابعة أخرى، كالتفكير الرياضي، والتفكير الإبداعي.

Research paper thumbnail of Using TikTok in Education: A Form of Micro-learning or Nano-learning?

Social media platforms have influenced pedagogical practices, and given rise to new theoretical a... more Social media platforms have influenced pedagogical practices, and given rise to new theoretical approaches that prioritize connected learning with the aim of improving the learning outcomes. Social media applications have raised the popularity of short videos which were originally created in accordance with micro-learning principles. The proliferation of social media and e-learning has led to the emergence of two overarching concepts: micro-learning and nano-learning. Nano-learning refers to the condensing of microcontent into small units that are controlled and delivered by learners to achieve a single learning objective. In this respect, the social media application TikTok can be a potential educational tool in future since it enables the delivery of small learning units in a short timespan (less than 60 seconds). Designing and delivering creative learning content using TikTok can benefit pedagogical methodologies based on nano-learning principles, thereby facilitating the creatio...

Research paper thumbnail of Proposed Special Education Paradigm for Mental Disability People in Palestine in the Light of International Trends and Standards: أنموذج مقترح لمنهاج التربية الخاصة لذوي الإعاقات الذهنية في فلسطين في ضوء المعايير والتوجهات العالمية

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of the Mathematical Modeling on Conceptual Understanding Among Student-Teachers

Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 2021

The present study investigates the effect of mathematical modeling on conceptual understanding am... more The present study investigates the effect of mathematical modeling on conceptual understanding among student-teachers. Also, the study proposes relevant materials and activities in mathematical modeling. Two classes of 140 student-teachers participated in the study. Mathematical modeling instruction was used in the treatment group, while the comparison group was taught by a teacher-centered method. T-Test results showed a difference between the treatment and comparison groups in terms of conceptual understanding. Moreover, the mathematical modeling group showed improvement in the knowledge, comprehension, and application of geometry and measurement concepts. The results of this study are novel as they are introduced to student-teachers to facilitate teaching mathematics among children. The researchers suggested engaging student-teachers in rich modeling activities, which would deepen their students' mathematics learning.

Research paper thumbnail of Virtualization of Higher Education during COVID-19: A Successful Case Study in Palestine

The purpose of the study is to explore students’ and faculty members’ responses to universities’ ... more The purpose of the study is to explore students’ and faculty members’ responses to universities’ migration from face-to-face to online instruction as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. To this extent, a qualitative approach was used for data collection and involved a number of qualitative methods: an open-ended question survey, focus group discussion, social media data, and university reports. Additionally, a thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of the study reveal that students and faculty members were overwhelmed and stressed at the beginning, but as they started to acclimate to it, faculty members were satisfied. However, students seemed to be dissatisfied with this new approach to learning. Furthermore, faculty members and students both mentioned different challenges they had faced. The study reports on the technological tools used to mitigate the emerging challenges of both students and faculty members. Evaluating and assessing students was a m...

Research paper thumbnail of Designing Quality E-Learning Environments for Emergency Remote Teaching in Coronavirus Crisis

According to UNESCO statistics (1), more than 1.5 billion children and youth in 188 countries aro... more According to UNESCO statistics (1), more than 1.5 billion children and youth in 188 countries around the globe have to stay home due to the closure of schools and higher education institutions following the Coronavirus outbreak. Many countries have shifted from traditional face-to-face methods to e-Learning in the light of the new states of emergency. Humans have the right to continue education in times of crisis, disaster, and violence. This is based on the assumption that each student is treated with equity and has access to education, which is not quite in consistence with the reality on the ground, especially in developing countries. Many countries have long used e-learning in emergency situations, including Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, and South of Africa (2-4). Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) is not usually planned in advance and involves a sudden shift from traditional teaching into a remote one in view of emergency situations like the outbreak of Coronavirus in different c...

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding Arab Students’ Behavioral Patterns in an Online Course: An Explanatory Study Based on Hofstede’s National Cultural Dimensions

Sustainability, 2021

The provision of online learning experiences has been implemented by many universities worldwide ... more The provision of online learning experiences has been implemented by many universities worldwide to overcome several challenges, including inequality in education. However, this experience is still not a common approach in public universities in the Arab region. Furthermore, several research studies have pointed out that a country’s culture should be considered in order to enhance online learning, as students may behave differently based on their cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless, little is known about how a given culture may affect the learning behavioral patterns of students. Therefore, to better understand the cultural phenomenon and to enhance the adoption of online learning in the Arab region, this study aims to understand how an Arab culture may affect the online learning behaviors of students. Specifically, this study applies a lag sequential analysis (LSA) approach to understand the behavioral patterns of 116 students from Tunisia in a six-week online course. The study then...

Research paper thumbnail of The Motives and Challenges of developing and delivering MOOCs courses

Education in the Knowledge Society (EKS), 2021

This paper described the experience of developing a MOOC at An Najah National University and how ... more This paper described the experience of developing a MOOC at An Najah National University and how it was transferred into a SPOC from the perspective of its team developers. Learners' responses and participation had been analyzed in order to understand its content. The data collected described the motivation for developing the MOOC and then using it as a SPOC, in addition to presenting the challenges that face its development and implementation. The development of the MOOC Genetic and Society at An Najah National University went through different stages starting from offering the course to students face to face and then developing the course online and then preparing it as a MOOC, finally using it as a SPOC to student university. The findings showed the main motives for developing the MOOC such as the well to increase the online Arabic content in this area. The main challenge that faced the course designers was the lack of technical support. The paper recommends developing more M...

Research paper thumbnail of Best Practices of School Teachers to Sustain Their Students Learning During Crisis

Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 2021

This research aims to identify the best practices implemented by school teachers in Palestine onl... more This research aims to identify the best practices implemented by school teachers in Palestine online during COVID-19. A qualitative approach was used to explore in-depth the best practices through two focus group sessions composed of 24 different specialty teachers from different schools. Moreover, semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers were also conducted to listen to their lived experiences and how they sustain teaching and communicating with their students. A grounded theory was used to analyze and categorize the qualitative data. The findings of this study are unique and novel since no other studies related to online learning were done during COVID- 19 in Palestine to support best practices that teachers should adopt. Moreover, the results will benefit teachers to rejuvenate and adapt their methods and strategies in different ways to fit learners’ needs. The results revealed that teachers use many free tools such as Google Classroom and Zoom and spend a lot of time understa...

Research paper thumbnail of Students' Characteristics Influence Readiness to Use Mobile Technology in Higher Education

Education in the Knowledge Society (EKS), 2021

The purpose of the current study was to explore students' characteristics that influence stud... more The purpose of the current study was to explore students' characteristics that influence student's readiness to use mobile technology at An-Najah National University in Palestine. The researchers used a quantitative approach to achieve the purpose of the study. 214 students from different schools were participated in the study. A descriptive and one-way ANOVA to test the hypotheses were used in data analysis stage. The findings of the study revealed that the availability of technology is an important factor to use mobile technology in higher education, as well as the student's capability to use mobile technology for her study. Furthermore, student's attitudes towards mobile technology integration plays crucial role in student's readiness to use it. Higher education institutions could benefit from the findings of the study through designing capacity building programs for students to encourage them to use the mobile services inside and off campus. The limitations o...