Education In Lebanon Research Articles

Integrating Artificial Intelligence in a Morphology Course - An Analytical Study of University Students’ Perspective

This paper focuses on scrutinizing the attitudes and opinions of English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in a morphology course in higher education in Lebanon. Specifically, it examines AI as a pedagogical tool in classrooms to provide learners with personalized learning paths centered on their needs and strengths, offer automated feedback on activities and assignments, supply study resources and extra material, furnish adaptive assessments, and most importantly, identify common errors in students’ responses that allow instructors to acknowledge the learning gaps and tailor their teaching strategies accordingly. It also aims to determine the students’ perspectives on AI’s potent role in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 62 EFL students at the public university in Lebanon participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions of integrating AI in a morphology course, an online survey, including closed-ended and open-ended questions, and two focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL students have positive attitudes towards integrating AI in a morphology course as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes since it provides a good source of information and aids in the teaching and learning process. However, the findings also revealed the need to train teachers and students to use AI technologies, keeping in mind the potent role of the instructor in class.

Potent Roles of Humor in EFL Classes in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study of Lebanese Perspectives

This paper focuses on scrutinizing the attitudes and opinions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors and learners on the use of humor in higher education in Lebanon as a pedagogical tool in classroom contexts. It is used in building a harmonious relationship between instructors and students, lowering affective barriers to learning, keeping students attentive to class activities, developing creativity and increasing instructional effectiveness as well as students’ learning. It also aims to describe the instructors’ experiences in employing it in their classrooms and to determine the students’ perspectives on its potent roles in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 13 EFL instructors, working at 1 public and 4 private universities in Lebanon, and 86 EFL students participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions of the potent roles of employing humor in EFL classes, two online surveys of two sets of questions each, including closed-ended and open-ended, and four focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL instructors and students have positive attitudes towards integrating humor as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes. This is because it creates an open communication climate, captures students’ interest in the subject matter, boosts attention, reduces anxiety, makes the instructor more approachable, and yields better instructor evaluation. The findings of this study also revealed the need to train teachers to use humor artfully.

Civic Education and Lebanon

The purpose of Civic Education in Lebanon includes the structure of the government and the way it functions. Isn’t it civic desert? One should consider then, the meaning of civics. Civics does not focus on a course or a book, but rather on fundamental social learning. It is the need to lay the foundation for communication and critical thinking when encountering traditions in conflict with what one’s own. Yet schools have their role to play, by revealing secular values, for conflict affected areas can easily regress to violence. A menu of civics implement classroom discussion of current critical events. Yet, Lebanese schools are overtaken by the baccalaureate program which hardly gives any time to controversial issues. Teachers are important elements in teaching civics. They have to believe in what they teach, display it verbally, nonverbally and add ‘mindful learning’. Yet, one can visualize an array of socio-personal factors when issues are controversial, knowing that humans are resistant to change. To conclude, teaching quality in civics is to be ranked highly on the scholarly agenda and research is needed to better understand the improvement of civic education.

Barriers and Lifelines for Young Refugee Children’s Education: The Experiences of One Young Iraqi Refugee Living in the Northern Suburbs of Beirut

This paper identifies key barriers to young Iraqi and Syrian refugee children’s access to education in Lebanon and highlights how local initiatives serve as glimmers of hope, or ‘lifelines’, for their well-being and learning. Reporting on aspects of my doctoral study, the paper homes in on one case study with an Iraqi family and their 5-year-old son, Kefa. The ‘Day in the Life’ methodology enabled rich insights into Kefa’s home life and the informal school he attended, supplemented by interview data with his schoolteacher and observation of his school. The paper also draws on questionnaire data to situate this case study in a broader spectrum of refugee children’s experiences in Lebanon (n = 100). Framed by sociocultural approaches to learning, the findings illustrate the interplay of social, economic and relational barriers that impede refugee children’s access to quality education, and demonstrate how, despite limited resources, the informal school offered an inclusive and anti-discriminatory environment and pedagogy to break down barriers that bred racism, bullying and isolation. The paper argues that, although important, these lifelines are limited in their scope. State intervention is needed to build non-discriminatory systems that promote inclusive education, so all children can receive quality education, feel safe and belong.

Committed to Ethics: How Ethical Leadership and Ethical Climate Foster Knowledge Sharing in Private Higher Education Institutions

Private higher education in Lebanon is facing mounting challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented economic crisis that has left the once-distinguished sector struggling for survival. These crises, whose effects will last long after they are over, require private universities to bolster their education and reputation in order to remain afloat amid the drain of competent labour as well as widespread corruption that permeates all levels of society. By attracting and retaining ethical leaders, and fostering an ethical climate characterized by open communication, accountability, and trust, universities in Lebanon can stand out as resilient knowledge- intensive organizations and beacons of hope in a surrounding marked by despair. Drawing on social learning and social exchange theories, this quantitative study empirically examines the direct and indirect relationships among ethical leadership, ethical climate, and the bidirectional process of knowledge sharing (knowledge collecting and knowledge donating). In total, 585 responses from academic and non-academic staff employed in nine private higher education institutions in Lebanon were collected via a web-based self-administered questionnaire using the Qualtrics platform. Hierarchical regression analysis and Hayes’ PROCESS macro for SPSS were used to test the hypotheses. Findings reveal that ethical leadership positively influences employee knowledge sharing behaviour. Specifically, the study presents evidence that perceptions of the ethical climate serve as a mechanism through which ethical leadership affects knowledge collecting and knowledge donating in varying strengths. The findings encourage deeper consideration of ethics in higher education leadership and demonstrate the role universities must play in creating the conditions that facilitate knowledge sharing.

Economic Evaluation of Government Subsidy Program for Private Production of Primary Education in Lebanon: A Critical Review

Aim: Based on Barr’s conceptual paradigm of the welfare state and social justice in the context of education, the paper will critically examine the significance of state involvement in primary education.Methodology: This paper will perform a methodical literature review of academic literature, policy papers, and official reports in the field to partly defend the Lebanese government’s funding program for private education on the principles of efficiency and fairness.Findings: It has been determined that the most effective way to address inefficiency and fairness is for the government to subsidize commercial primary education output. Although the Lebanese government created a system of financing allowances to lessen parents’ financial strain in providing for their children’s education, the subsidy program has not succeeded in ensuring equitable access for the lowest rungs of society because there are still large disparities. In order to ensure more equal access to the funding scheme, the government should substitute the existing subsidy program with an income and needs-based funding allocation program, an example of which can be a constrained voucher scheme.Implications/Novel Contribution: The article provides a critical analysis and economic assessment of the Lebanese government’s primary education financing allotment program’s effectiveness and fairness. For policymakers to genuinely comprehend the issues and make informed decisions, the document offers in-depth knowledge about the subject.

Framing the education for gifted Lebanese and gifted refugees in Lebanon.

The paper provides a comprehensive conceptual model or framework for the identification and programming of gifted education in Lebanon. The model is evidence-based on the critical review of the literature on gifted education over the past two decades. The model discussed topics related to teacher conceptions, identification, preparation, and practices for the gifted in Lebanon. The development of a culturally appropriate conceptual model of gifted education is locally focused on Lebanese teachers' needs to identify and serve gifted Lebanese and gifted refugee learners. This framework provides a means for educational leaders in Lebanon to consider policy reforms that will benefit not only gifted learners but also gifted refugee learners in different educational settings.

The Status of Education in Lebanon under the French Colonialism 1920-1943

The study aims to shed light on the conditions of Lebanese education under the French colonialism 1920-1943 and to examine the situation of the Lebanese student and how colonialism affected the educational path in Lebanon, as well as researching the impact on educational curricula and control over the Lebanese encyclopedia, especially the great role of education in influencing society. The Lebanese and how colonialism exploited this factor in changing society and controlling the largest group of it by entering it through the path of education and modernity and an explanation of the change and difference that this path brought about among the groups of Lebanese society.

Crisis Upon Crisis: Refugee Education Responses Amid COVID-19

ABSTRACT This study applies a critical political economy approach to understand the tensions, contradictions, and inequities that emerged when COVID-19 altered narratives and practices in education in emergencies, at the global policy level and within the local context of Syria refugee education in Lebanon. Through a vertical case study methodology, our research offers insights into a setting in which global organizations and actors sought to address the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on schooling, but under a significant broader context of multiple crises. Drawn from interviews conducted between October 2020 and February 2021, our data captures notions of “rupture” and “continuity,” underscoring amplifications in terms of systemic educational inequities. We focus on three key global narratives that emerged from the study, which when analyzed alongside insights from Lebanon, appear to be disconnected from how local actors experienced the pandemic. Our findings suggest that global narratives do not adequately account for the complexities of countries experiencing multiple crises, evoking questions around the capacity of international actors to understand and address multi-crisis environments in education. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding and addressing power and equity in refugee education.

Gifted education in Lebanon: Re-examining the role of educational and learning capitals

This theory-based article explored the role of educational and learning capitals in the education of gifted learners in Lebanon. The article introduced the educational system in Lebanon, the impact of the Syrian crisis, refugee challenges to gifted education in Lebanon, the conception of giftedness, expenditures on schools, and higher education institutions. The paper provided a comprehensive categorization of learning resources including ten educational and learning capitals in relation to gifted education in Lebanon. Evidence-based literature was constructed on each of the educational and learning capitals. Several conclusions and implications were introduced in relation to gifted education expenditures, gifted conceptions and identification, gifted teacher preparation, and gifted learning resources management.

Gifted Education in Lebanon: Time to Rethink Teaching the Gifted

ABSTRACT Lebanon is a country that places a high value on education, with the culture specifically rewarding effort and achievement. Despite this, no educational policies for gifted students exist in the country. This article outlines findings from a mixed method case study investigating the perceptions of more than 280 Lebanese teachers about educational approaches used to identify and teach highly able/gifted primary school students. Findings acknowledge reservations among teacher participants in relation to offering special services for gifted students. Although the analysis illustrated an overall lack of awareness of practices that have been identified in international research as effective for identifying and providing for gifted students, there was ample evidence of the desire of teacher participants to become more informed about evidence-based practice. This suggests the time is ripe for a revised focus on gifted education in Teacher Education within Lebanon.

“Pastorale” by Naji Hakim – A Stylistic Approach

In the musical field, Lebanese composers represent a living proof of a different approach to cult music, a symbiosis between tradition and avant-garde, between modern and oriental elements, folk music with melisma typical of traditional Lebanese music and western classical music of French inspiration. (this is due to the specialized studies carried out in France and here I would mention the Francophone contribution underlying the institutionalization of education in Lebanon). The privilege of performing Pastorale for bassoon solo by Naji Hakim, a work that was dedicated to me by the author and was experienced to its final sound value, gave me unforgettable moments from an interpretative point of view and a special honor to participate in such a collaboration.

Spending on K-12 Public Education: The Lebanese Case

The purpose of this paper was to examine the public spending on education in Lebanon, in order to make recommendations for executives to strategize this sector. This is a desk review paper that uses secondary resources, using rigorous criteria for document selection. The paper overviews the importance of spending on education and its relationship with the overall quality of education. It highlights the different factors affecting public spending peculiar to the Lebanese context, the various challenges confronting the Lebanese K-12 public education sector, and the spending of Lebanon on it. It provides recommendations for stakeholders and policy-makers on areas that require more attention in terms of spending.

Exploring an unfamiliar territory: a study on outdoor education in Lebanon

ABSTRACT This paper aims to present findings from a doctoral study on the underexplored practice of outdoor education in the Middle Eastern country of Lebanon. I first propose a working definition for outdoor education before introducing the study’s findings that sought the perspectives of 30 Lebanese public and private primary school educators toward outdoor education and its integration in their teaching practice. Several perceived outdoor education benefits emerged from the participants’ narratives, including the promotion of the children’s emotional wellbeing, creativity, and motivation to learn. They also suggested many implementation challenges related to safety concerns, covering the concentrated curriculum, securing necessary funding, and weather conditions. Furthermore, the educators offered various ideas to integrate outdoor education in teaching languages, sciences, and social studies as well as in addressing environmental issues. I later discuss the findings and propose a set of recommendations to support the provision of enhanced outdoor education experiences.

Policy networks in refugee education

This paper presents a social network analysis of partnerships in refugee education and shows how relationships between organisations change in response to multiple crises, including political and economic crises, disaster, and COVID-19. We draw insights from an original database of 440 state and nonstate entities engaged in Syria refugee education in Lebanon (2018–2021). We find that partnerships in refugee education comprise a complex web of global, national, and local actors. The policy network arising from these partnerships reflects power inequities wherein international organisations hold most influence. Moreover, crises impact the network, which expands to include new private actors. While the COVID-19 pandemic is thought to accelerate localisation, our analysis suggests the durability of global power hierarchies in refugee education response.

Covid-19 and Online Education in Lebanon: Teachers’ Perceptions

Covid-19 and Online Education in Lebanon: Teachers’ Perceptions

Prostate Cancer awareness in the Lebanese population: a cross sectional national survey

BackgroundProstate cancer (Pca) is the second most common cause of cancer among Lebanese men. Screening is an effective method to reduce prostate cancer mortality. This study assessed the knowledge, awareness, and screening practices among Lebanese population regarding Pca.MethodsA cross-sectional national study over all the Lebanese governorates on 1558 persons was undergone. Information on Pca knowledge and attitudes towards screening was obtained using a semi structured questionnaire. Bivariate and binary logistic regression were used to assess relations between Pca knowledge and socio-demographic characteristics.ResultsThe sample consisted of 1088 (69.8%) males and 470 (30.2%) females, with a mean age of 40 Y.O. Concerning early detection methods of Pca, its frequency, the ideal screening age, symptoms and curability of Pca, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was found when studying the following variables: the educational level (university level group having the highest percentage of correct answers), the individual monthly income (more correct answers were found with higher monthly income) and the age groups (most correct answers in the younger age groups).ConclusionOur study points to the need of developing Pca prevention and education programs that should especially target older men, and people of low socioeconomic status and education in Lebanon. Such programs would increase awareness to Pca and screening, ultimately reducing the burden of advanced cancer through its early diagnosis.

The Impact of Public Sector Employee Performance on Citizen Satisfaction: The Case of MEHE

Governments nowadays are being more attentive to the importance of gaining citizens' satisfaction and trust, knowing that their trust would maintain political stability, allowing them to have more control and function easily and more effectively. One of the influencers of citizens' satisfaction is the public sector services and the performance of the employees in this sector. This research studies the micro performance theory by studying the relation between the performance of the ministry of education and higher education in Lebanon and citizen satisfaction. To study this relation a survey was conducted to study the level of citizen satisfaction toward the ministry's performance. The survey also assessed the performance of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education employees from the citizens' perspective. Our research also compared the public and private university graduates' satisfaction towards the ministry's performance since the survey was distributed online to graduated students among the Lebanese public university and graduates from different Lebanese private universities. The result of the survey along with existing data was analyzed to study the impact of the ministry's performance towards citizen satisfaction leading to a conclusion regarding the effect on the level of citizen's trust towards government institutes.

EDUCATION IN LEBANON UNDER THE EUROPEAN CAMPAIGNS FROM 1912 TO 1921

The aim of the study was to learn about the situation of education in Lebanon during the French campaign in Syria in the period prior to 1921, to learn about developments at the educational level in Lebanon in order to reach its current status. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive curriculum based on reference and extrapolation of previous studies has been followed. The study found that the education in Lebanon based on that of the French, who modified the education system in the line with their system and French became an official language. France took care of education in Syria and Lebanon because it recognized the important role of education in building an educated generation influenced by French culture to serve its political interests and orientations. The Maronite Church had also been instrumental in the emergence of education in Lebanon. Documents from the mandatory period indicated that many schools that had been closed of the war had not been re-established until after the end of hostilities. It has been subjected to some culture pressures and is therefore an interesting case study of the political role of education and the politicization of education.

Weight-Loss Supplement Use as a Potential Trigger for Mood Changes Among College Students

ObjectivesWeight loss supplements (WLS) are commonly used among college students. Although these supplements work through different mechanisms, many of them are sympathomimetic that may impact mental wellbeing. College students are inherently at risk of mental distress; therefore, use of these stimulants may exacerbate their response to stress and increase their risk of anxiety and depression. The purpose of the present study was to assess the pattern of use and perception of WLS among college students, and its association with reported mental distress symptoms. MethodsData were collected through an online questionnaire targeting US college students through social media platforms. A parallel study took place at an institution of higher education in Lebanon, a Middle Eastern country where college students commonly use WLS. The questionnaire included demographic questions such as gender, age, self-reported height and weight, hours of sleep, frequency of exercise, class, major and GPA. It also included questions on frequency of dieting, weight loss supplement use, perception, and symptoms associated with use. ResultsA total of 583 college students completed the survey. Random Forest Analysis produced a model of 0.98% accuracy with AUC = 0.993, which classified weight loss supplements as the most significant factor associated with mood changes in college students followed by academic class, exercise, GPA, gender, sleep, age and major. To confirm the directionality of these associations, a logistic regression analysis suggested that WLS strongly associated with symptoms of mood changes, followed by a low GPA and being a female. Conversely, upperclassmen, good sleep quality, being 23 years or older, and non- science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors inversely correlated with mood changes. A principal component analysis suggested a pattern for frequent dieting, weight loss supplement use and heavy exercise among men, and a pattern of frequent dieting, combining WLS, low quality sleep and no exercise among women. ConclusionsUse of WLS among college students may be worsening their psychological status. In addition, there is a differential pattern of use among men and women that is worth further investigation. Funding SourcesExperiment.com.