Hashemite University Research Articles

Effect of the methanol extracts of Salvia libanotica, Rosmarinus officinalis, Capparis spinosa and Achillea fragrantissima against two strains of Staphylococcus aureus

Control of Staphylococcal infections is difficult, especially decreasing the incidence of methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among hospitalized patients. Meanwhile, medicinal plants have many traditional claims including the treatment of ailments of infectious origin. Four Jordanian medicinal plants, Salvia libanotica, Rosmarinus officinalis, Capparis spinosa, and Achillea fragrantissima used by traditional medical practitioners were investigated for in vitro anti-MRSA activity. The objective of the study was to determine the presence of anti-MRSA activity in the crude extracts of some of the commonly used medicinal plants in Jordan; S. libanotica, R. officinalis, C. spinosa, and A. fragrantissima. Fresh plant materials were collected from the local market and from the Hashemite University Herbarium. Methanol extracts of the pulverized plants’ leaves were obtained by maceration. Bacterial culture used was a strain of MRSA isolated from a Jordanian hospital, identified by biochemical and coagulase tests and examined for antibiotic susceptibility patterns by disc diffusion method. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC (25923) was used as a standard strain. Susceptibility testing of the plant extracts was performed by the agar diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined only for S. libanotica and R. officinalis. Methanol extracts of S. libanotica and R. officinalis were affective against MRSA. However, C. spinosa, and A. fragrantissima were ineffective in MRSA eradication. This finding forms a basis for further studies on screening of local medicinal plant extracts for antibacterial properties and may help in control of MRSA infections especially in case of chemotherapy failure.

The Effects of Students’ Prior Knowledge of English on Their Writing of Researches

This descriptive correlational study aims at examining the effects of students’ prior knowledge of English on their writing of researches at the tertiary education. It investigates students’ last achievements in different English courses they had learned before conducting research papers and shows their writing problems in researches. A convenient sample of forty nursing students in the Hashemite University in Jordan was asked to complete a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that students with previous knowledge in English performed better in writing researches than those who lacked this knowledge. Some students whose achievements had been low in English got the lowest grades in the research course. They made many errors in their research content exemplified in the research questions, organization, references, results and literature review. This study can be helpful in increasing students’ consciousness of research writing.

Irrational Beliefs About Family Violence: A Pilot Study Within Jordanian University Students

This pilot study aimed to explore the irrational beliefs of family violence within Jordanian society. Students in the study included 500 volunteered undergraduate students enrolled in a university requirement course at Hashemite University. A questionnaire was constructed to investigate students’ irrational beliefs of family violence. The results of the study indicated high agreement with most of the irrational beliefs about family and psychological violence. Moreover, the results revealed that females were more agreeable on the irrational beliefs of the family violence than males. The results of the study may reflect lack of awareness of family violence and its consequences on the individual emotional and behavioral system.

The effect of using interactive hypermedia and multimedia on Hashemite University students' acquisition of digital photography skills

The effect of using interactive hypermedia and multimedia on Hashemite University students' acquisition of digital photography skills

Knowledge of the Use and Benefits of Applying Biotechnology and Cell Based Therapy in Orthopaedics in Jordan : Questionnaire Survey and Regulation Assessment

New techniques have been developed, many derived from biotechnology that enhance and expand the use of human cells and tissues as therapeutic products. These new techniques hold the promise that some day they will provide therapies for many serious medical conditions. With the increasing numbers of trauma, cancer cases and diabetes mellitus cases every year in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Jordan), it is important to explore and introduce the use of new therapeutic technologies in the Jordanian health care system, i.e., biotechnology, tissue engineering, and cell based therapy. Before introducing these therapy modalities to the Jordanian market, assessing the knowledge of these new therapeutic modalities is worth performing. The current study aimed to assess the knowledge of biological growth factors and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) use and benefits in orthopaedics in Jordan. The assessment was made by analyzing questionnaire results filled by a sample of Jordanian orthopaedics surgeons and senior medical school students from the Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan. The questionnaire results reflected good knowledge and appreciation of the use and benefits of biological growth factors and MSCs in orthopaedics applications and treatments among participants. Surprisingly, higher percentages of positive answers were reported about the knowledge of mesenchymal stem cells benefits compared to biological growth factors in the year 2012. The results also showed statistically significant lower percentages of positive answers to the question of thinking that using these new technologies will reduce the treatment cost (≤36%), compared to the percentages of positive answers to the other questionnaire questions. Still, higher percentages of positive answers were reported to whether participants will agree to use biological growth factors to accelerate the healing process on themselves (82% in 2009 & 74% in 2012). The current study also presented an assessment of the Jordanian regulations and their ability to define and regulate the use of these new therapeutic technologies and their products in Jordan. The questionnaire results and the legislations assessment highlighted the necessity to reform the Jordanian laws to build a legal framework that encourage healthcare suppliers and providers to explore and evaluate new technologies that might reduce treatment cost and hospitalization time in Jordan.

Heuristic Evaluation of Three Jordanian University Websites

Generally, universities have complex and large websites, which include a collection of many sub-sites related to the different parts of universities (e.g. registration unit, faculties, departments). Managers of academic institutions and educational websites need to know types of usability problems that could be found on their websites. This would shed the light on possible weak aspects on their websites, which need to be improved, in order to reap the advantages of usable educational websites. There is a lack of research which provides detailed information regarding the types of specific usability problems that could be found on universities websites in general, and specifically in Jordan. This research employed the heuristic evaluation method to comprehensively evaluate the usability of three large public university websites in Jordan (Hashemite University, the University of Jordan, and Yarmouk University). The evaluation involves testing all pages related to the selected universities faculties and their corresponding departments. A list of 34 specific types of usability problems, which could be found on a Jordanian university website, was identified. The results provide a description regarding the common types of the problems found on the three Jordanian university sites, together with their numbers and locations on the website.

Students' Attitudes in Colleges of Education at the Jordanian Universities towards Mobile Phone Usage in University Education

The aim of this study was to investigate the students' attitudes in the colleges of education at the Jordanian universities toward the use of mobile phones in education, according to the University which is attended by the student, gender, and academic level of the student. The study sample consisted of (363) students selected randomly cluster from the colleges of education at the Jordanian universities: The Hashemite University, Yarmouk and University of Jordan for the academic year 2010-2011. The instrument was a questionnaire developed by the researchers. The results showed that the percentage of students who indicated positive attitudes towards mobile phone use in university education is high. The results also showed that there were significant differences in the attitudes of students of the colleges of education in Jordanian universities towards mobile phone use in university education attributed to the variable of the university and in favor of the Hashemite University. The results showed no significant differences in students' attitudes toward mobile phone use in university education attributed to gender. Findings also revealed that there presence of statistically significant differences in students' attitudes toward mobile phone use in university education attributed to the variable of academic level in favor of master degree students.

The Effect of Instructional Program on Selected Physical and Skill Variables for Physical Education Students at the Hashemite University

This study aimed at identifying the effect of instructional program on some physical and skill variables for physical education students at the Hashemite University. The study sample consisted of (20) students the physical fitness course of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the Hashemite University in academic year 2011/2012. The sample selected intentionally, and divided into two equal groups: control group was taught through the traditional method and experimental group taught through the instructional strategy. Physical and skill tests were carried out to measure the students' performance level, through which the pretest and posttest were made. The study concluded that there are statistical significant differences among the variables being tested as result of using instructional strategy on certain physical and skill variables in physical education lectures in the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the Hashemite University, as compared to the traditional method, in favor of the instructional strategy. The researchers recommend that there be such needs for using the instructional strategy in teaching physical education, as well as conducting a broader and similar study with different variables.

The effect of the educational system on teacher non-parental and educational perceptions in Jordan: a comparison study between pre-service and in-service teachers

This study investigates the effect of the educational system on teacher perceptions of their non-parental and educational beliefs. A 25-item questionnaire was developed by the researcher. The questionnaire was assessed by 50 pre-service teachers attending two different universities and 78 in-service teachers teaching in eight different private preschools in the governorate of Amman/Jordan. The results revealed significant differences between the in-service and pre-service teachers' authoritative non-parental and educational beliefs and a significant difference between the pre-service teachers' non-parental and educational beliefs at the Hashemite University and Jordan University. The differences in the non-parental and educational beliefs between the in-service teachers who are early childhood majors and other educational majors were insignificant. According to the findings, the researcher addresses a number of recommendations and suggestions for future research in Jordan.

The Perceived Organizational Ethical Climate in Hashemite University

This study aimed to determine what types of ethical climates are perceived by 256 faculty members who worked in Hashemite University-Jordan, using the Ethical Climate Questionnaire. The results revealed that perceived organizational ethical climate in order were egoistic (M = 4.29, SD = .48), utilitarian (M = 3.45, SD = .51), and deontological (M = 3.04, SD = .53). There were no significant differences among faculty members regarding their gender and academic rank. The researcher recommended that future research should be conducted on the types of ethical climates in different universities and different variables.

The Effect of Gender, Achievement Level and the Cumulative Average on Strategies of Solving Mathematical Problems used by Students at Hashemite University

The Effect of Gender, Achievement Level and the Cumulative Average on Strategies of Solving Mathematical Problems used by Students at Hashemite University

Type A Behavior, Emotional Intelligence and Social Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Work Motivation among Faculty Members at the Hashemite University

This study examined the association between type A behavior, emotional intelligence, social self-efficacy, and work motivation among faculty members at the Hashemite University in Jordan. Seventy seven faculty members responded to four measures: Type A behavior scale, emotional intelligence scale, perceived social self-efficacy scale, and work motivation scale. The results of this study revealed that emotional intelligence was positively and significantly related to work motivation. Moreover, this study confirmed the value of emotional intelligence as a significant predictor of work motivation. However, social-self-efficacy and Type A behavior proved to be non significant predictors of work motivation

Type A Behavior, Emotional Intelligence and Social Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Work Motivation among Faculty Members at the Hashemite University

This study examined the association between type A behavior, emotional intelligence, social self-efficacy, and work motivation among faculty members at the Hashemite University in Jordan. Seventy seven faculty members responded to four measures: Type A behavior scale, emotional intelligence scale, perceived social self-efficacy scale, and work motivation scale. The results of this study revealed that emotional intelligence was positively and significantly related to work motivation. Moreover, this study confirmed the value of emotional intelligence as a significant predictor of work motivation. However, social-self-efficacy and Type A behavior proved to be non significant predictors of work motivation

A comparative study of the impact of some teaching styles applied on certain physical and skill variables in basketball for the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences Students at the Hashemite University

A comparative study of the impact of some teaching styles applied on certain physical and skill variables in basketball for the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences Students at the Hashemite University

Integrating service learning in Jordanian higher education

The main aim of this exploratory study is to test ‘Service Learning’ as a teaching and learning strategy in Jordanian universities by integrating service learning into a counselling course at the Hashemite University. After providing a 12-h service at 10 service locations, a 16-item questionnaire was administered to 60 senior counselling students to assess their perceptions about the service experience. Administrators of the service locations also completed a questionnaire about their level of satisfaction regarding the service provided. Qualitative data were also collected from groups’ portfolios, and reflection papers based on students involvement in service learning. The findings of the study revealed that service learning promotes students’ learning of the course content, students’ sense of connection to their classmates and university, their sense of social responsibility and professional development. Administrators were satisfied with the service and looked forward to future cooperation with the university.

Type A Behavior , Emotional Intelligence and Social Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Work Motivation among Faculty Members at the Hashemite University

Type A Behavior , Emotional Intelligence and Social Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Work Motivation among Faculty Members at the Hashemite University

Curriculum orientations of pre-service teachers in Jordan: a required reform initiative for professional development

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the curriculum orientations of pre-service teachers at a university in Jordan. Rigorous translation procedures were utilized to validate an Arabic version of the Curriculum Orientation Inventory (COI) for use in Jordan. The validated COI was administered to a sample of 259 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in the teacher education program offered by the Hashemite University. Principle axis factoring with oblique rotation resulted in a latent factor structure highly consistent with the English version of the COI. Results also indicated that pre-service teachers valued all the curriculum orientations to various degrees. In more specific terms, they highly valued the Cognitive Process orientation followed by the Social Reconstruction orientation and the Humanistic orientation. Lastly, gender differences were detected only for the Cognitive Process orientation with males valuing this orientation higher than did females.

Controlling and sampling adult sand flies with a fumigant containing permethrin and deltamethrin

The efficacy of a new smoke-generating formulation (fumigant, MidMos Solutions Ltd., GB), containing the active ingredients permethrin and deltamethrin, was evaluated against adult sand flies in an apartment (280 m(3)), a semi-open large animal shelter (enclosing an area of 300 m(2)), a closed Bedouin animal tent (104 m(3)), and a garden (141 m(2)) enclosed by a stone wall. In each location, four cages with approx. 100 Phlebotomus papatasi were exposed to the fumigant 0.5 m and 2.0 m above ground for 15 and 60 min. Controls were kept in untreated similar rooms and there were two repetitions. In the apartment and the animal tent, a single cartridge caused 100% mortality within 15 min. In the large animal shelter, one fumigant caused mortality of 86% in the lower cages and 75% in the upper cages after 15 min. After 60 min, mortality was 94 and 87%, respectively. With two fumigants, mortality was 98.5 and 91% after 15 min and after 60 min all sand flies were dead. In the garden, one fumigant caused mortality of 93% in the lower cages and 85.5% in the upper cages after 15 min. After 60 min the mortality was 98 and 92%, respectively. With two fumigants, all flies were dead within 15 min.

The Importance of Class Attendance and Cumulative GPA for Academic Success in Industrial Engineering Classes

The affect of the attendance percentage, the overal l GPA and the number of credit hours the student is e nrolled in at specific semester on the grade attained in specific course has been studied. This study has been performed on three cou rses offered in industrial engineering department at the Hashemite University in Jordan. Study has revealed that the grade attained by a student is strongly affected by the attendance percentage and his overall GPA with a value of R 2 of 52.5%. Another model that has been investigated is the relation between the semester G PA and the attendance percentage, the number of credit hours e nrolled in at specific semester, and the overall GPA. This model gave us a strong relationship between the semester GPA and attendance percentage and the overall GPA with a value of R 2 of 76.2%.

University Students and Ethics of Computer Technology Usage: Human Resource Development

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the level of students' awareness about computer technology ethics at the Hashemite University in Jordan. A total of 180 university students participated in the study by completing the questionnaire designed by the researchers, named the Computer Technology Ethics Questionnaire (CTEQ). Results indicated that university students showed a medium level of awareness about computer technology ethics. Additionally, results indicated that there were no significant differences in participants' level of awareness based on the demographics of gender and academic level. Ethical violations included hacking into a computer system for illegal purposes; taking on a different personal identity on the Internet; illegal use and distribution of copyrighted materials; invasion of privacy; hate speech; and plagiarism. The study ends by suggesting a number of practical and theoretical recommendations for a number of stakeholders.