Jordanian Schools Research Articles

Teachers’ Misbehaviours in Class and Students’ Reactions: A Case Study

This study aims to investigate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ misbehaviours in class and their students’ reactions to these misbehaviours. Towards this end, 60 classroom observations of six English language teachers (N=10 each) were conducted at a public school in Jordan. Moreover, a survey was used to elicit 201 students’ reactions to their teachers’ misbehaviours by gauging their satisfaction with the teachers’ communication styles. Finally, the teacher participants were interviewed in order to more deeply understand why such misbehaviours occurred. Analysis of the data is grounded in the Expectancy Violation Theory. The results revealed that when the mean value of teachers’ communication style was more than 3 on a 5-point Likert Scale, the students often perceived their teachers as being positive, and the students compensated most of their teachers’ misbehaviours. However, when the mean value was below 3, the teachers were perceived as being negative, and the students reciprocated for most of the misbehaviours. The results also showed that the students are more tolerant towards their teachers’ misbehaviours as long as the teacher is perceived to be positive. The study provides insights into understanding the student-teacher relationship in EFL classes.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on medical students in Jordanian universities: A multi-center cross-sectional study

BackgroundThere are serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of medical education in its current format during serious crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. ObjectiveTo explore academic, financial, psychological, & hygienic impact on medical students. MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study of students at different medical schools in Jordan. It included both basic and clinical years. ResultsThere were 415 responses. Females constituted 51.8%. Around 50% of the participants were from the 6th year (n = 194, 46.7%). University of Jordan students represented around 40% of the responders. 60% of the students have GPA (Grade Point Average) of less than 3 points. Nearly half of the students indicated that their academic grades were affected during the pandemic. Clinical years’ students (51.0%) were more likely to be negatively affected than students in basic years (36.1%), P value 0.026. Sixty three percent reported that they sanitize their hands before touching eyes, nose, or mouth. More than two thirds (70.4%) of students indicated that their mental health was affected in the pandemic. Financial influence was a major aspect in around 53% of students and 34% of students were not able to pay the university fees due to the pandemic. The pandemic affected the elective training course location of 70.9% of respondents. Mental health was affected in 70.9% of students and 65.1% became more anxious or depressed with no significant difference among gender and academic years (P values 0.256 and 0.516, respectively). Students in the clinical years were more afraid of getting the infection than students in the basic years, however this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.084). ConclusionsCovid-19 Pandemic negatively affected the academic course of the medical students especially at the clinical training years’ level across Jordanian universities. COVID-19 pandemic left a negative impact on psychological & mental health of the students, too, rendering them more anxious, depressed, and afraid of coming to the hospital and handling patients.

The mediating effect of transformational leadership on the relationship between personality traits and job satisfaction in the educational sector in Jordan

ABSTRACT The originality and value of this study came from the other previous and published studies that measured the impact of personality traits on job satisfaction alone or the impact of transformational leadership on job satisfaction alone, or the impact of personality traits on transformational leadership, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region while there are no studies take into consideration the relationship to examine the positive effect of personality traits based on the big five models (extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience) on job satisfaction by clarifying the mediating effect of transformational leadership on the educational sector in Jordan, which is noticed as a gap to study. The study was conducted on Jordanian schools to develop personality concept to be reflected in schools’ activities. The population of this study consists of junior and senior teachers and administrative employees working at Jordanian schools in Jordan. Using data collected from 350 employees through a questionnaire for a 5-point likert scale over the Educational Sector in Jordan. The research cannot get a list containing names of school employees for privacy reasons which made the sample of this research a purposive one. The study utilized two statistical packages, statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and SPSS-AMOS for analyzing the data. The findings and results of the study showed that the awareness of personality traits effects on job satisfaction is not sufficient in schools in Jordan, also Extroversion personality has the most significant effect on job satisfaction and on transformational leadership, and moreover, the results also showed that transformational leadership mediates the relationship between Personality Traits and Job Satisfaction.

Prevalence and Correlates of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality Among High School Students: A National Study.

The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and suicidality and their correlated factors among high school students in Jordan. A descriptive cross-sectional correlational research design was used. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires completed by students attending high schools in Jordan. Data show that anxiety and depression are prevalent among adolescents and are associated with higher risk of suicide and disease prevalence. Twenty-seven percent of the variance in suicidality is explained by anxiety and depression. This finding indicates that the most significant predictor of suicidality is anxiety and depression among high school students. Results show that mental health issues are a genuine general health issue among high school students. Health care professionals should routinely screen for mental health problems among young people. Mental health and well-being advancement programs should be coordinated and directed by all parties involved in youth mental health. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(8), 43-51.].

Medical students' relative immunity, or lack thereof, against COVID-19 emotional distress and psychological challenges; a descriptive study from Jordan.

Background: Emotional distress is a major impact of COVID-19 among not only the general public but also healthcare workers including medical students. This study aimed at describing self-reported changes in emotional reactions associated with COVID-19 among medical students in Jordan and to assessing the potential effect of social media utilization on emotional distress among this group. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized to collect data early on during the outbreak in Jordan. All medical students in Jordan were eligible to complete an online questionnaire assessing self-reported emotional reactions to COVID-19 that covered four main domains: negative emotion (anxiety, worry, depression, panic, loneliness, and nervousness), positive emotion (happiness, joy, and excitement), sleep disorders (insomnia, shallow sleep, nightmares, and insufficient sleep), and aggression (verbal argument and physical fighting). The frequency of social media utilization as a main source of COVID-19 information was also assessed. Results: 59.9% of participants were females, 64.9% were enrolled at the two major medical schools in Jordan, and 59.6% were in the pre-clinical stage (years). A significant proportion of participants self-reported increased negative emotional levels of anxiety (49.2%), worry (72.4%), depression (23.1%), panic (22.6%), and nervousness (38.2%) and decreased positive emotional levels of happiness (44.8%), joy (47.3%), and feelings of excitement (45.1%). Self-reported sleep disorders were not as common (less than 15% for any of the four items), while arguing with others was at 26.7%. Significant differences by gender and academic year were detected. Almost half of participants reported using social media as a main source of COVID-19 information "most/all-the-times" with a significant effect of such on reducing emotional distress. Conclusion: The results suggest a potential effect of COVID-19 on the emotional distress of medical students. Addressing and mitigating such effects is crucial. The potential buffering effect of social media should be further investigated.

Depression and anxiety among school adolescent females: A national study from Jordan

Depression and anxiety are major mental health concerns among adolescent females within the school community and inflect many implications for psychological service providers in schools. The aims of this descriptive correlational study are to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among high school adolescent females in Jordan, and to determine the contributing factors associated with depression and anxiety. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from a clustered stratified sample of 405 high school females attending public schools in Jordan. Severe levels of depression and anxiety were reported by 25.7% and 21% of high school adolescent females, respectively. Education challenges and having a history of health problems contributed to having higher levels of depression and anxiety among the high school adolescent females. School mental health services regarding adolescent females mental health should be activated and supported through policies and legislation in Jordan.

Mental health stigma: the effect of religiosity on the stigma perceptions of students in secondary school in Jordan toward people with mental illnesses

AimMental health disorders in many countries are regarded as taboo and are often concealed. This study aimed to (a) explore students in secondary school' stigma perceptions of mental disorder; (b) examine whether there is a connection between religiosity and stigma toward people with mental illnesses; and (c) identify stigma correlates for stigma perceptions toward people with mental illnesses based on the religiosity and demographic features of the students. MethodA cross-sectional correlational study was undertaken among 357 students from two high schools. The participants completed a structured research instrument that consisted of (1) a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, (2) a religiosity questionnaire and (3) a devaluation-discrimination scale. ResultsThe regression model was able to forecast a moderate percentage of stigma perception variance (F = 4.74, p = .01). Gender was the only important correlate in the model at p = .05. Conclusion and implicationsThis study found that among students in secondary school in Jordan there is an association between religiosity and stigma toward mental disorders. This result implies that there is a need to increase policy maker information about the importance of applying religious principles to decrease stigma and enhance a positive non-stigmatizing attitude toward mental disorders. Moreover, improving the curriculum content concerning the problems associated with mental ill health may allow students to gain a more precise understanding of mental disorders more generally.

A Discourse Analysis Study of Graffiti at Secondary Schools in Jordan

This research aims to explore the thematic meanings of graffiti written on the walls and desks at secondary public schools in the Directorate of Education for the Qasabat Irbid District during the second semester of the academic year 2020/2021. The data comprise 207 written graffiti taken from different locations. Braun and Clarke's (2006) Thematic Analysis and Fairclough's (1995) Critical Discourse Analysis are adopted to account for the data thematically and linguistically. The findings of the study show that the qualitative and quantitative data fall into three main discourse themes: Religious, Political, and Emotional. Each one has been classified into subcategories accordingly. The results also show that the highest percentage of the discourse theme domains is related to the emotional one which constitutes the half of data. The lexical features indicate that the language of the graffiti is simple. Yet, it presents a complete thought. Languages and language variations are also identified.

The representation of multiple intelligences in an intermediate Arabic-language textbook, and teachers’ awareness of them in Jordanian schools

The theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) states that human intelligence is composed of different types of intelligences and that each individual possesses all of them but to a different degree. The main objective of this research was to examine how the Theory of Multiple Intelligences was addressed in a seventh-grade Arabic-language textbook at the intermediate-level in Jordan and determine Arabic-language teachers' level of knowledge of applying the Theory of Multiple Intelligences in textbooks. The study used the survey method and analytical descriptive approach via content analysis and coding MI indicators in the textbook to examine the representation of MI in the textbook examined. The sample was composed of all units of a seventh-grade Arabic-language textbook. A questionnaire was distributed to 130 Arabic-language teachers. The study includes eight of the Intelligences from Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory. The analysis found that the intelligences represented in the texts, activities, and exercises of the Arabic-language textbook were mostly Verbal/Linguistic, Visual/Spatial and Interpersonal intelligences, with a combined percentage of 73%. The other 27% was shared between the other intelligence types: Intrapersonal, Naturalist, Logical/Mathematical, Bodily/Kinesthetic, and Musical intelligences. A moderated awareness on how to incorporate the theory of MI in Arabic-language textbooks was found among Arabic-language teachers, which means that teachers' understanding of the importance of including MI theory in the textbook needs reinforcement and improvement. The study suggests that further research on incorporating the Theory of MI in textbooks is needed.

Medical students’ relative immunity, or lack thereof, against COVID-19 emotional distress and psychological challenges; a descriptive study from Jordan

Background: Emotional distress is a major impact of COVID-19 among not only the general public but also healthcare workers including medical students. This study aimed at describing self-reported changes in emotional reactions associated with COVID-19 among medical students in Jordan and to assessing the potential effect of social media utilization on emotional distress among this group. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized to collect data early on during the outbreak in Jordan. All medical students in Jordan were eligible to complete an online questionnaire assessing self-reported emotional reactions to COVID-19 that covered four main domains: negative emotion (anxiety, worry, depression, panic, loneliness, and nervousness), positive emotion (happiness, joy, and excitement), sleep disorders (insomnia, shallow sleep, nightmares, and insufficient sleep), and aggression (verbal argument and physical fighting). The frequency of social media utilization as a main source of COVID-19 information was also assessed. Results: 59.9% of participants were females, 64.9% were enrolled at the two major medical schools in Jordan, and 59.6% were in the pre-clinical stage (years). A significant proportion of participants self-reported increased negative emotional levels of anxiety (49.2%), worry (72.4%), depression (23.1%), panic (22.6%), and nervousness (38.2%) and decreased positive emotional levels of happiness (44.8%), joy (47.3%), and feelings of excitement (45.1%). Self-reported sleep disorders were not as common (less than 15% for any of the four items), while arguing with others was at 26.7%. Significant differences by gender and academic year were detected. Almost half of participants reported using social media as a main source of COVID-19 information “most/all-the-times” with a significant effect of such on reducing emotional distress. Conclusion: The results suggest a potential effect of COVID-19 on the emotional distress of medical students. Addressing and mitigating such effects is crucial. The potential buffering effect of social media should be further investigated.

Medical students' relative immunity, or lack thereof, against COVID-19 emotional distress and psychological challenges; a descriptive study from Jordan.

Background: Emotional distress is a major impact of COVID-19 among not only the general public but also healthcare workers including medical students. This study aimed at describing self-reported changes in emotional reactions associated with COVID-19 among medical students in Jordan and to assessing the potential effect of social media utilization on emotional distress among this group. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized to collect data early on during the outbreak in Jordan. All medical students in Jordan were eligible to complete an online questionnaire assessing self-reported emotional reactions to COVID-19 that covered four main domains: negative emotion (anxiety, worry, depression, panic, loneliness, and nervousness), positive emotion (happiness, joy, and excitement), sleep disorders (insomnia, shallow sleep, nightmares, and insufficient sleep), and aggression (verbal argument and physical fighting). The frequency of social media utilization as a main source of COVID-19 information was also assessed. Results: 59.9% of participants were females, 64.9% were enrolled at the two major medical schools in Jordan, and 59.6% were in the pre-clinical stage (years). A significant proportion of participants self-reported increased negative emotional levels of anxiety (49.2%), worry (72.4%), depression (23.1%), panic (22.6%), and nervousness (38.2%) and decreased positive emotional levels of happiness (44.8%), joy (47.3%), and feelings of excitement (45.1%). Self-reported sleep disorders were not as common (less than 15% for any of the four items), while arguing with others was at 26.7%. Significant differences by gender and academic year were detected. Almost half of participants reported using social media as a main source of COVID-19 information "most/all-the-times" with a significant effect of such on reducing emotional distress. Conclusion: The results suggest a potential effect of COVID-19 on the emotional distress of medical students. Addressing and mitigating such effects is crucial. The buffering effect of social media should be further investigated.

School Counseling Skills Needed To Activate Distance Learning In Light Of Covid-19 Pandemic

The problem and the aim of the study: COVID-19 pandemic had affected all sectors including the educational sector. The educational system shifted from the traditional face to face teaching method to use online means in order to ensure the safety of the students and the social distancing. These changes also affected the roles of the educational members including the school counselors. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the school counseling skills needed in light of COVID-19.
 Research Method: The study relied on the descriptive approach and administrated by a questionnaire to collect the data from the school counselors. The study sample consisted of (400) Jordanian schools counselors from both genders whom chosen randomly to respond to the study tool.
 Results: The study found that the main required skills are the cognitive, emotional and humanitarian skills, professional and ethical skills, technical and electronic skills. The study found that the most needed counseling skills are similar to the traditional education, but due to the shift from the from face to face education to the distance education the most concentration will be on the counselors IT skills.

Academic performance and socio-demographic characteristics of students: Assessing moderation effect of self-esteem

ABSTRACT Self-esteem has a profound role in students’ academic performances. This study was designed to examine the moderation effect of self-esteem on the relationship between academic performance and students’ socio-demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 20 schools in Jordan. A nonrandom consecutive sampling method was used to recruit students who provided their demographic information and answered the Arabic Version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Participating students (n = 1800) showed a mean self-esteem of 23.07 (SD = 2.69), while the academic performance showed a mean of 86.5 (SD = 6.34). Self-esteem moderated the relationship between socio-demographics (gender, educational sector, and education program) and academic performance. Self-esteem is an important indicator of academic performance and should be strongly considered by stakeholders at all school programs and types. The differences in self-esteem and academic performance according to gender need to be investigated further to draw conclusive future plans.

Explore Jordanian mathematics teacher's perception of their professional needs Related to Mathematical Proficiency

Mathematically proficiency as being described by five strands: conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competency, adaptive reasoning(National Research Council, 2001), and. The purpose of this study is to Jordanian mathematics teacher's perceptions of their professional needs Related to the Five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency and to search for the effect of teachers' demographic factors on their perceived needs. Participants included (171) teachers with varying qualifications and years of experience teaching at multiple grade levels schools in Jordan. The study uses a 35-item questionnaire to evaluate a teacher's professional development needs within five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency. The results offer more insight into mathematics teachers’ most essential needs in terms of specific knowledge and experience within different categories. This information aids in planning professional development programs and workshops that will meet teachers’ needs

The Effect of Using Smart Board on Improving Ninth Grade Female Students’ English Writing Skills In Southern Al-Mazar Directorate Education

This research aimed at investigating the Effect of Using Smart Boards on Improving Ninth Grade Female Students English Writing Skills in Southern Al-Mazar Directorate of Education during the first semester 2017-2018.The researcher designed a written pre-test and a post-test to test the students’ skills in writing. The sample of the study comprised (67) female students who were selected purposefully. The 1st group of (31) students was taught by using the Smart Boards from Mu’tah basic school for girls. The 2nd section of (36) students was taught by using the conventional method from Al-Mazar basic school. The two groups were similar in their age, their previous learning, their achievement in general and achievement in English language. To answer the questions of the research, a pre and post-test were designed to examine students` skills in writing where the validity and reliability of the study instrument (pre-post test) were verified.The findings of the study indicated that there were statistically significant differences at (??0.05) after applying Smart board learning method and conventional learning method in favor of Smartboard. Based on the results of the research , several recommendations were suggested. First, there is a need to apply Smartboard learning method in the educational process in the Jordanian schools. Secondly, there is a need to train teachers in how to use Smart boards and facilitate their application in the educational process.

The production and comprehension of apology strategies: Effects of English language proficiency

This cross-sectional study examined the effects of English language proficiency on Jordanian EFL students’ production and comprehension of apology strategies. The participants were 270 Jordanian EFL learners and 90 native speakers of English. Data were collected using Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT) and Multiple-choice Discourse Completion Test (MDCT). Descriptive statistics and the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient (rho) test were used to analyse the data. Results showed that Jordanian EFL learners’ production and comprehension of apology strategies are influenced by their levels of English language proficiency. A small to large negative correlation relationship was reported between Jordanian EFL learners’ language proficiency and the production of explicit apology strategies and non-apology strategies. On the other hand, the study revealed a small to medium positive correlation relationship between Jordanian EFL learners’ language proficiency and the production of less-explicit apology. The study also showed a significant correlation relationship between proficiency and the comprehension of apology strategies. Thus, teachers of English at Jordanian schools may need to consider focusing on classroom activities that can help EFL learners enhance their pragmatic knowledge of apology strategies.

The production and comprehension of apology strategies: Effects of English language proficiency

This cross-sectional study examined the effects of English language proficiency on Jordanian EFL students’ production and comprehension of apology strategies. The participants were 270 Jordanian EFL learners and 90 native speakers of English. Data were collected using Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT) and Multiple-choice Discourse Completion Test (MDCT). Descriptive statistics and the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient (rho) test were used to analyse the data. Results showed that Jordanian EFL learners’ production and comprehension of apology strategies is influenced by their levels of English language proficiency. A small to large negative correlation relationship was reported between Jordanian EFL learners’ language proficiency and the production of explicit apology strategies and non-apology strategies. On the other hand, the study revealed a small to medium positive correlation relationship between Jordanian EFL learners’ language proficiency and the production of less-explicit apology. The study also showed a significant correlation relationship between proficiency and the comprehension of apology strategies. Thus, teachers of English at Jordanian schools may need consider focusing on classroom activities that can help EFL learners enhance their pragmatic knowledge of apology strategies.

Internet Use among Jordanian Students with and without Learning Difficulties at Primary Schools

The main aim of this study is to explore the degree of Internet use among Jordanian students with and without learning difficulties at primary schools. Descriptive-analytical approach was utilized to achieve the study aims. The study sample consisted of (144) students from different primary schools in Jordan. A validated scale was developed to collect the data. SPSS software was employed to analyze the collected data; means, standard deviations, and t-test were calculated. Findings revealed that students with learning difficulties had good computer skills which were similar to students without learning difficulties. It also showed that there were no statistical significant differences in the skills of using the Internet, the degree of its use, the areas of use, and the problems that hindered their use attributed to the classification variable (with and without learning disabilities). This indicates that students with learning difficulties have skills and abilities to use the Internet in all areas, just as students without learning difficulties. The study, therefore, recommends making technological useful facilities available to the students with learning difficulties, to their teachers, and their parents.
 
 Received: 26 November 2020 / Accepted: 15 February 2021 / Published: 5 March 2021

Gender and School Location Differences in Mathematics Achievement Using TIMSS Test for the Grade Eight in Jordan

This study examines potential gender and school location differences in the mathematics achievement of the Jordanian schools. The sample size consisted of more than (400) students for both genders and school location at (10) schools randomly selected in the Ma'an governorate in the scholastic year (2014/2015) second semester. To achieve the objective of the study, the mathematics achievement test was constructed by adopting TIMSS items after verifying its validity and reliability. The results for both genders and school location were compared. The results showed than the male students higher achievement in mathematics than the female students, and students in urban schools achieved higher scores than their peers in rural and badia schools.

Explored Jordanian Math Teacher’s Practices, and Belief Change in implementing mobile applications in education

The aim of This study explored Jordanian math teachers’ beliefs, practices, and belief change in implementing mobile applications in education Learning mathematics is a major focus of educational institutions at all levels and technology has long been an important teaching tool in the field of mathematics. Multiple sources of qualitative data were generated including metaphors, lesson plans and interviews with 17 math teachers. Although teachers considered Implementing mobile applications in education as an effective method that benefit student learning and they demonstrated progress in changing their beliefs moving from subject to didactic dimension through Implementing mobile applications in education, their practices remained partially aligned with their perceived belief changes. This discrepancy could be attributed to several encountered challenges, including teachers’ lack of confidence, difficulty in facilitating student collaboration, structural constraints, additional workload, and the lack of school and peer support. Results suggest the need for different types of “problems” and approaches such as more direct instruction, and higher feasibility in teachers’ autonomy when Implementing mobile applications in education. Outcome of this study has a few implications. First, discrepancy between belief and practice of implementing mobile applications. identified in this study suggests that appropriate and sufficient professional development activities are needed. The MOE and schools in Jordan should further articulate policy goals and standards that facilitate student-centered approaches for teachers. System and institutional supports such as reducing teachers’ workload, providing sufficient time for students’ activities during implementing mobile applications. sessions and for teachers’ collaboration, and involving both students and teachers in defining.