Kuwaiti Schools Research Articles

How do Kuwaiti teachers and headteachers practice their voice behavior? Influential factors in a centralized school structure

PurposeThe study investigates the voice behavior of teachers and headteachers in Kuwaiti schools, along with organizational factors associated with teachers’ voice behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a convergent mixed-method approach. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 815 teachers and headteachers, with 28 of them participating in open-ended interviews.FindingsIn quantitative findings, high levels of prosocial voices were observed, while interviews revealed significant occurrences of defensive and acquiescent voice behaviors. Teachers practice prosocial voice behavior to protect students' interests, but various factors, such as individual characteristics, school leadership, hierarchy and governmental decisions at the district levels, influence their voices.Originality/valueThe findings enhance our understanding of voice behavior among teachers and headteachers, shedding light on the factors influencing voice behavior in Kuwait and centralized systems worldwide.

Promoting equity and equality in student learning: principals as social justice leaders in Kuwaiti schools

PurposeThis qualitative study aimed to explore school principals' perceptions of social justice in a centralized school setting in Kuwait, as well as the challenges they face when promoting equity and equality for students' learning in schools.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through in-depth interviews with 18 public school principals from Kuwait's six educational districts.FindingsThe results revealed that principals' experiences and unique perspectives shape their definitions of social justice within their schools. Some school principals see social justice as ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for every student regardless of their backgrounds. Others focus on creating an inclusive and supportive environment. The results also showed that limited resources, institutional barriers, limited autonomy, lack of training, and some ministerial laws are among the challenges that school principals face in promoting equity and equality.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are informative to policymakers and other educational stakeholders. Practical suggestions are provided to improve school principals' social justice leadership practices.Originality/valueThis study adds to the empirical knowledge of school principals' role in promoting equity and equality for student learning in a centralized school setting and attempts to reduce the social justice leadership gap in schools.

Using Microsoft Teams as Online Teaching Instrument in Kuwaiti Schools

Using Microsoft Teams as Online Teaching Instrument in Kuwaiti Schools

High School Students' Perceptions of the most practiced Classroom Control and Discipline Strategies by their Social Studies Teachers

This research aimed to investigate high school students' perceptions of their social studies teachers' most practiced behavior control discipline strategies. The study sample consisted of 243 Kuwaiti high school students who participated in this study by responding to its researcher-designed questionnaire tool. The study collected responses and perceptions of this sample on six dimensions: clarity of behavior regulations, teacher's disciplinary methods, teachers' favoritism, corporal punishment, most widely used disciplinary methods & strategies, and most effectively used disciplinary methods & strategies. The analysis was carried out using SPSS, and thus a variety of findings were highlighted. These findings have shown that the students are aware of these disciplinary strategies and their importance, and that the variable of gender showed differences only on one of the study's dimensions related to the use of corporal punishment. Upon these results, the researcher's recommendations were addressed to the people in charge of the educational process in the Kuwaiti schools.

The Relationship between School Leadership and Teacher Motivation in Kuwait

The main aim of this paper was to examine how school leadership influences teacher motivation in Kuwait. This purpose has been fulfilled using both graphical and statistical analysis methods applied to primary quantitative data. The data was gathered from 108 Kuwaiti teachers from 15 Kuwaiti schools, including the author’s school. It can be concluded that school leadership has a strong positive effect on the degree to which Kuwaiti teachers are motivated in the workplace. The carried out analysis has demonstrated that monetary rewards and working conditions quality statistically predict the participants’ motivation level. Considering the limitation of this paper, it can be recommended that the future researchers in the field should examine the impact of motivation and hygiene factors such as employee autonomy, personal development opportunities, emotional support and non-monetary rewards on the motivation of Kuwaiti teachers. Furthermore, it is recommended that the future researchers in the field should contact a greater number of Kuwaiti teachers in order to add to internal validity and reliability. Finally, it is recommended that the future researchers should gather data from Kuwaiti school leaders to arrive at more comprehensive conclusions concerning the link between school leadership and teacher motivation in Kuwait.

Investigating the Use of Data to Inform Instructional Leadership and Build Data-Use Capacity: Case Studies in Kuwaiti Context

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate how data are used to inform instructional leadership practices in three Kuwaiti public schools, in addition to the factors that impact building data-use capacity. This study conducted three qualitative case studies in high-performing public schools. The findings reveal that data usage in the Kuwaiti schools facilitates the diagnosis and mentoring of students’ academic performance, instructional supervision and change, and the establishment of new plans and activities. Furthermore, the factors helping and hindering the data-use capacity were also assessed.

THE USE OF THE SHORT STORY ENTRANCE IN LEARNING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The study aimed to research the possibility of using the literary story entrance in learning English for students with English language learning difficulties in Kuwaiti schools, by identifying the concept of the short story, the difference between the short story, the novel and the literary play, the components and elements of the short story, the elements of the short story, characteristics The short story, methods of presenting short stories for learning English, criteria for building a short story for learning English, the benefits and functions of short stories and their role in learning English. The study used the inductive approach to describe a specific thing, which leads to the conclusion of another thing, and access to the results, so the inductive approach depends largely on the teacher's observation of the learner. The results of the study concluded that the teacher’s use of the story entrance in teaching English has an effective role in improving the language skills of students with learning difficulties in the English language.

The reality of the employment of distance education due to corona disease in private Kuwaiti schools – A Field Study on the Principals of private Kuwaiti schools –: واقع توظيف التعليم عن بعد بسبب مرض الكورونا في المدارس الكويتية الخاصة – دراسة ميدانية على مديري المدارس الكويتية الخاصة

The aim of the study was to identify the reality of the employment of distance education due to corona disease in private Kuwaiti schools from the principals perspective. To achieve this study, the descriptive approach was used، where a questionnaire was developed, consisting of three areas (knowledge، skills، and evaluation) with 20 paragraphs, and its validity and stability was verified, and then it was distributed on the sample of the study which was consisted of (140) principals. The result of the study showed the reality of the employment of the distance education due to corona disease in the private Kuwaiti schools from the principals perspective, was middle and with an average arithmetic (2.49). The results also showed significant differences in the evaluations of the study’s sample members for The reality of the employment of the distance education due to corona disease from the principals perspective according to the gender variable in favor of females, and no significant differences in the evaluations of the study’s sample members for The reality of the employment of the distance education due to corona disease from the principals perspective according to the School stage. In light of the results, the researcher recommended that the Ministry of Education should hold more courses and training workshops specialized in the field of distance education in the educational process for teachers and administrators، developing and training students in modern technology skills.

Exploring the mediating role of trust in principal on the relationship between organizational justice and teacher commitment in Kuwait

ABSTRACT Empirical research advocates that school leadership plays a significant role in shaping worker commitment, and how important the latter is regarding scholastic outcomes. This study examined the phenomenon in the Kuwaiti public school by attempting to identify the mediating effect a teacher’s Trust In their school’s Principal (TIP) has upon the relationship between Organizational Justice (OJ) and Teacher Commitment (TC). More specifically, this study attempted to: (1) describe and compare TC in Kuwaiti public schools against the demographic variables of gender, nationality, years of experience and school level; (2) examine the total effect of OJ on TC; and (3) determine whether TIP has significant mediative effects upon the relationship between OJ and TC. The research sample comprised 200 teachers from 30 different Kuwaiti public schools. Study participants revealed that TC, OJ and TIP are all at mediocre levels in Kuwaiti schools. The study also indicated that elementary school teachers have significantly lower TC than their colleagues working in high schools. Moreover, the study demonstrated that TC is positively and significantly related to OJ and TIP. The study also showed that TIP does indeed act as a mediator between OJ and TC. The researcher provides relevant recommendations based on these findings.

Enhancing Kuwaiti Teachers’ Technology-Assisted Mathematics Teaching Practices

This paper outlines results of the first cycle of a mathematics education project in Kuwait aimed to integrate technology into teaching and learning in Kuwaiti schools. The project design and methods are based on two previous studies carried out in Cambridge, UK and the Geomatech project in Hungary. Studies showed that adequate preparation of teachers is necessary to have impact on students learning with technology. In the first cycle of this project we carried out an extensive teacher training to introduce practices and resources with the GeoGebra application and materials developed in the Geomatech project. The research design was based on Design Experimental and Community of Practice approaches involving the close collaboration of teachers and researchers to jointly develop resources and pedagogies. In this paper, we will offer an outline of the study design and the frameworks based on previous projects as well as highlight some initial findings from interviews conducted in the first cycle of the project.

Distributed leadership applications in high schools in the State of Kuwait from teachers’ viewpoints

ABSTRACTThis study aims to identify different applications of distributed leadership at high schools in the State of Kuwait from teachers’ perspectives. These applications include the supervision process, delegation of authority, school development, decision making and community partnership. A quantitative design has been employed, and data has been collected through questionnaires that included five main dimensions. The study sample consisted of 1210 high school teachers at six educational areas in Kuwait. The degree of practicing distributed leadership in Kuwaiti schools was low. The degrees of application related to distributed leadership in the supervision process and delegation of authority were medium. However, the degrees of application related to distributed leadership in the development of school, decision making and community partnership were also low. The study has concluded that training programs are needed for school leaders in Kuwait.

Evaluating cognitive, metacognitive and social listening comprehension teaching strategies in Kuwaiti classrooms

Listening comprehension strategies play an important role in the development of related language skills and process of language acquisition. These self-regulated strategies are focused to enhance learning comprehension and their consequences. The study aimed to evaluate the listening comprehension strategies covered by Kuwaiti ninth grade target English textbook with adherence to the teaching practices of EFL teachers. Qualitative research approach has been adopted with content analysis to assess the listening comprehension strategies. 38 teachers were selected from 16 Kuwaiti schools and involved a textbook of ninth grade. High practices have been achieved from all listening comprehension strategies. Inferencing and practicing sounds revealed as the viable strategies covered by Kuwaiti textbooks. Highest mean score has been accomplished by cognitive strategies (M = 1.87, SD = 0.16); whereas, low mean scores were examined for metacognitive strategies (M = 1.74, SD = 0.29). Evaluation strategy was considered as the most frequent application examined in all teaching units. The listening comprehension abilities are significantly affected from cognitive and metacognitive strategies to provide guidelines for EFL (English as a Foreign Language Teachers) to improvise listening comprehension skills of students. The study has concluded with the need of incorporating explicit strategy training in national listening curriculum in Kuwaiti schools to endow teachers with some guidelines to enhance learners' listening comprehension.

From Muscat to the Maghreb: Pan-Arab Networks, Anti-colonial Groups, and Kuwait’s Arab Scholarships (1953–1961)

This paper explores the development of Kuwait’s scholarship program for Arab students from its inception in 1953 to the country’s independence in 1961, a period when Arab nationalist influence dominated the Kuwaiti Educational Department. The ‘Arab Scholarships’, as they were known, brought students from Arab countries suffering from underdevelopment and/or colonial repression to study in Kuwaiti schools at primary, intermediate, and secondary levels. Most came from the Arabian Gulf, the Maghreb, and Southern Arabia, with smaller numbers from East Africa and Palestine.It is argued that Kuwait’s Arab Scholarship program was motivated largely by Pan-Arab ideals and shaped by interpersonal networks linking Kuwaiti educators and officials to Arab nationalist activists throughout the region. The department granted scholarships to both governments and anti-colonial groups. These organizations capitalized on the presence of their students in Kuwait to branch out into other activities, contributing to the country’s emergence as a regional hub for political activism.

Intermediate School Students’ Participation in School Press in Kuwait

The idea of this study has been emerged from the importance of school press in enriching and enhancing the educational press, and it also contributes in detecting talents early. The researcher has conducted this study on a random sample of 360 students from intermediate school in Kuwait. The results have revealed that the majority of students in Kuwaiti schools participate in school press as the get the required encouragement from their parents to write in school press, the students also ensured that these activities do not affect their study level negatively. The results indicate that the course newspaper is the most popular activity, in which most students always participate, and the rest of students sometimes do. Also, this study has shown that; there is a significant correlation between students’ participation rate in the activity of school press and their interest to read public newspapers and magazines, and that elder students have more interest to participate in school press, so, Students’ participation rate in the activity of school press varies significantly depending on the gender and grade.

Achieving Excellence in Kuwaiti Schools: A School Leaders’ Viewpoint

Many challenges face Kuwaiti public schools such as inadequate teacher training, limited staffing and high costs of extracurricular materials. This study aimed to find the necessary internal and external changes required to achieve excellence in Kuwaiti schools. The main tool is a questionnaire. The study population included all school leaders in public schools in Kuwait during the second semester of the academic year 2015-2016 which comprised (4362) leaders. The study sample was 832 which were randomly selected. The study variables included gender, experience, scientific qualification, job position, educational level, and school district. T test, Cronbach’s alpha, oneway ANOVA, range equation (for arithmetic means), and Pearson correlation coefficient through Likert scale survey response were used. The results showed that the wages and rewards are ranked first. Future studies should include other internal and external changes to achieve academic excellence in public education.

Teachers’ Readiness to Implement Digital Curriculum in Kuwaiti Schools

Aim/Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate how Kuwaiti teachers perceive their own readiness to implement digital curriculum in public schools, and the factors that affect Kuwaiti teachers’ readiness to implement digital curriculum from their perspectives. Background: In order to shift from the traditional instructional materials to digital and more innovative resources, teachers have to be prepared for the transformational curriculum. Teachers need to acquire all the technical and pedagogical skills that enable them to integrate digital technology effectively and efficiently into the school curriculum. Methodology : Using a mixed-method research methodology, a random sample of 532 teachers participated in an online survey to determine the level of their readiness. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sub sample of the participants (21) to explore the factors that affect their readiness. The researchers developed and implemented a technology readiness survey in two domains (technical and pedagogical). Contribution: The study demonstrated that Kuwaiti teachers were not highly ready to im-plement the digital curriculum, and some issues should be considered to ensure the digital curriculum is effectively implemented. Findings Teachers are moderately ready for implementation of the digital curriculum in both components of readiness (technical and pedagogical). Teachers identified some factors that that hinder their readiness. These factors are related to time constraints, knowledge and skills, infrastructure, and technical support. Recommendations for Practitioners: This paper will guide curriculum decision makers to find the best ways to help and support teachers to effectively implement the digital. Future Research: Follow up studies may examine the effectiveness of teacher education pro-grams in preparing students teachers to implement the digital curriculum, and the role of education decision makers in facilitating the implementation of the digital curriculum.

The relationship between gender segregation in schools, self-esteem, spiritual values/religion, and peer relations in Kuwait

Public schools at all levels in Kuwait are gender-segregated due to conservative traditional values, but such segregation is not practiced in private schools. In the past decade, a series of laws were passed to impose gender segregation in private universities as well. A concern about the psychological and social impact of gender segregation on students is a topic of ongoing debate in Kuwait. Research into the effects of gender segregation on social aspects such as peer relations remains an area to be explored. The purpose of this study is to assess whether there is a difference in peer relations with the opposite or same gender among individuals who have attended Kuwaiti schools across different school settings, and to explore which factors such as physical appearance, general esteem, parental relations, and spiritual values/religion might influence this difference. Seventy-six participants (57% female; 43% male) in Kuwait aged between 18 and 39 years filled out an online questionnaire incorporating scales related to the variables of interest taken from Marsh's Self-Description Questionnaire III. The results showed that participants who attended a mixed-gender school, as opposed to a segregated school, in Kuwait scored significantly higher on the peer relations with the opposite gender criteria, meaning that they believed they had good relationships with peers of the opposite gender (M = 44.1; P < 0.05). The results showed that school setting was a significant predictor of peer relations with the opposite gender (β = 0.251, P < 0.05); however, when additional factors such as self-esteem, parental relations, physical appearance, and spiritual values/religion were controlled for, schooling was not found to be a significant predictor of peer relations, and self-esteem had the highest significant relationship with peer relations of the same and opposite gender as well (β = 0.461, P < 0.01; β = 0.623, P < 0.001). Spiritual values/religion had a significant relationship with peer relations of the same gender only and not the opposite gender, meaning the more religious the individuals believed they were, the less they thought that they had good relationships with peers of the same gender (β = − 0.295, P < 0.01). Self-esteem scores were highly significantly correlated with parental relations scores and physical appearance scores (r = 0.605; r = 0.577; P < 0.01). The implications of the data on educational policy as well as the importance of spreading awareness about the significant relationship that self-esteem and spiritual values/religion can have with peer relations in Kuwait are discussed.

The relationship between shared leadership and administrative creativity in Kuwaiti schools

To continue to fulfill their social and educational role, educational institutions must develop or adopt modern leadership trends based on solid theory and proven effectiveness. Shared leadership is a method of management that allows teachers to participate in decision making and share in the implementation of those decisions. A study sample of 636 male and female teachers was selected randomly from the study population, teachers in the State of Kuwait. A questionnaire was used which covered four categories to determine the levels of shared leadership and administrative creativity in the representative sample. The tools used were Mehmadi’s questionnaire on shared leadership and its three dimensions, and Al-Angar’s questionnaire on administrative creativity. It was found that both shared leadership and administrative creativity were at high levels. It is argued that the high level of administrative creativity in the study sample can be attributed in part to the practice of shared leadership by academic department heads.

Teacher Perceptions about the Potential of Blogs as an Information Source

Interviews with English language teachers indicated that usage of blogs in Kuwaiti schools was low and infrequent. However, teacher feedback indicated that they perceived that Blogs have good potential as an information source and a tool to support learning and teaching. Teachers reported the lack of time, limited computing skills and English langue ability of students and teachers were the main barriers impeding the use of blogs. Teachers considered training in building and using blogs important for effective use of blogs as a teaching tool. They would like to use blogs for posting teaching materials, commenting on the postings, and discussions.

Performance evaluation of photovoltaic systems on Kuwaiti schools’ rooftop

Performance evaluation of photovoltaic systems on Kuwaiti schools’ rooftop