Preparatory Year Research Articles

Using Recommender Systems for Matching Students with Suitable Specialization: An Exploratory Study at King Abdulaziz University

In Saudi Arabia, all high school graduates who want join local universities have to go through a preparatory year before selecting their specific specialization/major. One of the most concerning issues for those fresh undergraduate college students is the selection of their specialization. College specialization selection is critical for them, as their academic and career future will be affected by this decision. An un-suitable specialization selection will have unfortunate consequences, not only on the students' future but also on the university’s resources and budget. This paper sug-gests a solution to this problem by introducing a preliminary study of a recommend-er system (RS), which will recommend the appropriate specialization for the students based on various tests and grades during the preparatory year at King Abdulaziz University (KAU). The proposed system guides students through their specialization selection process based on their abilities. The collaborative filtering technique was used to build the RS and K-fold cross-validation was adopted to evaluate its accura-cy and performance. The results showed the prediction of a specialization for each student with good accuracy ratio. These promising initial results provide a feasible solution to assess this issue further in future studies.

Relationship between admission criteria and academic performance in basic science courses in health science colleges in KAU

BackgroundAt King Abdulaziz University, medical and health science schools depend on admission exams (aptitude and achievement) and preparatory year scores in their students’ selection. However, with the growing number of applicants and the drastic changes in teaching and assessment in these colleges, continuous assessment and development of admission criteria are needed. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the correlation of admission exam scores, in addition to the preparatory year Grade Point Average (GPA), with academic performance in the basic science subjects such as Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Pharmacology in health science colleges.MethodsThe study was conducted on four cohort studies, two faculty of nursing cohorts; nursing students (2017-2018, n=146) nursing students (2018-2019, n=81), and two faculty of applied medical sciences cohorts, clinical nutrition students (2017-2018, n=33), and clinical nutrition students (2018-2019, n=28). The students’ scores of General Aptitude Test (GAT), Scholastic Achievement Admission Test (SAAT), and preparatory year GPA were all recorded at the beginning of each semester before the beginning of courses. Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Pharmacology exam results were recorded at the end of the semester. Correlation was done for each cohort and all cohorts pooled.ResultsResults showed only a weak correlation detected between SAAT and the overall achievement in Clinical Biochemistry (r= 0.192, P= 0.042) in nursing students (2017-2018), but no correlation was seen with SAAT or preparatory year scores. There was also no significant correlation between admission exams scores and the students’ academic achievement in Clinical Biochemistry or Clinical Pharmacology. On the other hand Clinical Pharmacology exam results showed a significant positive correlation with Clinical Biochemistry results (r=0.688, P=0.000).ConclusionOur results could indicate the need to revisit the admission criteria for these colleges. Furthermore, specific preparatory year tracks for health science colleges can ensure that students improve the specific skills and knowledge required for their future college years3

The Effect of Formative Evaluation on Students' Achievement in ESP 'A Case Study of Preparatory Year Students' at Umm-AL-Qura University'

This research attempted to find out the impact of formative evaluation on Saudi male learners’ achievement in English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The study also seeks to check the instructors and students' attitudes towards formative assessment. The sample of the study involved 98 subjects chosen purposively from among the Preparatory Year students at Umm-Al- Qura University in Saudi Arabia. These were divided into two equal groups; one was intended to act as an experimental and the other was taken as a control group. The experimental group was taught their ESP material following the formative evaluation techniques; whereas the control group was taught the same material in accordance with the traditional summative assessment principles. The study lasted for one semester (sixteen weeks) during which the students studied two textbooks: Nursing 1 and Nursing 2. In the last week of the experiment, the two groups sat for the final achievement exam, which was intended for all pre-medical students in the Preparatory College. The grades of both group students in the final exam were statistically analyzed and compared. The results revealed a considerable difference between the two groups. The achievement of the experimental group students was found to be higher than that of the control group. This difference is taken to indicate the efficacy of using formative evaluation in teaching ESP. To check students and instructors’ attitudes towards formative evaluation a questionnaire and a series of interviews were used. Advanced statistical analysis of the responses of the instructors and students has shown their positive attitudes towards this form of evaluation. The study concluded with some recommendations to enhance this type of assessment.

Enhancing Language Assessment Skills among Faculty Members in Saudi EFL Context

In Saudi higher education, assessment has shifted to incorporate intended learning outcomes rather than merely textbook content. Subsequently, faculty members unwillingly participate in high-stakes competitive and harmonized assessment in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses during the preparatory year (PY). These challenges emphasize the importance of need-based training for faculty members. Accordingly, this context-specific study scrutinized faculty members’ needs as well as the impact of a training program on engaging the participants and on fostering language assessment skills (LASs) among them. In so doing, an action research design used pre- and post-questionnaires and included a training portfolio to collect data from 31 faculty members. The study first identified those needs as instructional skills, design skills, and educational measurement skills. In the context of professional development, the researchers designed a training program based on those reported needs. During training, the participants expressed their satisfaction with the language assessment. After the training, the participants greatly improved their LASs. The paired tests indicated that the faculty members increased their instructional skills, design skills, and skills of educational measurement. Further research is recommended for enhancing LASs among EFL students.

The Effectiveness of a Training Program Based on Creative Thinking Skills in the Development of Self-Concept among Gifted and Outstanding Students at the Deanship of The Preparatory Year at Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University

The Effectiveness of a Training Program Based on Creative Thinking Skills in the Development of Self-Concept among Gifted and Outstanding Students at the Deanship of The Preparatory Year at Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University

Satisfaction of Preparatory Year Students at Umm Al-Qura University with Distance Learning During Covid-19

During the past two years, the education systems in the world witnessed unprecedented turmoil due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, as most schools and universities in the world closed their doors to more than 1.5 billion students, or more than 90% of the total learners, according to recent figures issued by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Education experts have agreed that post-coronavirus education will not be the same as before, especially with the increasing use of modern technology in education. One of the most important new patterns with a structure digital in education is distance education, this style has been used, in many countries of the world, as an alternative to traditional education, since the beginning of the pandemic. In Saudi Arabia, this type of education has been used in all educational institutions, starting from kindergarten until the postgraduate level, as an alternative to face-to-face education to preserve the health and safety of students and workers in educational institutions. This study aimed to explore the level of satisfaction of preparatory year students on distance learning in their first year of study at Umm Al-Qura University. The findings of this study showed that students in the preparatory year were satisfied with their online learning experience. In addition, the results revealed that there was no effect for gender and location of study on students' level of satisfaction. Saudi universities should continue to work to create a suitable learning environment for students at the e-learning level.

Knowledge and attitude of dental students in Riyadh City toward the effect of mouthwashes on surface roughness and color stability of some esthetic restorations.

Objective:To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of dental students in Riyadh city toward the effect of mouthwash on surface roughness and color stability of some esthetic restorations.Materials and methods:This cross-sectional study is directed toward dental students in Riyadh city. The inclusion criteria include both undergraduate students and interns. The exclusion criteria include postgraduate dentist and those in the preparatory year. Also, dental students outside Riyadh are excluded, A questionnaire in English language was distributed through randomized selected participants in both social media (WhatsApp, Twitter) via link in a google sheet. The survey items were divided into two sections that include socio- demographic data and knowledge subscales.Results:A total of 455 dental students have filled the survey, among them 168 were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria (they were preparatory year students), making the number of included responses 287. There was a significant difference between males in females when answering the questions related to 1) indication of mouthwash prescription (P = 0.044), 2) if mouthwashes increase surface roughness of esthetic restorations (P= 0.007) and 3) the type of toothbrush used with esthetic restoration (P= 0.016).conclusion:there is high awareness and using of mouthwashes among dental students in Riyadh the correlation between mouthwashes and restorative materials needs more spot lightening in the dental education process.

The prevalence of self-reported bleeding tendency symptoms among adolescents in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Bleeding tendency is a common medical problem that is usually caused by either coagulation factors abnormalities, platelets disorders, or vasculopathy. Detection of patients with high bleeding risk through history taking and accurate diagnosis followed by appropriate management will help decreasing chances of significant complications.Methodology:A cross-sectional survey of a random sample of adolescent students in the preparatory year at Taibah University in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia were interviewed using a validated semi-structured condensed bleeding tendency questionnaire generated from Molecular and Clinical Markers for the Diagnosis and Management of (MCMDM-1).Results:A total of 680 questionnaires were collected, the phase I data were analyzed to determine participants who gave a positive response to any related question while in Phase II respondents with at least one positive response of any bleeding symptom were interviewed. More than half 52.6% (358 out of 680) were positive for any bleeding symptoms. The incidence rose to 70.9% (482 out of 680) if “Mild” symptoms were also included. Epistaxis was positive in 21.8%, Cutaneous symptoms were reported by 22.65%, Bleeding from the oral cavity was reported in 39.6%, Gastrointestinal bleeding was observed by 5.9%, bleeding after the first surgery reported in 21% and Muscle hematomas/hemoarthrosis was observed by 3.2%, Among female papulation, 16.1% reported having 6-10 “Heavy Days” during their menstrual cycles.Discussion:High prevalence of bleeding symptoms having the possibility of the presence of an Inherited Bleeding Disorders were observed in our study in comparison to other studies, this might be attributed to the high percentage of consanguinity marriages in our area.Recommendations:Raising awareness among family doctors and pediatricians about the possibility of presence of bleeding tendency utilizing good history taking followed by appropriate examination and laboratory confirmatory testing will help in early detection and managements.

Saudi Preparatory Year Students' Attitudes Towards EFL writing.

Saudi Preparatory Year Students' Attitudes Towards EFL writing.

Use of administrative record linkage to examine patterns of universal early childhood health and education service use from birth to Kindergarten (age four years) and developmental vulnerability in the Preparatory Year (age five years) in Tasmania, Australia.

BackgroundIn Australia, the health and education sectors provide universal early childhood services for the same population of children. Therefore, there is a strong imperative to view service use and outcomes through a cross-sectoral lens to better understand and address the service needs of young children and their families.ObjectivesTo investigate patterns of health and education service use from birth through Kindergarten (age four years), the associations with cumulative risks, and developmental vulnerability in the first year of full-time school (age five years).MethodsA retrospective cohort study that used population-wide linkage of health and education administrative data records for 5,440 children with a Tasmanian 2015 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) record who were born in Tasmania (2008–2010).ResultsFour service use patterns were identified: Regular (46% of children), Declining (24%); Low (18%); and Selective service use (12%). Regular service use (aOR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7 to 0.9), adjusted for cumulative risks, was associated with decreased odds of developmental vulnerability, compared to the other service use groups. Low (OR 6.1, 95% CI 4.5 to 8.2) and Declining service use (OR 2.5 95% CI 1.9 to 3.4) were more likely for children with the highest levels of cumulative risks. Low and Declining service use, adjusted for cumulative risks were associated with increased odds of developmental vulnerability, compared to the Regular service use group.ConclusionThis study provides a whole population view of the differential use of universal services and the complex risk circumstances that influence service use. The association between patterns of multiple risk and service use points to barriers to service use, and the varying level of developmental vulnerability within each service use group draws attention to children who may benefit from higher sustained participation in core health and education services across the whole of early childhood.

EFL Learners’ and Teachers’ Perception toward the Use of Online Videos in EFL Classes

This study aims at analyzing the English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ and teachers’ perception toward the use of online videos in EFL classes. The current study used a mixed method to answer the question of the study which is: What is the perception of EFL learners and teachers toward the use of online videos in EFL classes? It includes both quantitative and qualitative techniques, namely a questionnaire and an interview. To get the required data and to answer the question of the study, the researcher collected information by distributing a relevant questionnaire among 120 EFL Saudi female students who are studying English in their preparatory year “Unified Scientific Track” at Taibah University. Their ages range between 18 to 21 years old. The questionnaire of the study consists of 10 items. For the first nine items, Likert Scale is used to let the respondents range the statements on a five- point scale. The tenth item asks the respondents to rate the usefulness of the online video regarding language skills and other aspects. The researcher also conducted an interview with six EFL teachers who teach English language skills in the English Language Centre (ELC) at Taibah University. The responses of the participants showed that the use of online videos is an effective technique and has a positive influence in EFL classes.

Emotional Intelligence in Children of Christian Missionary Schools at Kolkata

The present study seeks to observe emotional intelligence (EI) among children from four Christian Missionary Schools in the Kolkata metropolitan area and stipulates the need to cultivate EI from the preparatory years of the children. 316 children were studied using a cross-sectional survey design. The results revealed the presence of a reasonably good amount of emotional intelligence where gender was associated with a statistically significant variation in EI scores. It also showed no association between parental education, choice of hobby, presence of sibling, family structure and locality of residence to one's own emotional intelligence. The results of the study recapitulate the effectiveness of the faith-oriented learning environment in the four missionary school settings for promotion of emotional intelligence among the children by developing selfcontrol, empathy and values-based decision making.

Evaluation of practices of self-medication among undergraduate dental students in Riyadh

Introduction: Self-medication (SM) and purchase of over-the-counter medication have been in practice in medical fields. Dental students have the knowledge of pharmacological drugs and they have a higher chance than the population to indulge in SM. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the practice, awareness, and attitude of undergraduate dental students toward SM and its relation with gender and to assess whether this practice differs among students of different years of study. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using simple random sampling among undergraduate dental students in a private dental college in Riyadh. A self-designed online questionnaire was used to collect data, which was validated and used for the research Results and Discussion: A total of 465 students (31% males and 69% females) responded to the survey. 60% of the students agreed to practice SM and it was significantly (P Conclusion: More than half of the respondents practiced SM for minor illnesses, and it was higher among females and students of preparatory years. There was less awareness among dental students relating to survey items such as importance of completing the course of medicine and adverse drug reactions. This study highlights the need to develop awareness and interventions to assess this health problem among dental undergraduates.

Enhancing Language Assessment Skills among Faculty Members in Saudi EFL Context

In Saudi higher education, assessment has shifted to incorporate intended learning outcomes rather than merely textbook content. Subsequently, faculty members unwillingly participate in high-stakes competitive and harmonized assessment in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses during the preparatory year (PY). These challenges emphasize the importance of need-based training for faculty members. Accordingly, this context-specific study scrutinized faculty members’ needs as well as the impact of a training program on engaging the participants and on fostering language assessment skills (LASs) among them. In so doing, an action research design used pre- and post-questionnaires and included a training portfolio to collect data from 31 faculty members. The study first identified those needs as instructional skills, design skills, and educational measurement skills. In the context of professional development, the researchers designed a training program based on those reported needs. During training, the participants expressed their satisfaction with the language assessment. After the training, the participants greatly improved their LASs. The paired tests indicated that the faculty members increased their instructional skills, design skills, and skills of educational measurement. Further research is recommended for enhancing LASs among EFL students.

Practising English through out-of-class language learning activities (OCLLA): EFL preparatory year students perspectives

The current study investigated the insights and perceptions of the EFL preparatory year students at Al-Baha University in Saudi Arabia concerning improving their English language proficiency, namely, vocabulary and grammar learning, speaking skills, listening skills, reading skills, and writing skills, through out-of-class language learning activities. The instruments of the study were pre/post-English language proficiency skills test (ELPT) and the student's weekly reflective journals (SWRJ). The study participants were 100 male students aged 18 to 20 years old. The application of the study program, Five Phases Out-of-Class Language Learning Program (FPOCLLP) lasted for three months. Paired samples t-test and the effect size were employed to collect data for the quantitative analysis. Moreover, the student's weekly reflective journals were employed to get qualitative interpretations. The findings of the study indicated that the participants' English language proficiency skills were enhanced as a result of the study program application. Finally, the study identified some recommendations and suggestions based on its results for further future research.

The effectiveness of corpora on Saudi EFL academic writing performance

This study reports on quantitative research that investigated the effects of the Corpus-Based Approach (CBA) as a pedagogical approach to Academic Writing Instruction in the context of Saudi Arabia. A total of fifteen female preparatory year students at an intermediate language proficiency level at King Abdulaziz University participated in the study. The study aimed at investigating the effect of applying corpora on learners’ lexico-grammatical abilities following a pretest-posttest design. Classroom intervention has been conducted and data were collected from written tasks over a period of time. The findings of the study demonstrated that the improvement of lexico-grammatical abilities among students is observed.

Rosenthal effect over the academic career decisions of EMI students at higher education level: A case study

Rosenthal effect, also known as expectancy effect, is a psychological phenomenon at which individual’s acts take the form of what others, very often an authority or a respected one, expects from them. It appears to be among the determinant factors for students while selecting their path to higher education. On the other hand, the previous research also found out that EMI universities rank considerably more among the primary expectations by parents in such countries as Turkey. In this vein, several factors ranging from social prestige to academic success are often given as reasons for the preference. However, there is also some doubt concerning the challenges faced in the intake of contextual knowledge. This current study aimed to investigate the tenets of Rosenthal effect exposed by students before an EMI university over their success and participation in higher education level. The data came from 30 EFL preparatory year students at an EMI university in Turkey through a standardized open-ended written interview and a questionnaire in Likert-scale. The results indicate that most of the participants agree on the existence of others’ expectancy while determining their career paths. It is also clear that the effect mostly contributed positively to their decisions as well as to their success rates while sustainability of participation and lack of enthusiasm appear to be its basic negative consequence. A considerable number of the prospective EMI students also indicated that they do not feel proficient enough to take courses successfully in another language than their mother tongue. Further studies are required to investigate students’ motivation and external factors in selecting an EMI institution.

Investigating the relationship between the foreign language reading anxiety and reading proficiency: a case study of preparatory year students at the University of Jeddah

This study is an in-depth analysis on the association between the anxiety experienced known as Foreign Language Reading Anxiety (FLRA) and the proficiency in reading exhibited by the preparatory year students. The Saudi learners from the science and arts stream and the gender were also considered as the moderator variables for this study. A mixed group of 84 students from both the genders of the preparatory year studying English at the Institution of Languages from the University of Jeddah were considered as the variables for this research. The participants were measured on as 20-item Likert-style Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale and examined by undergoing a 20-item proficiency test in reading a comprehension and a demographic questionnaire. The data was analyzed by applying The Pearson product moment correlation, t-Test, and descriptive analysis. The results indicated that the anxiety level while reading had varied values from moderate to high most of the respondents in the test were found to be in the moderate anxiety group. In addition, a notable negative relationship was found to be existing between the FLRA and the reading proficiency. The association existing between the foreign language reading anxiety and the group field was identified in this study. Analyzing the concept considering the gender, the female students were identified to experience more anxiety compared to the male students involved in the study. The findings of this study are advantageous to the language teachers and the curriculum planners too. It enables them to decrease the deteriorating and weakening factors in the classroom and thereby improve the reading ability of the language learners’. Reducing the reading anxiety amongst the learners can be achieved by exposing the language learners to understandable reading texts and familiarize them with cultural texts. This in turn develops the learners’ self-confidence and motivates them to be better readers.

Association between graduates' factors and success rate on the Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Examination: A single-Institution cross-sectional study

IntroductionThe Saudi Pharmacists Licensure Examination’s (SPLE) initial results were revealed in February 2020, which showed enormous inconsistency with the passing rates. Hence, we aimed to investigate the predictors of pharmacy graduates’ success rate on the SPLE of a single-college in Saudi Arabia. MethodsIn a cross-sectional study of 2019-graduates, data were collected via-phone interviews and retrieved from the college’s database. Graduates’ data were retrieved from the college’s database, which includes high school grade point average (GPA), General Aptitude Test, Scholastic Achievement Admission Test, preparatory year GPA, pharmacy GPA, and all courses' grades. The data collected via-phone interview includes information that was not recorded in the college’s database, such as date of birth, SPLE score, and the number of SPLE attempts. We only included students who agreed to be interviewed and had attempted the SPLE at least once. We developed a prediction model using correlational analyses and stepwise multiple linear regression to examine graduates’ factors in predicting success on the SPLE. ResultsOut of the 149 graduates, 105 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Around 84% of them passed the SPLE. Correlation analyses showed a significant direct correlation between preparatory year GPA and pharmacy GPA with SPLE scores (r = 0.228, P = 0.0193 and r = 0.533, P < 0.0001, respectively). In addition, the results showed that all of the four SPLE content areas were positively correlated with SPLE scores (P < 0.0001). The stepwise multivariable regression showed that being a male graduate and scoring high-grade points in pharmacology and therapeutics courses were significantly associated with high SPLE scores (P = 0.0053, P = 0.0256, and P = 0.0001, respectively). ConclusionThis single cross-sectional study found that being a male, pharmacology GPA, and therapeutics GPA were significantly associated with a higher SPLE score. Further studies should focus on the GPA cut off below which we should give remediation to improve SPLE passing rate.

Saudi EFL learners’ Perceptions of The Use of Corpora in Academic Writing Teaching

The study explores Saudi EFL learners’ perceptions of the effect of applying corpus-based approach as a pedagogical approach on academic writing instruction. The purpose of the study is to evaluate students’ perspectives towards using corpus-based activities on their academic writing learning, more precisely, their lexico-grammatical abilities. In the study, seven female preparatory year students at an intermediate language proficiency level participated. Learners were asked to compose written tasks during three weeks using corpus tools. To explore learners’ attitudes, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results of the interviews suggest that learners have positive attitudes towards the corpus-based approach to their academic writing performance. Based on the results of the interviews, four themes were found to be recurrent in learners’ responses, which are: Increasing Learners’ Confidence as EFL Writers, Fostering learners’ Language Awareness, Providing Availability of Input, and Promoting Learners’ Autonomy.