Syrian Students Research Articles

Awareness of Green Architecture Importance Among Post and Undergraduate Syrian Students of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Awareness of Green Architecture Importance Among Post and Undergraduate Syrian Students of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Target Situation Needs Analysis of English Language Skills Required by Syrians in the Arabian Gulf Area

The English language has always been a barrier facing Syrians who aim to find a better life and job opportunities in countries where English has excellent value. This research paper investigates and analyzes the linguistic skills needed by Syrians who are part of the field of business in the Arabian Gulf countries. The study utilizes a mixed-method approach for collecting data and analyzing it through a questionnaire and interviews. This research aims to specify the specific English language needs of Syrian students in countries where English is drastically needed for life and business to help design online English for Business course that aligns with those needs. The study aims to provide descriptive insights into the linguistic challenges faced by Syrian students and to propose recommendations for curriculum development in English for Business. The findings of this study can be useful for English language teachers, developers of curriculums, and policymakers.

Syrian Youth with Disabilities Accessing Higher Education in Turkey: Routes and Barriers

ABSTRACT This research elaborates the nexus of disability-migration-education through a multidisciplinary investigation of intersectional barriers faced by Syrian youth with disabilities during their access to, and study at higher education (HE) institutions in Turkey. HE inclusivity for Syrian students with disabilities (SSD) is analysed in terms of the main administrative, societal, and structural barriers. The methodological design of this study applies a human rights-based approach to education, migration and disability in company with participatory action research methodology. Findings are based on data collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observations, institutional visits, and multi-stakeholder workshops addressing disability and migration-based experiences of SSD in 2018 and 2019 in Istanbul, Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep. Information and experiences are collected from SSD, NGOs in the field of migration and disability, governmental bodies, and HE institutions. Our findings showed that various legal, administrative and cultural barriers, and structural inequalities make access to HE more difficult for refugees with disabilities. Despite these, SSD have success stories in accessing HE as a result of their hard work and courage. This study provides first-hand bottom-up intersectional research about the situation of SSD in Turkey, host to the largest refugee population in the world.

Inclusion of Syrian students in need of special support in Norwegian schools - a qualitative study with students and parents

ABSTRACT Despite the over-representation of immigrant children assessed as requiring special needs education, research into their social and educational experiences in the Nordics is limited. This qualitative study explored the experiences of five Syrian students in need of special support, and their parents in Norway. A thematic analysis was conducted using intersectionality theory and the social constructionist perspective. Analyses found that Syrian students had positive experiences at schools, with less academic pressure compared to their experiences in Syria, but poor peer relationships. Parents expressed varied emotions, including gratitude for not having to hide the special needs of their children, but uncertainty about how to seek help. Those conflicting feelings seemed to originate from the language barriers, different cultural traditions, and a limited understanding of the Norwegian educational system. Our findings contribute to the literature concerning the inclusion of immigrant students in need of special support and their families, emphasising the significance of culture, and advocating for their participation in both schools and research.

Syrian refugees’ vision for quality education in a Lebanese public school: a participatory visual research

This study explores the quality of education delivered to Syrian students in a public school in Lebanon. Concepts of agency and empowerment are at the heart of this discussion. To address the current lack of student-centred perspectives on schooling in this context, this study supplements the Capability Approach (CA) with a social justice framework and uses visual and art-based methods to gain insights into what these young people have reason to value. It examines the value of combining theoretical insights, analytical approaches and methods that share a commitment to honouring participant agency. Analysis of input from children advocates considering the concept of ‘care’ as an integral dimension to social justice in the context of this study. It also suggests the need for implementing negative and positive peacebuilding strategies and contemplating the relationship between art education and school violence. We argue for a whole-child approach to refugee education, drawing connections between cognitive academic learning and affective embodied wellbeing. We conclude the study by discussing these findings and shedding light on the significance of our theoretical and methodological choices and their potential to inspire future research endeavours and explorations.

The feeling of exclusion and/or inclusion in shared places: Syrian students' emotions and social imaginations in Istanbul

This article examines the dynamic relationship between the creation of place and the formation of identity, specifically focusing on how Syrian young people are either included or excluded in Istanbul. This dynamic process enables the students to engage in placemaking. The majority of the literature primarily centres on the potential for inclusion or exclusion within the context of migration. Nevertheless, I maintain my view that the dynamics between insiders and outsiders are closely interconnected in discourses about space. In this regard, it is worth exploring how the concept of Thirdspace enables the coexistence of both inclusion and exclusion within the same spatial context. Based on ethnographic observations, virtual ethnographies, and semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 Syrian students, I employ the notions of “social imaginary” and “emotional space” to demonstrate the coexistence of contrasting elements inside a shared location. While I utilised a framework that integrated geographical and sociological perspectives for my study, the unique aspect of this research lies in its adoption of the socio-spatiality approach, setting it apart from prior studies. While this approach opens space to the possibility of the simultaneous exclusionary and inclusionary functions of the spaces, the translocational positionality of the migrant groups fosters these contradictory interactions in the shared spaces. Gender differences and ethnicity (being Syrian) produce exclusionary functions, whereas being a student and Muslim increases integration into Turkish society. In addition to interactions within local relationships and transnational connections through religious communities, NGOs, and friend groups, these students not only resolve the tension between the past and present but also open the door to integration and bridge the future in the face of inequalities. In particular, women students solve the tension between cultural codes and their student identity with the possibility of transnational networks.

Higher education for Syrian refugee students in Türkiye: challenges and expectations

ABSTRACT The Syrian civil war affected many Syrian students. This exploratory study focuses on Syrian higher education students who were forced to emigrate to Türkiye during the Syrian war. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 Syrian refugee students studying at a public university in Hatay. In the light of hope theory, thematic analysis was applied to explore Syrian refugee students’ experiences during and after higher education in Türkiye. The study found that language and, especially for female students, being a parent are among the challenges that Syrian refugee students encounter during higher education. However, despite the challenges, Syrian students were hopeful for their future in Türkiye.

‘I want to settle down in China’: Charlie’s (dis)investments in Chinese and identity negotiation across times and spaces

To date the research narrative about L2 identities has been dominated by studies on English language learning in the Anglosphere and very little existing empirical work situates the Global South as a point of departure to explore aspirations for learning languages other than English amongst international students and migrants. This article adopts a context- and time-sensitive approach to investigating a Syrian student – Charlie’s (dis)investments in Chinese as an L2 and identity negotiation in a range of social spaces (i.e. the classroom, everyday encounters and workplace) and at different points in time. Findings reveal that contextual complexities, the perceived likelihood of yielding profitable returns and visions of the future in mediating individual’s concomitant investment, learning trajectories and identity formation. The article also details the dynamics of power relations that either constrained L2 opportunities, or enhanced possibilities for human agency, social interaction and self-expression. At the end of the article, I argue for the imperativeness of exploring with L2 learners which language programs, courses, activities and support may offer them the greatest opportunity to engage with the target language and claim desirable identities in the Chinese context and beyond.

The relationship between teachers’ cultural intelligence and multicultural education attitude: The mediating role of intercultural sensitivity

In this research, the relationship between teachers’ cultural intelligence and multicultural education attitude was investigated with the mediating role of intercultural sensitivity. The main research aim was to contribute to the cultural intelligence and multicultural education literature. The research was conducted with a cross-sectional correlational method, and the data was gathered from 600 teachers working in the six of the provinces with the highest Syrian refugee population in Turkey. Convenient sampling and criterion sampling methods were employed in the sample design. In accordance with the aim of the research and criterion sampling method, the teachers with at least one Syrian student in their classes participated in the research. In the analysis of structural relationships among the variables, structural equation modeling was employed. Bootstrap method was used to estimate the effect size and confidence intervals and significance level. The research findings revealed that cultural intelligence had direct and indirect effects on teachers’ multicultural education attitude through intercultural sensitivity. The results showed that intercultural sensitivity had a significant role in the relationship between cultural intelligence and multicultural education attitude. This result underlines the importance of interpreting intercultural sensitivity as a promising factor in developing positive attitudes for multicultural education.

Bridging the Gap Between Imagined and Plausible Futures for Refugees: What Students Wish Their Teachers Knew

There is a gap between the futures that refugee young people imagine will be possible through their education and the plausible futures in exile, where opportunities are truncated by social, economic, and political exclusions. Our study examines how education can narrow this gap. Through interviews with Syrian students in Lebanon, we document fixed and malleable elements of education that refugee students identify as bridging their current education and their futures. Students experience the structures and content of schooling in Lebanon as both exclusionary and immutable, yet their teachers use what we call relational pedagogies rooted in predictability, explaining, fairness, and care to support students’ learning and navigation toward future opportunities. While our research focuses on refugees, it has conceptual implications for educators and school systems in other settings where teachers support their marginalized students to make sense of disconnects between what they imagine is possible through school and their future opportunities.

Refugee Students' Perspectives on Science Lessons

This study aims to determine the opinions of Syrian students who have migrated to Turkey regarding science subjects. The present study is a non-experimental descriptive design accompanied by qualitative data collection and analysis procedure. This study was conducted with 87 (41 female, 46 male) Syrian students, who are learning Turkish in the Turkish Teaching Center (TÖMER) in a big city located in the southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey. A questionnaire with two sections developed by the researchers was used for data collection. In the first section of the questionnaire, there are 6 questions related to the demographic features of the participants. In the second section, there are five open-ended questions, which aimed at determining the attitudes of the participants towards science. Each of these five open-ended questions was designed as a writing activity. Content analysis technique was used to analyze the data obtained from the open-ended questions. At the end of the study, refugee students stated that they liked biology the most and least enjoyed the physics lesson because it was easy in science lessons and because it studied living things. Results indicated that science does indeed have an impact on their lives, and they provided the following statements as their reasons. They stated that science is more beneficial for humanity and has a significant influence on our lives.

International student withdrawal – the lived experience of five Syrian students on visa renewal in Malaysia

ABSTRACT International students are not only agents for the internationalisation of a campus environment but also a crucial source of income for universities and a country’s economy. Thus, their recruitment and retention are vital and prioritised by university leadership and policymakers. However, scant attention has been given to investigating international student withdrawal, even more so on visa-related matters. This paper focuses on the lived experiences of five former students from Syria who withdrew from education pursuits in Malaysia due to visa-related issues. This phenomenological study found the absence of clear knowledge of immigration procedures among institution staff and unsympathetic treatment towards international students were the primary reasons behind withdrawals. These findings suggest negative student experiences affect not only current students but also potential students. Whilst the findings add to existing knowledge and future studies, the study marks the first in-depth investigation concerning the impact of visa-related issues on international student withdrawal.

Inclusive education of refugee students with disabilities in higher education: a comparative case study

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4) calls for the establishment of an inclusive education system for all students. As conflicts, persecution, and natural disasters continue to displace millions globally, the duration of refugee situations has become increasingly extended. The complexities of exile have further entangled the human rights issue, making it essential for affected individuals to seek sanctuary in other countries. These crises not only uproot families but also disrupt livelihoods and educational systems. Consequently, the onus has been on international laws and policies to promote and protect inclusive education as a human right for students with disabilities. In this study, using mixed methods, we first conducted interviews with two Syrian students with disabilities at Yarmouk University in Jordan and Qatar University in Qatar. Thematic analysis of these interviews yielded three primary themes: equity in educational opportunities, services provided, and challenges facing inclusive education. Following the interviews, we conducted a document analysis to evaluate the educational policies at both institutions. We used the 4-A framework for this evaluation, emphasizing that educational systems should be Available, Accessible, Acceptable, and Adaptable. The analysis indicated significant disparities in how closely each institution adheres to the principles of the 4-A framework. The findings indicate that inconsistencies in policy implementation, unequal access to financial aid, and difficulties in career planning are influenced by cultural, social, political, and economic factors.

Social Network Platforms and Digital Games for Refugee Students in Transit

The article is based on ethnographic research carried out in Eleonas refugee camps in Athens, Greece, from February 2019 to March 2020. Based on in-depth interviews with fifteen male and female Syrian refugee parents, the article studies the use of smartphone devices, network applications, and the digital games “Feed the Monster” and “Antura and the Letters” as essential tools of an informal educational process. Digital mobile devices dominate the everyday life of Syrian students in the camp, redefining the way they keep and reform family ties at a distance. They share experiences, comments, and photos. At the same time, digital games on smartphones are a powerful educational tool by providing children with multiple opportunities to have access to knowledge and acquire skills from different learning areas, such as language, mathematics, and science. Additionally, they encourage children to determine issues of the world around them as they share and negotiate different social and cultural experiences through their play. The interaction between play and learning is of primary importance for preschool and early school students since it contributes to the highest level of learning with the greatest degree of assimilative capacity. In this complex and ever-changing context, the article attempts to raise further questions regarding the use of digital games as part of a daily ritual play, an informal educational process, and a linguistic interaction within the family context.

A Different Perspective of Teachers on The Issue of Syrian Students in Türkiye: A Comparative Analysis

The purpose of this study is to comparatively examine the opinions of teachers who have Syrian students in their classrooms and those who have never been involved in educational activities with Syrian students. The study is based on the case study design, a qualitative research approach. The study group consists of primary school teachers who work at public schools and are divided into two groups considering the presence of Syrian students in their classrooms. In the research process, the data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analysed through the content analysis method. As a result of the analyses, five themes were created to represent the problems experienced by the teachers who were instructing Syrian students. In this context, several codes were listed under the themes of “communication problems”, “disciplinary problems”, “adaptation problems”, “academic problems”, and “other problems”. The problems considered likely by the teachers who did not have any Syrian students were grouped under four themes, including “communication problems”, “disciplinary problems”, “adaptation problems”, and “academic problems”, and some codes were presented relevantly. Likewise, four themes were created to represent the solutions proposed by the teachers in both groups for the aforementioned problems, and several codes were listed under the themes of “academic measures”, “language education”, “harmonisation activities” and “other measures”. With these research findings, the problems and solution proposals expressed by the teachers were compared based on the presence of Syrian students in the classroom. Then the similarities and differences were listed. Consequently, it was revealed that the teachers in both groups mainly highlighted language issues as part of the communication problems faced in the education of Syrian students. It was also identified that the teachers in both groups expressed that the problems arising from the presence of Syrian students in the classroom would have highly adverse effects on other students. In addition, it was concluded that the teachers who had Syrian students mostly proposed solutions within the scope of academic measures and language education, whereas the other group of teachers generally offered solutions regarding language education and harmonisation activities.

Are Syrian children integrated into our education?: Turkish teachers’ perspectives on the inclusive education project

ABSTRACT Integrating Syrian children into the Turkish national educational system has been one of the most recent and significant discussion issues in educational research and policy making areas. With a primary objective of alleviating Syrian refugees’ linguistic difficulties, a nationwide inclusive education project; Promoting Integration of Syrian Kids into Turkish Education System (PIKTES), has been implemented since 2016 in 26 cities all over Turkey. The current study was designed with the aim of listening to the voices of Turkish teachers, participating in the integration program of Syrian students into the Turkish education system and community life. Seven teachers at primary level schools shared their experiences during the project, and the thematic analysis of the data revealed the challenges of implementation due to school-related factors such as language barrier, social adaptation, teachers’ attitudes, and teaching materials; family-related factors as violence, financial problems and social integration; and teacher development.

Problems Experienced by Teachers in Classrooms with High Concentrations of Syrian Students and Solution Suggestions

Bu araştırmada Suriyeli öğrencilerin yoğun olduğu sınıflarda öğretmenlerin yaşadıkları sorunlar ve bu sorunlara ilişkin önerdikleri çözüm önerilerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma nitel araştırma yaklaşımlarından biri olan durum çalışması şeklinde tasarlanmıştır. Dolayısı ile Suriyeli öğrencilerin yoğun olduğu bir okul durum olarak belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu bu okulda görev yapan ölçüt ve maksimum çeşitlilik örnekleme yöntemleri ile belirlenen 22 öğretmenden oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu aracılığı ile toplanan veriler içerik analizi yöntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. Yapılan analizler sonucunda öğretmenlerin iletişim, zaman yönetimi, hazırbulunuşluk, motivasyon ve ölçme değerlendirme kapsamında sorunlar yaşadıkları ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu kapsamda dil sorunu, kalabalık sınıflar, savaş sonrası yaşanan travma, öğrenciler arasındaki seviye farkı ve tüm öğrencilere ortak sınav yapma en çok ifade edilen sorunlar olmuştur. Bununla birlikte öğretmenlerin yaşadıkları bu sorunlara yönelik en çok ifade ettikleri çözüm önerilerinin Arapça bilen öğretmen tarafından Türkçe dil eğitimi verilmesi, bu öğrencilerin Türk eğitim sistemine dâhil olmadan önce uyum programlarının uygulanması, derslerin öğrencilerin seviyelerine göre planlanması, Türk kültürünü tanıtıcı dersler verilmesi, her öğrenciye özgü sınav uygulanması gibi çözüm önerileri sundukları görülmüştür.

The prevalence of menstrual disorders and their association with psychological stress in Syrian students enrolled at health-related schools: A cross-sectional study.

Menstrual disorders are among the most prevalent health issues among young female students studying in health science faculties. This study aimed to provide insights into the menstrual patterns among medical faculty students and determine whether stress can be a risk factor for its various disorders. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy at the Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria, between October and November 2022. A total of 980 female students anonymously completed the identification of menstrual problems and the perceived stress scale (PSS) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS-25. The mean age of students was 21.52 ± 2.06 years. The most common menstrual disorders in this study were dysmenorrhea (88%), and premenstrual syndrome (87%). A total of 82% had mild to moderate stress, 10% had high stress, and 8% had low stress. Moderate to high perceived stress was associated with an increased risk of PMS (OR = 1.79, P = 0.0037). These findings stress the importance of universities, especially health science faculties, establishing protocols for early detection and intervention in students with stress and menstrual disorders. Implementing stress reduction education and timely counseling, along with preventive measures, is crucial for students' well-being. Further research is needed to refine interventions for this group.

Syrian refugee students’ sense of school belonging and educational aspirations

This study investigated the Syrian refugee students’ sense of school belonging and educational aspirations in Türkiye. The study used a mixed methodology. The sample consisted of 318 Syrian students in middle (grades 5–8) and high schools (grades 9–12) in a metropolitan municipality located in a large city in central Anatolia in the fall of the 2021–2022 academic year. The quantitative data was collected with the Sense of School Belonging Scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and factor analysis were used to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 15 voluntary students through an interview form with open-ended questions, and content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The results indicated that students’ perceptions sense of school belonging was at a medium level. Student perceptions of their sense of school belonging differed based on student gender, duration of stay, and the schools in which they were enrolled. A sense of belonging was important for students in certain schools. Students’ educational aspirations were related to family socioeconomic status, social alienation, school acceptance, parental education, and the gender of the students. The paper concluded by suggesting that targeted policies are required for the improvement of the sense of belonging of Syrian refugee students.

The Role of Temporary Education Centers on Syrian Refugee Students' Socio-cultural Adaptation

Temporary Education Centers (TECs), which closed in 2019, were established to ensure that Syrian students continue their interrupted education in their native language and slowly acquire the necessary Turkish language skills for social adaptation and transition to public schools. This qualitative study analyzes how these institutions, particularly their organizational structure, language education, and teachers’ perception, affect the socio-cultural adaptation of Syrian students in Turkish society. The data for this study were gathered through semi-structured interviews with Syrian and Turkish administrators and teachers, and Syrian students in a TEC. The collected data was analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis. The findings indicate that Syrian students in TEC experience isolation from the Turkish community, therefore feel anxious about their social adaptation. Yet, Syrian and Turkish administrators do not share the same concerns with the Syrian students because of carrying different educational and social agendas. On the other hand, Syrian and Turkish teachers are mainly concerned about Syrian students’ social identity construction and educational achievement. This study explains the reasons for having various social adaptation expectations and argues that isolated educational institutions for refugees generate negative results for refugee students’ social adaptation.