University Of Jeddah Research Articles

The Impact of Using Educational Applications in Academic Achievement for Nursing Students in Jeddah City

There is a major effect of using educational apps on learning performancefor nursing students. Educational apps help students by providing different and effective education tools which can increase student success in their subjects. On the other hand, technology assists students in managing their time through apps, whichcan refine the quality of the student's life. In this study, we want to measure the effect of educational apps on nursing students. Previous research is proving there is a relationship between educational apps and nursing students' learningperformance.Technology is providing techniques that help many students in the health field. Many researchers conclude that apps have a positive effect on nursing students' skills and knowledge. This descriptive study uses an online survey sent to nursing students at different levels and universities in Jeddah city to test the changes in their academic achievement after using educational apps for nursing subjects. Nursing students from different universities in Jeddah city (Jeddah University, King Abdul-Aziz University, and King Saud University) responded positively to our survey, and the result shows most nursing students in 2nd year started using the apps and tablets. GPA (grade point average) has significantly improved for students who use a tablet.

Academic Writing of Saudi Graduate Students: Issues and Improvements

This study investigates research writing difficulties encountered by Saudi graduate students at a Saudi university and seeks to offer interventional guidelines accordingly. A fuller understanding of these difficulties will contribute to the development of instruction aimed at improving students’ research writing skills. The main question this study addresses is this: What are the major academic writing problems facing Saudi graduate students? The investigation used an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach involving 87 participants at the University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected through a 20-item Likert scale questionnaire completed online by 85 Saudi graduate students (37 males, 48 females; 69 majoring in English, 16 majoring in other subjects) and semi-structured interviews conducted with two faculty members. The quantitative data were analyzed statistically using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), and the qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Results revealed that most students experienced difficulties related to language, argumentation, and research-article genre when composing research reports in English. Both the participating students and teachers thought the most serious academic writing challenges for Saudi graduate students were presenting complex information in clear sentences and building strong arguments. In contrast, the least problematic task was finding and documenting sources. Regarding evaluating sources, writing Literature reviews, and using technical vocabulary, most students were unsure of their abilities. Besides, English majors and other majors had similar perceptions of difficulties in three out of four significant aspects of research writing. As far as documenting sources is concerned, the perception varied significantly between the English-major and other-major students. The findings of the present study can assist stakeholders in identifying instructional needs in research writing in the Saudi Arabian context, and our guidelines will make research writing less difficult for Saudi students.

The Effect Of Interaction Between Hyper-Video Navigation Tools And The Cognitive Style In Raising The Level Of Learning Rate Of Students At The College Of Education

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the interaction between hyper-video navigation tools (buttons, cognitive maps, and hot spots) and cognitive style (independent of cognitive field / dependent according to the cognitive field) ا on the learning rate of the students at the Department of Education Technology. An experimental approach was used to compare six experimental groups (3*2). The research sample consisted of sixty sixth-grade students from the Department of Learning Techniques, College of Education, University of Jeddah. An embedded figure test (Embedded Figure Test) was used for e-learning technology to determine who is independent of the cognitive field and who is dependent according to the cognitive field. The research sample was divided into six experimental groups, each with ten students. An electronic achievement test was created to measure the learning rate of students. The results showed that the buttons were the appropriate navigation tool for both the independents and the dependents in the cognitive field. That is because the buttons take into account the individual differences between the students, it was concluded that it is the most appropriate tool for roaming through the hyper-video.

Psychological Security during Coronavirus Pandemic for a sample of University of Jeddah Students

Objectives: The study aimed to reveal the level of psychological security during Corona pandemic period for a sample of the University of Jeddah students.
 Methods: To achieve the goal of the study, a scale consisting of (33) items was constructed according to item response theory, specifically according to the rating scale model. The researcher used the following programs: (SPSS), (BIGSTEPS), and (BIOLOG-MG3) in analyzing the data of this scale, which was applied to a sample of (612) students from the University of Jeddah. During the first semester of the academic year (1441-1442 AH), corresponding to (2020-2021 AD), each of the following were estimated: psychological security scale parameters, the standard error of estimate, and items fitting to the rating scale model
 Results: In light of the results of model fitting, the psychological security scale consisted in its final form of (25) items. Also the results showed that the scale has good psychometric properties.
 Conclusion: Depending on the results, it becomes clear that the level of psychological security during the Corona pandemic was high among the students of the University of Jeddah.

Prevalence of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Among Electronic Cigarette-Smoking University Students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal tract diseases. Although there is a strong association between smoking and GERD, it is poorly understood until now. Electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes) are widely used nowadays. So, our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of GERD among all Jeddah university students and its relation to E-cigarette smoking. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students of all specialties in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using an online questionnaire to collect data distributed in a Google Form (Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States) from August to November 2022. Results This study included 397 students, 36.5% of whom were from 18 to 20 years old, and the majority were females (69.3%). Of the participants, 43.8% were non-smokers, 13.1% were ex-smokers, and 43.1% currently smoked; of the last, 13.6% smoked tobacco cigarettes, 17.6% smoked hookah, and 35% were current E-cigarettesmokers. The study found that among the participants, 19.9% had GERD based on the GerdQ, with females having a significantly higher percentage of GERD.A weak association was found between the prevalence of GERD and smoking cigarettes (p=0.49), hookah (p=0.988 ), and E-cigarettes (p=0.788 ) but this could be attributed to the high BMI. Conclusion E-cigarette smoking is more prevalent among university students in Jeddah than traditional cigarettes or hookah. However, there was no statistically significant link between E-cigarette smokingand GERD. High BMI could be a superaddedfactor.

The Perception of Status: The Refusal Strategies as Articulated by Tunisian EFL Teachers and British Speakers of English

The current research aims to find out if the perception of status is culture related. To this end, it compares the refusal strategies articulated by two groups of people namely, Tunisian EFL teachers who are currently working at the University of Jeddah and a group of British speakers when communicating with others with higher, equal, or lower status than theirs. Results indicated that the Tunisian group is much more sensitive to status than their British counterparts. The former group uses indirect refusal strategies with interlocutors of equal or higher positions but is more direct in expressing objection when talking to people with lower positions. By contrast, the British are found to be less sensitive to status as their answers were consistent irrespective of their interlocutors’ status. As a matter of fact, social status for the British group has nothing to do with the educational level or occupation while the opposite is true for the Tunisian group. The findings of the present paper are congruent with other studies which compared the Western and the Arab perceptions of status and found that the latter’s sensitivity to status originates from socio- cultural norms which underpins hierarchical social relationships.

Saudi University Learners’ Metacognitive Abilities and Writing Performance

Metacognitive knowledge, knowledge about knowledge, was found to have a positive effect on learners’ performance, self-regulation, and academic success (Hartman, 2001; Wenden, 2001 & McCormick, 2013). However, little research has been done about the use of metacognitive knowledge and strategies applied in EFL writing in a Saudi context. The present study investigated the university learners’ metacognitive abilities in relation to writing including other variables like learners’ educational background and years of studying English. The study examined the correlation between the learners’ metacognitive abilities and their writing performance affected by their metacognitive knowledge and its regulation. Data were collected using a modified version of the Metacognitive Components of Planning Writing Self-inventory developed by Escorcia and Gimenes (2020) to analyze the learners’ metacognitive writing strategies. The survey consisted of three factors, metacognitive conditional knowledge, covert self-regulation, and environmental self- regulation. Participants were 190 female learners, first-year students studying English in a comprehensive program including writing at the University of Jeddah. Learners were asked to complete the survey adapted by the end of their course. The level of metacognition was checked for its effect on learners’ writing through Linear Regression. Findings indicate a positive significant correlation between the learners’ metacognitive conditional knowledge and writing performance. Also, a significant impact was predicted on learners’ writing performance. However, findings also specify a negative correlation between environmental self-regulation and learners’ writing performance. Additionally, the ‘years of studying English’ highly correlate with the learners’ metacognitive abilities, unlike learners’ educational background.

The Influence of Various Solar Radiations on the Efficiency of a Photovoltaic Solar Module Integrated with a Passive Cooling System

The thermal regulation of a silicon photovoltaic (PV) solar system is essential as the module surface temperature beyond 25 °C deteriorates its Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE). The intensity of solar radiation seems to have a crucial impact on the PCE of a PV solar system. The present study aims to assess the effect of solar radiation variations on the PCEs of PV modules integrated with and without passive cooling systems. The used passive cooling systems are (a) multi-pipe copper frame filled with Phase Change Material (PCM) and (b) multi-pipe copper frame filled with ZnO-doped PCM. The tests were conducted at the University of Jeddah in the month of March at various local times. The results show that the ambient and module surface temperatures are directly dominated by solar radiations. The conventional PV solar system presents a higher module surface temperature as compared to that of a PV system integrated with ZnO/PCM. The enhanced module surface temperature decreases the open circuit voltage (Voc) and slightly increases the short circuit current (Isc) indicating its reduced electric efficiency.

EFL Teachers’ Practices and Challenges Towards Implementing Critical Thinking Skills Online During Covid-19 Pandemic

This study examined the extent to which EFL teachers at the University of Jeddah are aware of the importance of implementing critical thinking skills. It also investigated their practices of such skills while teaching remotely and discussed the current impediments that distract the effective application and acquisition of such skills by the Saudi learners. Data came from a teacher’s questionnaire and semi- structured interviews carried out online. The results found were congruent with other topic-related researches in some aspects and incongruent in some other aspects. As a matter of fact, the EFL teachers in this work believed in the importance of teaching critical thinking to their learners, however, their teaching practices do not reflect this belief. One of the important variables that distract the effective development of critical thinking is the learners’ disengagement. More and more researches need to be conducted to investigate the relationship between the aforementioned variables.

The Effect of Video- and Audio-Assisted Reading on Saudi EFL Learners’ Reading Fluency and Comprehension

To be successful, students must have excellent reading abilities, as reading is the most important skill for achieving high levels of learning and personal development. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of using audio-visual aids to develop reading fluency and comprehension among English language students of the University of Jeddah. This quantitative research employed a quasi-experimental method. Data were collected from a reading comprehension test and a reading fluency test, measuring students’ word count per minute. Participants were divided into four groups, two each (a control group and experimental group) of men and women students. The men and women experimental groups comprised 26 students each, while the control groups comprised 24 and 28 students, respectively. The experimental groups watched videos to activate their thinking before reading the passage, and then read comprehension passages. Contrarily, the control groups were taught conventionally. Two achievement tests were used as pre-test and post-test to determine the improvement in the experimental groups. Independent- and paired samples t-tests were performed to compare the results of the two groups, which showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control groups in reading comprehension and reading fluency (p < .05). This study also investigated the differences between men and women regarding reading fluency and reading comprehension; the results did not show any differences between them (p > 0.05). These positive results shows that video and audio are effective for students in developing and supporting their reading fluency and comprehension. Therefore, it could be integrated and combined with traditional textbooks as supporting material to enhance reading skills among English language students.

The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Writing Achievement among English as a Foreign Language Learners at the University of Jeddah

The present study investigated the relationship between writing self-efficacy and writing achievement among undergraduate EFL female learners studying a Technical Communication Writing Course in their first year in the Computer Science and Engineering Technology Department at The University of Jeddah. Forty-four learners participated in this study by completing a writing task and filling out an online survey. Learners’ writings and responses to the questionnaire were then analyzed to determine the correlation between their self-efficacy level and their writing performance. Results indicate that the perceptions students have of their writing self-efficacy have a significant moderate positive correlation with their overall writing performance score (r=0.464; p< 0.05) and their grammar accuracy (r= 0.367; p< 0.05). However, no significant correlation was detected as far as the specific writing ability aspects under investigation are concerned. 

An analysis into the alternative strategies of substantial energy saving for the facilities of University of Jeddah, Khulais branch

The main objective of this study is to develop strategies which aim to improve the energy saving and the sustainability at the University of Jeddah (UJ) - Khulais branch. The energy saving can be improved by reducing -indirectly- the cooling load, while the sustainability can be improved by recycling the sewage water, generating energy from the solar irradiance and improving land-use efficiency. Initially, the main reasons for increasing energy consumption in the buildings were identified. The most important reasons were large heat gain through the flat rooftops and sidewalls, infiltration and exfiltration, partial damage to the insulation materials of walls and ceilings, and thermal mass. To reduce the heat gained through buildings' rooftops, it is proposed to shade the rooftops by tilted and ventilated airgap Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV). BIPV also help to improve the shading efficiency, land use efficiency, natural cooling of the rooftops and PV modules, Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) of the air-cooled ac system, and efficiency of night ventilation system. To reduce heat gained through the sidewalls, it is proposed to shade the walls by planting long-stemmed trees (Eucalyptus) around the buildings. Irrigating the trees by gray water will improve the sustainability and improve Leed Credit Point. Previous studies and current measurements of solar radiation under shaded surfaces have shown that shading the building is an appropriate strategy to reduce solar heat gain. Startup load of air conditioning system is another source of increasing energy use and it forms around 10-20% of the total cooling load due to high indoor temperature at the morning. As the buildings are not occupied after 3:00 PM, and during weekends, it is proposed to use mechanical night ventilation to reduce the indoor temperature and to improve the air quality. Connecting the ventilation system with a separate control system and the BMS at the buildings help to reach to the possible minimum indoor temperature.

“Sustainable Carbon Capture – Technologies and Applications”

“Sustainable Carbon Capture – Technologies and Applications” is a muti-author book edited by Humbul Suleman, Philip Loldrup Fosbøl, Rizwan Nasir and Mariam Ameen, and published in 2022 by CRC Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group.

Awareness and Use of Politeness Strategies for Female EFL Learners at the University of Jeddah

This research investigates females’ awareness of politeness and politeness strategies and their use of those strategies in the English department at the University of Jeddah. The researcher used a quantitative method to collect the data. A questionnaire with three sections was designed and distributed to 25 participants at the University of Jeddah. The results of the questionnaire showed that female students have awareness of the importance of politeness and its strategies. It also showed that those students have a higher tendency to use negative politeness strategies compared to the other strategies. The study concludes by suggesting that applying this study in different settings would help to gain a deeper understanding of the use of politeness strategies and would compensate for the body of knowledge.

Prevalence and degree of burnout among medical students in Jeddah University using Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)

Prevalence and degree of burnout among medical students in Jeddah University using Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)

Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language Speaking Skills through Blackboard during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted English teaching to online platforms, such as Blackboard Collaborate, but whether online platforms affect the acquisition of core English language skills like speaking has yet to be studied extensively in the Saudi context. This study addressed and analyzed the perceptions of English as a foreign language instructors and students at the University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia concerning the use of Blackboard Collaborate to develop speaking skills through an explanatory sequential mixed-method design. In the first phase, participants completed an online cross-sectional questionnaire for the quantitative approach. Data analysis revealed positive perceptions of speaking skill development through Blackboard Collaborate among both students and instructors. Female students and less experienced instructors reported more satisfaction with learning English through Blackboard Collaborate than male students and experienced instructors, respectively. In Phase 2, the researcher conducted in-person interviews with 10 instructors and 10 students, focusing on three areas: the Blackboard Collaborate user experience, instructors’ and students’ beliefs, and the challenges of and suggested improvements for Blackboard Collaborate. Instructors and students were fully aware of how to use the platform, and their motivation to use it was very high. This study further uncovered how Saudi students have shifted their learning style from passive to active learning following the student-centered approach. It also highlights the benefits Saudi women gained, as they were more comfortable practicing conversation through Blackboard Collaborate and the avoidance of cultural barriers. Studying the effects of culture on language learning through technology is a necessary direction for future research.

التأثر بالتطرف الفكري في وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي تبعًا لبعض المتغيرات النفسية

This paper aims to reveal how people are influenced by intellectual extremism in social media according to some psychological variables. To achieve this goal, the analytical, descriptive approach is used to reveal whether self-compassion and psychological loneliness have a role in people being influenced by intellectual extremism disseminated through social media. The following scales have been applied to a sample of (369) students from the University of Jeddah in the first semester of the academic year (2021-2022): The sense of psychological loneliness, self-compassion, and the scale of being influenced by intellectual extremism in social media prepared by the researcher. The results show that the level of being influenced by intellectual extremism in social media among the students is average. They also show that being influenced by intellectual extremism in social media is positively correlated with both feelings of psychological loneliness and negative dimensions of self-compassion, while the correlation coefficient with the positive dimensions of self-compassion is negative. The results also show the possibility of predicting how people are influenced by intellectual extremism in social media through the variables of self-compassion and a sense of psychological loneliness. Finally, the study recommends designing counseling programs, offering courses and lectures related to psychological variables; that would have an impact on the level to which students are influenced by intellectual extremism in social media.

The Effect of the Interaction between the two Infographic Types ‎and the Cognitive Style and their Impact on Developing the ‎Cognitive and Performance Aspects of Digital Graphics Design ‎Skills and Motivation towards them among Students of ‎Educational Technology at the University of Jeddah

The current research aims to investigate the effect of the interaction between the two types of infographics in terms of presentation and cognitive style in developing digital graphics design skills and motivation towards it among undergraduate students in the Department of Educational Technology, College of Education, University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. To achieve this, the experimental method was used and the study sample consisted of (109) students, who were divided into four experimental groups according to the cognitive style and the infographic technique used in education. The research reached a number of results. The most important of which are: the absence of statistically significant differences at the level (α < 0.05) of the interaction between the two types of infographics in terms of presentation (static, motion) and cognitive style (tolerance\ intolerance of ambiguity) in the development of cognitive aspects of digital graphic design skills and motivation towards it among students of Educational Technology in experimental groups at the University of Jeddah. In the light of the foregoing, the research presented a set of recommendations, most notably: the necessity of employing infographic technology in its static and motion patterns in teaching the digital graphics design course and other courses.

The Effectiveness of an Educational Environment Based on Augmented Reality in Developing the Motivation for Achievement among Female Students of the University of Jeddah

In response to the demands of digital transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030, which aims to improve education and provide future jobs, and depends on production, technical skills and the speed with which they are acquired, this research was conducted. The researcher used the two approaches (descriptive and quasi-experimental with an educational design based on one group with measurement (before / after) the first group test before the post-test) to achieve the objectives of the research and answer its questions. The research community consists of all female students of the College of Computer Science and Engineering in the Department of Information Systems and Technology - seventh level - at the University of Jeddah for the second semester 1440-1441 AH. The number of (35) students enrolled in the human-computer interaction course. The study found an interactive effect between an educational environment based on augmented reality and the development of the achievement motivation skill among female students of the University of Jeddah.

Students’ Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness: level of acceptance, implementation, and causes for concern (A case study of Saudi faculty members at Jeddah University-Kholais Branch)

This study investigates the level of acceptance, causes for concern and the frequency of implementation regarding (SETE). To achieve these ends, the researchers distributed an online questionnaire (see Appendix 1) to total of (59) faculty members at Jeddah University – Khulais Branch. The study concluded that, in principle, faculty members welcome (SETE). In addition, the study showed that the most worrying point about (SETE) is the discrepancy between the ways in which students and teachers perceive effective teaching and what constitutes good or effective teaching while the less worrying point is the belief that (SETE) is demoralizing and violates the academic freedom and rights of faculty members. The study recommended that no one should be kept in the dark about the purpose, procedures, and results of (SETE) and all the stakeholders including the administration, students, and teachers should engage in an open and continuous discussion before and after the implementation of (SETE) to alleviate the gravity of the concerns about it and to increase its level of acceptance and viability. More importantly the study recommended that this open dialogue and discussion should concentrate on agreeing on a general profile as to what makes effective teachers and constitutes effective teaching.