The Experiences of Saudi Female Teachers Using Technology in Primary Schools in Saudi Arabia ...

277 Pages·2017·3.14 MB·English

The Experiences of Saudi Female Teachers Using
Technology in Primary Schools in Saudi Arabia

A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester
for the degree of PhD in the Faculty of Humanities

2016
Dalal Omar Alabbasi
School of Environment, Education and Development
Contents
Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. 5
Declaration of Original Contribution ................................................................................................. 6
Copyright Statement ............................................................................................................................. 7
List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... 8
List of Images and Figures ................................................................................................................... 9
Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................. 12
Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 13
1.1 Motivation for the Study ............................................................................................................. 15
1.2 Research Aims and Questions..................................................................................................... 17
1.3 Structure ...................................................................................................................................... 18
Chapter 2: Technology and the Context of Saudi Arabia .............................................................. 22
2.1 Saudi Female Education ............................................................................................................. 22
2.2 Position of Women in Saudi Society .......................................................................................... 27
2.3 The Importance of Voice ............................................................................................................ 33
2.4 Technology and Women ............................................................................................................. 35
2.5 Saudi Women and Technology ................................................................................................... 39
2.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 42
Chapter 3: Educational Technology and Saudi Context ................................................................. 43
3.1 Integrating Technology with Education ...................................................................................... 43
3.2 Technology Integration in the Saudi Educational System .......................................................... 47
3.3 Ministry of Education Policies and Plans ................................................................................... 49
3.4 Saudi Teachers’ Experiences Regarding Integrating Technology .............................................. 51
3.5 Moving to the Research Questions ............................................................................................. 53
Chapter 4: Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 56
4.1 Position ....................................................................................................................................... 56
4.1.1 Research Paradigms ............................................................................................................. 56
4.1.2 My Identity as a Researcher ................................................................................................. 59
4.1.3 The Influence of Phenomenology ........................................................................................ 62
4.1.4 How I Understand Technology, Agency and Society .......................................................... 64
4.2 Voice ........................................................................................................................................... 68
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4.2.1 Teachers’ Voices .................................................................................................................. 68
4.2.2 Overview of Data Collection ............................................................................................... 70
4.2.3 Challenges ............................................................................................................................ 72
4.2.4 Focus Group /Ketso ............................................................................................................. 73
4.2.5 Using Ketso with Participants .............................................................................................. 79
4.2.6 Interviews ............................................................................................................................. 83
4.2.7 Conducting Interviews with Participants ............................................................................. 84
4.3 Representation ............................................................................................................................. 86
4.3.1 Undertaking Multilingual Research ..................................................................................... 86
4.3.2 Analysis Process during Data Collection ............................................................................. 89
4.3.3 Analysis Process during Data Processing (Transcription) ................................................... 90
4.3.4 Analysis Process during reading and re-reading .................................................................. 91
4.3.5 Analysis Process: From Data to Codes ................................................................................ 92
4.3.6 Analysis Process: from Codes to Categories and Themes ................................................... 94
4.3.7 Analysis Process: Codes, Categories, Themes and the Research Questions........................ 95
4.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 102
Chapter 5: Introducing the Analysis ............................................................................................... 103
5.1 Introducing the Participants ...................................................................................................... 103
5.2 Introducing the Context ............................................................................................................ 107
5.2.1 Teacher Overload ............................................................................................................... 108
5.2.2 Lack of Appreciation ......................................................................................................... 112
5.2.3 Training Problems .............................................................................................................. 115
5.2.4 Power Struggles ................................................................................................................. 118
5.2.5 Transportation Problems .................................................................................................... 120
5.3 Analysis Chapters Structure ...................................................................................................... 121
Chapter 6: Ways Saudi Female Teachers Influence the Use of Technology .............................. 123
6.1 Teachers’ Different Capital ....................................................................................................... 125
6.2 Resistance and Determination ................................................................................................... 129
6.3 Taking Responsibility ............................................................................................................... 134
6.4 Improvising Solutions ............................................................................................................... 143
6.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 151
Chapter 7: Ways Technology Enables Saudi Female Teachers to Change their Professional
Experiences ........................................................................................................................................ 155
7.1 Enabling Saudi Female Teachers as Learners ........................................................................... 156
7.2 Enabling Saudi Female Teachers’ Communication .................................................................. 167
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7.3 Enabling Saudi female Teachers as Teachers ........................................................................... 172
7.4 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 179
Chapter 8: Ways Technology Changes Saudi Female Teachers’ lived Experiences .................. 184
8.1 Enhancing the Sense of Agency ................................................................................................ 185
8.2 Becoming More Aware of Their Reality .................................................................................. 197
8.2.1 Lack and Inaccessibility of Resources ............................................................................... 197
8.2.2 Teacher Work Overload ..................................................................................................... 202
8.2.3 Lack of Appreciation and Opportunities ............................................................................ 203
8.2.4 Ministry Rules .................................................................................................................... 204
8.2.5 Language Barrier................................................................................................................ 210
8.2.6 Power Struggle ................................................................................................................... 214
8.3 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 216
Chapter 9: Contributions to Knowledge and Future Research .................................................... 222
9.1 Teachers as Active Contributors to Technology Use ................................................................ 223
9.2 Teachers Localising Technology .............................................................................................. 225
9.3 Enhancing the Sense of Agency ................................................................................................ 227
9.4 Technology Use Creating New Realities .................................................................................. 229
9.5 Ketso Contribution .................................................................................................................... 231
9.6 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 232
9.7 Limitations and Future research ................................................................................................ 234
9.8 Final Reflective Remarks .......................................................................................................... 235
Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................... 237
Appendix 1 My Journey Through Phenomenology ........................................................................ 247
Appendix 2 Information Sheet ........................................................................................................ 250
Appendix 3 Consent Form .............................................................................................................. 252
Appendix 4 Full Translated Focus Group ....................................................................................... 254
Appendix 5 Interview Questions..................................................................................................... 267
Appendix 6 Full Translated Interview ............................................................................................ 268
Appendix 7 Example of Arabic Transcribed Data .......................................................................... 276

Word Count Excluding the References and Appendices is: 86097
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Abstract
Dalal Omar Alabbasi,
PhD University of Manchester, School of Environment, Education and Development, September
2016
Title: The Experiences of Saudi Female Teachers Using Technology in Primary schools in Saudi
Arabia
This qualitative study explores Saudi female teachers’ experience of technology use in their
practice and life. The aim is to present the voices of these female teachers living in the
context of Saudi Arabia, and to document how personal characteristics, society and
technology come to influence one another.
The field work was done in Saudi Arabia, with female teachers from three public-sector
primary schools. The data generation included individual, semi-structured interviews with
four Saudi female teachers - one from each of two schools and two from the third school -
and focus groups sessions with five to six teachers - one session in each of the three schools.
The focus group methodology used Ketso, which is a collaborative mind-mapping tool
developed at the University of Manchester. The interview and focus group sessions were
audio-recorded, transcribed and then analysed using broad principles of thematic analysis.
The data suggests that technology use affected the teachers’ classroom practices,
communication with others and their professional development. The teachers were active
agents in this technology use, including taking responsibility for the technology use in their
schools, and improvising solutions and ways of using available resources in their practice.
This active role of the teachers seemed to contribute to localised use of technology, enabled
the teachers to resist some of their social positions as females and teachers, and occasionally
included a determination to create new positions for themselves. Overall, technology use
appeared to enhance the Saudi female teachers’ sense of agency, and crucially, seemed to
enhance their awareness of their lived experience.
The above insights might benefit Saudi educational policy makers, other Saudi teachers as a
way of sharing experiences and practices, and researchers who are interested in studying the
intersection between technology and society. In addition, the study exemplifies the novel use
of the Ketso collaborative mind-mapping tool as a tool for qualitative research.
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Declaration of Original Contribution

No portion of the work referred to in the thesis has been submitted in support of an
application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute
of learning.

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Copyright Statement

I. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns
certain copyright or related rights in it (the “Copyright”) and she has given The University of
Manchester certain rights to use such Copyright, including for administrative purposes.
II. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts and whether in hard or electronic copy, may
be made only in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)
and regulations issued under it or, where appropriate, in accordance with licensing
agreements which the University has from time to time. This page must form part of any such
copies made.
III. The ownership of certain Copyright, patents, designs, trade marks and other intellectual
property (the “Intellectual Property”) and any reproductions of copyright works in the thesis,
for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may
not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property and
Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written
permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions.
IV. Further information on the conditions under which disclosure, publication and
commercialisation of this thesis, the Copyright and any Intellectual Property and/or
Reproductions described in it may take place is available in the University IP Policy (see
http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/policies/intellectualpro perty.pdf), in any
relevant Thesis restriction declarations deposited in the University Library, The University
Library’s regulations (see http://www.manchester.ac.uk/library/aboutus/regulations) and in
The University’s policy on presentation of Theses.
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List of Tables
Table 1: An overview of the researcher identity 61
Table 2: The schedule of data collection 72
Table 3: Demonstration of the code Liberation from Traditional Teaching 93
Table 4: Demonstration of the code More Control over their Development 94
Table 5: The codes, categories and themes for the first research question 96
Table 6: The codes and themes for the second research question 98
Table 7: The codes, categories and themes for the third research question 100
Table 8: Example of Ketso statements related to teachers being overloaded 109
Table 9: Example of Ketso statements regarding lack of appreciation 112
Table 10: Example of Ketso statements regarding struggles with the Ministry 114
Table 11: Example of Ketso statements regarding training 115
Table 12: Example of Ketso statements regarding lack of technology resources 135
Table 13: Example of Ketso statements regarding identifying ways of learning 157
Table 14: Example of Ketso statements regarding technology advantages for 157
development
Table 15: Example of Ketso statements on ways of sharing knowledge and 165
skills
Table 16: Example of Ketso statements regarding technology affordances in 168
communication
Table 17: Example of Ketso statements on advantages of using technology in 176
classrooms
Table 18: Example of Ketso statements on advantages of using technology for 187
teachers
Table 19: Example of Ketso statements of the advantages of using technology 196
Table 20: Example of Ketso statements regarding lack of Arabic resources 210

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List of Images and Figures

Image 1: Piloting Ketso with group of master’s students 78
Figure 1: The Ketso branch structure 80
Image 2: Sample of Ketso leaves using different colour leaves 83
Image 3: Original interview data showing Arabic data and researcher coding 88
notes
Image 4: Ketso leaves clustered with a theme identified by participant 89
Image 5: An example of Ketso spreadsheet 91

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Abbreviations

ICT Information and Communication Technologies
MoE Ministry of Education
GPGE General Presidency of Girls’ Education
NCEDL National Center for E-Learning and Distance Learning
SR Saudi Riyals
ICDL International Computer Driving Licence

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