Female Participation in Lessons in Saudi Arabian Universities - Dissertation Example

1.0 Introduction 1 Background to the Study Unlike what prevailed in times past about female education, girls and women in Saudi Arabia today have better chance of accessing education and the general quality of education for females in Saudi Arabia has been described as progressive1. The progress not withstanding, stakeholders in the educational reform structure for the country have not really come to the level of attainment they estimated for females by the year 20102. It is not surprising therefore that it is laments that “lingering social norms, traditions, and the existing public education system have been constraints on womens realization of equal opportunities.”3 Because of this trend, females who have even being lucky to be in school are reluctant to take the forefront when it comes to education. 1.2 Statement of the Problem This research is being designed to seek ways of improving and enhancing female participation in science lessons in various Saudi Arabian Universities. This is because research has shown that even though there are general problems with female education in Saudi Arabia, education in science is particularly worse. This is because there are only few females taking up courses in science4. As a matter of fact, even the few science students are inactive in class; always shielding into their quills and hardly making any contributions in class. This has contributed to low performance among females science students in various examinations. 1.3 Research Goals This research has been set with an overall aim of improving female performance in science classes. To achieve this aim, the following specific objectives ought to be achieved: 1. Investigating cause of low female participation in science lessons in Saudi Arabian universities. 2. Identifying the neglected role of educationists and other stakeholders in enhancing female education in Saudi Arabia. 3. Adapting a student centred intervention to tackle the problem at hand. 1.4 Justification of the Study The education of females in Saudi Arabia can be made better if females are given many roles to play in the course of their education5. This will motivate them to feel important to the educational system. By extension, they will recommend to their colleagues to take up courses in science. Furthermore, the more involved females are in science lessons, the more understandable lessons will become to them and so the better their chances of improving in their overall academic performance. 1.5 Research Questions 1. What are girls attitude in integrated science lesson? 2. Why do the teachers neglect the use of teaching learning aids or materials in their lessons? 3. What are the causes of female low participation in science? 4. What are the measures that can be put in place to help improve female low participation in science lessons? 5. What are activity and discovery methods? 6. What advantages and disadvantages do activity and discovery methods have in the teaching of science lessons that can be transformed into improving female performance in class? 2.0 Background Literature 400 3.1 Methodology 3.2 Research Design The research design to be adapted for this study shall be an action research design. Action research was chosen because it gives researchers opportunities to identify problems in classroom related cases and find immediate solutions to them. Comparatively, the research problem is a classroom related problem that needs immediate action and solution to remedy. 3.2 Population and Sampling Technique The population of the study shall be all female students in the Applied Physics department of Al-Qhida University College. From the registrar of the school however, the number of females in the department is so many that using all of them would make data handling very difficult. For this reason, twenty (20) out of the total number of girls will be selected for the study. A random sampling technique shall be devised to aid in the selection of the twenty (20) female students. Random sampling shall be used because it ensures fairness and avoids all forms of bias in its use6. In implementing the random sampling selection, the researcher shall select one date when he shall be at the main physics laboratory of the department. The first twenty (20) female students to enter the laboratory and who express interest to take part in the research shall be used for the study. 3.3 Research Instruments It has been explained that a research instrument is “a testing device for measuring a given phenomenon, such as a questionnaire, an interview, a research tool, or a set of guidelines for observation.”7 Similarly, the researcher shall make use of observation, questionnaire and test items as major research instruments for data collection. The use of observation shall mainly be useful for collecting qualitative data, which shall be based on the researcher’s own discretion and judgements. The questionnaire and tests on the other hand will be useful for collecting quantitative data. The selection of questionnaire over interview is for the reason that the questionnaires can be answered by all twenty (20) females at a go and so will not consume a lot of time. The interview on the other hand would force the researcher to consume a lot of time because each of the girls will have to be interviewed one after the other. 3.4 Data Collection Procedure There shall be three major stages in the data collection procedure. These stages are pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention stages. At the pre-intervention stage, the researcher shall collect data on the performance and involvement level of female students in physics lessons before any intervention is introduced. At the intervention stage, the researcher shall introduce an intervention, which shall be made of the use of discovery and activities methods of teaching to give the female students a lot of room to operate during the physics lessons. As matter of fact, the female students shall be placed at the centre of the whole teaching and learning process, making sure that they have a practical understanding of all concepts taught. A lot of inter-student interaction shall be allowed as well as student-based assessment procedures8. After the intervention, the post-intervention stage shall be made to involve the testing of students’ new involvement and performance in science lessons by the use of the research instruments. 3.5 Data Analysis Plan Just as the research instruments have been structured to permit for both qualitative and quantitative data collection, so shall the data analysis process be. The researcher shall analyse data collected qualitatively by passing personal comments on the data as they correspond to literature reviewed for the research topic9. Quantitatively, data shall be analysed by the use of mathematical symbolism and representations such as graphs, tables, percentages and charts10. REFERENCE LIST Ame Info, Womens education in Saudi Arabia: the way forward, 2005, Retrieved February 23, 2012, R A Dapaah, Challenges in Female Education in Saudi Arabia. Generations Press Limited, Durban, 2005, p. 23 U Y Mustapha, Female Education in Saudi Arabia: An Abandoned Course? Al-Mahsra Publications, Doha, 2001, p. 121 W W Abion, The Role of Females in Modern Eduction. Bayoba Publication Limited, Accra, 2008, p. 32 E K Annoh, Education. Cita Printing Press, Kumasi, 2009, p. 235 Mosby Medical Dictionary, Research Instruments, Elsevier, 2009, Retrieved February 22, 2012, J L Nartey & K C Mensah, Teaching Science in Basic Schools, Institution of Educational Development and Extension: UNESCO press, New York, 2005, p.387 E K Tamakole, et al Principle and Methods of Teaching. Accra; Black Mask limited, Accra, 1996 B Marion et al, Babies and young children Book 2 work and Care. Stanley Thomas limited: New York, 2005, p. 111 Read More