The Impact of Private Education In Saudi Arabia On Expatriate Teachers And Students - Research Proposal Example

Order # 284692 THE IMPACT OF PRIVATE EDUCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA ON EXPATRIATE TEACHERS AND A Thesis Proposal Presented to The Faculty of In Partial Fulfillment Of the requirements for By TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv DEDICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Background of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Significance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Theoretical Framework of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Hypotheses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 DEFINITION OF TERMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . 9 RELATED LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Foreign Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Education and Challenges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Expatriates in Private School as tutors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 3. METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Research Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Aims and Objective of the Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Study Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Statistical Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 ABSTRACT The impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students is the interest of this exploratory study. Employing qualitative method of research, the researcher will likewise explore the lives of families and their corresponding children in the country, their experiences in dealing with Arab and other cultures, the significant experiences that expatriate teachers can take back to their respective countries, and identify the type of tertiary education that students in the host country can attend in the future. The researcher will make use of the qualitative-descriptive method of research. In the collection of informational data, the researcher will conduct an interview on expatriate teachers and students in their respective schools in Saudi Arabia. These data will include school performance or achievement scores, culture of the schools, culture of the expatriates teachers and students, list of benefits for the expatriates teachers and students, and performance of the expatriate teachers and students. The collected data will be computed statistically for mean, median, mode, percentile rank, and relative frequency. Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Conventionally, education of a country's citizens is left to those people who have gained proficiencies in the field. Nonetheless, with the globalization effort of most countries in terms of trade and industry, most educational systems in different countries found the need for the employment of cross-cultural educators. Apparently, this is for the ease with which concepts are delivered right into the clients or students rather than just through readings of books and journals of foreign authorship. Background of the Study Despite the length of time that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been hiring foreign nationals for temporary employment in the country (Al-Raijhi, Altman, Metcalfe, and Roussel, 2006), the demand for the same is rising especially along the education sector. This is because according to Al-Seghaver in 2005, the country is populated with about 17 million people. Al-Raijhi et al in 2006 mentioned that this rose to about 23 million. And, besides the native Arabic language that is used by the citizens, English is another language that is extensively used in the different levels of formal education. In fact, for every manpower forecast and expansion programs, learning and working out what is learned is a major component that ranges to about 5 years plan (Al-Raijhi et al, 2006). Consequently, there becomes a soaring demand for expatriates as teachers, especially the native speakers of English. Pakkiasamy in 2004 mentioned that the Saudi Ministry of Labour projected about 2/3 of the Labour population are expatriates. Statement of the Problem This study was concerned mainly in finding out the impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students. Specifically, the investigator was directed to answer the following questions: 1. What is the cultural background of the expatriates 2. What is the school culture where the expatriate gained a degree for teaching 3. What is the impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students Significance of the Study Very minimal study had been done on expatriate teachers and students in Saudi Arabia; hence, a pioneering study is critical to knowing the impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students. The researcher also believed that the findings of this study shall serve as the baseline data for students who are interested to study further the issue of expatriates in educational systems in the Middle East. Theoretical Framework of the Study Saudi Arabia as a country is dominated by Arabs in their native language and culture. But, globalization enthusiasms among the citizens made them reliant on foreign nationals to adjust and bridge the language barrier to internationalization. The English language is of primary significance in education, such that many private and public educational systems use the same as a medium of instruction. Thus, trust on foreign nationals, especially native speakers is quite high. In fact the Saudi Ministry of Education approved the introduction of English in the elementary level in 2002 to 2003 in addition to the secondary and tertiary levels English as curricular subjects (Al-Seghaver, 2005). Consequently, with the rising demand for English literacy, private demand for expatriates also rose to such an extent that English teachers found Saudi Arabia an amiable country to live and earn a living. An English tutor may earn as much as 40 Saudi Rials per hour. In addition, expatriates do not pay taxes to the government for the income generated from teaching. Also, accommodation is free with allowance to travel at least ones year. There are no light and water bills to pay. As a result, dependents of English teachers are brought in to Saudi to live and study for the duration of the working contracts. Most of them became accustomed to the Islamic culture which is not really simple, but, as soon as they become familiar, existing in the country is to many expatriates, a lot better than anywhere else in the world. For example, in case a new family would like to start and save something from the income, certainly they would be able to realize setting aside some amounts for the future. This is also because goods and some domestic services can be had at subsidized, lower rates, and cheaper prices (Koolmees, 2009). However, private or public employment as an expatriate tutor in English in Saudi Arabia also means no movies, no socializations, no other religious activities and very limited travels in and around the working areas or the country, especially when it comes to the females. Females must have to observe the wearing of a black robe when going out of the home or when around people who are not near relatives. Talking on the streets between opposite sex is not allowed. Dating is not allowed. Female driving is not allowed. These are just few of the limits that most expatriates who are enjoying now their stay in Saudi Arabia as English teachers have learned to internalized in lieu of the good life (Koolmees, 2009). Hypotheses 1. Ho: Expatriates have no significant cultural backgrounds. 2. Ho: The school culture where the expatriate gained a degree for teaching is not significant. 3. Ho: The private schools in Saudi Arabia have no impact on expatriate teachers and students. Scope and Delimitation of the Study The study is delimited to finding out the impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students. Definition of Terms Word or words that will be used in the study are defined for clarity. Expatriate Teachers. These are the American and British educated nationals who came, work, and temporarily live in Saudi Arabia practicing their professions as English teachers in private schools. Expatriate Students. These are the dependents of the foreign teachers who also live and study in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia. This is the largest nation in the middle Arabian cape recognized in the 18th century and modernized in 1932 that recently adopted the concept of internationalization and host to foreign teachers' especially English instructors. Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Introduction The researcher went over a number of books, journals, and online resources. The studies which were found relevant to the present day research are mentioned below. Foreign Language The Saudi Arabian government realized the need for its nationals to be effective conversationalist with the world. This was driven by its extensive oil and aggregates products export to other countries. For example, ARAMCO in 1968 created a verbal communication program for foreign dialect schooling. This was geared towards outputs or people that are conversant with different dialects. Having gained the necessary conversation tools, these people were posted and employed by the Saudi government to many sensitive areas of the business entity (Al-Seghaver, 2005). On the other hand, because of the oil export business of Saudi Arabia, some nationals have to go to foreign countries to close deals and get related transactions done. All these supposedly require the proficiency in speaking and reading foreign language as the Saudi nationals can not always rely on language translators. Moreover, Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the Islamic congregation center for pilgrimage. Thus, Muslims from foreign countries regularly come for the religious rites. In this regard, proficiency in foreign languages is an advantage for the Saudis to accommodate and cater to the needs of visitors (Al-Seghaver, 2005). Moreover, Al-Rajhi et al in 2006 indicated that Ruppert in 1998 and the World Bank in 2003 reported that about 60% of the temporary workers in the gulf countries are usually employed in jobs where the citizens are handicapped. And the bulk of these temporary workers are employed in Saudi Arabia. Education and Challenges In 2003, Cordesman pointed out the rise in the population of Saudi Arabians that are attending formal education in the nation's school. In the elementary level alone there was a consistent rise from 1970 to 1999 statistics. More were observed in the higher level of learning. This is indicative of the intensified enthusiasm to gain knowledge to cope with the growing demand to go global. On the other hand, there is a governmental realization that with the rise in population, global financial crisis, drop in oil revenues, increased expenditures, and the rising number of unemployed, Saudi people must be capable of supplying its own demand for employees rather than hiring expatriates. In this manner, the national interest as to the maintenance of the salient features characteristic of Saudi Arabian culture will likewise be ensured despite modernization (Cordesman, 2003). However, one observable hurdle that Saudi Arabians have got to face squarely is the lack of graduates who turned out to be highly qualified or skilled workers who may take over the post handled by expatriates. This is because educational focus is divided into religious and academic. To some extents educations lean more on the religious aspects. Although increased exercises are given in the vocational and technical education sectors. On the other hand, the apparent production of low quality graduates is largely contributed by the deficiency in the standards of teaching and the insufficiency of highly trained and proficient educators in the various fields (Cordesman, 2003). Expatriates in Private Schools as Tutors The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia employed an estimated 35,000 Americans and about 30,000 British nationals. The majority of all the expatriates however are employed in various works other than teaching. Expatriates who are employed in Schools are usually professional English teachers. Some of them teach in various public institutions, some are in private institutions, and a number of them are private tutors of individuals who prefer to learn the language at home (Informationclearinghouse, 2003). The private institutions are owned by foreign individuals whose dependents are also in Saudi Arabia. For example, Al Hada International School in Taif. The educational institution caters to the children of some medical practitioners who are foreigners, but employed in Taif Al Hada Hospital. As well, the dependents of foreign staff of the hospital that are in the area attend to schooling in the same institution. Actually, the institution of learning is patterned after the American system of education. But, the teachers are of mixed nationalities, mostly Americans and European professional instructors who were hired from foreign countries (Professional Systems & Services, Inc., 2009). In Saudi Arabia, most of them live within compounds allotted to expatriates. In this particular community, the dwellers have places to buy their daily needs and some other amenities similar to a democratic county. They also have sports and recreation areas as well as restaurants serving foreign dishes. In other words, as soon as the teachers are back in the exclusive district, except for the climate, all the other things are quite similar from their countries of origin (Informationclearinghouse, 2003). Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY Introduction This section will present and discuss the method of research that will be used and the procedures that will be utilized by the researcher. It likewise will include the sources of the data. The Research Method The appropriate research method and mode of its achievements for examining the main objectives will be presented in this section. Basically, there are two types of research methodology such as qualitative and quantitative research. Quantitative research involves a structured questionnaire and a large sample while qualitative research involves observing and/or asking open-ended questions, usually with a small number of informants (Burns and Bush 2000). For that reason, the research method that fits this dissertation is qualitative research. This will enable the researcher to explore the details of the impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students. This research study will be conducted for twelve (12) months considering the number of days for gathering data. The data for this study will be about the country of origin of the expatriates' teachers and students, and also their performance in private schools in Saudi Arabia. The collected data will scrutinize and analyze the impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students. The final phase was the analysis and presentation of the data and the drawing of the conclusions and the recommendations. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH To facilitate achieving the broad objectives as cited above, this dissertation targets to obtain the following specific operational objectives: To examine the impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students; To identify if private education provide better life for expatriates or sacrifice of leaving their country. To explain how expatriate teachers and students dealt with the culture of different nationalities especially Arabs in an international school environment. The Study Area This study primarily focused on the information given by the private schools in Saudi Arabia. The respondents of the study are the expatriate teachers and students. The Local teachers and students were not included in this study. Statistical Treatment To exploring the impact of private schools in Saudi Arabia on expatriate teachers and students, the collected data from the survey were tabulated and computed for: Mean. This was used to determine the central tendency of the ungrouped data. This was based on the sum of all the scores divided by the number of scores of the data. FORMULA Mean = X1 + X2 + X3 n where: X1, X2 , X3 = the score value of the variable n = number of the variable/s Median. This is another frequently used measure of central tendency. The first step in computing the median is arrange the scores in ascending (descending) order, and then examines the middle value or values for the median. Mode. This is also used to measure the central tendency. This is the most frequently occurring score in the ungrouped data. It is used with scores from a nominal data. Percentile rank . This was based on the mean value in every objective divided by the number of cases, multiplied by one hundred. __ % = X x 100 n where: % = percentile __ X = mean value in every objective n = number of cases 100 = multiplier Relative Frequency P(X). This is used to show the percent of the total number of changes in each period. FORMULA: P(X) = _f_ n where: f = the total number of the observation n = total population Bibliography Al-Dosary, Adel S., and Saibu Bala Garba. "Inter-Organizational Coordination: A Case Study of the Education and Training System in Saudi Arabian Manpower Planning." Human Resource Planning 20.1 (1997): 10+. Al-Rajhi, Ibrabim, Yochanan Altman, Beverly Metcalfe, and Josse Roussel. "Managing Impatriate Adjustment as a Core Human Resource Management Challenge." Human Resource Planning 29.4 (2006): 15+. Al-Sharhan, Jamal. "Education and the Satellite: Possibilities for Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Instructional Media 27.1 (2000): 51. Al-Seghayer, Khalid. "12 Teaching English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Slowly but Steadily Changing." Teaching English to the World: History, Curriculum, and Practice. Ed. George Braine. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005. 125-134. Braine, George, ed. 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