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

CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 3 1 The research problem. 4 2 Rationale or purpose of the study. 4 3 The objectives of the study. 4 4Research question(s). 4 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 5 3. PROPOSED METHODOLOGY 6 3.1 Research design. 6 3.2 Data sources 7 3.3 Data collection techniques. 7 3.4. Issues of reliability and validity. 8 3.5 Sampling techniques. 8 3.6 Definitions of key terms, concepts and variables. 9 3.7 Data analysis and interpretation. 9 3.8 Ethical considerations. 10 3.8.1 Confidentiality. 10 3.8.2 Informed consent 10 3.8.3 Provision of debriefing, counseling and additional information. 10 3.9. Pretest or pilot study. 11 4. MY PERSONAL WORK PLAN 12 LIST OF SOURCES 12 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Research Problem The foreign teachers who are employed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have to encounter a completely different environment than they are used to. There are several changes like the separation of girls and boys studies, the change in curriculum, the lack of governmental support etc., that the expatriate teachers come to face (Braine, 2005). As a result of their interaction with the educational system in Saudi Arabia, changes in their own educational style may occur, teaching perspectives and methods. The research problem is therefore to assess the overall impact of private educational job on expatriate teachers in Saudi Arabia. 1.2 Rationale or Purpose of the Study Foreign teachers come to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from various Asian at times, Western countries. The change in culture is intense for most of the expatriate teachers as is the change in the educational system for them. In Saudi Arabia, the teachers have to abide by the cultural and religious norms of the nation and have to impart education strictly in accordance with the requirements of the government. In addition, the curricula is standardized (Al-Suwaij, et al, 2006) and taught strictly under the guidance and supervision of the State. The expatriate teachers may find the new system difficult to adjust to and may face some distress or other issues. On the other hand, they may get influenced by the educational process in Saudi Arabia and adapt their teaching styles to the same. The current study therefore aims at evaluating the overall impact that the private educational jobs have on expatriate teachers. Doing this assessment is expected to bring out useful insights about adjustment strategies that can be adopted by the expatriate teachers. The current study also expects to explore the feelings of the teachers about the educational system in Saudi Arabia and its influence on their own teaching styles. 1.3 The Objectives of the Study. The main objectives of this study are: 1. To gauge the emotional, social and financial impact on the expatriate teachers of their jobs in private educational institutes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 2. To explore the difficulties that they may have faced due to the changed educational system 3. To assess if there has been any change in the teaching methods of the expatriate teachers, and if they intended to adapt the changes when they return to teaching in their native countries. 1.4 Research question(s). The main research questions are: 1. What are difficulties that the expatriate teachers face in their jobs in private educational institutes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? 2. What are the changes that may occur to their teaching style, teaching perspective and teaching methods? 3. Are the expatriate teachers willing to adapt the changes to their teaching styles when they return to their native countries. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 5 Saudi Arab government had initiated the process of ‘Saudization’ with the introduction of the Seventh Five Year Development Plan in 2000 (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada , 2002). This initiative was largely undertaken to cope with the growing unemployment among the natives as only half of the 120,000 youth entering the workforce yearly land with a job (BBC News, 2002). Under this plan, the number of foreign workers in Saudi Arab was to be reduced gradually over the five year term to create vacancies for indigenous Arab population. This was done by placing curbs on recruiting expatriates in the private sector organizations including the educational institutes. As a result of this process, the Saudi government had started a drive to not only reduce recruitment of foreign nationals in schools and colleges and fill vacancies internally, but also to terminate the services of numerous teachers (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, 2002). The above shift in government’s stance towards professional expatriates is of grave concern for those whose families depend upon their employment within the Kingdom. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia still largely lacks in skilled Mathematics, English, and Computer Science teachers. The present research is crucial as the current situation in Saudi Arabia may be detrimental for both the country and the teachers involved. The proposed literature review will take into account the government regulations and press releases that elaborate upon the possible outcomes of the changed legislations and the changed governmental attitudes. For this various newspaper sites like Arab News, … , and government sites like ……will be used. In addition to the above, the literature review will also consider numerous books, journals and articles,…. 3. PROPOSED METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research design The current study proposes to use a descriptive research method that helps in elaborating upon the existing state of affairs (Key, 2002). This study is hoped to be designed so that the data collected is authentic and accurate. In order to ensure this, both the secondary data, via a literature review, and primary data, through a questionnaire are to be used. A rigid research design is to be adopted to reduce bias and improve reliability (Kothari, 1990). For this a sample is to be selected on the basis of convenience sampling, and data collected via interview method using an open ended questionnaire. The data collection is qualitative in nature as the responses are proposed to be recorded by the researcher verbatim and later analyzed, again using a qualitative approach. 3.2 Data Sources The sample for the current research will be taken from among the expatriate teachers community living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The teachers who are proposed to be included in the study would be from elementary schools, high schools and colleges and would have spent between 1 to 5 years in Saudi Arabia. They would be both male and female teachers. An approximate number of 35 teachers would be used in the study. 3.3 Data Collection Techniques The data is to be collected by using a qualitative research method where a structured questionnaire is to be used. The qualitative research method ensures that detailed data is collected in the form of complete speeches or dialogues instead of in discrete numerical forms (Flyvbjerg, 2006). This method of data collection also requires that the researcher be accurate about the data that he gathers and record the interviews carefully. The questionnaire for the qualitative data collection is to be distributed to all the 35 teachers and they are to be asked to provide their answers orally while the researcher notes down their answers. This method of data collection makes the gathering of authentic and accurate data feasible though it is time consuming. However, it prevents vague answers or no-answers as the researcher can personally cross check and ensure that the respondents are answering sincerely. The researcher can also interpret questions and guide the respondents as and when needed throughout the interview. The questionnaire will include open ended questions that will gauge the feelings and opinions of the interviewed teachers. These questions would be like , ‘what are the differences in the work environment that you feel in KSA?’, and ‘do you feel any adjustment issues in KSA private educational institutes?. A full questionnaire will be developed after a pilot survey has been conducted by the researcher to assess the problem at hand. 3.4 Issues of Reliability and Validity The questionnaire is to be formulated on the basis of the literature survey as well as the pilot study. Largely, the questions to be included within the questionnaire are to be made by the researcher based on his own understanding of the situation. An item analysis is not proposed to be carried out for the above questionnaire and as such, the scope and reliability of the questionnaire and the primary research may be limited (Singh, 1997). However, a pilot survey is expected to be carried out that will ensure that the survey’s reliability (Lodico, et al, 2006) is established. The validity of the instrument is not proposed to be statistically established, and therefore there is a chance that the research questions may not be absolutely qualified to gauge the problem at hand (Lodico, et al, 2006). 3.5 Sampling Techniques The sampling technique that is proposed to be used in the current research is convenience sampling. Convenience sampling is non-probability sampling and the chosen sample is taken on the basis of its nearness or availability (Pedhazur & Schmelkin, 1991). This will be undertaken to ensure that the candidates who are most interested and willing to participate in the survey are included. Also, the researcher has several friends and acquaintances in the teachers community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it will be easier and time-saving for the researcher to enlist the consent of respondents from among this pool of teachers. 3.6 Definitions of Key Terms, Concepts and Variables 9 3.7 Data Analysis and Interpretation The qualitative data that is to be collected via questionnaires is to be analyzed in an interpretative manner by the researcher. The interpretative analysis method requires that the observer or the researcher thoroughly examine the collected data and then form his own impressions about the answers (Miles & Huberman,1994). These impressions are then to be summarized in the form of a comprehensive discussion of each question. The findings will be presented in the form of an elaborate discussion, taking the each individual question and the responses that it has received. The findings and the discussions will lead to a conclusion that will shed light on the research problem as elaborated above – viz, to assess the overall impact of private educational job on foreign teachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 3.8 Ethical considerations. The current research is proposed to be conducted strictly under the guidance provided by the university towards ethical considerations. 3.8.1 Confidentiality The data that is to be collected 3.8.2 Informed consent 10 3.8.3 Provision of debriefing, counseling and additional information. 10 3.9. Pretest or Pilot study A Pilot study is proposed to be undertaken before a final research can be conducted. A pilot study is an effective way to explore if there are any discrepancies or problems in the overall research design (Haralambos and Holborn, 2000). The proposed pilot study is expected to be conducted using a smaller number of teachers, again based on convenience sampling and selected from among the researcher’s acquaintances currently employed in the private educational institutes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample size of approximately 5 to 8 teachers is proposed. The questionnaire that is to be used in the pilot study will have a limited number of questions like ‘please list the disciplinary issues that you have had in your daily handling of students’, ‘do you find the culture in classrooms restrictive’, ‘what do you think of the course and syllabus in private educational institutes in KSA’ etc. The findings of the pilot survey would be analyzed and subjected to introspection with the aim of amending the questions that are to be included in the questionnaire for the main research. 4. MY PERSONAL WORK PLAN 12 STEPS IN THE RESEARCH PLAN DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION Submission of the proposal ----------------------------week 1 [July 6, 2009] Design of a research plan ------------------------------- week 2 [July 13, 2009] Gaining access/getting permission to work in a particular area/have access to data, etc. --------------------------------- week 3 [July 20, 2009] Defining of a universe, a sample frame, sampling OR setting up of selection criteria, etc. ------------------------------------------- week 3 [July 20, 2009] Literature review --------------------------------------------week 1 – week 4 [July 6 - 27, 2009] Design and testing of questionnaire ---------------------- week 4 [July 27, 2009] Design of a final questionnaire/schedules, etc. --------- week 5 [Aug 3, 2009] Interviews/posting of questionnaires, etc --------------week 5, 6, 7, 8 [July 27 to Aug 24, 2009] Analysis of collected data --------------------------------------------------- week 9 [Aug 31, 2009] Interpretation and Discussion writing-------------------------------------- week 10 [Sept 7, 2009] Completion of the Research ------------------------------------------------------- week 11 [Sept 14, 2009] LIST OF SOURCES 12 Read More