Investigating Active Learning through Technology in Primary Schools in Saudi Arabia - Article Example

Abstract This article will present first an overview of the development of the education system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its direction towards the use of technology in education. This part will reveal the reasons behind the integration of technologies in the Saudi education and the purposes of such direction. Secondly, it will shed light on the reality of most schools in Saudi Arabia in the presence of technology in general. Then, it will focus on the personal experience of one of the schools that integrate technological tools in their classrooms. Next, there will be an in-depth analysis of that experience, based on the use of scientific theories. Finally, future recommendations about the improvement of the use of technology in the Saudi education will be given. Overview of the development of the Saudi education system and its direction towards the use of technology Education in the Kingdom has developed gradually. Teaching was a traditional legacy which was represented in "Kuttab" where teachers received students in their homes (Abdel-Wassie,1970), lessons in mosques and attending scientists' gatherings around the country. When public education, or what could be called formal education, came into being, it was in the Turkish language and it existed only in the City of Mecca and Medina. After some time, traditional education was introduced into Saudi Arabia, but only in certain private schools in the eastern and western regions of the Kingdom. Some innovations were also introduced in the form of some sciences in the curriculum. It was not until 1925 when formal education in the Kingdom started through the establishment of the Directorate of Public Knowledge. Here the building and establishment of the identity of the educational system and the design of the features of its policies started. This led to educational progress in all educational levels and types. Since the Directorate of Public Knowledge was changed to the Ministry of Education in 1953 (Abdel-Wassie,1970 cited in Moshaikh,1992), schools, institutes, colleges and universities specialising in all fields have been opened for girls and boys separately in most regions of the Kingdom. These include public education, higher education and technical education and vocational training. Education in the Kingdom has developed from Kuttab and the remnants of Turkish schools. The educational system has become an integrated component of a system with a unified curriculum, staff and buildings established to provide free education to all members of society. Thus the number of students rose from 52,839 in 1954 to 2,155,760 in the year 1985 (Ministry of Education, 1985 cited in Moshaikh, 1992). Then, the process of establishing specialized developmental services in the Ministry of Education began. Today, there are specialized units that focus particularly on the development of education, following up internal and external educational developments, the continuous evaluation of Saudi education policies and making the required amendments in them. These specialized units in the Ministry of Education have become aware of the development and progress achieved in the field of educational technology all over the world, which has led to the emergence of many technological means that have greatly assisted in the delivery of information, and have assisted employees in educational institutions in their tasks. As a result, the Saudi Arabian government found that there was a need to develop the knowledge-based community in its society in order not to become isolated, unable to integrate into its system and powerless to keep pace with current competitive global knowledge. Moreover, the Saudi Kingdom also found that the enormous size of the country which covers an area of 2,149,690 square kilometres; can make use of Educational Tech­nology in order to bring education to the remote rural areas. Hence, modern technology has been introduced into the Saudi education system at all different academic levels (primary, elementary, secondary and university) in order to develop the educational process and remove the old idea of teaching as simply the use of traditional means such as board and chalk. Technology is now seen as crucial in the light of the explosion of knowledge and the exponential growth of information, as well as the population explosion which has caused an increase in the numbers of pupils in schools. The steady growth in student population in Saudi Arabia pushed the kingdom to consider using Educational Technology to facilitate teaching. It must be noted that the increase in the number of students led to a reduction in efficiency in the educational process. A solution to all of these problems has been found in the use of technology, which can also serve to make students more motivated. Moreover, it can help teachers to present scientific content in more than one way. Nowadays, All Saudi schools are currently provided with technological equipment such as computers, projectors, television and etc. Saudi teachers are obliged to use them in the educational process and the teachers’ ability to integrate technology in classrooms has become one of the most important points used in the evaluation of their competence. The reality of Saudi schools in the presence of technology To go back to a basic definition of instructional technology we find that it has been defined as "a systematic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives, based on research in human learning and communications, and employing a combination of human and nonhuman resources to bring about more effective instruction" (Commission on Instructional Technology, 1970 cited in Gagné, R., 1987, p11). From this definition it is apparent that the main purpose of the use of technology is not only the development in the education system, but it increases the effectiveness of the educational process or, more specifically, it makes learning more active and participative. Therefore, if these means are not used effectively in educational institutions then there will be little point in having them there. Unfortunately, this is the reality in many schools in Saudi Arabia today. Despite the availability of these technological tools in schools and the plans that have been developed to train teachers to use technologies, teachers lack experience to employ these means in an efficient manner, and they do not have the motivation in using them as pointed out by Adel-Wassie, The previous Former Deputy of the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia (Moshaikh, 1992). Due to the trend of using technology in teaching and the demand for using them, many teachers have ignored the fact that these methods should be used in a way that increases the extent of active learning in classes. This is considered to be essential in the educational process, particularly with primary school pupils, who are aged between 6 to 12 years old, because effective learning has a great influence in this stage when students learn actively. From my experience as special education teacher in one of the schools, I remember the director of that school coming to me at the last 3 months of the year and asked me to enrol many students from Primary One, Class A in my Individual Education Programmes (IEPs) because these students were having difficulties in learning, otherwise they will fail. From my knowledge I know that it is normal for Primary One pupils to face difficulties, as they have just started to learn the basics of education in a formal way that is different from what they were used to. Despite of that, I decided to help 3 of them who appeared to be most in need of help from supportive classes, but did not enrol them in IEPs. None of three students was at the level that they were supposed to be. In addition, two of them had speech difficulties and the other one was misbehaving in class. I was wondering why most of the pupils in Class A were having difficulties, whereas none of the pupils in Primary One, Class B was having the same difficulties. Every day as I bring one of the students back to Class A, I found that the teacher of Class A was always using the overhead projector (OHP). All she was doing was standing next to the board and using overhead projector, on which her attention was focused. She was not aware of what was going on behind her, where pupils were playing and talking and not paying attention. On the other hand, in class B, the pupils were more involved with the teacher. Class B’s teacher divided her students in groups to do activities related to the topic using simple materials such as clay, beads, and sand. By observing the methods used in both classes for some time I found the answer to the questions as to why most of the pupils in Class A had not mastered the most basic skills of their level, compared to the other Primary One class, who were very successful. Through the presentation of this example, I offer a small illustration of what is happening generally in most Saudi schools. Analysis of the current problem The current problem in most Saudi schools, especially primary schools, does not detract from the importance of technology in education. On the contrary, the main objective of presenting the problem is to open the door to a review of how to use modern technology as part of active learning, as many studies have demonstrated the importance of this. There is a need for teachers to focus more on active learning and leave aside other practices where students cannot play active roles nor have the opportunity to discover, discuss and think through the implementation of activities. Thinking is fundamental in the primary stage and this is the basis on which other developments occur because knowledge is not a copy of reality. To know an object, is not simply to look at it and make a mental copy or image of it. To know an object is to act on it. Therefore, it is essential that learners be responsible for the learning process, and that they should be the key element in that process. The example above of the Primary One, Class illustrates what Freire (1993) termed “narrative education”, where teachers fill students with contents as if they were jars, while ignoring the importance of students’ interaction with this content and of allowing them the opportunity to choose to a certain extent what they wish to choose and store. According to Watson (2000), the approach to teaching as involving only transmission of information from teachers to learners may lead learners being passive and may not help develop their creativity and independence as thinkers, as knowledge is not passively received but actively constructed by the individual. Freire (1993) also pointed out that this way of teaching attempts to control thinking and action and inhibits students’ creative powers. In Watson’s (2000) view, when teachers present their own ideas and information before pupils have had the opportunity to come up with their own, then it is not likely that they will form the habit of reflection and they will simply be inclined to accept uncritically what their teacher says. Teachers then lose the opportunity to gain insight into their pupils’ minds, which may in fact be full of misconceptions. This clarifies why most students in class A were having learning difficulties. It relates to the fact that when learners feel frustrates in their attempts to use their own initiative and creativity, their learning will suffer (Freire, 1993). If the teacher encourages his/her pupils to take time to reflect, he/she may awaken great potential (Watson, 2001). It is not difficult to have all the students play active roles in the class, even if the class is big. Although it has been considered that in the large classes there are constraints and less flexibility. But teachers can create a wide range of ways to reduce the negative impact of the class size on the learning process of students. For example, teachers can use a structural learning model and collaborative learning techniques to encourage students to work in groups in which they can develop a spirit of cooperation and work as a team, which was a method used in Class B. Class B students had the opportunity for discussion and dialogue with their peers and with the teacher, which assisted the development of their skills. According to Meadows (1998) (cited in Watson, 2000), children involved in collaborative learning progress faster and their individual development is more rapid. This is so because their understanding improves through their interaction with their peers. The fact that they enjoy their time in the class more make them more motivated to learn. Watson (2001) regards learning as a shared, interactive social activity within a classroom environment. Therefore, teachers should organize the learning environment by creating tasks and activities for their pupils, and providing a suitable environment to work in (Freire, 1993). In this way, teachers can identify the weaknesses and the strengths in their pupils and can therefore rectify any misconceptions they have related to the subject. In addition, teachers can construct pupils’ knowledge where they lack basic information. Watson (2001) also emphasised this point, stating that "Even expertly presented interesting information may have little meaning for pupils who lack the basic general knowledge to which it could have been linked. Teachers have somehow to create the conditions for building up an appropriate conceptual foundation for subsequent learning". This highlights the necessity for teachers to be aware that the prior knowledge of the learner is a prerequisite for building knowledge, as the interaction between the learner's new knowledge and previous knowledge is the basic stage in the process of learning new things in a meaningful way. This is a crucial point, particularly for those who work in primary schools, as the basic skills are acquired at this stage of the learner’s life. Some primary school teachers do not realise this, and consequently it is likely that their students will encounter difficulties in learning over time, which is what happened with the teacher of Class A. When there is no previous knowledge, problems will appear vague and complex, making the student to withdraw from the situation. Progress in understanding takes place when new information does not differ or conflict too much with what is already known, as it has to match in some respect with existing cognitive structures (Watson, 2001). To facilitate progress in the understanding of learners at the primary stage, learners should be encouraged to make active efforts because the results of such efforts are considered to be more productive and of greater benefit to the individual. Allowing students to have a chance to think and discover the knowledge presented and connect it with their prior information is essential for the achievement of satisfying results, especially when the knowledge is presented through appropriate methods and materials which are suitable for the pupils’ age group. Based on Freire’s (1993) view that teachers present the materials to the students for their consideration, it could be said that Class A’s teacher was using OHP in a way that was not appropriate to her pupils’ level. In contrast, Class B’s teacher was using sand, beads and other materials which allowed the student to play an active role in facilitating the information being presented in the way they liked, which allows pupils in later stages to reach the highest stage, which is generalization to other educational situations where abstract methods are used. Watson (2001) stressed the importance of direct physical interaction with materials, as this is an effective technique to enhance pupils’ thinking, particularly as many do not readily employ verbalisation. She further stated that handling physical materials may assist mental reasoning. In addition, Piaget in his developmental stages of cognition shows the importance of concrete materials in the facilitation of learning. According to him, the connection (or concrete operations) stage which involves the processing, cognitive and narrative growth happens when children are around the age of 7 to 12 years. At this point, children learn to associate and connect their feelings through symbolic representation. Given this scenario, it is very important that teachers use appropriate learning tools to guide their pupils and help them transcend to the next development stage of more abstract, logical and idealistic thinking. After the analysis of the effectiveness of teaching practices that provide mental and social activities for the pupils, the awareness of the importance of the different learning capabilities among pupils should be understood by teachers. This does not mean that teachers should have low expectations of some pupils but rather that they should understand the different abilities among students and discover who needs assistance. Vygotskii (1978) points out that we suppose children in the same class to have the same mental age and be at the same stage of development. However, this not the case, as there are other factors that influence children’s learning development, such as irregular attendance at school, parental support and so forth. As pointed out by Glyan, Wearmouth and Berryman (2006), the learning abilities of children could be stunted if teachers favour certain literacy practices. Likewise, the failure of the teachers to affirm the knowledge that children get through their interaction with their families and communities can further hamper the learning process of these children. The fact that some teachers are ill equipped to accommodate the community practices of student from diverse cultural background into the classroom instruction contributes to the slow development of these students. This particular scenario can be clearly observed in the case of the three students from class A. Note that these pupils come from uneducated families and their social and cultural backgrounds often come in conflict with the norms set in school. (Glyan et al. ,2006). In the personal experience that I have described, I found that Class A’s teacher did not pay any attention to the individual differences between children who were facing difficulties and their peers and did not help any of them or try to find out the reasons for their failure. In addition to her unsuitable teaching practices, which directly contributed to the learning difficulties among her students, some of them had other difficulties, as I mentioned previously, i.e. speech difficulties and behavioural issues which I later discovered were the result of family’s background of those students. Therefore, primary school teachers should pay attention to the importance of emotional aspects which can affect student’ learning at this stage. There is no need for teachers to be strict or stern to gain the respect of their students. Good relationship between teachers and learners should be anchored on mutual trust, respect and the strong love for education. Once teachers kindle that feeling of trust and respect in their students, they may be able to positively influence their pupils’ future. Dr. David Hamburg, a psychiatrist and president of the Carnegie Corporation stated that for children between the ages of six to eleven, school is a defining experience that will have a strong impact on their adolescence and adulthood. A child's self-esteem depends greatly on his or her ability to do well in school. If the school teacher has taken all the important factors which have been mentioned above into account, she can thus realise an active learning environment for her students, even with the presence of technology; because as Keengwe (2009) stated, technological tools do not function unless they are used appropriately by teachers. Teachers can make appropriate technology-based learning environments and develop appropriate activities for children and by doing so can make available an assortment of positive learning experiences for pupils. In this context, Keengwe (2009) mentions a study about the effectiveness of technology in schools which was carried out by Sivin-Kachala and Bialo in 2000. The study found positive and consistent patterns when pupils were engaged in technology-rich environments. It concluded that technology can improve teaching and learning, but the mere fact of having technology in the classroom does not necessarily lead to positive educational experiences that can improve pupils’ learning. Recommendations for improvements in the use of technology in the Saudi education The obligation to use technology in the educational process is viewed in a negative way by many teachers, for several reasons, including: 1- A sense that technology may lead to a change in the balance of qualifications and competence, in favour of teachers who are skilled in the use of technology at the expense of those who are not. 2-Familiarity with the traditional system of education, which has led to resistance to change 3-A large number of teachers who are nearing retirement age are not motivated to learn anything new related to the profession which they will leave soon.  4-The prevailing misconception that technology will eliminate the role of the teacher. For these reasons, many teachers use technology without knowledge of its importance and the situations in which it should be used, but in a way which lacks any form of creativity. This is not fully compatible with what the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETST) recommend. They call for teachers to use technology in such a way as to facilitate and inspire pupils’ learning and creativity (Keengwe, 2009). However, this problem in Saudi schools is not only caused by the teachers but also by the education administration which obliges teachers to use technology without sufficient training or in the required skills or sufficient development in other matters related to the curriculum and the learning environment. The Dean of Faculty of Computer Sciences at King Saud University, Dr. Sami Al-wakeel (Alsheteri, 2007) stated that there may be considerable investment in the introduction of computer technology in schools, but that this will produce positive results only if educators focus heavily on the support of those engaged in the use of computers and train them. If that does not happen, the process will remain only a matter of prestige, and modern technological innovations will have little impact on education if they are adopted by schools without the preparation of the basic human infrastructure, which includes the provision of adequate training for teachers. If the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wishes to continue to develop its education system and create a new generation which consists of successful, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society, the Saudi education administrations should do the following: Employ technological tools effectively in the learning process in a way that serves learners. Establish criteria for the use of technology in an appropriate manner for the age group it will be used with. Develop the skills of teachers on how to use technology in an effective manner through training courses and lectures after carrying out a testing process to measure the actual level of skills for the teacher to discover their weaknesses. This point is one of the issues that have been focused on by The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) (2000 cited in Keengwe, 2009), when it says that modern classroom teachers must be trained to provide technology-supported learning opportunities for their students…being trained in the use of technology and knowing how that technology can support student learning are essential integral skills for every teacher. Without ignoring that increase teachers’ motivation should also be one of the most important targets of those trainings. This could be obtained by, for example, assigning distinguished teachers to carry out such courses for others as well as to honour those teachers annually. Develop general education schools in order to be prepared to employ technological tools effectively. There must be a good infrastructure, a flexible educational system, and effective management because new technologies do not change schools, but schools must change in order to be able to use new technologies effectively. This could be done through: 1-The construction of modern schools in keeping with modern international technological advances.  2-The reduction of class sizes, as this will give teachers the opportunity to respond more easily to all students. 3-Following up the school's role in the development of teachers, and developing their performance through encouraging them to attend scientific conferences, workshops and seminars which contribute to professional advancement. 4- Providing an opportunity for teachers to choose the educational methods that suit them and not to impose the use of technology as if it were the only viable method of instruction. Read More