عنوان

Arabic Language Knowledge among Early Elementary Saudi Teachers of Students with Reading Disabilities: A Mixed Method Study

Number

TL53087

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

Arabic Language Knowledge among Early Elementary Saudi Teachers of Students with Reading Disabilities: A Mixed Method Study

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Alqahtani, Rashed Fehaid

Subsequent Statement of Responsibility

Cavanaugh, Christie L.

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2020

Text of Note

250 p.

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Body granting the degree

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Text preceding or following the note

2020

Text of Note

Teachers have a strong impact on their students' learning such that a student receiving instruction by an incompetent teacher, even for one school year, might endure long-term negative consequences. Several studies found how teacher knowledge and instructional practices are strong predictors of students' successful learning. In the center of teacher knowledge is teacher content knowledge, which for reading includes knowledge of basic language elements. The findings from most of the studies that addressed teacher language knowledge are mounting to indicate that teachers have poor language knowledge and suggest this is problematic due to the language knowledge necessary for learning to read. This study aimed to examine Arabic language knowledge among Saudi elementary special and general education teachers who teach reading to students with reading disabilities. This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, with two phases. A quantitative phase examined the knowledge of Arabic Morphology and Phonology (KAMP) and the self-perception of language knowledge among 263 teachers, and a qualitative phase of interviews with a selected number of special education teachers. The findings from this study indicated that special and general education teachers have poor knowledge of Arabic phonology and morphology, with a tendency to overestimate their levels of language knowledge. Also, teachers with little teaching experience scored significantly higher than teachers with average and high teaching experience, indicating that teachers' amount of teaching does not improve their language knowledge. The interviews suggest an unfamiliarity with aspects of Arabic language knowledge may be due to limited or no attention to it in teacher preparation and in-service training programs, the main factor considered for the noticed poor language knowledge. The study concludes with the discussion of the findings, possible implications, study limitations, and suggestions for future research.

Subject Term

Middle Eastern studies

Subject Term

Reading instruction

Subject Term

Special education

Alqahtani, Rashed Fehaid

Cavanaugh, Christie L.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y