Papers by Hashil Al-Saadi
Social Science Research Network, 2019
Getting to know students’ perspectives of the educational practices we do in classes can assist u... more Getting to know students’ perspectives of the educational practices we do in classes can assist us in having a more thorough picture of the effectiveness of the practice type. Taking affective factors for granted restricts our perceptions of the practice and makes our understanding one-sided. This chapter aims to explore the impacts of languaging and 4D feedback on the students’ writing from the viewpoints of EFL students in a foundation programme in Oman. The 4D feedback model proposed by the authors of the chapter is underpinned by languaging and extended practice, and includes the four stages of Dialogue (supervised-oral languaging), Drill (extended practice), Discovery, and Dialogue (group-oral languaging). To obtain data, a focus group interview was conducted and participants were given opportunities to reflect on the different stages of the feedback and on their experience with languaging. Findings of the chapter suggest that 4D feedback assists noticing and boosts student engagement with feedback from the students’ perspectives. The chapter supports Swain’s (Languaging, agency and collaboration in advanced language proficiency. In H. Byrnes (Ed.), Advanced language learning: The contribution of Halliday and Vygotsky (pp. 95–108). London: Continuum, 2009) belief that languaging is a key mediating tool in helping students to identify gaps in their linguistic knowledge.
Getting to know students’ perspectives of the educational practices we do in classes can assist u... more Getting to know students’ perspectives of the educational practices we do in classes can assist us in having a more thorough picture of the effectiveness of the practice type. Taking affective factors for granted restricts our perceptions of the practice and makes our understanding one-sided. This chapter aims to explore the impacts of languaging and 4D feedback on the students’ writing from the viewpoints of EFL students in a foundation programme in Oman. The 4D feedback model proposed by the authors of the chapter is underpinned by languaging and extended practice, and includes the four stages of Dialogue (supervised-oral languaging), Drill (extended practice), Discovery, and Dialogue (group-oral languaging). To obtain data, a focus group interview was conducted and participants were given opportunities to reflect on the different stages of the feedback and on their experience with languaging. Findings of the chapter suggest that 4D feedback assists noticing and boosts student eng...
propositions (Ormston et al, 2014). In other words, the essence of objectivism derives from the a... more propositions (Ormston et al, 2014). In other words, the essence of objectivism derives from the acceptance of natural science as a paradigm to study human knowledge and, necessarily, employs means and methods for data collections and data interpretations similar to those used in natural science including hypothesis testing, causal explanations and modelling. Finally, in this tradition, all knowledge about the world originates in our experiences and is derived through our senses and, as such, only phenomena (and hence knowledge) which can be confirmed by the senses can genuinely be regarded as knowledge (Bryman, 2008; Ormston et al, 2014; Wellington, 2000). Positivist knowledge, according to Wellington (2000) deemed to be objective, value-free, generalizable and replicable. This is why positivism is often being perceived as a synonymous of ‘scientific method’. Critiques to positivist thinking Nevertheless, the positivist and objectivist traditions and thinking have been subject to cr...
In cases where data have been collected in a language different from the language in which the re... more In cases where data have been collected in a language different from the language in which the research is to be reported or published, careful translation of the data becomes an important mandatory stage along the research process. As such, while deciding on the analysis framework to be employed for analysis, the researcher also needs to make important choices and decisions regarding when and how the data are to be translated as well as who should carry out the translation. They should also be reflective (and reflexive) about their role in the whole process of data translation and data analysis. In this paper, I discuss some of the issues and challenges involved in translating qualitative data in cross-language research and the implications these issues have for validity (or trustworthiness), ethics and quality of the research. This brief introduction is seen as important to some of the readers who may be new to the issue of translation in qualitative research. I then move to descr...
Introduction With the noticeable advances in the field of telecommunications, especially in the g... more Introduction With the noticeable advances in the field of telecommunications, especially in the global networks and the rich e-learning resources, it has become possible for learners to enrol in short courses and even earn degrees without having to leave the geographical area where they reside or bear the usual expenses of such degrees. Thus, the concept of educational technology has very much linked itself to another well known concept: Information Technology (IT.) Information Technology refers to the advanced methods of and equipment for collecting, storing, securing, and distributing data via computer networks, satellites, compact disks, electronic archives and other means of communications. Defining Distance Learning Distance Learning is defined as an educational programme or course delivered via the internet utilizing its advanced features such as the ability to transfer large audio and video files to remote places and save extensive databases. Its flexibility makes it ideal fo...
This paper reports on a study aimed to investigate feedback approaches and error noticeability of... more This paper reports on a study aimed to investigate feedback approaches and error noticeability of a group of writing teachers teaching at two different levels of proficiency on a university foundation programme in Oman. The paper describes literature on error correction and methods of feedback as necessary background to the study. Findings confirm those reported in literature that teachers differ in their error noticeability and judgement of the seriousness of certain error types. Participating teachers were found to vary their feedback methods depending on the nature of the error and students’ level of proficiency. Other feedback techniques, however, such as peer-editing and conferencing were reported only by small numbers of teachers. The present study explains these observations in light of research findings reported in literature and proposes additional variables such as psychological, physical and the environment as possible factors which could explain why teachers vary in thei...
Almost all research students begin their academic journey with a quite good degree of confidence ... more Almost all research students begin their academic journey with a quite good degree of confidence and enthusiasm but as they begin to read in some depth on and around their selected topic area, their confidence and enthusiasm start to dwindle over time. Many of novice students feel somewhat lost or unfocused at this stage. This uncertainty, I think, can be related to three main reasons: firstly, high expectations on the part of students of their research proposal, secondly, unfamiliarity of the nature of research in their respected discipline, social sciences in our case here at the School of Education, and finally lack of in-depth reading and thinking strategies. Drawing on my personal experience as postgraduate research student, this paper sheds light on this issue and suggest a practical framework for novice research students for better handling of reading in their postgraduate studies.
Research findings suggest that some prevalent beliefs and practices still exist in schools and hi... more Research findings suggest that some prevalent beliefs and practices still exist in schools and higher education institutions in Oman albeit the recent educational reform. For example, education is still viewed as a process of transferring information to the learners in a mechanical way in which learners continue to play a passive role. In addition, learning is largely exam-driven and classrooms are teacher-fronted while most learners lack autonomous learning and independent thinking skills. Ideally, teaching should aim to encourage learners to develop a capacity for critical thinking and taking control over their own learning while at the same time assuming responsibility for all the decisions concerning their learning. In other words, it is no longer enough for students to sit and listen, test and forget. Learners of today need to become autonomous learners, thinkers and planners who are able to sustain learning and attain long-term success. Unfortunately, many of the current belie...
This brief provides a concise description of the context in which my research takes place and the... more This brief provides a concise description of the context in which my research takes place and the theoretical arguments that underpin its undertaking. It also outlines the overall aims of the research together with the methodologies and methods which I have adopted in my research.
Recent research findings confirm that learning becomes more effective when learners are in contro... more Recent research findings confirm that learning becomes more effective when learners are in control of their own learning and are aware of the learning process and of themselves as learners. Learner autonomy has thus become a prominent area of research in the last three decades. This paper, therefore, argues for an autonomy-based approach to teaching and learning in Oman as an alternative to the existing model which is largely characterized by spoon-feeding and missing voice of the learner. The paper proposes a framework for a gradual handover of some of the roles traditionally held by teachers to the students, emphasizing the role of the teacher in helping students "feed" themselves and minimize their over-reliance on the teacher.
Most postgraduate research students find it difficult to get their heads around some of the theor... more Most postgraduate research students find it difficult to get their heads around some of the theoretical concepts and issues which they come across as they begin their research journey. Amongst these concepts and issues are ontology and epistemology. These philosophical assumptions or positions are a basic component of any postgraduate research and, as such, need to be clearly set out at the beginning of the methodology chapter. This paper therefore aims to help novice research students understand, in easy terms, what ontology and epistemology mean, what their variants are and how they relate to research.
Conference Presentations by Hashil Al-Saadi
PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHING AND LEARNING "Reimagine Teaching to Maximize Student Learning" Active Learning -Critical Thinking -Learning Spaces -Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL, 2024
This volume contains a selection of fifteen articles that originated as papers presented at the F... more This volume contains a selection of fifteen articles that originated as papers presented at the First International Conference on Higher Education Teaching and Learning, which was held at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman, from 9 to 12 February 2020. The articles selected for inclusion in this proceedings showcase high quality contributions that document theory, research, and pedagogy within the field of teaching and learning in Higher Education.
The articles are categorized under the following four conference themes:
• Active Learning
• Critical Thinking
• Learning Spaces
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
The articles included in this volume represent the diverse background, experiences and research interests of the conference participants. The contributions are a mix of theoretical, empirical and pedagogical practices with a strong emphasis on the four conference themes, deemed essential for the advancement of the contemporary Higher Education. This makes the Proceedings of the First International Conference on Higher Education Teaching and Learning an invaluable resource, addressing important aspects of research and practice of teaching and learning in Higher Education.
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Papers by Hashil Al-Saadi
Conference Presentations by Hashil Al-Saadi
The articles are categorized under the following four conference themes:
• Active Learning
• Critical Thinking
• Learning Spaces
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
The articles included in this volume represent the diverse background, experiences and research interests of the conference participants. The contributions are a mix of theoretical, empirical and pedagogical practices with a strong emphasis on the four conference themes, deemed essential for the advancement of the contemporary Higher Education. This makes the Proceedings of the First International Conference on Higher Education Teaching and Learning an invaluable resource, addressing important aspects of research and practice of teaching and learning in Higher Education.
The articles are categorized under the following four conference themes:
• Active Learning
• Critical Thinking
• Learning Spaces
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
The articles included in this volume represent the diverse background, experiences and research interests of the conference participants. The contributions are a mix of theoretical, empirical and pedagogical practices with a strong emphasis on the four conference themes, deemed essential for the advancement of the contemporary Higher Education. This makes the Proceedings of the First International Conference on Higher Education Teaching and Learning an invaluable resource, addressing important aspects of research and practice of teaching and learning in Higher Education.