Dr. Sandra Baroudi joined Zayed University as an Assistant Professor in August 2020. She holds a PhD in Education from the British University in Dubai (BUID), UAE. She is certified associate for the Blackboard academy and a Fellow for Advanced higher Education. Dr. Baroudi provides mentorship, training and professional development for in-service teachers in the Ta’Alouf Program for Career Based Teacher Development, through the Al Jalila Foundation. She developed PD modules to train teachers at the National Charity schools as part of the upskilling sustainable project in partnership between HSBC Middle East and Zayed University. She was a researcher Fellow for Queen Rania Foundation in Jordan and the Education Endowment Foundation in the UK. She held the position of a visiting faculty at UAEU in Al Ain for spring semester of 2019-2020. She worked for 5 years as a freelance researcher at the college of Education at Zayed university in Dubai. Her work explores the leadership and management in education, teacher education and professional development, technology integration in classroom, and development of female leadership in the MENA region. She led the contextualization of the teaching and learning toolkit into the Arab world context. Dr. Baroudi has presented at national and international conferences and published her work internationally in peer-reviewed journals. She is currently involved in various research projects. All her intellectual contributions are cited on her google scholar and ResearchGate profile. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5zrJbe4AAAAJ&hl=en https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sandra_Baroudi3
The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the unexpected tra... more The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the unexpected transition to online teaching due to COVID-19 necessitates that teachers should have the knowledge, competent skills and strategies to integrate digital tools and platforms effectively. Literature suggests however that many teachers do not feel confident enough or lack perceived capability in teaching using advanced technologies in classrooms, and do not have positive self-efficacy beliefs towards their online teaching. Hence, the purpose of this mixed-method study is to investigate teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) in online learning environments amid Covid-19. A total of 150 K-12 teachers from six Arab countries were invited to participate in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that perceived self-efficacy of online teaching was high. Two main factors, receiving support to design online instruction and receiving professional development in online teaching, significantly predict participants' sense of self-efficacy. Teachers who have previous experience in online teaching scored higher on their self-efficacy than teachers with limited or no experience. Student engagement had the weakest correlation between the four scales with the overall self-efficacy. Parental involvement was discovered through the qualitative analysis to be an emerging factor that could enhance teachers' self-efficacy. Recommendations and limitations are further discussed.
The present study explores the experiences of Emirati female preservice teachers who are completi... more The present study explores the experiences of Emirati female preservice teachers who are completing their internship teaching practice virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study focuses on virtual classroom management. Participants were preservice teachers (n = 18) completing their undergraduate degrees in Early Childhood Education at a federal university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data collected from interviews resulted in four themes related to classroom management: challenges, opportunities, performance factors, and suggestions for improvement. The findings revealed that the preservice teachers considered virtual learning an opportunity. However, the main challenge was that the preservice teachers had no prior training in online classroom management and had to create their own strategies. Training on the technology used for virtual learning is important for both teachers and students to achieve satisfactory learning experiences.
IntroductionLiterature to date indicates that constructive, timely, and personalized instructor f... more IntroductionLiterature to date indicates that constructive, timely, and personalized instructor feedback to student work boosts their academic performance. Peer feedback has been investigated extensively for the past three decades and has demonstrated its effectiveness where students were trained to give quality feedback. Little, however, is known about the use of feedforward as a strategy that focuses on future assignments and paves the way to improved performance.MethodsThis study followed an action research design using a mixed-method approach to examine the impact of feedforward on developing pre-service teachers’ performance on two main skills: critical thinking and academic writing. The teacher researcher followed the same cohort of 14 Emirati pre-service teachers’ over two semesters and used a pre- and post-test to collect quantitative data and a survey to collect qualitative data. Findings in this research study reveal that when using feedforwarding on the same cohort of 14 ...
This paper explores mobile learning (m-learning) acceptance and use through integrating UTAUT and... more This paper explores mobile learning (m-learning) acceptance and use through integrating UTAUT and IS success models to examine whether quality factors (including "Information Quality," "System Quality" and "Service Quality") and behavioral factors (including "Performance Expectancy," "Social Influence" and "Facilitating Conditions") predict students' satisfaction and their intention to use m-learning systems. Data were collected through surveys from a total of 383 higher education male and female students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Structural equation modelling and path analysis were employed to test the proposed research model,
New ways of modernizing professional development programs (hereafter PDs) focus on the acquisitio... more New ways of modernizing professional development programs (hereafter PDs) focus on the acquisition of new teaching methods and techniques through hands-on opportunities provided to teachers, thereby enabling them to practice and reflect on the knowledge gained. Moreover, the new vision of reform and sustainability in education emphasizes the development of sustainable PDs that resist disruptive factors, increase teachers’ commitment, and ensure more sustainable development across children’s lifespans. This study explores the impact of a piloted sustainable PD on the development of 16 teachers and head teachers’ attitudes about assessment practices, professional growth, and leadership skills. Qualitative data collected in the form of interviews, post-PD surveys, and reflections were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings indicate that the confidence in creating assessments and rubrics of participants in their different positions increased, and their ability to provide ...
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced many learning institutions to close or switch to remot... more The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced many learning institutions to close or switch to remote learning as a preventative measure to reduce the spread of the virus. The greatest challenge was with practical courses where preservice teachers had to promptly acquire technological skills and online teaching pedagogies as part of their virtual field experience. This need for learning and applying online pedagogies and technological competencies to increase student performance can lead to different perceptions of self-efficacy in online teaching. The purpose of this study is to examine the predictors for enhancing preservice teachers' self-efficacy and satisfaction in online teaching and to investigate the association of their self-efficacy beliefs and their satisfaction with online teaching. Elementary preservice teachers (n = 257) from two teacher preparation programs in two universities in the United Arab Emirates completed a 5-point Likert scale survey. Results revealed that participants reported a high level of self-efficacy and satisfaction in online teaching mainly regarding their abilities to engage students in online classrooms and use of computers/educational technology. Students' technological knowledge was strongly correlated with participants self-efficacy beliefs. Interestingly, results showed that preservice teachers who have beginner experience in teaching scored significantly higher on their self-efficacy than those with moderate and advanced experience.
The impact of peer reviewing for writers has been investigated extensively for the past three dec... more The impact of peer reviewing for writers has been investigated extensively for the past three decades. Results have showed that peer reviewing improves writers’ texts, helps in identifying their writing strategies, and develops their motivation and confidence. Less researched, however, are the ways that could improve the quality of peer-review feedback in an EFL context, compared with English dominant settings. To address this issue, the current study examined the effect of peer reviewing training on the motivation and engagement levels towards self and peer reviewing of undergraduate students who are Arabic native speakers at a foundation intermediate English class. Students received training on how to review essays and provide effective feedback on formal (related to English language structure) and global errors (related to the content and organisation of writing). Combinations of face to face training and self-paced training through mobile technology learning apps were provided t...
Nurturing students' leadership is a crucial element in the twenty-rst century due to its ... more Nurturing students' leadership is a crucial element in the twenty-rst century due to its eeects on their personal growth, well-being and self-awareness. Peer mentoring programmes promoted students' conndence levels and provided leadership development opportunities for them. The majority of peer mentoring studies often looked into the positive outcomes of mentoring on mentees rather than on mentors. Through semi-structured interviews, this study sought to explore the impact of peer mentoring role on female mentors' personal development and leadership practices in one university in the United Arab Emirates. Most participants viewed the mentoring role as the driving force behind their improved academic, personal development and career-related skills. The peer mentoring experience ooered a great personal and psychosocial support to female mentors. Involvement in peer mentoring enhanced mentors' well-being and their attachment to their learning environment. Mentors' professionalism and sense of responsibility grew, and they gained experiences and skills that may help them in their future career. This study aimed to inspire female students to be future leaders who can positively contribute to their communities. It strengthened arguments for implementing peer mentoring programmes in universities.
The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the unexpected tra... more The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the unexpected transition to online teaching due to COVID-19 necessitates that teachers should have the knowledge, competent skills and strategies to integrate digital tools and platforms effectively. Literature suggests however that many teachers do not feel confident enough or lack perceived capability in teaching using advanced technologies in classrooms, and do not have positive self-efficacy beliefs towards their online teaching. Hence, the purpose of this mixed-method study is to investigate teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) in online learning environments amid Covid-19. A total of 150 K-12 teachers from six Arab countries were invited to participate in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that perceived self-efficacy of online teaching was high. Two main factors, receiving support to design online instruction and receiving professional development in online teaching, significantly predict participants' sense of self-efficacy. Teachers who have previous experience in online teaching scored higher on their self-efficacy than teachers with limited or no experience. Student engagement had the weakest correlation between the four scales with the overall self-efficacy. Parental involvement was discovered through the qualitative analysis to be an emerging factor that could enhance teachers' self-efficacy. Recommendations and limitations are further discussed.
The present study explores the experiences of Emirati female preservice teachers who are completi... more The present study explores the experiences of Emirati female preservice teachers who are completing their internship teaching practice virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study focuses on virtual classroom management. Participants were preservice teachers (n = 18) completing their undergraduate degrees in Early Childhood Education at a federal university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data collected from interviews resulted in four themes related to classroom management: challenges, opportunities, performance factors, and suggestions for improvement. The findings revealed that the preservice teachers considered virtual learning an opportunity. However, the main challenge was that the preservice teachers had no prior training in online classroom management and had to create their own strategies. Training on the technology used for virtual learning is important for both teachers and students to achieve satisfactory learning experiences.
IntroductionLiterature to date indicates that constructive, timely, and personalized instructor f... more IntroductionLiterature to date indicates that constructive, timely, and personalized instructor feedback to student work boosts their academic performance. Peer feedback has been investigated extensively for the past three decades and has demonstrated its effectiveness where students were trained to give quality feedback. Little, however, is known about the use of feedforward as a strategy that focuses on future assignments and paves the way to improved performance.MethodsThis study followed an action research design using a mixed-method approach to examine the impact of feedforward on developing pre-service teachers’ performance on two main skills: critical thinking and academic writing. The teacher researcher followed the same cohort of 14 Emirati pre-service teachers’ over two semesters and used a pre- and post-test to collect quantitative data and a survey to collect qualitative data. Findings in this research study reveal that when using feedforwarding on the same cohort of 14 ...
This paper explores mobile learning (m-learning) acceptance and use through integrating UTAUT and... more This paper explores mobile learning (m-learning) acceptance and use through integrating UTAUT and IS success models to examine whether quality factors (including "Information Quality," "System Quality" and "Service Quality") and behavioral factors (including "Performance Expectancy," "Social Influence" and "Facilitating Conditions") predict students' satisfaction and their intention to use m-learning systems. Data were collected through surveys from a total of 383 higher education male and female students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Structural equation modelling and path analysis were employed to test the proposed research model,
New ways of modernizing professional development programs (hereafter PDs) focus on the acquisitio... more New ways of modernizing professional development programs (hereafter PDs) focus on the acquisition of new teaching methods and techniques through hands-on opportunities provided to teachers, thereby enabling them to practice and reflect on the knowledge gained. Moreover, the new vision of reform and sustainability in education emphasizes the development of sustainable PDs that resist disruptive factors, increase teachers’ commitment, and ensure more sustainable development across children’s lifespans. This study explores the impact of a piloted sustainable PD on the development of 16 teachers and head teachers’ attitudes about assessment practices, professional growth, and leadership skills. Qualitative data collected in the form of interviews, post-PD surveys, and reflections were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings indicate that the confidence in creating assessments and rubrics of participants in their different positions increased, and their ability to provide ...
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced many learning institutions to close or switch to remot... more The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced many learning institutions to close or switch to remote learning as a preventative measure to reduce the spread of the virus. The greatest challenge was with practical courses where preservice teachers had to promptly acquire technological skills and online teaching pedagogies as part of their virtual field experience. This need for learning and applying online pedagogies and technological competencies to increase student performance can lead to different perceptions of self-efficacy in online teaching. The purpose of this study is to examine the predictors for enhancing preservice teachers' self-efficacy and satisfaction in online teaching and to investigate the association of their self-efficacy beliefs and their satisfaction with online teaching. Elementary preservice teachers (n = 257) from two teacher preparation programs in two universities in the United Arab Emirates completed a 5-point Likert scale survey. Results revealed that participants reported a high level of self-efficacy and satisfaction in online teaching mainly regarding their abilities to engage students in online classrooms and use of computers/educational technology. Students' technological knowledge was strongly correlated with participants self-efficacy beliefs. Interestingly, results showed that preservice teachers who have beginner experience in teaching scored significantly higher on their self-efficacy than those with moderate and advanced experience.
The impact of peer reviewing for writers has been investigated extensively for the past three dec... more The impact of peer reviewing for writers has been investigated extensively for the past three decades. Results have showed that peer reviewing improves writers’ texts, helps in identifying their writing strategies, and develops their motivation and confidence. Less researched, however, are the ways that could improve the quality of peer-review feedback in an EFL context, compared with English dominant settings. To address this issue, the current study examined the effect of peer reviewing training on the motivation and engagement levels towards self and peer reviewing of undergraduate students who are Arabic native speakers at a foundation intermediate English class. Students received training on how to review essays and provide effective feedback on formal (related to English language structure) and global errors (related to the content and organisation of writing). Combinations of face to face training and self-paced training through mobile technology learning apps were provided t...
Nurturing students' leadership is a crucial element in the twenty-rst century due to its ... more Nurturing students' leadership is a crucial element in the twenty-rst century due to its eeects on their personal growth, well-being and self-awareness. Peer mentoring programmes promoted students' conndence levels and provided leadership development opportunities for them. The majority of peer mentoring studies often looked into the positive outcomes of mentoring on mentees rather than on mentors. Through semi-structured interviews, this study sought to explore the impact of peer mentoring role on female mentors' personal development and leadership practices in one university in the United Arab Emirates. Most participants viewed the mentoring role as the driving force behind their improved academic, personal development and career-related skills. The peer mentoring experience ooered a great personal and psychosocial support to female mentors. Involvement in peer mentoring enhanced mentors' well-being and their attachment to their learning environment. Mentors' professionalism and sense of responsibility grew, and they gained experiences and skills that may help them in their future career. This study aimed to inspire female students to be future leaders who can positively contribute to their communities. It strengthened arguments for implementing peer mentoring programmes in universities.
Children’s literature in the Arabic language has seen an impressive boom in the last decade both ... more Children’s literature in the Arabic language has seen an impressive boom in the last decade both in quantity and quality. Arabic children’s literature awards have also increased in number and competitiveness. However, children’s literature in the Arabic language continues to be criticised for not being appealing to children, due to its didactic content and its highly symbolic language. This study analysed 47 award-winning Arabic children’s literature books, looking at five domains. The purpose was to look for features and trends common to award-winning books. Results revealed that Arabic children’s literature continues to be seen as a tool to educate and impart morality. Results also revealed the dominance of male characters, the prevalence of realistic fiction genres, and the repeated use of poverty, child displacement, family and refugees as the topics of choice when writing for children.
Field experience otherwise known as practice teaching or practicum became the foundation of teach... more Field experience otherwise known as practice teaching or practicum became the foundation of teacher preparation programs bridging the gap between theory and practice. The practical/field experience is viewed as a significant learning curve for preservice teachers as it provides them with the opportunity to build their pedagogical proficiencies in preparation to joining the workforce. To that end, teacher preparation programs should be well structured and maintain strong collaborations with partner schools in which preservice teachers are placed during their field experience. It is as equally important to specify the role of mentors and ensure direct communication between them and preservice teachers. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the challenges for preservice teachers in their field experience have been explored. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and owing to the subsequent and sudden shift to online learning, preservice teachers became involved, for the first time, in virtual field placement. Hence, the purpose of this chapter is to provide (1) an understanding of preservice teachers attitudes toward online field placement and (2) a summary about their challenges in both face-to-face and online field placement. Furthermore, this chapter highlights the innovative practices that were implemented during their teaching experience to help them adapt to the unprecedented changes and overcome the challenges they faced. This chapter will start with a description of field experience and its benefits to preservice teachers. This will be followed by a presentation of the structure of field experience in the UAE and a highlight of the main challenges that preservice teachers faced during their face-to-face and virtual field experience during the pandemic. The last section will discuss the innovative practices that were adopted to allow preservice teachers to acclimatize to the sudden transition to virtual learning and will provide main key points and takeaways.
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