Teachers Experience of Assessment in Schools in Saudi Arabia
Research Methodology
Introduction
This study aims at exploring the perspectives of Saudi Arabian teachers regarding their experiences in the type of assessment used in schools. The researcher also aims to find out whether teachers find summative assessments to be effective in Saudi Arabia. The research will use a mixed design system to collect information from the teachers. The study will collect data using various methods such as questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Data collection is undertaken closely with the teachers to improve the reliability of the information. The researcher will then use statistical analysis tools to interpret the data to arrive at sound conclusions.
Location of the Study
The study will be carried out in Saudi Arabia in the Jeddah region. Both public and private schools will be involved in the process. However, a high number of teachers from the public schools will be engaged in the research since they teach a high number of students.
The rationale for using Mixed Methods
Using a variety of data collection methods entailing both qualitative and quantitative helps in increasing the reliability of the information. According to Bryman (2012), the use of mixed methods aids in capitalizing on the strengths of a particular method. On the other hand, the researchers work on minimizing the weaknesses of the data collection methods. Creswell et al. (2013) added that some of the data collection approaches have limitations. For instance, interviews can be biased when the interviewer asks prejudiced questions. Questionnaires may also lack objective questions which may distort the data collected. The researcher may also lack accuracy when making observations, and this can lead to erroneous conclusions. However, the use of mixed methods minimizes the disadvantages created by each.
Data collection methods
Questionnaires
Questionnaires are data collection instruments containing both open and closed-ended questions that respondents are expected to answer. The questionnaires contain a different set of questions that are expected to be confidentially answered by the respondents (Cummings, Kohn, & Hulley, 2013). The researcher distributes them to the respondents and then gets them back for analysis.
This study will use random sampling to obtain respondents from different schools. The researcher will identify 5 public and 3 private schools in the Jeddah region. Preference will be given to the schools with varying modes of assessment. The 3 private schools that will be sampled embraces both formative and summative methods of assessment. In the 5 public schools, 2 will be girl’s schools since the researcher also wants to know the perspective of the female teachers. 5 teachers from each of the selected schools will be engaged in the study. The age and subjects taught by the teachers will vary from one school to the other. The researcher will also engage teachers aged differently and those who teach different subjects. Therefore, the researcher will distribute 35 questionnaires to the 35 teachers in different schools.
The researcher will design questionnaires with both open-ended and close-ended questions. The questionnaires will comprise of questions that seek to now the opinion of teachers regarding summative assessment. The researcher will also ask the teachers whether summative assessment is improving the education goals of the Saudi Arabian curriculum. Teachers will be expected to be open and candid when answering the questions. There will be no disclosure of the information given by any teacher to the public. The researcher will promise them that the information provided will be confidential. Besides, the questionnaires will not require the teachers to disclose any personal information in the research document.
The teachers engaged in the research study will be given a whole day to answer the questions. In the evening, the researcher will collect the questionnaires in readiness to analyze and interpret the responses issued by the teachers.
Interviews
Interviews will also be used as a tool for data collection to aid in the reliability of the results obtained. The researcher will directly interview the teachers within the school premises. The interview will be face-to-face to enhance the reliability of the information given by the teachers. The interview will then be conducted in two phases starting with the public then private schools. The researcher will identify a cool place within the school to conduct the interviews. Two teachers (young and old) in both the private and public schools will be engaged in the interview process.
At the beginning phase of the interview, the researcher will ask whether the interviewee prefers to be questioned in either the Arabic or English language. The researcher will then explain the different types of assessment applied in various parts of the world. The questions asked will focus on knowing how the teachers feel about the summative assessment used in Saudi Arabian schools. The researcher will even ask whether the teachers can prefer the introduction of formative assessment in the curriculum. The teachers will then be given ample time of 30 minutes to explain their experiences about the assessment. They will not be disrupted unless the researcher finds that they are giving unimportant information. Any clarification sought by the teachers will be responded to immediately.
The information obtained from the teachers will be confidential. The researcher will preserve the information properly for further analysis. Each of the teachers participating in the study will then be congratulated.
Observations
Observations is a data collection method where the researcher generates information from his views. In this study, the researcher will attend various class sessions in both the private and public schools. The researcher will attend sixth grade classes of both young and old teachers. The researcher will also attend a class where the teacher is advanced in modern technical skills and also understands the English language. From the public schools, the researcher will also visit private schools to observe the assessment process.
The researcher will begin by attending the classes in public schools during normal class lessons. Observations will be made on how the teachers are assessing the students. Afterward, the researcher will attend the classes when national examinations are being administered and observe the reactions of both teachers and the students. The observations made by the researcher will then be analyzed to generate sound results.
Data Analysis
Statistical tools such as SPSS will then be used to analyze the information extracted from the questionnaires, interviews, and observations made by the researcher.
Ethical Issues in the Research Study
Ethical strategies were adopted as per the guidelines provided by the British Educational Research Association. The participant’s consent must be obtained without duress or payments aimed at luring the respondents to participate in the study (Sanjari et al., 2014). The researchers must also inform the participants that the information they give will be treated with utmost confidentiality (BERA, 2019). The participants can also withdraw from the study before it is completed. Before commencing the study, the researcher will send letters to the respective schools asking permission from the school heads to allow their teachers to engage in the study. This will be followed by consent forms, which contain exact details of why the research is being conducted. In the consent forms, the participants will also have detailed information of their roles in the study. Each of the teachers will receive a personal consent form requiring him or her to append a signature.
The researcher will also follow BERA guidelines and explain to all the participants about the importance of the research. They will be informed that the study aims to investigate their experiences of the current assessment used in Saudi Arabia. They will also be assured that the information shared will be used and reported in the right way. Only the voluntary participants will be engaged in the research study. They will also be informed that they can willingly withdraw their consent. Additionally, the researcher will be open and honest with the participants about the information obtained. There will be non-disclosure of the information given, and confidentiality of the responses will be a priority.
The researcher will also abide by the privacy and data storage guidelines of BERA. The participants will be entitled to privacy and anonymity of the information given, which will be kept private. Moreover, the questionnaires used will not have any personal questions that can help in identifying a particular teacher. The researcher will maintain the anonymity and privacy of the information obtained without disclosing any details. However, there are instances when researchers are forced to reveal private information to the authorities. For example, when participants engage in illegal behavior and acts of terror, the researcher can disclose the information to law enforcement officers (BERA, 2019). In this study, the researcher will only disclose the information if the participants pose a security threat to others.
Regarding face to face interviews, the researcher will maintain professionalism in the process. There will be ultimate respect directed towards the respondents. There will be no personal questions asked to the teachers with the intention of either ridiculing or humiliating them. In addition, the interaction of the researcher and the respondents will be respectful. The teachers will be informed that the study aims to respect their careers and the work they do for the students. This is under the guidelines set by BERA that researchers must show respect to the respondents (BERA, 2019). Individuals involved in the research should be handled fairly and with dignity. The respondents should also be sensitive when handling the respondents and give them the freedom to express their thoughts.
References
BERA (2019). Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fourth edition (2018). https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018-online
Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Gutmann, M. L., & Hanson, W. E. (2003). Advanced mixed methods research designs. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (209-240). London: Sage.
Cummings, S. R., Kohn, M. A., & Hulley, S. B. (2013). Designing questionnaires, interviews, and online surveys. Designing clinical research, 4.
Sanjari, M., Bahramnezhad, F., Fomani, F. K., Shoghi, M., & Cheraghi, M. A. (2014). Ethical challenges of researchers in qualitative studies: The necessity to develop a specific guideline. Journal of medical ethics and the history of medicine, 7.