THE EXTENT OF ACHIEVING THE INTENDED RESULTS OF INTEGRATING

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN SAUDI ARABIA SECONDARY

CLASSROOMS

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Education, Educational Technology

By
Hanan Alzamil
May 2015

Copyright 2015 by Hanan Alzamil

THE EXTENT OF ACHEIVEING THE INTENDED RESULTS OF

INTEGRATING EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN SAUDI ARABIA
SECONDERY CLASSROOMS
Department of Reading, Foundations, and Technology
Missouri State University, May 2015
Master of Science in Education, Educational Technology
Hanan Alzamil
ABSTRACT
Saudi Arabia strives to become a more developed country. To do this, they have started
implementing more educational technology in their classrooms. This survey study aims to
determine if the integration of technology in secondary education classrooms has
achieved expectations, such as higher-order thinking skills and 21st century skills
consisting of innovation, creativity, communication, and collaboration. If teachers feel the
expectations have not been met, the study aims to gather theories about why the
objectives have not been achieved after implementing technology, and the use of
technology could be improved by implementing teaching practices involving a more
student-centered and inquiry-based lessons, similar to those found in eMINTS
Instructional Model. Improving education and the use of technology in education will
help Saudi Arabia in its goal of a more developed country in education.
KEYWORDS: educational technology, Saudi Arabia, secondary education, classrooms,
eMINTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

Statement of the Problem .................................................................................1
Purpose of the Study .........................................................................................1
Research Questions ...........................................................................................1
Researchers Relationship to the Problem ........................................................2
Research Design ...............................................................................................2
Significance of the Study ..................................................................................3
Limitations & Assumptions ..............................................................................3
Definition of Terms ...........................................................................................3
CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Uses of Technology in Classrooms and Its Effects ...........................................5
Theories of Why Technology has not Achieved Desired Effects .....................7
Application of Student Centered and Inquiry Based Principles and Strategies
...........................................................................................................................10
Summary ...........................................................................................................12
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY
Research Design ...............................................................................................14
Site of Study .....................................................................................................15
Participants .......................................................................................................15
Ethical Considerations ......................................................................................16
Instrumentation .................................................................................................16
Data Collection Procedures ..............................................................................16
Role of Researcher ............................................................................................18
Data Analysis ....................................................................................................18
CHAPTER IV: RESULTS
Demographics....................................................................................................20
Research Question 1..........................................................................................22
Research Question 2..........................................................................................26
Research Question 3..........................................................................................32
CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION, FUTURE RESEARCH, AND CONCLUSION
Discussion..........................................................................................................37
Suggestions for Future Research.......................................................................40
Conclusion.........................................................................................................40
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................42
APPENDICES
Survey................................................................................................................44

Informed Consent .............................................................................................47

IRB Approval ....................................................................................................48

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Correlation of responses for Research Questions 1 & 2.....................................28
Table 2. Correlation of responses for current technology use and circumstances for
increased use.....................................................................................................................35

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Percentage of male and female survey respondents .........................................20
Figure 2. Percentages of the age makeup of the respondents............................................21
Figure 3. Percentage of responding teachers in each subject area....................................21
Figure 4. Percentage of teachers whose students use technology to complete projects23
Figure 5. Percentage of teachers whose students use technology for presentations.........23
Figure 6. Percentage of teachers whose students use technology for educational game ..24
Figure 7. Percentage of teachers whose students use technology for collaboration.........24
Figure 8. Percentage of teachers whose students use social media for education....25
Figure 9. Percentage of teachers whose students use technology to collaborate. .25
Figure 10. Percentages of teachers who use technology for grades......26
Figure 11. Percentage of teachers who use technology in lecture.....27
Figure 12. Percentage of current technology use at different levels. 34
Figure 13. Percentage of desired use with greater access to technology. .34
Figure 14. Percentage of teachers whose level of technology use could increase with
professional development and administrative support. .35

CHAPTER I
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

Statement of the Problem

Technology is widely used in our daily life experiences. As such, the more it is
applied in educational settings to enhance student learning, its relevance to real life
interventions becomes compatible with development. To compete with other developing
and developed countries, Saudi Arabia has started implementing more technology in their
classrooms. Because technology plays such a large part in our lives, and is important for
development in the global community, determining the success it has had, and ways to
improve the use of technology in classrooms is important to the development potential of
Saudi Arabia.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to determine whether the educational technology that
has been implemented in Saudi Arabia recently is perceived to have achieved
expectations in secondary education level classrooms. If the perceptions are that the
technology has not achieved the expectations, the study intends to determine why it has
not. The study also aims to gather ways to improve the use of technology in classrooms,
such as teaching practices supporting a more student-centered and inquiry-based method.

Research Questions
1. Has the technology implemented in secondary education classrooms in Saudi
Arabia met expectations of having higher-order thinking and 21st century skills
such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration in the
classroom?
2.

Has the technology had the desired effect in the classroom?

3. Would student-centered and inquiry-based teaching practices be beneficial to

the use of technology in secondary education classrooms?

Researchers Relationship to the Study

The researchers experience with the research topic is two-fold. The researcher
has previously taught two years and used educational technology in classrooms in Saudi
Arabia. The researcher has also taken courses studying eMINTS Instructional Model in
the United States. After taking the eMINTS courses, the researcher became curious if

some of the teaching practices used in the model could be applied to classrooms in Saudi
Arabia to increase the benefits of educational technology.

Research Design
The research design of the study will be a survey study. The survey will contain
Likert Scale questions. The design will gather quantitative data from the completed
surveys. The purpose of obtaining these data pertains to the usefulness of empirical data
relating to perceptions of educational technology benefits in secondary education
classrooms and the perceptions of improvements that could be made through teaching
practices.

Significance of the Study

This study is significant to the quality of education in Saudi Arabia. High quality
education is a feature of many of the developed countries of the world. Studies that aim
to increase the quality of education in Saudi Arabia will help it achieve its goal to
compete with other developing and developed counties of the world.

Assumptions & Limitations of the Study

The primary assumption of the study is that there is room to improve the use of
technology in Saudi Arabias classrooms. It is also assumed that some technology has
failed to meet its objectives.
Limitations that pertain to the study include: obtaining enough information from
teachers to provide an in-depth understanding of the utilization of technology in

classrooms and whether the technology has achieved the desired effects. Another possible
limitation of the study would be the question of compromising validity and reliability if
the researcher is subjective because of their experience working in the educational
environment of Saudi Arabia.

Definition of Terms
1. Educational Technology: Any equipment or device used in the classroom to enhance
the teaching and/or learning experience.
2. eMINTS: Acronym for Enhancing Missouris Instructional Networked Teaching
Strategies. Professional development instructional model originating in American that
helps teachers integrate technology into their teaching methods.
3. Secondary Education: Education continued after primary and elementary school,
equivalent to grades 10-12 in some countries, such as the United States.

CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW

Uses of Technology in Classrooms and How it Enhances Teaching and Learning

It is no secret that technology is considered an integral part of our daily lives.
However, it is becoming increasingly integrated into educational settings. Thomas Edison
actually predicted that books would become an outdated means of instruction (Rutgers,
2013). The contention was that motion picture had great potential in communicating
knowledge, and by 1920 The National Academy of Visual Instruction was formed. One of
the National Academy of Visual Instruction experts published the first visual instruction
textbooks; allowing the utilization of seeing experiences to include pictures models,
exhibits, charts, and graphs as enrichment of the learning process (Hirumi, 2014).
Relevant advancements continued into the 1930s and 40s, when radio was accepted as a
major form of education technology. Considerable developments were pursued in
producing sound features improvements through audio recording of lessons. This aspect
of the science moved education technology from merely visual into audio-visual
technology. By 1947 more progress in education technology was realized when the
Department of Audiovisual Instruction (DAVI) along with McGraw Hill Book Company
made the first text films supplementing textbooks (Hirumi, 2014). This section of the
literature review relates to how the modern educational technology can be used to
enhance teaching and learning experiences in the twenty-first century school curriculum.
Wang and Hannafin (2005) conducted studies regarding how educational
technology has been utilized to enhance learning. The authors contend that within the

past decade, design-based research applications have yielded data benefiting

methodologies. The data shows enhanced learning in educational environments where
specific technologies were adapted during the teaching and learning process (Wang &
Hannafin, 2005).
Associate professor from the University of Central Florida, Dr. Atsusi Hirumi
asked if technology really enhanced learning. The answer to this rhetorical question was
that it lies in the design. The professor advanced that instructional designs are responsible
for more reasons why and how learning occurs, above the technology itself being
utilized. Consequently, educators ought to be encouraged to concentrate on developing
more appropriate teaching methodologies to accompany their use of classroom
technology. Simply using educational technology would be futile and sabotage its true
purpose if not integrated into a successful learning strategy. The time taken to assess
whether one technology works above another should be used by testing the procedures
before its implementation to ensure it is effective throughout the educational process
(Hirumi, 2014).
A technology-enriched classroom environment has also proved to have a positive
effect on student acquisition of higher-order thinking skills (Hopson, Simms, & Knezek,
2002). Problem solving, critical thinking, and higher-order thinking skills have become
crucial to the future success of students in the modern Information Age. Technology
enriched classrooms also had a positive effect on the motivation of students, including
their attitudes and perseverance, and their self-reported creative tendencies, including
exploring the unknown, taking initiative, and finding unique solutions (Hopson, et. al,
2002).

Overtime, with constant application and research, instructional technologies

become an instrumental strategic approach that nourish curriculum. This evaluation is
monitored by assessment of curriculum relevance in a world impacted by globalization
and social changes. Students and teachers are forced to adapt to an evolutionary phases in
the learning process through utilizing appropriate tools; aligning with the media and their
peculiar environments (Voogt & Knezek, 2008).

Theories of Why Technology in Classrooms has not Achieved Desired Effect

Critics have argued that technology does not enhance teaching and learning in the
classroom. Their main argument is that while some students show improvement, others
do not (Spector, Merrill, Elen, & Bishop, 2010). The following literature review section
proposes various theories as to why technology in classrooms has not achieved its desired
effects in countries such a Saudi Arabia, and why some students have not shown
educational improvement through the integration of educational technology.
Michael Searson, Therese Laferriere, and Roumen Nikolow, presenters at the
2011 International Summit on Information Communication Technology (ICT) in
education identified imminent barriers to educational technologys adaptation in schools
across the world. The researchers postulate that a sound understanding of the utilization
of ICT in education is lacking among administrators, and that this one of the major
barriers to ICTs receptivity and subsequent implementation (Searson, Laferriere,
Nikolow, 2011). To remedy this barrier, not only should educators implement an inquirybased teaching methodology towards their students, but also they should implement it in

their own education as well in order to learn from educators more experienced in ICT in
education (Searson, et. al, 2011).
When new technology is introduced, school environments and the public can be
apprehensive towards it, as it the case with integrated the network to public school. To
remedy this barrier and apprehension, everyone involved in the use of ICT, including the
public, needs to be educated about the usefulness of ICTs at improving learning (Turcotte
& Hamel, 2008).
One theory as to why education technology is sometimes ineffective has nothing
to do with how well equipped the classroom is. Instead it focuses on overall teaching
methods. The theory is that antiquated teaching methods, such as instructional lectures
and recitation, are what inhibit the adaption of educational technology in modern
classrooms (Levine, 2008). Teachers motivations and preparations must be addressed
and altered to make the utilization of educational technology in classrooms more
effective.
Ensaf Al Mulhim from the Plymouth University, Drake Circus in United
Kingdom, presented an expert opinion on the barriers to using ICT in teaching and
education specifically for Saudi Arabia. She advanced that the barriers in Saudi Arabia
are twofold, where both teachers and schools influence the barriers. The teacher barriers
occur more frequently, and mainly include their attitude towards technology,
apprehension to change, insufficient time input, poor confidence in their application of
education technology, and inadequate skills and knowledge in utilizing the devices (Al
Mulhim, 2014). In elaborating on the barriers that hinder teachers from using ICT in
their teaching practices in classrooms at Saudi Arabias schools, Al Mulhim attributed the

teaching process itself as a major factor. Teaching was perceived as making available
resources that enhances or facilitates the desired intervention (Al Mulhim, 2014).
Other researchers have also come to the conclusion that teachers attitudes and
pedagogical beliefs are one of the major barriers to the integration of educational
technology in the classroom. Teachers sometimes feel threatened with the possibility of
being replaced by computers in the classroom, as well as fearing that computers will
interfere with teacher-student relationships (Bauer & Kenton, 2005). Interestingly though,
attempts at linking educational technology utilization to existing prospective pedagogies
such as language do enhance acceptance and efficiency of education technologies in
modern school curriculum (International Society for Technology in Education, 2009).
Alwani and Soomro (2010) also conducted a study to identify barriers to the
effective use of information technology specific to Saudi Arabia. Their findings
articulated more of the barriers influenced by the schools instead of the teachers. The
participants identified the shortage of short-course training on how to implement
information technology into their curriculum, and the high cost they would incur if
choosing to implement it on their own as two major barriers to the integration of
technology in their classrooms (Alwani & Soomro, 2010).

Application of Student-Centered and Inquiry-Based Principles and Strategies

Analysis of learning enhancement and the influence of education technology has
found that instructional designs are impacted by a number of variables, including: the
learners ability to assimilate content, type of situations in which the learning process is
activated, goals instructors desire to achieve, time frame for the learning intervention to
occur, along with learning resources available. However, amidst these considerations, it

must be understood that there is no universally perfect educational technology or best

method of practice and that variations exist with reference to age groups and culture of
the community (Dede, 2008).
Mckenney, Voogt, Bustraan, & Smits (2009) conducted a study investigating
educative curriculum materials for the integration of writing and science in elementary
schools. Their professional development for the undertaken task was limited. Twenty-five
class sessions were conducted being evaluated individually, utilizing a five session lesson
curriculum module. The lesson encompassed teaching of a science subject on cloud and
precipitation. While these teachers were not experts in science, they focused on important
practices such as student collaboration and thinking process. At the end of this study all
teachers engaged in this project were positive that more could have been achieved in the
teaching learning process with enhancement of educative curriculum materials
(Mckenney, Voogt, Bustraan, & Smits, 2009). Similarly, it has been recommended that
educators and researchers ought to explore beyond the technology boundaries. In other
words, focus less on technologys designs and features, and focus more on methods in
which educators and researchers could improve the delivery of education technology
designs that enhance learning (Bernard, Abrami, Lou, & Borokhovski, 2004).
Compatible with the notion of curriculum enhancement and education delivery
methods is the motion of professional development. Lack of professional development
was an evidenced barrier to the effective implantation of education technology. Analysis
has showed that professional development is a catalyst in the appropriate transmission of
knowledge through instructional technology. Professional development was also closely
aligned with appropriate implementation practices; making desired student outcomes

10

more achievable (Martin & Strother, 2010). Bauer and Kenton (2005) also support the
claims that poor curriculum planning and poorly trained teachers are part of the reason
technology integration is not happening in schools (2005). They posit that teachers would
be well served by learning effective computer technology instruction, and argue that
teacher education programs have the greatest influence on what methods teachers use to
impart their lessons (Bauer & Kenton, 2005). Because teacher attitudes and pedagogical
beliefs also have an impact on the integration of educational technology in classrooms,
part of professional development would include changing the beliefs of educators and
administrators, ideally through educating them (Ertmer, 2005).
One proven method of professional development is learning vicariously through
the experiences of other educators (Ertmer, 2005). Vicarious experiences are considered
to be a powerful learning tool because observing others similar to you serves both
informational and motivational functions. In other words, models can not only provide
information about how to enact specific classroom strategies, but can also increase
observers confidence in generating the same behavior (Ertmer, 2005).
Certain regions in the United States have begun implementing an instructional
model that focuses on implementing inquiry-based learning with student-centered,
teacher facilitated practices, which actively engage students in learning and offer realworld contexts or authentic experiences (eMINTS National Center, 2003). Supporting the
claims for curriculum alterations, the eMINTS Instructional Model encourages highquality lesson designs that engage students in higher-order thinking (eMINTS National
Center, 2003). As stated in the first section of the literature review on how technology
enhances learning and education, Hopson and his colleagues stated that higher-order

11

thinking skills are vital to the future success of students. Higher-order thinking focused
curricula like that found in the eMINTS Instructional Model allow students to develop
skills such as innovation, creativity, communication, and collaboration (eMINTS
Instructional Model, 2003); all of which will be valuable after exiting the classroom
education environment.

Summary
Inquiry-based learning and student-centered approach go hand-in-hand. Together
they allow real-world questions and contexts drive instruction and learning. Educational
technology is able to assist in the investigation and obtaining of factual information to
answer their question and communicating the conclusion they came to through the data
they gathered, which are all components of inquiry-based learning (eMINTS Instructional
Model, 2003). This is not a common approach in traditional classrooms that focus on
lectures where students simply recall information. The curriculum must be altered to
integrate support of inquiry-based, student-centered learning practices. To make these
curriculum adjustments for the sake of the children, many educators must also be
educated with regard to the benefits of educational technology in the classroom, and
participate in professional development to best make the curriculum adjustments.
Ultimately, the general perception is that education technology enhances learning,
but there are immense barriers towards arriving at the desired learning enhancement.
Even in situations where there is more than enough access to technology, if teachers
methodologies are not compatible with the evolving technology systems, implementing
devices in schools would be futile. To make teachers methodologies compatible with
evolving technology systems, administrators and members of the community must

12

support professional development. Altering the curriculum in ways that support studentcentered and inquiry-based principles is also needed to fully integrate technology in the
classroom, instead of only using education technology occasionally.

13

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the researcher outlines research design, site of the study,
participants, ethical considerations, data collection procedures, instrumentation, data
analysis, and an explanation of the role of the researcher. By applying the following
methodology, the effects of educational technology in Saudi Arabia classrooms and ways
to improve their use will be deduced from the information gathered through the study.
The methods to improve the use of technology can then be applied to achieve the desired
effects of educational technology in Saudi Arabia.

Research Design
The research embraces an exploration into educational technology use in
secondary education classrooms in Saudi Arabia. A survey research, embodies by Likert
Scale questions will determine whether the use of educational technology in secondary
classrooms has achieved its desired effects, and if not, whether implementing studentcentered and inquiry-based principles and strategies will increase the efficacy of
educational technology. The survey will randomly be distributed to secondary education
teachers and administrators in Saudi Arabia. Fitting with the objective of this research
study, the purpose of quantitative research is to generalize results on the views and
opinions of a chosen sample of the population. In this study, only a portion of the
population will be sampled and questioned about their opinion on whether education
technology in Saudi Arabia secondary education classrooms has achieved its desired

14

effects. The same sample population will also be questioned on their opinion of whether
student-centered and inquiry-based style principles and strategies will increase the
positive effects of educational technology. The responses will then be generalized to
apply to all of Saudi Arabias secondary education classrooms to improve the use of
education technology.

Site of the Study

The study will take place in secondary education schools throughout the entire
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Secondary education in Saudi Arabia takes place over three
years for students ages 16 through 18. The average secondary education classroom has
thirty students. To conduct a survey throughout the entire Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the
survey will be posted to the forum website of the Ministry of Education, which can be
accessed by most of the teachers.

Participants of the Study

Both male and female secondary education teachers will be the targeted sample
population and participants for the study. The ages of the teachers ranges from 23 to 60
years old. Teachers participating in the study should also have at least 1-year of work
experience in the field. Within the study site area of Saudi Arabia, about a 100 studies
will be randomly distributed to secondary education teachers. This number was reached
because quantitative research studies get the best results with larger sample populations
of 100 people or more, yet it is still small enough to fit within the site of the study.

15

Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations pertaining to this research investigation consist of
legitimate standards in conducting the research process and the protection of human
rights for participants involved in the research. Because this is a quantitative study, there
is less risk for a human rights violation for participants, but nonetheless it should be
addressed.
Research ethics is concerned with validity and reliability of research results.
Researchers are expected to conduct the survey process legitimately; applying
appropriate designs as well as complying with these regulations, in order to arrive at
authentic conclusions. In order to comply with ethical standards for the purpose of
validity and authenticity, a written informed consents (Appendix B) must be obtained
from the teachers who participate this study with a disclaimer that they are under no
obligation to answer the questionnaire. A declaration of exemption from any penalty if
they refuse to participate in the study must also be delivered by a written statement from
the researcher.
Another ethical consideration the researcher must be mindful of is researcher bias.
The researcher has experience in Saudi Arabias education system. When designing the
survey, the researcher must be mindful of how these questions are worded so as not write
them to evoke desired answers.
The survey will not be distributed to participants prior to receiving IRB approval
(Appendix C).

Instrumentation

16

The instrument used in this study is a survey administered through Survey

Monkey. Questions in this survey require Likert scale responses. An advantage of Likert
scale answers on the questionnaire is that it provides specific responses that are able to be
coded in alignment with research questions. Likert scale questions are also characteristic
of quantitative research. The questions will be designed to gather the opinions of how
well educational technology has achieved its goals, and opinions. Along with questions to
help answer the research questions, questions to gather demographic information of the
population sample will also be included.

Data Collection Procedures

This researcher will conduct a survey to find out teachers and administrators
opinions of whether or not educational technology in secondary education classrooms in
Saudi Arabia has achieved its desired effects. The Survey Monkey link will be distributed
through the forum website for the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia. The forum is
accessed by most of the teachers throughout the kingdom. The survey will also aim to
determine opinions of if student-centered and inquiry-based principles and strategies can
be applied in Saudi Arabia secondary classrooms, and if they would increase the positive
effects of educational technology in secondary education classrooms. Using a survey has
many advantages in data collection. Because the target population lives so far away in a
different country, they are easier to be reached through surveys. Using a survey also
reduces the cost on collecting data in person through interviews. Another advantage of
using survey is the researcher is able to reach the sample population at one time, which
would shorten the time it takes to conduct the study.

17

Role of the Researcher

The role of the researcher in this study is to design the project and execute the
process. Researchers responsibility is to select a sample of the population to be
investigated, and to obtain the required permission to perform the research. Essentially, it
is the researchers role to make sure the data analysis process is authentic and the
institutions reputation is upheld through the study.

Data Analysis
First, the researcher will code the Likert scale responses to categorize data into
sections related to the research questions. The coded columns are designed to discard
irrelevant data and confine the appropriate information in a subset. Then the application
of mechanical techniques, such as charts and graphs that show the results of Likert scale
responses of teachers and administrators opinions will be created. The goal of this data
analysis is readability for easy interpretation by others to help decision making processes
to increase the positive effects of education technology in Saudi Arabia secondary
education settings.

18

CHAPTER IV
RESULTS

This study is to determine whether the educational technology that has been
implemented in Saudi Arabia recently is perceived to have achieved expectations in
secondary education classrooms. If the perceptions are that technology has not achieved
expectations, then this study is also to determine barriers to technology achieving
expectations. The expectations are that technology is used to support student-centered
and inquiry based teaching methods. This study examined 100 teachers in secondary
education classrooms in Saudi Arabia to see the level of technology use and the types of
technology use in their classrooms. This chapter presents the results of the survey
(Appendix A) to determine what barriers, if any, to educational technology use in Saudi
Arabia must be overcome.
To obtain the information presented in this chapter, the survey was administered
through Survey Monkey, and its link was distributed through the forum website for the
Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia. The forum website is accessed by most of the
teachers throughout the kingdom. Administering the survey in this way was the most
ideal because the target population lives so far away in a different country from the
researcher. It also allowed the researcher to sample the population at one time, shortening
the time it took to conduct the study.

19

Demographics
There were 100 teachers who responded to the survey administered throughout
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via the forum website of the Ministry of Education.
Figure 1 shows the percentages of male and female teachers that responded to the survey.
Out of the 100 teachers, 65 of them were female and 35 were male.

Gender
35%
Female

Male

65%

Figure 1 Percentage of male and female survey respondents

Ages for the participants were divided into three categories: twenties, thirties, and
forty and over. Figure 2 shows the percentages of the participants who fall into each
category. With 46 percent, majority of the teachers were in their thirties. Thirty-four of
the teachers were in their twenties, and only 20% of the teachers were over forty.

20

Age
20%
Age23-30

Age31-40
34%

Age 40 or over

46%

Figure 2 Percentages of the age makeup of the respondents

The participants of the study teach in a variety of subjects. Figure 3 shows the
different subject areas of the responding teachers, and the percentage of the responding
teachers who work in each area. 21% of teachers that participated in the study teach math

21

and languages. 16% teach science, and 15% teach social studies. 11% of the teachers who
responded teach religious studies and 5% teach art. 7% identified their subject area as

Subject Area
4%

Math

7%
Science Social Studies
21%
5%

Languages

21%
Art

Religious Studies

Computer Science
16% Other

11%

15%

other. Computer science

has the smallest percentage with only 4%.

22

Figure 3 Percentage of responding teachers in each subject area

Research Question 1
Has the technology implemented in secondary education classrooms in Saudi Arabia met
expectations of supporting higher-order thinking and 21st century skills such as critical
thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration in the classroom?
Higher-order thinking and 21st century skills have been found to be increased
through using technology in the classroom to complete project-based activities, gamebased learning, creating media presentations, collaborative work, and communicate and
exchange information. Teachers were asked how often they use technology in the
classroom to facilitate the listed student-centered uses of education technology. The
responses to the questions on teacher use of student-centered instructional technology is
shown in Figures 4 through 9. In each scenario, less than 10% of teachers strongly agree
that their students use technology in the classroom in the ways proven to promote higherorder thinking and 21st century skills. Of the student-centered technology uses presented,
the one with the highest use is the use of technology by students to create media
presentations.

23

Figure 4 Percentage of teachers whose students use technology to complete projects

Figure 5 Percentage of teachers whose students use technology for presentations

24

Figure 6 Percentage of teachers whose students use technology for educational games

Figure 7 Percentage of teachers whose students use technology for collaborating online

25

Figure 8 Percentage of
teachers whose students
use social media for
education

Figure 9 Percentage of teachers whose students use technology to collaborate

The figures above show that the non-use of technology by teachers for various
classroom activities that would involve and support student-centered teaching styles. The
figures also show that there has yet to be an effective shift from teacher-centered to

26

student-centered teaching strategies to achieve the expectations of higher-order and 21st

century thinking skills.

Research Question 2
Has the technology had the desired effect in the classroom?
This research question is mainly aimed at obtaining information about how
technology is currently being used in Saudi Arabia, and the percentage of teachers using
technology in their classrooms. Traditionally the teaching process in Saudi Arabia has
been simply to facilitate making the information students need to know available to them.
This is reminiscent of teacher-centered teaching methods. As shown in Figure 10, 85%
of teachers strongly agree that using technology as a tool to post grades is an effective use
of technology. Figure 11 also shows the use of teacher-centered teaching methods by 80%
of teachers strongly agrees that technology is an effective tool for presenting lesson
information in a slideshow to students.

Figure 10 Percentages of teachers who use technology for grades

27

Figure 11 Percentage of teachers who use technology in lecture

While the answers to the first research question show that there has not been an
effective shift to the student-centered and inquiry based teaching methods, the answers to
the second research question show that teachers perceive their current uses of technology
as being effective. Their current uses of technology in the classroom do effectively
achieve the desired effect in the traditional Saudi Arabian secondary education classroom
where the role of the teacher is to be a facilitator making information the students need to
know available to them. However, the goal of the modern classroom in developed nations
is for teacher roles to expand and support student inquiry, which has not been reached by
viewing the answers to the first research question.
Table 1 notes the correlation between the low uses and expectations of technology
with regard to activities that are more student-centered and the current traditional uses of
technology in secondary education classrooms. The correlations mean that while
technology is being used effectively in the traditional context of education in Saudi

28

Arabia, technology is not being used effectively to evoke the desired outcome, or result,
of using technology to increase the level of education.
Table 1 Correlation of responses for Research Questions 1 & 2
Correlations

Always
use Tech
as an
effective
tool at
saving
and
editing
students'
grade.

Pearson
Correlati
on

Always
use Tech
as an

Pearson
Correlati
on

Alwa
ys use
Tech
as an
effecti
ve
tool at
saving
and
editin
g
studen
ts'
grade.

Alwa
ys use
Tech
as an
effecti
ve
tool
for
presen
ting
lesson
infor
matio
n in a
sliesh
ow to
studen
ts.

My
studen
ts
alway
s use
Tech
to
compl
ete
projec
tpased
activit
ies in
the
classr
oom.

My
studen
ts
alway
s use
Tech
to
engag
e in
gamebased
learni
ng.

My
studen
ts
alway
s use
Tech
to
create
media
presen
tation.

My
studen
ts
alway
s use
Tech
to
collab
orate
on
online
work.

.608**

-.007

.142

.077

-.070

.000

.947

.159

.447

.491

100

100

100

100

100

100

.608**

.102

.226*

.135

.022

Sig. (2tailed)
N

29

effective
tool for
presenti
ng
lesson
informat
ion in a
slieshow
to
students.

Sig. (2tailed)

My
students
always
use Tech
to
complet
e
projectpased
activities
in the
classroo
m.
My
students
always
use Tech
to
engage
in gamebased
learning.
My
students
always
use Tech
to create

Pearson
Correlati
on

.000

.313

.024

.179

.826

100

100

100

100

100

100

Pearson
Correlati
on

-.007

.102

.592**

.545**

.602**

Sig. (2tailed)

.947

.313

.000

.000

.000

100

100

100

100

100

100

Pearson
Correlati
on

.142

.226*

.592**

.459**

.591**

Sig. (2tailed)

.159

.024

.000

.000

.000

100

100

100

100

100

100

.077

.135

.545**

.459**

.543**

.447

.179

.000

.000

Sig. (2tailed)

30

.000

media
presentat
ion.

My
students
always
use Tech
to
collabor
ate on
online
work.
Me and
my
students
always
use
social
media to
commun
icate and
exchang
e
informat
ion.
Me and
my
students
always
use a

100

100

100

100

100

100

Pearson
Correlati
on

-.070

.022

.602**

.591**

.543**

Sig. (2tailed)

.491

.826

.000

.000

.000

100

100

100

100

100

100

Pearson
Correlati
on

.104

.239*

.461**

.393**

.626**

.391**

Sig. (2tailed)

.302

.017

.000

.000

.000

.000

100

100

100

100

100

100

Pearson
Correlati
on

.120

.155

.401**

.511**

.362**

.532**

Sig. (2tailed)

.233

.123

.000

.000

.000

.000

31

schedule
for
rotating
technolo
gy use in
the
classroo
m to
facilitate
the
collapor
ative
work.

100

100

100

100

100

100

Correlations

Me and my
students always
use social
media to
communicate
and exchange
information.
Always use Tech as
an effective tool at
saving and editing
students' grade.

Pearson Correlation

.104

Sig. (2-tailed)

.302

100

Always use Tech as

an effective tool for
presenting lesson
information in a
slieshow to students.

Pearson Correlation

.239*

Sig. (2-tailed)

.017

My students always
use Tech to complete
project-pased
activities in the

Pearson Correlation

100
.461**

Sig. (2-tailed)

.000

100

32

Me and my students always use a

rotating technology use in the cla
facilitate the collaporative w

classroom.
My students always
use Tech to engage
in game-based
learning.

Pearson Correlation

My students always
use Tech to create
media presentation.

Pearson Correlation

.393**

Sig. (2-tailed)

.000

100
.626**

Sig. (2-tailed)

.000

100

My students always
use Tech to
collaborate on
online work.

Pearson Correlation

Me and my students
always use social
media to
communicate and
exchange
information.

Pearson Correlation

Me and my students
always use a
schedule for rotating
technology use in
the classroom to
facilitate the
collaporative work.

Pearson Correlation

.391**

Sig. (2-tailed)

.000

100
1

Sig. (2-tailed)
N
100

Sig. (2-tailed)

.469**
.000

N
100

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

Research Question 3
Would student-centered and inquiry-based teaching practices be beneficial to the use of
technology in secondary education classrooms?

33

Even though the answers to the first two research questions note the low uses of
student-centered and inquiry based teaching methods and the teachers preferences for
teacher-centered teaching methods in the traditional education environment of Saudi
Arabia, the responses to the third research question note that teachers would be willing to
use more student-centered and inquiry-based teaching methods if they received more
support and professional development. Their desire to obtain more training and provide a
higher level of teaching to students demonstrates their beliefs that student-centered and
inquiry-based teaching practices would be beneficial to the use of technology in
secondary education classrooms. Figures 12 through 14 shows current levels of use,
levels of support for technology use in classrooms by administrators and members of the
community, and the level of technology use teachers feel they could reach if they
received more support and professional development. Table 2 specifically shows the
correlation between the answers of the three questions used to answer the third research
question.

34

Level of Current Technology Use in the Classroom

6%

4%

12%

No Technology Use

Sparce

Basic

Comfortable

Seamless

50%

28%

Figure 12 Percentage of current technology use at different levels

35

Level of Technology Use Teachers Would Like to Reach with Increased Access
2%
No Technology Use

Sparce

6%

Basic

Comfortable

33%

39%

Seamless

20%

Figure 13 Percentage of desired use with greater access to technology

Level Teachers Could Reach with Professional Development and Support

3%
No Technology Use

Sparce Basic
5%

36%
36%

Seamless

20%

36

Comfortable

Figure 14 Percentage of teachers whose level of technology use could increase with
professional development and administrative support
Table 2 Correlation of responses for current technology use and circumstances for
increased use
Correlations

The level I
currently use
Tech in the
classroom

The level I
currently
use Tech in
the
classroom

The level I
would like
to reach
with
increased
access to
technology

The level I could reach with the

complete profissional
development and support

.393**

.446**

.000

.000

100

100

100

.393**

.818**

Pearson
Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N

The level I
would like to
reach with
increased
access to
technology

Pearson
Correlation

The level I
could reach
with the
complete
profissional
development
and support

Pearson
Correlation

Sig. (2-tailed)

.000

.000

100

100

100

.446**

.818**

.000

.000

100

100

Sig. (2-tailed)
N

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Findings for the last research question suggest that if teachers were to receive
more support from administrators and the community and received more professional

37

100

development, 30% more teachers would feel they would be more comfortable seamlessly
using technology in more ways; ways that have the potential to further integrate
technology in classrooms to facilitate a transition from teacher-centered to studentcentered learning. Similar increases in teacher use of education technology would
increase if they had greater access to technology.

38

CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION, FUTURE RESEARCH, AND CONCLUSION

Discussion
The exploratory goal of this study was to determine whether the educational
technology that has been implemented in Saudi Arabia is perceived to have achieved
expectations in secondary education level classrooms. If the perceptions were that the
technology has not achieved the expectations, the study aimed to determine why
educational technology has not achieved expectations. The study also aimed to gather
ways to improve the use of technology in classrooms, such as teaching practices
supporting a more student-centered and inquiry-based method.
To explore these areas, three main research questions were the foundation for the
research: 1) 1. Has the technology implemented in secondary education classrooms in
Saudi Arabia met expectations of having higher-order thinking and 21st century skills
such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration in the classroom?;
2) Has the technology had the desired effect in the classroom?; and 3) Would studentcentered and inquiry-based teaching practices be beneficial to the use of technology in
secondary education classrooms?
To answer the research questions 100 secondary education teachers completed a
survey, which was administered through a Survey Monkey link on the forum website for
the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia. Of the 100 teachers, 65 were female. Majority
of the teachers, with 46%, were in their thirties, and 34 teachers were in their twenties.
The remaining 20 teachers were over 40. The subject areas of the teachers were very

39

diversified, encompassing math, science, social studies, religious studies, languages, art,
and computer science. Of the 100 teachers surveyed, 50% of them say they only use
education technology in the classroom sparingly. However, 44% would increase their use
of education technology to some degree if they had increased access to technology, and
45% would increase their use of technology to some degree if they were able to increase
professional development training and support.
Using technology in the classroom in student-centered ways that encourage
student inquiry, instead of teacher-based uses such as keeping track of grades and
presenting lecture, lead to students having higher-order thinking skills. The findings of
the study concluded that teacher are using technology in teacher-centered ways. Meaning
technology has not met the expectations of leading to higher-order thinking skills in
students because methods of using technology that support and encourage higher-order
thinking skills, i.e. student-centered and inquiry-based methods, are not being used.
Therefore, technology has not had the desired effect of increasing the level of education
in the classroom even though teachers view their current uses as effective in the
traditional context of education in Saudi Arabia.
A close look at the demographic information gathered can help explain the
responses given to answer the first research question. Of the 100 teachers who
participated in the study, only 4% of them taught computer science. They are likely to be
the teachers who are the most comfortable using education technology in the classroom.
The percentage of computer science teachers matches the percentage of teachers whose
students use technology to complete-project based activities in the classroom and the
percentage of teachers whose students use technology to create media presentations. The

40

only answer to the set of questions aimed at answering the first research question that has
less strongly agree responses than computer science teachers is the question on using
technology for game-based learning. It could also be inferred that of the 6 teachers who
currently seamlessly use technology in the classroom, 4% of them are the computer
science teachers.
Findings associated with the second research question support claims made by
other researchers in Chapter II. Al Mulhim (2014) claims that a barrier to the effective
use of educative technology in Saudi Arabia is that teaching process is perceived as
making available resources that enhance or facilitates the desired intervention. In other
words, the teaching process in Saudi Arabia is simply to facilitate making the information
students need to know available to them. Results showing that majority of teachers only
use technology to convey information in lectures supports this claim by Al Mulhim.
Findings from the third research question also support previous studies conducted
that were mentioned in Chapter II. Alwani & Soomro (2010) articulated a major barrier to
the effective use of information technology specific to Saudi Arabia; that the shortage of
short-course training on how to implement information technology into their curriculum
impedes its effective use. Al Mulhim (2014) also stated that Saudi Arabias barriers to
educative technology use by teachers centers on their attitudes towards technology, and
includes poor confidence in their application of education technology, and inadequate
skills and knowledge in utilizing the devices. The 30 percent increase from the level of
technology used to the level of seamless technology use that teachers feel they could
reach with professional development supports Alwani and Soomros (2014) and Al

41

Mulhims (2010) claims that the shortage of training and inadequate skills and knowledge
is a significant barrier to instructional technology use in Saudi Arabia.

Suggestions for Future Research

As the results show, teachers do not feel that the use of instructional technology in
the classroom is supported by administrators and the community. A suggestion for future
research would be to survey the administrators and a community population to determine
why they are non-supportive, or apprehensive of the use of instructional technology in the
classroom. Also, as previous studies mentioned in Chapter II, and this study show,
teachers are dissatisfied with the training and professional development that have been
provided in order to best use educational technology in the classroom. This is cause for
future research to also consist of identifying the areas of educational technology training
and professional development teachers would prefer. By conducting future research that
would more specifically identify administrative barriers to student-centered education
technology use that need to be overcome and establish targeted areas for professional
development, the goal of effectively teaching critical thinking and 21st century skills can
be closer to achievement.

Conclusion
As the findings show, overall, the use of technology in Saudi Arabian secondary
classrooms has not been fully integrated, and therefore, has not achieved the desired
affects. Teachers in Saudi Arabia use technology in two ways: grades entry and post, and
the presentation of information through lectures. These are both teacher-centered methods

42

of using technology instead of student-centered methods. However, if teachers were to

receive more support from administrators, and undergo more professional development,
the findings suggest that teachers would increase their use of instructional technology in
the classroom. The lack of education technology professional development is also evident
by computer science teachers being the lowest percentage of the participants. However,
as more Saudis received education in technology training at universities, and return to
Saudi Arabia to implement their knowledge and skills in the use of educational
technology in their classrooms, there is hope that the use of education technology will
grow, as long as access to technology is funded.

43

REFERENCES
Al Mulhim, E. (2014). The Barriers to the Use of ICT in Teaching in Saudi Arabia: A
Review of Literature. Universal Journal of Educaitonal Research, 2(6); 487-493.
Alwani, A. E., & Soomro, S. (2010). Barriers to Effective use of Information Technology
in Science Education at Yanbu Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In E-learing
Experiences and Future (pp. 35-46). InTech.
Bauer, J., & Kenton, J. (2005). Toward Technology Integration in the Schools: Why it
Isn't Happening. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education , 519-546.
Bernard, R., Abrami, P., Lou, Y., & Borokhovski, E. (2004). How does distance education
compare with classroom instruction? A meta-analysis of the empirical literature
review. Educational Research, 74: 379-439.
Dede, C. (2008). Theoretical Perspectives Influencing the Use of Information Technology
in Teaching and Learning. London: Springer.
Dwyer, Ringstaff, C., & Sandholtz, J. (2009). Introduction: Summarizing findings and
looking ahead to a new generation of PBL research. Apple Computer, Inc.
eMINTS National Center staff. (2003). Getting Started with eMINTS. Columbia :
Curators of the Univesrity of Missouri.
Ertmer, P. A. (2005). Teacher Pedagogical Beliefs: The Final frontier in Our Quest for
Techno. Educational technology Research and Development, 25-39.
Hirumi, A. (2014, September 22). Does the Use of Technology Improve Learning? The
Answer Lies in Design. White Paper.
Hopson, M. H., Simms, R. L., & Knezek, G. A. (2002). Using a Technology-Enriched
Environment to Improve Higher-Order Thinking Skills. Journal of Research on
Technology in Education , 109-119.
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2009). Essential Conditions:
Necessary conditions to effectively leverage technology for learning.

44

Levine, H. (2008). Computer-intensive school environments and the reorganization of

knowledge and learning: A qualitative assessment of Apple Computer's classroom
of tomorrow. New Orleans: American Education Research Association.
Martin, W., & Strother, S. (2010). Connecting Instructional Technology Professional
Development to Teacher and Student Outcomes. Journal of Research on
Technology in Education, 43(1): 55-65.
McKenney, S., Voogt, J., Bustraan, W., & Smits, M. (2009). Educative curriculum
materials for the integration of writing and science in elementary schools. The
Netherlands: National Institute for Curriculum Development.
Rutgers. (2013, October 18). Discovery Communications Realizes Edisonian Vision.
Searson, M., Laferriere, T., & Nikolow, R. (2011). Barriers to successful implementation
of technology integration in educational settings. Internation Summint on ICT
Education.
Spector, M., Merrill, D., Elen, J., & Bishop, M. (2010). Handbook of Research on
Educational Communications and Technology. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Turcotte, S., & Hamel, C. (2008). Necessary conditions to implement innovation in
remote networked schools: the stakerholders' perceptions. Canadian Journal of
Learning and Technology, 34(1).
Voogt, J., & Knezek, G. (2008). International Handbook of Information Technology in
primary and Secondary. Springer.
Wang, F., & Hannafin, M. (2005). Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments.
Springer.

45

Appendix A
Survey Questions
Demographic Data
1. Please indicate your gender:
Female

Male

2. What subject area do you teach?

Math
Languages

Science

Social Studies

Art

Religion Studies

Computer Science

Other

3. Please indicate your age:

23-30

31-40

40 or over

4. How many years have you been teaching secondary education?

1-5 years

6-10 years

11-15 years

16 or more years

How often do you use (Please check one answer for each question)
SA=Strongly Agree; A=Agree; N=Neither Agree nor Disagree; D=Disagree;
SD=Strongly Disagree
SA A
Current Uses of Technology:
5. I always use technology as an effective tool at saving
and editing students grades.
6. I always use technology is an effective tool for
presenting lesson information in a slideshow to
students.
7. My students always use different technology tools to
complete a project-based activity in the classroom;
for example, they search information from outside
resources.
8. My students and I create a schedule for rotating
technology use would help facilitate a cooperative
and collaborative group/class project.
9. My students always use technology tools to engage in
game-based learning.

46

SD

10. My students always use technology to create media

presentations of projects/research, such as podcasts,
videos, and other production software to present
their work
11. My students always use technology tools to
collaborate on online work such as Google Docs
12. My students and I always use social media to
connect, communicate and exchange information in
and out the classroom
In general, how well do you feel that :(Please check one response for each question)
13. Using technology consumed the class time
14. Using the current available technology tools has not
helped the curricula goals
15. Technology distracts students
16. Using technology helps develop higher-order thinking
skills.
17. Using technology in the classroom helps my students to
be in the activeroleratherthanthepassiveroleof
recipientsofinformationtransmittedbyme
18. Technology increases my students motivation and self
esteem
19. Technology helps my students in accomplishing
complex tasks
20. Technology helps students engage in lessons
21. Technology in the classroom would allow students to
engage in inquiry based learning
22. Technology helps my students to be more collaborative,
sociable and increases group work
23. To use technology in class, I spend too much time at
home to prepare

47

N=No technology use; S=Sparse (rarely used or available); B=Basic (used

occasionally in classroom or regularly in a lab) ; C=Comfortable (Used in classroom
regularly); SL=Seamless (used daily in classroom to complete assignments and
projects)
Level of Technology Integration

B C

SL

24. The level I currently use technology in the classroom

25. With increased access to technology, the level I
would like to reach
26. With curriculum changes supported by
administration and professional development I could
reach
Overall Experience

27. Overall experience using technology in classroom

28. Level of support from administration and community
for classroom use of technology

48

Appendix B
Informed Consent
You are being invited to participate in a Masters research project about The Extent of
Achieving the Intended Results of Integrating Educational Technology in Saudi Arabian
Secondary Classrooms. This study is being conducted by Hanan Alzamil.
There are no known risks to the participant educators in this study. There are no costs for
participation in this study. The information gathered will form the basis for future
research, improvements in the classrooms and teaching methodologies, and may be used
in scholarly publications. The information collected may benefit the future of the
educational technology researches. The information gathered in this study should
provide more general benefits to develop better methods of utilization of educational
technology in the country.
The information gathered from the research instrument is anonymous. No one will know
which educators participated in the study. Individuals from the Institutional Review
Board may inspect these records. Should the data be published, individual participants
cannot be identified.
Educators participation in this study is completely voluntary. The questionnaire will take
approximately 10-20 minutes to complete. Your participation would be greatly
appreciated.
If you have questions regarding the research, you may contact the researcher: Hanan
Alzamil and research advisor, Dr. Ching-Wen Chang. Contact information is provided
below.
If you are willing to participate in the research, please click on [NEXT] to grant your
consent and start the survey. Thank you for your time and cooperation it is greatly
appreciated.
Hanan Alzamil
215-350-0461
Alzamil.h@hotmail.com

Ching-Wen Chang, Ph.D.

417-836-5353
cchang@missouristate.edu

49

Appendix C
IRB Approval
To: Ching-Wen Chang, Reading Foundations and Tech, Springfield MO 65897-0027
Approval Date: 3/17/2015
Expiration Date of Approval: 3/16/2016
RE: Notice of IRB Approval by Expedited Review (under 45 CFR 46.110)
Submission Type: Initial
Expedited Category: 7.Surveys/interviews/focus groups
Study #: 15-0366
Study Title: The Extent of Achieving the Intended Results of Integrating Educational
Technology in Saudi Arabia Secondary Classrooms
This submission has been approved by the above IRB for the period indicated. It has been
determined that the risk involved in this research is no more than minimal.
Investigators Responsibilities:
Federal regulations require that all research be reviewed at least annually. It is the
Principal Investigators responsibility to submit for renewal and obtain approval before
the expiration date. You may not continue any research activity beyond the expiration
date without IRB approval. Failure to receive approval for continuation before the
expiration date will result in automatic termination of the approval for this study on the
expiration date.
You are required to obtain IRB approval for any changes to any aspect of this study
before they can be implemented (use the procedures found at
http://orc.missouristate.edu). Should any adverse event or unanticipated problem
involving risks to subjects or others occur it must be reported immediately to the IRB
following the adverse event procedures at the same website.
This study was reviewed in accordance with federal regulations governing human
subjects research, including those found at 45 CFR 46 (Common Rule), 45 CFR 164
(HIPAA), 21 CFR 50 & 56 (FDA), and 40 CFR 26 (EPA), where applicable.
CC:
Hanan Alzamil

50