The Digital Transition from Textbooks to Tablets in Saudi Arabia
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University of North Florida UNF Digital Commons UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations Student Scholarship 2020 The Digital Transition from Textbooks to Tablets in Saudi Arabia Nehaya Ali Alhamed University of North Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, and the Educational Technology Commons Suggested Citation Alhamed, Nehaya Ali, "The Digital Transition from Textbooks to Tablets in Saudi Arabia" (2020). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 968. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/968 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at UNF Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UNF Digital Commons. For more information, please contact Digital Projects. © 2020 All Rights Reserved iii THE DIGITAL TRANSITION FROM TEXTBOOKS TO TABLETS IN SAUDI ARABIA by Nehaya Alhamed A dissertation submitted to the Department of Leadership, School Counseling & Sport Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES July, 2020 Unpublished work © Nehaya Alhamed iv This dissertation titled The Digital Transition from Textbooks to Tablets in Saudi Arabia is approved by: Dr. David Hoppey, Committee Chair Date Dr. Terence Cavanaugh, Committee Member Date Dr. Matthew Ohlson, Committee Member Date Dr. John Kemppainen, Committee Member Date v DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to: The memory of my beloved parents, Ali Alhamed and Nora Alotaibi, May Allah have mercy on their souls; My husband Waleed Alsuhaibani; My beloved boys Khalid and Abdulrahman. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I would like to emphasize all my praise and thankfulness to Almighty Allah for giving me the inspiration, patience, time, and strength to finish this work. Undertaking this work has been a truly life-changing experience for me and it would not have been possible without the support and guidance that I received from many people. To these people, I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude. I am indebted to my dissertation committee. I would not have made it without their guidance: Dr. David Hoppey, Dr. Terence Cavanaugh, Dr. Matthew Ohlson, and Dr. John Kemppainen. I want to thank you all for your advice, patience, and understanding. In particular my gratitude goes to my advisor, Dr. David Hoppey, who went above and beyond to help me reach my goal. Without his experience and knowledge, my preparation would have been incomplete. I highly appreciate everything he has done to make this work a reality. I am very grateful to my husband, Waleed Alsuhaibani, who shared with me the ups and downs throughout the duration of my studies and sacrificed the best moments of his time to stand beside me, supported, and encouraged me to work perfectly and without any obstacles. I thank you for listening patiently and believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Your love is what has gotten me through when I wanted to give up. My love to my boys Khalid and Abdulrahman-- you are my inspiration to achieve greatness. I love you to the moon and back. My love and prayers are dedicated to my mother, Nora Alotaibi, who valued education and never thought twice when it came to investing in her children’s education. She passed away during the course of this study, may Allah have mercy on her soul. You will always be remembered. vii Finally, my very sincere and special thanks and appreciation go to my extended family from both my side and my husband’s side, whose continuous prayers, encouragement, and support helped me accomplish my goals. In particular I want to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my uncle Suliman Alhamed, my father-in-law Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, and my beloved brother Ahmed Alhamed, who all generously supported me financially throughout my academic journey. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS The Digital Transition from Textbooks to Tablets in Saudi Arabia ........................................... iii Dedication ........................................................................................................................................ v Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ viii Table of Figures and Tables ......................................................................................................... xi Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................................. 3 Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Research Questions ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................................ 6 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2: Review of Literature .................................................................................................. 10 The Saudi K-12 Educational System ...................................................................................................... 10 Educational Technology in SA .................................................................................................................. 11 Types of Technology Used in SA Schools ................................................................................................. 11 Objectives of Introducing Tablets to the Saudi Educational System .......................................... 13 Enhanced Learning Experiences ............................................................................................................. 13 Accommodate Special Needs .................................................................................................................... 17 Instructional Benefits of Tablets ............................................................................................................ 19 Teachers Transitioning from Textbooks to Tablets ......................................................................... 20 Benefits ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Increase Motivation and Enjoyment. ................................................................................................................................. 20 Increase Efficiency and Save Time. ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Customize Students’ Learning ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Change the Dynamics of the Classroom ............................................................................................................................ 22 Disadvantages and Challenges .................................................................................................................................................... 22 Connectivity .................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Quality of Content. ...................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Lack of Technical Knowledge ................................................................................................................................................ 23 Students Transitioning from Textbooks to Tablets ......................................................................... 23 Benefits ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Access ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Motivation .....................................................................................................................................................................................