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Copyright © 2019 by Academic Publishing House Researcher s.r.o.
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Published in the Slovak Republic Media Education (Mediaobrazovanie) Has been issued since 2005 ISSN 1994-4160 E-ISSN 1994-4195 2019, 59(1): 168-182
DOI: 10.13187/me.2019.1.168 www.ejournal53.com
Educational Media and Academic Attainment: Moving Toward a Suggested Vision for Saudi Arabia in Light of International Expertise
Hisham Saad Zaghloul a , b , * , Feras Mohammed Al-Madani a
a Northern Border University, Saudi Arabia b Mansoura University, Egypt
Abstract
The goal of this article is to follow through global expertise in employing media as an instructional modality and to examine its relation to both academic attainment and quality of education in an attempt to develop a suggested future vision for educational media. The study adopted a descriptive, analytical approach to investigate the phenomenon. Data collection was carried out by means of a questionnaire that was administered to 380 participants. The results revealed that educational media can be used not only as an educational means but also as a way for students to acquire personal and academic skills, change behavioral patterns, and become inculcated with the values of teamwork and acceptance of the other. The study concluded by putting forth a set of recommendations for a suggested proposal for using educational media activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Keywords: educational media, academic attainment, international expertise, suggested vision.
1. Introduction
Education is the topmost priority of human rights that serves as a soft power to achieve development by promoting upward mobility and social integration, as well as maintaining human dignity and preventing extremism (UNESCO..., 2017). Many countries set future plans aimed at developing their education systems through enhancing educational practice and achieving desired goals. A well-developed vision for providing quality education would focus, inter alia, on educational media, which contributes to improving linguistic proficiency, increasing cultural awareness, raising academic achievement, and making school more interesting and motivating to students (Redecker, Punie, 2013). Westera (Westera, 2012) argues that positive attitude to educational media helps achieve educational goals by increasing the learner's motivation and reducing the boundaries between schools and the outside world, where teachers are no longer the only source of information.
Considering the significant advances in communication technologies, teachers would play major roles in implementing extracurricular media activities that go beyond textbook and rigorous curriculum requirements to help students learn through playing and practicing activities, thus encouraging lifelong self-learning and increasing their capacity to process any topic (Jolls, 2015). As a result, educational media should be commensurate with the rapid and revolutionary changes in information and communications and prime teacher-students' collaboration in order to help them
* Corresponding author:
E-mail addresses: hishamsz@yahoo.com (H. Saad Zaghloul), fmabm@hotmail.com (F. Mohammed Al-Madani)
make the best use of these modalities in helping students acquire skills, ethics, and concepts (Cheung, 2010). The next section provides a brief description of international expertise in educational media.
2. Discussion
In this section, educational media in various international experiences are reviewed to highlight their place in the educational systems of the countries reviewed and to help develop a future vision for educational media practices in KSA.
Educational media in the USA aims primarily at helping students acquire skills related to knowledge introduced in the curriculum and marketable skills required for labor market by means of taking advantage of arts and technology education in improving the academic attainment of students (Cheung, 2010). The importance of appropriate integration between media technology and the curriculum is well documented in the literature (see, for example, Jolls, Wilson, 2014). Ramsey (Ramsey, 2017) argues that educational media in schools relies on students' willingness to become actively involved and that the practice extends beyond the school walls and curriculum to civil society services. Educational media creates a linkage between education and life skills, such as public speaking and activating communication and interaction with the outside world. Schmidt (Schmidt, 2015) adds that in the USA context, educational media is commensurate with the distinctive needs of each educational level. These needs are identified by teachers who are qualified to make a linkage between media and curriculum and to motivate students to engage in such media activities related to the curriculum.
In a study conducted by Neto, Golz and Polega (Neto et al., 2015) in Michigan State, it was found that loneliness and social isolation would diminish students' academic attainment and that educational media plays a significant role in alleviating these emotions by allowing students the opportunity to engage in cooperative school activities. Similarly, arts are used as a tool for school media in the Canadian education system, especially the educational theatre, music, and theatrical and visual arts. These media activities are elective for students, albeit most teachers do not receive adequate training on how to link the arts to the curriculum (O'Farrell, 2016).
A UIL Policy Brief report (2017) on the European Union countries 2030 Vision indicates that the use of educational media helps enhance literacy skills, and integrate academic skills with contemporary knowledge and technologies, as well as improve life skills, human rights, and citizenship values with the purpose of achieving sustainable development and enhancing lifelong learning opportunities. In their study that included a number of European countries, Zylka, Müller, and Martins (Zylka et al., 2011) highlighted the importance of the efficiency of using media for educational purposes and taking advantage of the recent developments and widespread of information and communication technology (ICTs). Moreover, according to Fedorov (Fedorov, 2008), Hungary is reported as the leading country in Europe to require pre-service teachers to pass compulsory courses in educational media, which are used as curriculum-integrated educational means to teach ethics, raise awareness, and create good citizens. In Germany, educational media is introduced at all educational levels, including university education, while in Australia, it is an integral component of arts and English language curricula (Neag, Anamaria, 2015).
Scholars have devoted a substantial amount of attention to investigating the role of educational media in the instructional process. With regard to the relationship between educational media and instructional, Gutiérrez and Tyner (Gutiérrez, Tyner, 2012) examined the role of media activities in Spanish schools in promoting independence and interpersonal initiative and helping students develop reading and writing skills and cultivate values through collaborative learning-based social situations, where they acquire linguistic communication, artistic, and cultural skills. The study also highlighted the negative influence resulting from focusing on digital technology at the expense of interactive activities of educational media that would deepen social practices, support values, and simplify the curriculum, together with their associated influence on academic performance. In a similar vein, a study conducted in Austria by Schipek and Holubek (Schipek, Holubek, 2012) documented the importance of the self-efficacy of the teacher who implements educational media with students, stressing the use of creative drama and role-playing activities to motivate and support students for independent learning. In the same context, Mages' (Mages, 2016) study investigated extracurricular theatrical activities as significant forms of educational media practiced in Austria, which can be easily integrated with language arts and social studies, history, and other curricula to promote students' thinking skills and deepen their understanding of the curriculum.
In Turkey, school media activities are based primarily on collaboration between teachers and students through exploring practical applications of the curriculum to increase students' academic attainment (Cakmak, Tuzel, 2015). Educational media in Turkish schools aims at promoting collaborative learning, especially since students use media with ease (Bozanta, Mardikyan, 2017). In this respect, a study conducted by Palavan (Palavan, 2017) on a sample of Turkish students revealed that educational theatre and drama were the prominent media activities that had positive effects on students' self-confidence and problem-solving skills. It was also found that dramatization of the curriculum helped in enhancing the learning process and raising students' academic attainment. Furthermore, in a study conducted on Serbian students, Ivanovic (Ivanovic, 2014) concluded that educational media should not be a secondary activity, but rather the main one utilizing audio and visual means, and he encouraged integrating educational media with the cognitive skills required for the curriculum.
Educational media in Russian schools serves as a resource for the development of academic efficacy of students by helping them improve their creative skills and cultivate human, moral, and political values such as democracy and social justice (Levitskaya, 2015). A UNESCO report (cited in Karpati, 2011) documents that educational media in Russian schools employ a range of techniques and makes use of many skills such as effective involvement in school community service, information exchange, and explaining the curriculum in an effective manner.
In some Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, educational media depends on public support and establishment of strong partnerships with organizations beyond the formal education community to take advantage of the experts in technology and the arts. The purpose behind this is to use educational media activities in promoting students' active involvement in the production of educational media, as being a crucial component of education in these countries (Cheung, 2009). In Hong Kong, media communication capabilities have been drawn upon to achieve effective communication among students and between students and teachers. These activities are introduced in various educational levels through interactive electronic technologies that engage students in virtual learning environments that may be difficult to provide if students receive lessons in the traditional manner (Imaizumi, Seiji, 2008).
In Malaysia and Singapore, the entertainment feature of educational media is used for promoting students' learning and increasing their academic attainment. Educational media is a topmost priority in the educational practices in Malaysia. The Malaysian Ministry of Education devotes considerable attention to educational media by providing technical equipment and trained human resources, as well as recruiting professional experts help achieve the desired goals. School media activities include a range of modalities such as paper and electronic journalism, theatre, blogging, and social media, which are aimed at achieving goals of the curriculum and the values students should acquire at various educational levels (Reddi, Mishra, 2005).
In Singapore, a study conducted by Lin, Mokhtar, and Wang (Lin et al., 2015) pointed to the pressing need for a smooth integration of media activities into the curriculum through taking advantage of international expertise in this respect. In a similar vein, educational media in the Pakistani context has a considerable effect on motivating students to study in simplifying the curriculum and in improving students' achievement levels in some science courses such as physics (Dilshad, Saeed, 2015).
Zorofi (Zorofi, 2013) concludes that the use of media activities in Iranian schools promotes students' learning through supporting talent identification and developing capacities, as well as enhancing students' acquisition of social skills required for success in school. Engagement in school media activities significantly reduces aggressive behavior among students and increases their academic levels (Ostrov et al, 2013).
In a UNESCO report on some African countries, it was documented that educational theatre is a prominent activity used in schools to identify young talents. It employs popular arts in instruction and is considered as a tool for solving community problems, creating critical awareness, and building capacity for future challenges (Diedong, 2008).
In Nigeria, for instance, a study conducted by Omodara and Adu (Omodara, Adu, 2014) revealed that educational media activities are invaluable, and this finding highlights the importance of educating the local community about the favored position of educational media, especially in the primary and middle schools, along with the need to integrate visual and audio media technologies in maximizing the impact of using these means in teaching and learning. Taking advantage of educational media activities in Nigeria extends to university education as well. These activities are
used for enhancing students' academic attainment and organizing the relationships among the school administration, teachers, and students. Furthermore, these activities are aimed at avoiding the negative effects of media technology and academic relapse resulting from misuse, waste time, and violation of privacy (Peter, 2015). The results of a study conducted by Onyenemezu and Olumati (Onyenemezu, Olumati, 2014) revealed that lack of funding, schools' low-quality infrastructure, and lack of capacity can adversely affect the practical training required for media activities at Nigerian schools.
The extent to benefit from media activities and their applications in education would rely on the economic situation in any country. In Zimbabwe, for example, the economic situation, low salaries of teachers, the insufficient budget allocated for training, and the lack of audio and visual means required for effective educational media all affect teachers' job performance (Oyedele et al., 2013). These conclusions are consistent with the results reached by Rugut and Makewa (Rugut, Makewa, 2016) who stated that the provision of resources for educational media is a challenge the educational authorities in Kenya need to handle in order to guarantee access to its applications in education.
In parallel, a study conducted by Lundgren, Scheckle, and Zinn (Lundgren et al., 2015) recommended transforming classrooms in South Africa into a venue for media activities and allowing students to express themselves and to take advantage of available experience to support the curriculum and acquire necessary skills through group work. The study also highlighted the importance of professional development for teachers and increasing their ability to employ media for educational purposes.
Educational media is gaining a growing interest around the world. The Arab countries are no exception. Tayie (Tayie, 2008) stresses the need for educational media to draw on students' needs, interests, and expectations, along with providing proper training. According to Carlsson, Tayie, and Jacquinot-Delaunay (Carlsson et al., 2008), educational media in KSA is a non-curricular activity introduced occasionally rather than on a systematic basis, despite the fact that students' involvement in these activities enhances their self-confidence, develops character, improves academic attainment and problem-solving skills, and addresses the curriculum-related problems.
In Egypt, there are a number of challenges associated with implementing educational media, including lack of specialized personnel and the insufficient time to practice these activities during the school day (Kados, 2014). According to Abu-Fadil, Torrent, and Grizzle (Abu-Fadil et al., 2016), educational media in some Arab countries, such as Egypt, KSA, and Algeria, lacks qualified trained staff who use creative ways to practice activities for educational purposes. Similarly, the Commonwealth of Learning (2017) report that surveyed the Middle East countries and South Africa showed that the use of educational media can reduce the cost of education in these countries, especially those which do not provide sufficient support for education. This can be achieved by motivating students to use available resources in the educational environment in producing their own media activities under the guidance of their teachers. Finally, in a survey study conducted in 18 countries, Fedorov and Levitskaya (Fedorov, Levitskaya, 2015) concluded the need to integrate media into education for improving students' critical thinking skills and developing effective communications between them and their teachers.
Fig. 1 presents different forms of educational media adopted in various schools across the world. The use of these activities varies depending on a particular country, provided support, nature of society, and desired to learn outcomes targeted by using media as an educational tool. These activities can be divided into three patterns, which are the most common all over the world: first, art performance media that includes educational theatre, creative drama, role-playing, folk theatre, music and dancing, and theatre scenography used for educational purposes. In addition to printed forms of educational media such as paper and electronic press, and posters and brochures, digital media has emerged as a significant modality that has been instrumental in supporting the curriculum and priming communication between students and teachers such as educational television, educational broadcasting, blogs, and social networking.
Fig. 1. The prominent forms of educational media
In light of the above, this study tried to identify the reality of the use of educational media activities at various educational levels in KSA by reflecting on global expertise in employing media as an instructional modality. The study also aimed at investigating the relationship between educational media activities and academic attainment and quality of education in these experiences in an attempt to develop a suggested future vision for educational media in KSA. Accordingly, the study addressed the following three questions:
1. How do various educational systems make use of educational media in supporting the curriculum and increasing academic attainment to meet the desired educational goals of their countries ?
2. What is the reality of the use of educational media activities in the field of education in KSA?
3. What is the suggested vision for using educational media activities in KSA for enhancing academic attainment?
3. Materials and methods
In light of this study's aims, published research and international reports for the period 20072018 have been reviewed to understand the experiences of using educational media in instructional institutions with the purpose of enhancing students' skill and academic levels. The study also adopted the descriptive, analytical approach to investigate the phenomenon under study by means of surveying a representative sample selected via a cluster sampling method in light of its appropriateness to the larger sample studies as well as its cost-effectiveness. Thus, a total number of 380 participants (190 males, 190 females) of teachers, principals, and communicators from five educational districts at KSA (Eastern Province, Riyadh Region, Northern Border Region, Makkah Region, and Asir Region) participated in the study.
Data was collected through a questionnaire that was administered in September and October 2018 after verifying its validity by presenting it on a set of expert specialists in educational media. Both paper and electronic forms (Google Forms) were utilized in collecting data. The questionnaire consisted of 40 items that aimed at identifying the reality of practicing educational media activities in Saudi schools, the experts and practitioners' perspectives regarding the future of educational media, and the best way to make use of its forms to enhance the academic efficiency of students.
The validity of the instrument has been verified by means of independent sample t-tests that compared the extremes of two heterogeneous groups; the first was the highest quadrant of the sample while the second was the lowest quadrant of the sample. The value of t amounted 34.018, which is a significant value at the level 0.01 of significance, thus verifying the validity of the questionnaire. Moreover, the reliability of the instrument was verified through the split-half method using the equations of correlation. The correlation coefficient was 0913**, which is a significant value at level 0.01, thus ensuring the reliability of the questionnaire and relying on its results in answering the research questions.
4. Results
In order to examine the reality of the use of educational media activities in the KSA educational system, as well as the effect of the variables of job, educational region, and gender on the use of various forms educational media, this study utilized normative levels for judging the reality of indicators of educational media practices in KSA from the participants' perspectives. Using Diab (2009) conventions, if the magnitude of the indicator is approved by less than 50 % of participants, it indicates negligible availability; the number of participants greater than 50 % but less than 50.9 % indicates availability with small extent; that between 60% and 69% indicates availability with moderate extent;, that between 70 % - 79.9 % indicates availability with adequate extent; that between 80 % and 89.9 % indicates availability with very good extent; and that of 90 % or more indicates availability with excellent extent. Table 1 presents the results from the form indicators on the availability of educational media.
Table 1. The Availability of Educational Media Forms Indicators
Educational media types Percentage of acceptance Magnitude
Educational theatre 51.2 Week
School radio programs 74-4 Adequate
E-libraries 17.1 Very weak
Educational television 12.2 Very weak
Printed newspapers 13-4 Very weak
Electronic newspapers 11.0 Very weak
Electronic forums 9.8 Very weak
Blogs 6.1 Very weak
Brochures and posters 43.9 Very weak
Exhibitions and galleries 25.6 Very weak
Seminars and debates 28.0 Very weak
Website for the educational institution 62.2 Moderate
Educational forums on the Internet 32.9 Very weak
Results presented in Table 1 reveal the availability of educational media form indicators in KSA. It has observed that some forms barely exist or are negligible, and include e-libraries (17.1 %), educational television (12.2 %), printed newspapers (13.4 %), electronic newspapers (11 %), electronic forums (9.8 %), brochures and posters (43.9 %), exhibitions and galleries (25.6 %), seminars and debates (28 %), and educational forums on the Internet (32.9 %). Other forms like educational theatre (51.2 %) are used albeit very limited, while the website existence for the educational institution has been found to be at a moderate level (62.2 %). On the other hand, some educational media forms, such as school radio programs (74.4 %), were properly employed.
These results revealed that the educational community of the participants is still relying on traditional media methods (school radio for example). However, the movement toward employing modern technology in the educational media is very restricted, and so the development process of using educational media in education is lagging behind.
Table 2. The Reality of Educational Media Practices
Educational media practices Percentage of acceptance Magnitude
The staff that specializes in educational media is recruited in schools 37.8 Very weak
A qualified teacher who specializes in educational media is recruited in schools 58.5 Weak
A teacher or volunteer conducts educational media activities in the educational institution due to lack of a specialist. 71.6% Adequate
Teacher's media activities guide is issued by the Ministry of Education 13.4 Very weak
There is an allocated place dedicated to the practice of media activities in the educational institution 34-1 Very weak
A supervisor recruited by the educational district periodically monitors the media activities in the educational institution 43-25 Very weak
There is ongoing communication with the Department of activities at the educational district of the school 40.35 Very weak
The practice of educational media activities promotes students' motivation toward learning and increases their achievement 82.7 Very good
Students are reluctant to participate in media activities at school 40.0 Very weak
The budget allocated for educational media is sufficient to implement schools' media programs 19.8 Very weak
Educational media in schools has a significant role in enhancing values and addressing extremist ideas 90.0 Excellent
Educational media activities in educational institutions contribute to adjusting and improving students' behaviors 77.1 Very good
I have already participated in courses and workshops on media activities and their applications in the educational environment 70.7 Adequate
I have previously responded to a similar questionnaire regarding this topic 12.2 Very weak
Results presented in Table 2 show that some educational media forms are very poorly practiced, especially the recruitment of staff specialized in educational media (37.8 %), allocation of a place dedicated to the practice of media activities in the educational institution (34.1 %), the budget allocated for educational media to implement schools' media programs (19.8 %), ongoing communication with the department in charge of activities at the educational district of the school (40.35 %), the provision of a teachers' media activities guide issued by the Ministry of Education (13.4 %), recruitment of a supervisor recruited by the educational district who periodically monitors the media activities in the educational institution (43.25 %), students' reluctance to participate in media activities at school (40 %), and previous responses to a similar questionnaire regarding this topic (12.2 %). On the other hand, the only small but not negligible indicator was the recruitment of a qualified teacher specialized in educational media (58.8 %). These results demonstrate the lack of availability of educational media practices in schools. The absence of staff specialized in educational media made schools' principals appoint this role to non-specialists, whose lack of background in media can negatively affect these practices.
On the other hand, the indicators that point to conviction among school staff of the importance of using educational media to modify students' behavior were from adequate to high in their magnitude. For instance, a teacher or volunteer may conduct educational media activities in the educational institution due to lack of specialists (71.6 %) because educational media in schools has a significant role in enhancing values and addressing extremist ideas, and educational media activities in educational institutions contribute to adjusting and improving students' behaviors. In light of these results, it was concluded that there is a gap between convictions and real-world practices regarding educational media activities. This can be explained in terms of the unavailability of educational media activities.
Table 3. Attitudes and Future Vision of Educational Media
Attitudes and future vision of educational media Percentage of acceptance Magnitude
Educational media is simply a waste of time. 23.5 Very weak
Media activities may adversely affect the work of the school. 63.15 Moderate
The goal of educational media in school is obvious. 67.9 Moderate
There is a gap between the goals of educational media and the mechanisms of practice. 84 Very good
The exercise of educational media practices in school would increase students' motivation for learning and academic attainment. 80 Very good
I know some students who do media activities in school and are excelling in their studies. 39-6 Very weak
Parents encourage their children to engage in educational media activities in the school. 84.1 Very good
The overall impression on educational media activities in school is good. 41-5 Very weak
Academic achievement is the sum of the life skills acquired by students in the school along with their scores in examinations. 83-3 Very good
I am overall satisfied with the current status of educational media activities in my school. 27-5 Very weak
Educational media can extend its educational and academic implications for university education. 87.4 Very good
Educational media activities can cultivate the values of patriotism and alleviate the ideas of extremism and terrorism. 90.1 Excellent
Saudi Vision 2030 should include developing media activities in educational institutions within the development of the whole educational system. 90.2 Excellent
Results presented in Table 3 reveal the conviction that educational media activities play a significant role in the instructional process. This finding was evident in the high percentage of acceptance for items such as item (5) "the exercise of educational media practices in school would increase students' motivation to learning and academic attainment" (80 %) and item (9) "academic achievement is the sum of the life skills acquired by students in school along with their scores in examinations" (83.3 %). Despite the parents and school administrations' concerns that "media activities may adversely affect the work of the school" (63.15 %), or that "educational media is simply a waste of time," (23.5 %) there was an overall consensus that the exercise of educational media practices in the school would increase students' motivation for learning and academic attainment (80 %), and that educational media activities can cultivate the values of patriotism and alleviate the ideas of extremism and terrorism (90.1 %). The vast majority of respondents were called to recommend that Saudi Vision 2030 should include developing media activities in educational institutions within the development ofthe whole educational system (90.2 %).
1 Dramatization of the curriculum
2 Educational television
3 Website design
4 Writing the news and investigative report
5 Computer design
6 Photoshop and other software
Fig. 2. Training needs
Fig. 2 depicts the specialized training courses needed in the field of educational media as reported by the participants. These results show that dramatization of the curriculum and website design were the most needed areas for training (24 % for each), followed by training on computer design (19 %), writing the news and investigative report (17 %), and educational television (14 %). Training on Photoshop software and other similar courses ranked last (2 %). These findings are consistent with respondents' perspectives regarding the requirements for priming educational media in the school environment, especially dramatization of the curriculum, which is relevant to role-playing as a key element in active learning, attracting students' attention, and facilitating high achievement of subject areas.
1 Educational Mobile apps
2 Online learning
3 Internet groups
4 Educational television
5 Virtual reality technology
6 Social networking
7 Others
Fig. 3. The future of media activities in educational institutions
With regard to educational media instruments (i.e. modalities and tools) which are essential for the future of implementing educational media activities in the schools, results presented in Fig. 3 reveal that respondents perceive that educational mobile and online learning as the significant instructional tools (27 % and 26 %, respectively). Respondents also reported that virtual reality technology, internet groups, and educational television will also play roles in students' learning (16 %, 15 %, and 12 %, respectively), while training on the use of social networking and other tools came last in ranking (4 %). These findings are in line with the unprecedented transformation towards the reliance on ICTs in education.
1 Science
2 Arabic language
3 English language
4 Islamic education
5 Social and civil studies
6 Mathematics
7 Computer course
8 All courses
Fig. 4. The role of educational media in students' motivation and academic achievement in different curricula.
Fig. 4 depicts the role of educational media in motivating students toward learning and increasing their academic achievement in various content areas as perceived by the participants of the study. Results presented reveal that science and Arabic language are reported as the main subjects, in which educational media contributes to motivating students toward learning and increasing their academic achievement (27 % for each), followed by social and civil studies and English language (17 % for each), the Islamic education, mathematics, and computer courses (7 %, 2 %, and 1 %, respectively). On the other hand, only 2 % of respondents reported the vital role of educational media in supporting all content areas. These findings suggest that educational media is
not viewed by respondents as pivotal for students, and this perception can be explained by their resistance to change along with their fear of trying anything beyond what they already know.
Concerning the significant approaches for promoting the future of education in KSA, results revealed that developing the curriculum is the most important approach for the development of education in KSA (25 %), followed by teachers' professional development (20 %), the development of instructional activities and learning environment (16 % for each), development of textbooks and school administration (11 % for each), and other approaches (1 %). Moreover, results concerning human efforts required for educational media activities in educational institutions showed that the efforts of the different parties and stakeholders are important, according to the following ranking: subject area teachers (54 %), classroom teachers (16 %), students (13 %), staff responsible for activities and the school principal (6 % for each), and the Ministry of Education and the school owners (2 % for each).
In order to examine the effect of interaction among the variables of gender, nature of the job, and educational region on the reality of educational media from the participants' perspectives, the General Linear Model - with interaction was utilized given that collected data is not equally distributed within the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (see Table 4).
Table 4. Results of General Linear Model - With Interaction for the Reality of Educational Media
Tests of Between-Subjects Effects
Dependent Variable: Educational Media reality
Source Type III Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
Corrected Model 8233.964a 6 1372.327 13.045 0.01
Intercept 376635.020 1 376635.020 3.580E3 0.01
Gender * Job * Area 390.594 3 130.198 1.238 0.29
Gender .115 1 .115 .001 0.97
Job 2991.627 1 2991.627 28.438 0.01
Area 128.907 1 128.907 1.225 0.26
Error 39238.257 373 105.196
Total 2188874.000 380
Corrected Total 47472.221 379
a. R Squared = .173 (Adjusted R Squared = .160)
Results presented in Table 4 show that the F value of the job variable was 28.438, which is statistically significant (p > 0.01). This finding points to the heterogeneous variability of the reality of educational media as perceived by the participants. That is, there are statistically significant differences between the perspectives of teachers and non-teachers regarding the reality of educational media. These differences can be explained by the fact that, contrarily to other parties who may hold unrealistic convictions regarding the educational process, teachers would be more accurate in views of their teaching practices, thus being more helpful instrumental in improving the educational process. On the other hand, there were no statistically significant differences based on the variable of gender (F=0.001& Sig. = 0.97) or in the interaction among the variables of gender, job, and educational region (F=0.29 & Sig. = 0.29) (see Fig. 5).
As shown in Fig. 5, there were no statistically significant differences between male and female teachers regarding their perceptions of the reality of educational media practices. The same finding was concluded for male and female non-teachers, which indicates the generality of ideas and convictions regardless of the gender of respondents. However, there were statistically significant differences between teachers and non-teachers in favor of non-teachers who obtained higher averages in the results of Fishers Least Significant Difference (LSD) test for post comparisons.
Fig. 5. Estimated marginal means of the reality of educational media
Gender -1.00
-J.OO
5. Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of media as an educational means in international expertise in order to develop a suggested proposal for the use of educational media in Saudi Arabian educational context. These experiences were extracted from the results of previous studies and international reports and based on them, the instrument of the study was developed to examine the reality of educational media practices in KSA.
The results of the present study extend the generalizability of previous results regarding the significance of educational media as an effective educational tool for the acquisition of personal and academic skills, behavior modification, and inculcating the values of teamwork and acceptance of the other. The results extracted are in line with the conclusions reached by Robb-Grieco and Hobbs (Robb-Grieco, Hobbs 2009), who maintained that educational media support talented students by encouraging active learning and promoting academic achievement in the classroom. In addition, students who commonly used media activities were the most academically accomplished compared to their counterparts.
The results extracted from the study are also consistent with those reached by Tornero and Varis (Tornero, Varis 2010) whose findings revealed that participants believe the educational system is influenced by cultural, intellectual, political, and religious attitudes of society. Thus the use of media for educational purposes can contribute to social peace and a better life for learners. Likewise, Seoki's study (Seoki, 2016) also concluded that students' motivation to participate in school media activities should be employed in motivating them for learning and increasing their academic achievement. The findings in the present study also showed some support for these reached by Wilson, Grizzle, Tuazon, Akyempong, and Cheung (Wilson et al., 2014) in highlighting the significance of the motivation component in practicing media activities in education, along with the importance of the direct integration of educational media into the curriculum by means of available technologies and modalities.
Furthermore, practicing educational media activities reduces variability among students, improves interpersonal relationships, promotes skills acquisition and sharing ideas, and activates collaborative learning. This result is in line with Fedorov (Fedorov, 2008) who concluded that media education has been a priority within cultural education in the 21st century.
Similarly, the results are in line with the conclusions reached by Fedorov, Levitskaya, and Camarero (Fedorov et al., 2016) in their investigations of the challenges facing educational media in schools. These challenges included the insufficient time allocated for implementing media activities during the school day, the inadequate training for pre- and in-service teachers, and the lack of a teacher's guide for implementing and linking media activities to the curriculum. Besides, the present study represents an empirical validation of recommendations by the World Economic Forum (2015) in terms of the need to assess students' abilities and identify their interests prior to letting them engage in media activities. Similar findings were reached by Lee (Lee, 2010) who emphasized the
importance of training teachers on the skills required for using media for educational purposes in the classroom, thus supporting students to engage in collaborative learning, along with enhancing their critical thinking skills.
Although the results reached in this study demonstrated support for media activities in Saudi schools, it is not sufficient especially in terms of experts and specialists. On the contrary to other contexts where financial resources would be the major challenges, there is a need in the Saudi context to adopt alternative approaches, such as motivating students to produce their own media means under the supervision of teachers, which would take the forms of educational drama, journals, magazines, and cartoons within the available possibilities. There is also a need to enhance the conviction of the educational role of media and the willingness of the school administration, teachers, and students.
The main objective of the study was to propose a suggested vision for developing educational media activities within the broader context of the education development in KSA. The main features of this vision include emphasizing the consistent need to develop assistive means of the curriculum and to search for the ways that inspire students' enthusiasm and imagination and enhance their skills. In this respect, educational media can make a difference if it is scientifically studied and planned (see, for instance, OECD, 2018).
Educational media in KSA still has a long way to go to empower its activities and practices. In order to facilitate this process, there is an urgent training need for offering for teachers and providing more resources. And most importantly, attention should be devoted to integrating media activities in the school day schedule with the purposes of achieving the curriculum goals and increasing students' skills and attainment.
In light of the results reached by the study that identified the reality of using media as an educational activity in Saudi schools, and considering the opinions of the participants, a set of recommendations can be put forth for the future of education in KSA with regard to taking advantage of media as an educational activity within the 2030 Saudi Vision in developing education:
1. Teachers should receive adequate preparation and training on the use of media as an assistive tool to support the curriculum .
2. Professionals experienced in various media forms, such as theater, web design, and other similar fields can be called upon to take advantage of their experience in the training of teachers and guiding the media arts to support education in schools and universities.
3. Academic specialists in media activity should be recruited at schools and provided the required infrastructure of educational information including equipped place and theaters and other elements required by the technical activities of educational media.
4. A set of guidelines should be developed for teachers and school media specialists to help them implement educational media activities.
5. Educational media activities should be integrated into a selective syllabus for "academic skills" and provide incentives to motivate students to enroll .
6. ICTs should be used in educational media activities such as virtual environments, computer designs, audio, and visual effects, and lighting technology and decoration that are constantly developing in our time.
7. The instrumental use of educational media in developing students' skills and its capacity to support the curriculum and improve the relationship between students and teachers and among students should be continuously assessed.
8. Countries should share with each other their expertise in using media as a powerful educational means in various educational levels.
6. Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the approval and the support of this research study by the grant no. (7289-EAR-2017-1-8-F) from the Deanship of Scientific Research at Northern Border University, Arar, K.S.A.
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