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This study aimed to investigate students' reflections on using smartphones to enhance vocabulary learning. The sample consisted of 64 college students enrolled in required English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading course. A twenty-two-item questionnaire was developed to elicit students' reflections on their experiences in terms of three aspects; engagement, vocabulary learning strategies, and attitudes towards smartphone use. The study also explored the effect of previous experiences of smartphones use on the students' reflections. Results showed that students' engagement was generally high, their vocabulary learning strategies had changed, and that their attitudes towards using smartphones to develop their vocabulary were positive. The study also found that there were differences between those who have experience in using smartphones and those who did not, in favour of those with experience. It is recommended that teachers encourage their students to use smartphones to enhance their English language abilities, especially their vocabulary.

This study aimed to discover the factors affecting the acceptance and adoption of Tiktok platform among Palestinians through the Lens of Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The study sought to research how Tiktok app has diffused among the Palestinian users, and discover the characteristics of Tiktok platform that affect its adoption among them, in addition to discover the benefits that Palestinian users are gaining from Tiktok adoption. The study also sought to identify the reasons that derive Palestinian users to prefer Tiktok to other platforms. This study used the qualitative methodology and utilized semi-structured interviews to accomplish the goals of the research and answer its questions. These interviews were based on a pre-established set of questions that were asked to all respondents. Semi- structured interviews were chosen because they flexible and give the opportunity to ask follow-up questions to delve more deeply into topics addressed. Ten interviews done with diverse Palestinian Tiktok users to discover the characteristics and determinants that motivate them to use and adopt Tiktok and reveal the reasons that may derive users to prefer other platforms to use. After interviews analyzing, the study revealed that users got to know the Tiktok platform in various ways, including YouTube ads, and the recommendation of close friends and relatives to use the platform. The majority of interviewees cleared that the most important characteristic that encouraged them to adopt and use the application is its ease of use, as well as the fact that it is free application supports the Arabic language and doesn't need a prior experience to use. According to the results, the interviewees believe that there are many advantages to utilize and implement the application, such as passing the time by watching quick videos with a variety of subjects.

This case study, conducted at a Palestinian university, explored the language learning strategies employed by learners of English as a foreign language and the relationship with proficiency. Furthermore, since gender is often considered a major variable in learning success in some areas of the world, the study wished to explore the role of gender in strategy use and level of proficiency in the Palestinian context. The study included 109 (41 male, 68female) students studying in English preparatory courses prior to entering the university. The data were gathered through an original 60-item language learning strategy questionnaire, modelled to some extent on the "Strategy Inventory for Language Learning" or "SILL" (Oxford, 1990) and constructed from material contributed by the students themselves. The results indicated that students reported medium to frequent strategy use, which was not significantly related to proficiency level, and there were only three significant gender differences according to strategy use, in favor of the females. This suggests that gender is not a salient influence in these students' strategy use or levels of proficiency. This article concludes by suggesting implications both for the immediate context of the study and also for environments beyond the location of the current study.

The impact of COVID-19 on the higher education sector has extended beyond using alternative technological methods. It has also influenced the professional identities of instructors themselves. This study aims to investigate EFL instructors' perceptions of the impact of online teaching on identity transformation during the COVID-19 lockdown. It also investigates how online teaching has affected teachers' professional identity in relevant aspects. The study was conducted during the first academic semester of 2022/2023. The researchers adopted a mixed research methodology that involved both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. A questionnaire was distributed to (44) EFL instructors, and semistructured interviews were conducted with (8) EFL instructors at the Department of Languages and Translation at a Palestinian University, Palestine. Appropriate quantitative and qualitative analyses were utilized to figure out participants' responses to the questionnaire and the interviews. The results of the survey revealed that online teaching positively influenced instructors' social relations with their colleagues and students, enhanced the teaching process, and promoted instructors' self-esteem. As for the interviews, the findings showed the substantial impact of online teaching on EFL instructors' identity in terms of their professional needs, self-awareness and self-esteem, relationships with learners, relationships with colleagues, and their perspectives towards their institution. Hence, some recommendations were suggested.

While examining the findings, this study concentrated on academic success, critical thinking, and motivation for demonstration. Secondary school students studying English are involved in digital story-telling research. A quasi-experimental approach was employed in the research with 48 11th grade students who took pretests and posttests. Teaching as DST in the experimental group and teaching as teaching in the control group were the two degrees of CT-integrated instruction that were used. Gather both quantitative and qualitative information, such as responses to academic questions and the outcomes of tests of English language and cognitive skills. Through the addition of unique cultural narratives with a Palestine focus, the work advances the DST tradition. This program sheds information on how learning outcomes for students are impacted by daylight saving time. Because ANCOVA yields effective and objective results, it was utilized in the data analysis process.

In Palestine, youth unemployment rates are rising, vocational training centers (VTCs) are not teaching students the skills needed to survive in the 21st century workforce, and females are extremely underrepresented in both VTC institutions and the labor force. This study reports on the effectiveness of a set of interventions meant to transform VTCs with new life skills training, improved training practices, and expanded career guidance services that will encourage females to participate fully in the workforce. A sample of 64 students receiving the set of interventions completed an 11-item retrospective pre-post life skills training survey. Both females and males reported positive shifts on all 11 items, with an average 24% improvement across all items, and 48% of graduates reported finding employment three months after graduation. Anecdotal reports suggest opportunities for females are growing, and that VTCs are well placed to continue working to address gender inequities.

This study explores Arab university faculty's views on fully AI-generated assignments and research papers submitted by students, what reasons they give for their stance and how they react in this case. Surveys with a sample of 45 Arab instructors revealed that 98% do not accept AI-generated assignments and research papers from students at all. They gave numerous reasons for their position. If students submit AI-generated assignments or research papers, they would ask them to re-write them. The study recommends raising students' awareness of university policies regarding AI-generated content and introducing faculty and students to AI plagiarism detection tools. Faculty views and recommendations are reported in detail.

Teaching English speaking skills in schools can be a challenge, but it is rewarding. English is commonly the most spoken language in the world, and having a good command of the language can open a world of opportunities in the future. English speaking skills also facilitate purposeful communication with people from various linguistic backgrounds. Drama techniques offer an alternative method for instructing speaking skills, allowing participants to step into the characters' shoes. These roles also give them several chances to communicate ideas, feelings, opinions, etc. In this study, two drama techniques have been implemented in accordance with the presented units in the EFL Palestinian curriculum of grade six. The study continued for nine weeks. This study explored the primary students' opinions about drama techniques that have been used in instructing EFL speaking lessons. The data is collected with semi-structured interviews after the intervention period has been completed. Thematic analysis has been used to analyse the gathered data. To conclude, participants have experienced different positive feelings. They also prefer the frequent use of drama techniques. Communication and social skills have been improved because of drama implementation. Finally, they admit that drama techniques offer clear instructions leading to positive learning development.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly prevalent, permeating various aspects of and spreading across education. However, a comprehensive understanding of AI applications and how to define AI literacy is under-investigated. On this note, teaching and evaluating AI literacy necessitates educators to integrate it into course content. The implementation and use of AI are reshaping college students' learning experiences. Limited efforts have been made to promote AI literacy for individuals at academic institutions. This study aims to investigate college instructors' perspectives on AI integration in curriculum design at a higher education institution, Palestine Technical University Kadoorie (PTUK). A mixed study approach is used with a pre-existing questionnaire containing 14 items in this study and 17 semi-structured interviews. The data were collected from nine different departments at PTUK. The target population consisted of 176 college instructors. The results revealed that college instructors perceive AI literacy as a weak element in the curriculum. Two themes merged from qualitative data: accomplishing educational goals, and lack of AI guidelines and concepts. Recommendations include the necessity to incorporate AI literacy curriculum design in higher education contexts in different disciplines.

This study aims to investigate students' self-regulation skills, confidence to learn online, and perception of satisfaction and usefulness of online classes in three learning environments that integrates ChatGPT. In this study, a quasi-experiential design was used to compare three online learning environments that integrate ChatGPT (independent, peer, and group). A total of 100 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to these three groups. Three questionaries' were used for data collection. The results showed that the self-regulation levels were high among the participants in these three online ChatGPT groups. However, learning in peer and group environments were more effective in developing self-regulation skills than learning independently. This research also found that the participants in the peer and group learning environments had high levels of confidence to learn online compared to the participants in the independent group. The results also showed that the participants in the peer learning group had the highest scores of perception of satisfaction and usefulness of online classes compared to the participants in the independent and group learning environments. The findings of this study support the notion that integrating ChatGPT within peer groups can enhance students' perception of satisfaction and usefulness of online classes. Educators should explore ways to leverage ChatGPT to facilitate meaningful interactions and collaboration among students, thereby increasing their satisfaction and engagement with online learning materials and activities.

The frequency of disruptions to the function of Palestine's education systems highlights the need for Palestinian educational institutions to implement online delivery of institutional services and course content in order to ensure reliable access for teachers and students. This qualitative case study explored the beliefs and perceptions of five teachers of English as a foreign language who worked at a Palestinian university that transitioned to online emergency remote teaching during the 16-month-long halt to face-to-face instruction forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data throughout the school closure period, and findings derived by thematic analysis showed that the teachers, including three with no experience teaching online, faced challenges but eventually adapted to the situation. The data revealed agreement and divergence among the teachers regarding the benefits and downsides of moving their courses online. An overarching theme of uncertainty emerged as a characteristic of the teachers' practices and work lives during the study period, with the shock transition to e-learning, labour intensive teaching conditions, inadequate e-learning infrastructures, and four types of classroom impacts identified as primary contributing factors. By the conclusion of the study, all teachers agreed that e-learning will play an increasingly important role in the future of education in Palestine, and four were willing to continue teaching online. By identifying associated benefits and challenges and highlighting influences that physical and cultural contexts can have on the transition to online education, this study contributes to the literature regarding the adoption of e-learning at universities in developing countries.

Purpose: This research explores the pivotal role of educational research in supporting democratic civic education amid armed conflict. The study uses the recent experiences in Israel to examine how research can maintain democratic values and foster reconciliation during tumultuous times, aiming to illuminate the transformative capabilities of academic inquiry in crisis contexts. Approach: The research adopts a semi-empirical, exploratory design that evolved from ongoing events. Personal testimonies from a diverse group of seven students were analyzed for overarching theoretical themes. Findings: The analysis reveals that educational research during conflict may act as a critical, transformative tool, highlighting substantial challenges in maintaining civic engagement and democratic education. It underscores the dual role of research in understanding and actively addressing the complexities of armed conflict. Practical implications: The findings stress the need for educational public scholarship and international collaboration to support democratic education, highlighting the crucial role of researchers in shaping educational practices during crises.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, igniting the 2023 War in Israel and Palestine. As human rights atrocities unfold, the war has sparked contentious political debate and civil discourse. Given their positions of authority, university presidents and chancellors have weighed in on the conflict through their public statements, while seeking to support their campus community members in the process. This research employs thematic discourse analysis to evaluate presidential statements to (1) understand how leaders position their institutions amidst strife and (2) identify who university leaders support in the process. By reviewing the attributes and deficits embedded within presidential statements, this research attempts to provide strategies and recommendations for university leaders to exercise inclusive practices during crises.

The current study examined the psychometric properties and correlates of three measures assessing individual differences in mattering among people from Palestine assessed in January, 2024. This study uniquely considers mattering as a resource and feelings of not mattering as a risk factor among people experiencing traumatizing life circumstances. Our sample consisted of 950 Palestinian adults (305 men and 645 women). They completed the General Mattering Scale, the Anti-Mattering Scale, the Fear of Not Mattering Inventory, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). Extensive psychometric tests supported these measures as each having one factor with adequate reliability and validity. Examination of means indicated significantly elevated levels of fear of not mattering, anxiety, depression, and stress. Regression analyses further established that each measure predicted significant unique variance in anxiety, depression, and stress. The findings attest to the further use of these measures and how feelings of mattering can be vital resource as the need for resilience and adaptability escalates due to traumatizing events.

In this study, we aimed to better understand the experiences of ethnic minorities within institutions of higher education, especially in areas of conflict. We focused on the case of Palestinian students from East Jerusalem who study in one of Israel's major universities. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with nineteen students. The study found that Palestinian Jerusalemite's students face various linguistic, cultural, and academic barriers as an involuntary ethnic minority in a settler colonial context. We also highlight how the programs offered to integrate them cater to individual needs rather than addressing students' group identities. Furthermore, those who survived their initial cultural and linguistic barriers and opted to stay at the institution tend to develop an academic identity that compensates for the lack of space for their group affiliation.

The purpose of this study is to provide an insight view about the challenges to female government college principals and vice principals in Chitral, Pakistan. The study uses in-depth interviews for data collection and on the basis of predetermined criteria, the study participants were selected. The findings of the study explain that in district Chitral female government college principals and vice principals face socio-cultural, religious, and political challenges in their work place and remain under tremendous pressure that leads to limit their efficiency and restrict their professional growth. However, very few principals and vice principals are satisfied with their jobs because of supportive families. Therefore, the study recommends that these aspects be placed before forums for consideration to rightly empower the female principalship/education leadership for assurance of quality female education in Chitral and Pakistan, through real delegation of power with a conducive environment to female government college principals and vice principals.

This intervention study aimed to assess mothers' knowledge of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). It also measured the impact of a health education program on their level of knowledge and their infants' IDA rates in rural areas of Nablus Governorate. Using a randomized pretest--posttest control group design, the efficacy of 3 months' education program was examined against control group. Assessments were made at baseline and after 3 months of conducting the intervention. A structured interviewing questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge about IDA, and blood samples were collected from infants in both groups. Only 1.9% of mothers in the intervention group and 3.5% of mothers in the control group had good level of knowledge at baseline. After the educational intervention, a significant statistical difference was observed in the mean total knowledge score between the intervention and control groups (33.68 + 5.366 versus 26.12 + 5.243), and the intervention group was seven times more likely to have good knowledge (relative risk = 7.332). Regarding IDA rate, there was a decrease in the infants with IDA in the intervention group (relative risk = 0.671) compared to infants in the control group. The planned health education program was effective in improving mothers' knowledge and reducing the risk of IDA among their infants.

Issues about poor achievement in mathematics (angles and polygons topics) among Palestinian students has led to the need for developing new effective strategies that can be used to improve mathematics achievement among Palestinian 7th grade students. The aim of study is to reveal the effect of employing the mantle of the expert on the achievement of angles and polygons topics among seventh grade students in Palestine. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design using experimental and control groups with a pre and post-test was conducted. Data were collected using achievement test. The sample of study consisted of (76) students in the seventh grade that were divided into two groups, the experimental group (37) students and the control group (39) students. Data collected from the pre-test and post-test was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. One-way MANOVA test was used to verify the differences of achievement between experimental and control groups. The research found that there is a significant impact of employing the mantle of the expert in increasing the achievement in geometry among seventh grade students. Students who are studied using mantle of the expert had better achievement than those who did not. This study recommended employing the mantle of the expert in teaching other topics in mathematics and in different study stages. This study too showed the necessity of paying attention to the use of classroom and extra-curricular activities in different academic subjects, particularly in mathematics, as well as indicated the necessity of holding courses and workshops to train teachers to use the mantle of the expert in the educational process.

This research designed to discover the relationship between the exposure of social media and social comparison level, taking Instagram as a model based on age, social status, educational level, job, frequency of opening Instagram daily and numbers of hours spend on the app per day as study variables to discover if there are relationships between these variables and social comparison level among Palestinian females Instagram users. This research is a descriptive study used the survey methodology that depended on pre- prepared questionnaire was developed by Sharmaa, et al. (2022). The internal consistency was checked by Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient. The values of the test were above 0.9, point out excellent (1.0-0.90) reliability for all the constructs (Sharma, et al., 2022). The sample included 140 Palestinian females who have an effective Instagram application and use it periodically. Frequencies tables and One Way ANOVA test were used by SPSS program to examine the hypothesis of the study. Six statistical hypotheses were tested. Results from data analyzing found that there is no significant statistical relationship between the exposure to Instagram and social comparison level based on age, educational level, social status, job, frequency of opening the app per day and number of hours spend on the app per day. The research found that the sample's majority expressed that Others' Instagram posts inspire and motivate them. Also, half of the sample care about the way the others interact with their posts and think that people present themselves on Instagram in a different way compared to reality and that they don't make positive or negative judgments on others based on their number of likes and followers.

The advance in employing digital technology in education is often accompanied by a dominance of Anglophone digital corporations and tools, and a dominance of Western models of education, resources, practices, and concepts. This influences many aspects of teaching and learning and causes ongoing threat to societies, cultures and communities outside the global and national mainstream, especially those that are small, marginal or fragile in terms of the preservation and enhancement of their own culture and institutions. This paper addresses these threats within the Palestinian context by reporting on a study that explored educators' perceptions of the influence of culture on social media use in education. The conceptual framework that guided this study includes theories of Connectivism such as Siemens' and theories of cultural dimensions such as Hofstede's'. The study used semi-structured interviews with 18 educators at three Palestinian educational institutions who apply different teaching modes. The findings reveal nine cultural aspects that influence educators' perceptions of social media and its use for educational purposes. They also demonstrate the influence of culture on some Connectivist practices in the Palestinian context. Other factors, such as the Israeli occupation were found to affect educators' practices and perceptions. The study reveals cultural aspects that are not included in Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions theory, and this serves to underline that Hofstede's cultural dimensions only provides a partial or incomplete understanding of how culture influences educational technology use in the Palestinian context. The study provides a foundation for future thinking about decolonizing research methods, developing modern pedagogies and appropriating some global concepts within the Arab context.

This research paper aimed to study the transformation of Being in Mahmoud Darwish's last poem "The Dice Player" through a Heideggerian framework analysis. It took Heidegger's famous quote "The poets are in the vanguard of a changed conception of Being" as a point of departure in investigating and unveiling the assumed transformation in the Darwishian Being in the poem. By employing a descriptive-interpretative qualitative research method, the paper argued that "The Dice Player" depicted Darwish's implicit and explicit changed conception of his own Being which Heidegger called 'minemess' particularly in relation to his amour propre, his perception of Death and the 'Other'. The findings reveal that the Darwishian changed conception of Being, which was driven by his anxiety and submission to death, gave rise to a new Darwishian Being. The new Darwishian Being developed a different perception of himself ("amour propre"), death and others in "The Dice Player" when compared to his previous poems. Therefore, the paper concluded that Darwish seemingly joined "the vanguard of a changed conception of Being" by showing a transformation in his Being at three different levels.

The International Virtual Exchange Project (IVEProject) has been connecting students across multiple countries through asynchronous forums on a large scale since 2015. However, considering the variety of virtual exchange methods and the advantages they bring to the field of foreign language learning, there is an increased need to explore the pedagogical possibilities of combining asynchronous and synchronous modalities, particularly across multiple institutions and countries. This short article reports on a pedagogical innovation which involved adding synchronous sessions conducted over Zoom to the asynchronous IVEProject forums. The authors arranged eight weekly Zoom meetings in which students from China, India, Japan, Jordan, Palestine, Türkiye and Syria participated in May-July, 2021. After the final session, a survey was administered to participating students and their teachers to explore their experiences. The results show that the majority of students appreciated and benefitted from the opportunity to communicate synchronously with peers from other countries. The paper also reflects on the benefits and challenges of combining synchronous sessions alongside the asynchronous IVEProject forums, aiming to derive lessons learned from this project in the hope that this will aid future EFL instructors in creating engaging virtual exchange projects which involve participants from multiple cultures and countries.

The theory-practice gap in nursing education confuses students and decreases the quality of their training. This study aims to examine the gap between theoretical teaching and clinical training for students at AAUP. A cross-sectional survey of 192 nursing students at AAUP. Questions measuring aspects of the theory-practice gap were developed based on the literature review. Socio-demographic variables included sex, age, residence, and school year. Simple frequencies and multivariate linear regression were used to analyze the data. The p-value was set at 0.05 for statistical significance. The practical trainer was the most important factor in bridging students' theory-practice gap. Practical trainers who explain to the students the theoretical protocols of the nursing procedures produced students with better abilities to link theory and practice (B = 1.53, P = 0.000). The university teacher was less important in the theory-practice link. The simulation training was significantly related to students' abilities to link practice with theory (B = 0.28, P = 0.036). Investing in nursing clinical practice and supporting the clinical instructors is recommended. Communication between the university teachers and the practical instructors can improve their training skills and their abilities to link theory with practice.

As the shift to distance learning was abrupt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, neither university students nor instructors were fully prepared. There was a real demand, therefore, for adopting principles that belong to Education 3.0 in higher education institutions as this pandemic might not be the last. This study aimed at evaluating to what extent the principles of Education 3.0 based on the heutagogical approach could be applied at universities. To achieve this target, a mixed approach was followed by utilizing two instruments; a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. A total of (200) students and (10) instructors from Birzeit University (BZU) were the participants. Data that emerged from the questionnaire were statistically analyzed, whereas the interviewees' responses were qualitatively content-analyzed and grouped into main themes. The findings revealed that some principles of Education 3.0 have not been fully applied yet at BZU, such as supporting the learners' self-determination; the individualization of teaching methods and strategies; blending synchronous online teaching mode with the face-to-face; empowering and coaching students to build personal learning environments with using multiple tools of authentic and real-life evaluations. Accordingly, it was recommended that universities worldwide as well as other higher education institutions should adopt the principles of Education 3.0 to make the shift to distance learning smooth for both students and instructors, especially by using flexible curricula and open learning resources; empowering students to determine their needs, objectives and personal learning environments; individualizing the teaching methods; and avoiding "One-size fits all" strategies.

Social problem-solving skills are the individual's way for better social adaptation. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the characteristics of Palestinian adolescents' social problem-solving (Positive orientation, negative orientation, rational style, impulsive style, and avoidance style) in connection to some demographic variables (i.e. gender, age, family composition, father's education, and mother's education). As an instrument, Social Problem-Solving Inventory--Revised (SPSI-R) was applied to 410 Palestinian adolescents whose ages (12, 15, and 18 years old). The results showed that the Palestinian adolescents had the highest level of positive orientation and the least level of negative problem orientation towards solving social-problems. In addition, the finding showed that there were no differences between girls and boys in positive orientation, rational style and impulsive style, while females had a tendency towards negative orientation and avoidance style. There were no differences attributed to age in negative orientation, rational style, impulsive style, and avoidance style. However, it was found that positive orientation was prominent in 18 years old. There was no difference in adolescents' family composition in their dealing with social problems. Also, there was no difference in solving social problems attributed to the father's education. However, there was no difference in negative orientation, positive orientation, rational style, and impulsive style attributed to mother's education. However, there was a relationship between the mother who has elementary school and avoidance style

This study used the diffusion of innovation theory to explore the spread of the Zoom cloud meeting platform among Palestinian users in order to determine its extent among those who use it at work, whether they are students, academic professors, trainees in online courses, or employees, to comprehend the factors that contributed to the acceptance and adoption of this platform, and to discover how the Palestinian users benefit from this Platform, and to identify the factors that could result in a poor diffusion and adoption of this new technology. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews to accomplish the goals of the research and answer its questions. These interviews were based on a pre-established set of questions which were asked to all respondents. Semi-structured interviews were chosen as a tool for study because it's a flexible tool and gives the opportunity to ask follow-up questions (Brenne, 2017) in order to delve more deeply into topics addressed. Ten interviews were done with diverse Palestinian Zoom platform users to discover the characteristics and determinants that motivate them to use and adopt it in order to have a clear idea about the factors that helped in Zoom platform diffusion in the Palestinian society. The interviews also aimed to reveal the reasons that might affect the platform rejection. The study found that COVID 19 pandemic and the subsequent employment of distance education primarily contributed to the diffuse of Zoom among university professors and students. The fact that Zoom is free, easy to use, and does not require prior technical ability to run and use are the most significant factors that influenced users to adopt it. Zoom is used by Palestinians to hold lectures and attend meetings. In situations where face-to-face communication is challenging, they also use it.

This ethnographic study explores how elementary school children's participation in a culturally diverse music program, which featured their active engagement in group music-making and their acquaintance with the cultural-historical context of the music, affected them on interpersonal, collective, and social levels. The study focuses on the feelings of connectedness that the children experienced with their classmates, with the teacher-researcher, and with the people whose musical cultures they studied. The research involved fifth- and sixth-graders from two Greek elementary schools. The data are derived from participant observation, interviews with the children, and the children's written reflections. The analysis brings to view the many different nuances of the above feelings, the avenues through which they emerged, and the value they had for the children. The study shows that a meaningful engagement with the world's diverse musical cultures has the power to positively transform relationships inside schools and the children's feelings toward the cultural Other.

The purpose of this research is to review peer-reviewed articles on the effects of e-learning on the academic performance of university students. The SCOPUS database was searched for peer-reviewed articles. The data obtained were analyzed using the content analysis method. Twenty-seven articles were found in journals indexed in the SCOPUS database and considered suitable for this study. Two researchers used the content analysis method to determine the effects of the articles reviewed. The results showed that studies in this area have increased in intensity in recent years. These studies were generally conducted over five years. It was found that quantitative methods were predominantly chosen. Researchers published most articles in 2021 and 2022. Most of the studies reviewed used a quantitative design, and only seven articles chose an experimental research design. Most studies were conducted in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, India, Iran, and Turkey. The results show that different measurement instruments or tools were used to measure students' academic achievement. The impact of the peer-reviewed articles on the impact of e-learning on college students' academic achievement was examined in four categories. These categories are detailed in the results. Finally, pedagogical conclusions are drawn in light of the results obtained.

The current assessment of the state of political division in the United States is foreboding. Americans are more divided than any time since the Civil War, leaving some to opine that these differences may be irreconcilable. This speculative analysis takes seriously as its point of departure the position of a growing number of American commentators and policy experts who argue that the United States exhibits many of the risk factors that could lead to another civil war. Some commentators have advocated breaking up the union to preempt this outcome. The critical analysis within this article draws upon historical analogies from states partitioned during the 20th century, such as the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Palestine, and India. These comparisons are used to evaluate proposals for a geographical sundering of the United States into Red and Blue Americas. My analysis highlights how any kind of national dissolution, though appealing to some at first glance, would be more politically complex, demographically fraught, and possibly no less violent than the alternative of civil conflict.

Within the scope of this study, a psychoeducation program based on multicultural competencies and Berry's acculturation model was developed to improve the adjustment process of international students. In this study, an explanatory sequential design was used. The study group consisted of 34 international students who volunteered for the study. The quantitative results of the study indicated that the Culture-Based Adjustment Program significantly affected the personal and social adjustment of international students. However, it did not significantly affect the adjustment to the university environment, emotional adjustment, dating relationships, and academic adjustment. The qualitative analysis yielded five major categories: (a) expectations, (b) contributions, (c) evaluation of the program, (d) leader, and (e) suggestions. The findings of this study highlight the importance of psychoeducation programs in the adjustment process of international students.

This study aims to examine how five-year-old children demonstrate their learning through mathematical games in preschool settings in Palestine. It also explored the perspectives of children and teachers of different stages of play. The sample consisted of 90 children and 6 teachers. Children were guided to a wide range of mathematical games. Children roamed freely and explored by themselves at first, and then teachers provided suitable environments and instructions to facilitate children's experiences and learning afterward. Qualitative research methods were utilised using different research instruments, including observational notes, teacher interviews, children interviews, and reflective journals. The results show that mathematical games opened new horizons for children to investigate, discover and create mathematical concepts. It allowed children to use their creativity and develop their imagination, skilfulness, and other strengths. The children learned scientific concepts, and their problem-solving ability was enhanced and expanded. The results also indicate that teachers were able to broaden their perspectives regarding students' learning abilities as they observed children invent their games and express their interests with limited support from their teachers. In light of these results, it is recommended that children's learning through play should be promoted in Palestinian preschool settings.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of the scholarly literature between 2016 and 2023 on the impact of classroom technology on higher education instructors' assessment practices through the lens of the assessment design in a digital world framework (Bearman et al., 2022). Specifically, the paper focuses on (a) describing the assessment design in a digital world framework, (b) identifying the scope and breadth of the literature relating to technology-integrated assessment, and (c) highlighting any gaps between the Bearman et al. model and the literature. This paper marks an important step in extending our understanding of the factors influencing instructors who integrate technology into their assessment practice and promoting ethical and equitable approaches to technology-integrated assessment in higher education.

Arabic is characterized by diglossia, which involves the use of two language varieties within a single speech community: Spoken Arabic (SpA) for everyday speech and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) for formal speech and reading/writing. Earlier research suggests that some Arabic-speaking children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might favor MSA over SpA in informal settings, unlike those with Typical Language Development (TLD). Research on typical and atypical lexical abilities within the diglossic context of Arabic is limited. This study investigated the manifestation of diglossia in the lexical skills of Palestinian-Arabic speaking children with and without ASD. A total of 57 Palestinian-Arabic speaking children aged 4-11 were evaluated, comprising three groups: TLD, ASD with language Impairment (LI) (ASD+LI), and ASD with normal language skills (ASD+NL). Two vocabulary tasks were used: comprehension and production of nouns and verbs that manipulated the lexico-phonological distance between SpA and MSA. Moreover, a LITMUS-MAIN narrative production task in SpA was administered to all children. The vocabulary comprehension and production tasks were coded for accuracy of response. The production tasks (vocabulary and narrative) were also coded using a special coding rubric according to which all words used were categorized as either SpA or MSA. No differences emerged between the TLD and ASD+NL groups in any vocabulary measure, yet lower scores were observed in the ASD+LI group. In production tasks, all groups utilized SpA more than MSA. Nonetheless, some children with ASD overused MSA lexis. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of lexical skills among children with ASD. The results further underscore the role of diglossia in Arabic in lexical abilities in autism, and thus call for thorough language assessment procedures across different domains.

The research aimed to identify pull and push factors motivating the applications of Palestinian-Jerusalemite students (hereafter: PJS) to study a training program for Hebrew teaching in an Israeli university. Semi-structured interviews and an open questionnaire elicited the students' motivations and learning experiences, to reveal how they coped with political and academic challenges. The findings show that the students' choice of this program has become a preferred, prestigious option assuming that it serves as a tool for personal and professional empowerment. Additionally, some students saw their decision as enabling them, as Hebrew teachers in the Palestinian education system in Jerusalem (hereafter: PESJ), to act as agents of change for the future economic and academic benefit of their society. Moreover, studying in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (hereafter: HU), the divided city constitutes a sort of temporary 'migration' or 'exile' to acquire an education. The Israeli academia (hereafter: IA) space creates an opportunity for them to redesign their personal and professional identities. 'Hybrid identity', characterised by cultural flexibility, appears to facilitate PJS wandering between different cultural contexts for educational purposes, while maintaining their culture and national identity. The research contributes to previous literature concerning the integration of minorities in higher education (hereafter: HE).

We present pedagogical reflections on teaching the concept of epistemic injustice through an undergraduate course run collaboratively at campuses in Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Sierra Leone, and the United States. Our course, entitled Solving Each Other's Public Health Problems, enabled students to engage with epistemological power structures by playing the role of both international development donor and local beneficiary. By building on discussions of real-world issues, fostering interpersonal relationships, modeling productive discourse through transparent feedback and providing intellectual space for self-reflection and empathy, the course provides a pedagogically transformative framework for international collaborative education.

This study assessed AI literacy among a group of preservice-teachers, and investigated the effectiveness of a suggested professional development program based on the Instructional Design Framework for AI literacy in developing pre-service teachers AI literacy skills. A quasi experimental approach with post-test pretest design was used for data collection. Thirty-seven undergraduate students from Palestine Technical University Kadoorie and Hebron University participated in this study. An AI literacy scale was developed, validated, and used for data collection. The results showed that the professional development program was effective in developing the AI literacy skills among the participant preservice teachers. Gender and specialty area of the participants did not significantly affect preservice teachers AI literacy skills after participating in the professional development program. Given the research results, it is recommended that teachers should be supported to integrate AI in classroom activities. AI technological tools should be included in pre-service and in-service training programs. Further AI tools combined with other professional development strategies should be researched among teachers from different subjects to enable generalizing the finding of this research and increasing it is validity.

The study examined the relationship between children's explicit knowledge and awareness of diglossia (EKAD) and learning Arabic in school. Additionally, this study addresses the interrelationships between EKAD and oral comprehension, lexical, phonological, and morphosyntactic awareness upon the transition to reading to learn. Thirty typicaly developing Arabic speaking fifth and sixth graders were randomly recruited (n = 18 males). The Arabic diglossic Knowledge and Awareness test (ADAT) was administered to examine the interrelationships between diglossic awareness and children's Arabic reading and mathematical abilities. Results showed that children depicted varying diglossic knowledge and awareness with no significant effect of gender, age, or academic grade. Children's EKAD scores significantly predicted their scores on Arabic reading and writing test but not their math scores. The contribution of EKAD was beyond that of phonological awareness. Significant corelation was also found between EKAD and phonological awareness. These results indicate that children's academic success at advanced stages of Arabic learning is related to explicit knowledge and awareness of diglossia. In turn, this provides support for the role of diglossic/bidialectal awareness as an independent emergent skill during literacy acquisition in diglossic communities and the need to incorporate it into the educational and clinical assessment of emergent literacy among diglossic communities.

This study examines the relationship between critical thinking and grades at the tertiary level, focusing on their social, political, and ethical implications. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines survey data collection with in-depth interviews to generate comprehensive insights into the complex relationship between critical thinking and grades. The survey targets 173 faculty members, while the interviews focus on seven selected academic staff members from Palestinian universities, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the research objectives. Results showed that grades often hinder critical thinking skills and creativity, leading to rote memorization and limited creativity. The study also highlights the political implications of grades, as standardized testing influences education policies and curriculum decisions. Faculty members expressed criticism of the prioritization of grades, citing conventional evaluation methods, temporal limitations, and resource constraints. As critical thinking is crucial for comprehensive student development, contributing to problem-solving, decision-making, creativity, innovation, effective communication, and active citizenship, the study proposes diverse approaches to strike a balance between valuing grades and nurturing critical thinking abilities. By fostering critical thinking abilities, Palestinian students can enhance their preparedness for academic pursuits, personal growth, and societal contributions.

This study examines international and intercultural issues in the English for Palestine textbook series, specifically evaluating intercultural comparisons, mutual representations, and relations in terms of their effectiveness in enhancing students' cross-cultural communication skills. The examination of the textbooks employed a qualitative methodology, enriched by the inclusion of quantitative components. The findings show that the textbooks under investigation comprise an insufficient and inadequate amount of international and intercultural issues, consisting of celebratory topics of surface culture with very little attention paid to conflictive aspects of deep culture. This study is a reminder of the importance of appropriate intercultural components in developing students' critical thinking skills and minimizing intercultural misunderstandings. Hence, it aims to sensitize stakeholders and teachers to the potential losses associated with poor representations of international and intercultural issues in English teaching textbooks. Consequently, it urges them to take action by either amending the textbooks or using supplementary material to compensate for the identified lapses.

Several leadership studies have linked e-leadership behaviours to individual, team, and organizational outcomes, but the magnitude of the link across settings and levels of analysis is still unclear. This association may be affected by various causes and mechanisms. Therefore, additional research is needed to determine how e-leadership behaviours are more effective. This study explored how e-leadership affects faculty members' organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Information and communication technology (ICT) was proposed as a developmental mechanism to mediate the link between e-leadership and OCB. This study used quantitative methods. Researchers obtain data using basic random sampling. Google Forms were used to distribute the questionnaires. The proposed model was evaluated with 355 respondents from 11 Palestinian universities. This study employed the structural equation model partial least squares (SEM-PLS) technique utilizing SmartPLS 4 software. This study used validity, reliability, and hypothesis tests. This study has one second-order construct and all reflective variables. Thus, the three latent variables affect the indicators. The results showed that e-leadership is linked to high faculty OCB and that ICT usage mediates this relationship. Additionally, this study examined the theoretical and practical consequences, limitations, and future research areas and suggestions.

The continuous and controversial arguments about any relationship between foreign aid and the national content of the learned curricula in new and emerging entities in post-conflict areas in general, and in the Palestinian case in particular, have been a source of apprehension for many educators, stakeholders, educational experts, and even school children's parents. This study aims at investigating the challenges to preserve authentic national and historical content in the light of receiving European foreign aid, taking Palestine as a case. The researcher adopted a mixed-methods approach to achieve the study's goals. The national content of the school textbooks of the lower basic stage was analysed as a purposive sample of the Palestinian national curriculum. Moreover, semistructured interviews were conducted with a) curriculum professionals and policymakers from the Ministry of Education to find out the direct impact of European aid on the national content of the Palestinian curriculum, and b) with Palestinian teachers to investigate their attitudes towards the adequacy and efficiency of the national and historical content of the Palestinian curriculum. The results of the content analysis present many national themes and values, yet with diverse dominance and distribution. The semi-structured interviews revealed the continuous pressure on the Ministry of Education to change the content of Palestinian curricula, and its impact on the national content. As for the teachers' interviews, the results demonstrate that Palestinian teachers do not have positive perspectives on the national and historical content and look forwards to fundamental improvements in the national and historical curriculum.

This article reports on a collaborative project for the digital innovation of language teaching in Palestine, and it argues for the necessity of mobile learning to circumvent disruption created by the Israeli occupation causing challenges that result in marginalisation and disenfranchisement of opportunity. This partly occurs through the oppression of a sovereign curriculum that supports Palestinian self-determination. This oppression is against both the United Nations Development Goals protected rights for education and the Palestinian Ministry's vision for a society with an education sector that embraces the use of technology to invigorate the value of its culture, produce knowledge and promote emancipation. The article proposes the integration of digital technologies with student-centred learning to enhance and support transformation through three main elements: 1. Digital competence to develop confidence and agency in teachers; 2. Continuous teacher learning to develop autonomy and collaboration within organisations; 3. Problem-solving competencies, which can result in continuous improvement loops and local solutions to barriers. This article will resonate with those recognising the need for critical theory to challenge policy and practice where it deepens disadvantage. It draws upon the voices of 20 teachers from four higher education institutions in Palestine, who reflect on the barriers to innovation and a reclaiming of educational terrain.

This article explores the use of artificial stuttering as a powerful practice and therapy in higher education in Palestine where the need for applied drama is increasing. It specifically focuses on the artistic and/or performative reemployment of Charles Dickens's "Nicholas Nickleby" to enhance the academic achievement and social development of dysfluent students throughout and beyond their university education. By using extra-curricular, art-mediated training and in-class performance of chosen passages from Dickens's narrative, students not only improve their linguistic and intellectual competencies but also develop dynamic confidence to articulate themselves in daily social contexts during self-presentation. This academic practice, which is part of a one-term educational disability programme, focuses on training a selected number of undergraduate students with a severe or mild stutter by relying on the technique of artificial impersonation of the stuttering of Smike, who is one of the most common Victorian dysfluent characters, in different melodramatic acts. In this experience, students show linguistic growth and social command of communication, and thus chart a new subjective identity.

As part of a joint European-Israeli project for developing modernised curricula on migrants' lives (DEMO), academic courses were adapted to meet the needs of a population served by a Palestinian teacher-education college in Northern Israel. Arab minority students, in many cases descendants of displaced people, attended two courses within the English (39 students), Early Childhood (20 students), and Science (20 students) departments brought the voice of students and interviewees into the classroom. Inspired by culture-based pedagogy, the courses guaranteed safe spaces for students to share lived experiences of marginalisation and family displacement. The research question: "What happens when offering culturally-based learning spaces for student-teachers and inviting them to reflect on lived experiences?", and participatory methods allowed students to reflect on their daily lives. Data analysis highlighted cognitive, emotional and behavioural themes that illuminated experiences and feelings of marginalisation, silencing, female's suppression, religious extremism, privilege, memory, and dis-belonging bringing oral testimonies of students' displaced ancestors to the public sphere.

In this article, we explore how people in conflict-affected societies use language to navigate the affective constraints that political conflicts impose. Specifically, we consider the role of multilingualism in enabling sexual and romantic intimacy between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis in Israel/Palestine. Our data are drawn from a close examination of the speech of Fadi Daeem, one of the protagonists in the 2015 documentary "Oriented." Building on studies of (in)securitization and everyday bordering, we show how the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Palestine serves to instantiate a regime of affective checkpoints, a space in which sexual and romantic relations between Jewish Israelis and Palestinians are discursively blocked. We describe how Fadi and his friends use strategic instances of code-switching between Arabic, Hebrew, and English to navigate this ideologically fraught terrain. Our primary goal is to demonstrate how multilingualism can be employed as a resource for managing affect and desire in a conflict-ridden context like Israel/Palestine. In doing so, we further highlight how the intimate domain of romantic desire is inevitably situated within a broader matrix of power and constraint.

The sudden global shift to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic required teachers to place more emphasis on strategies that increased student engagement and supported their online learning. Emotional scaffolding is one such strategy that assisted learners by creating positive emotional experiences and representations during the learning process. Applying the lens of (Meyer, D. K., and J. C. Turner. 2007. "Scaffolding Emotions in Classrooms." In "Emotion in Education," edited by P. A. Schutz, and R. Pekrun, 243-258. Elsevier Academic Press) pedagogical goals for emotional scaffolding, this strategy was used in synchronous English language courses taught online at a Palestinian university. The aim was to mitigate pandemic and contextual stresses and overcome challenges associated with online learning by stimulating interactions that developed language skills. To understand students' perceptions of how emotional scaffolding impacted their learning, data from 97 students enrolled in various English language courses were gathered over the fall, spring, and summer semesters of the academic year 2020/2021. The data included two case studies, field note observations, and an anonymized online questionnaire. Results indicated that students had positive attitudes towards the use of emotional scaffolding strategies to support their online learning. Recommendations for implementation are provided.