CASE STUDY SITE SELECTION, ACCESS AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

3.2.1 Site selection and access. Although there are three federal universities and all are gender segregated, there are numerous campuses throughout the country. The intention was to conduct the study at a notable flagship university (University X) where there may be close monitoring of the implementation of policy directives in addition to the large investment in both academic excellence and expert leadership. The chosen campus is in the same city as the residence of the researcher, providing convenient transportation to the site. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Liverpool Ethics Committee and official approvals from the University Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the University Research Ethics Committee, the provost and the relevant administrators from the chosen two colleges. The ethical regulations from the University of Liverpool and the host institution were used to shape the data collection procedures and work.

It would have been too lengthy a process and too time-consuming to include all six colleges within this university in the given time frame and context of this research study. On the other hand, choosing only one college could have been limiting for both the researcher and the reader, leaving the validity of the results and the research questions insufficiently explored. A comparative analysis, on the other hand, could reveal how similar policies in connected colleges are realised. Therefore, the study was extended to include two colleges within this university campus.

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3.2.2 Choice of sample. Undergraduate students were chosen over postgraduate students because the research study is placed within the context of the UAE shifting to a knowledge economy, as well as UAE Vision 2021. Policies are directed at stimulating pedagogic changes in both compulsory education and higher education. Past studies on learning and teaching approaches in compulsory education in the UAE reveal that the TCP has been the norm (Farah, 2012; Ridge, 2012; Tabari, 2014; United Nations, 2000). The foundation college (FC) receives students transitioning from compulsory education and the Academic Bridge Program (ABP). The ABP is a one- to two-year programme preparing students who are lacking in college readiness to raise their level of competence in the English language (the language of instruction at this university), mathematics and the sciences (University X website, “General Education Program,” 2018). All students entering the university pass through the FC, which constitutes the first two years of the undergraduate programme. The FC was thus chosen because it is an environment wherein students are moving from the compulsory education system to tertiary education. This can provide fresh perspectives regarding any adjustments that affect their current pedagogic experience.

Data were collected in the second half of the academic year of 2016–2017. Students in their second year at the FC college were chosen, as they had already experienced a year and half of the two-year programme; this was expected to provide accuracy regarding their experience at the FC. Students at the FC all take the thirteen required courses managed within three academic departments (University X website, “General Education Program,” 2018; University X website, “Foundation College,” 2018). The chosen department offered two of the newest courses added over the last two years to the general education programme. However, students’ perspectives covered the entire college, as they took all 13 of the required courses. Faculty member participants at the FC were consequently selected from the same department,

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helping to address the secondary RQ4: Is there a difference in the perception of change between faculty and students?

The College of Education (COE) chosen is most relevant to the research study, as graduates from this college would be transferring to teaching careers and be applying the learning and teaching practices they had acquired at the COE. This aligns with the UAE Vision 2021 goal of raising the quality of education and maintaining cultural factors as these graduate teachers are envisioned to teach in the public schools as discussed in chapter 2 (section 2.3). Therefore, it was anticipated that this aspect of pedagogy, context and culture as Bartlett and Vavrus (2017) claim would strengthen the study and perhaps reveal unexpected elements that can contribute to knowledge. Students in their last semester at the COE were chosen, as they could contribute from their one and half years of experience within the two-year program, thereby enriching the data.

Therefore, two colleges and four sample sets (two sample sets of students and two sample sets of faculty) within these colleges participated in the study. The findings of each college stood on their own merit, but also enabled a comparative analysis to evaluate if there was a difference in the pedagogic approach employed for the two colleges.

3.2.3 Sample size. The case study institution provides higher education to Emirati female students and a small minority of Arab students (aged 19–23 years). Stratified sampling was used within the target groups at the FC and the COE. A homogenous sampling method will also apply, as the participants are all from similar backgrounds and experiences.

A sample size of approximately 302 students and 34 faculty members received the online survey in these two colleges. The survey questions were sent out to 150 students in randomly selected classes at the FC and all 152 students at the COE, which had fewer classes and smaller class sizes. Although 181 responses were received from the students, only 171 were found suitable for further analysis. There were 16 questions on the faculty survey and all

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faculty answered all the questions, while there were 36 questions on the student survey. Some of the student surveys were only partially finished, as the survey may have been too time- consuming or tedious for them to complete. These incomplete ones were omitted and account for the 10 listed above as unsuitable for analysis. They are also stated below as missing values (section 3.3.1.6). There were 96 student responses (63%) at the FC and 75 student responses (49%) at the COE. There were seven out of 11 (63%) faculty responses from the FC and 16 out of 23 (70%) faculty responses from the COE.

The researcher chose to invite all participants within the same surveyed sample from both colleges to participate in the interviews and focus group discussions. The survey questions may have provoked their thinking and it was anticipated that they might have insightful data to share beyond the questions on the survey. Six to eight students and four to six faculty members who responded first to the invitation at each of the colleges were selected. Focus group discussions were conducted for all four sample sets and included four to six participants in each group. The characteristics of the participants are listed in Table 3.2 below.

Table 3. 2 Demographics of Participants in the Qualitative Inquiry

Number of Participants & Nationality Age Category

Category Interviews Participants Focus Group Participants OEQ* - Survey Participants 18–24 25 – 49 50– 65

Number Nationality Number Nationality Number

COE Faculty 6 Foreign 6 Foreign 10 0 10 2

COE Students 6 Emirati 7 Emirati 19 11 0 0

FC Faculty 4 Foreign 5 Foreign 2 0 9 1

FC Students 8 Emirati 5 Emirati 57 14 1 0

*OEQ – Open Ended Questions

Note. 81% of COE faculty participants and 37% of FC faculty participants had over 15 years of teaching experience at the colleges under study and 75% at FC had over 10 years of teaching experience.

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3.2.4 Ethical considerations. There are very few federal universities in the country and this being a flagship university in the region, there was some apprehension whether access would be possible. The gravity of undertaking the study at this site provoked a sense of ensuring ethical processes were correctly done. A provisional approval was first obtained from the site under study while the ethical approval from the University of Liverpool was in process. The ethical regulations from the University of Liverpool and the host institution were used to shape the ethical considerations throughout the study.

There was some concern whether both faculty and students would be open about issues they might be facing and divulge information freely to an outsider researcher. However, it was found to be advantageous to be an outsider researcher as there was no risk of coercion as the researcher was not their instructor nor a faculty member at their college. Participants were comfortable and spoke freely during the interviews. The confidentiality measures taken and the non-confrontational and non-threatening conversation environment appeared to have put them at ease.

For participant protection concerns, the name of the case study university, the colleges and the names of participants were omitted, and pseudonyms were used when referred to in the study. An online survey platform was used and participants remained anonymous. Voluntary participation was encouraged. Data collected from the interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) have been kept secure. As the study was undertaken during the regular academic sessions, the researcher sought methods that would be less intrusive on both the students’ and faculty’s time. The interviews and FGDs were held at the university campus either during breaks or after regular college hours.

Although this is an English-medium university, as most students transferred from Arabic-medium schools, it was suggested by faculty members that instructions and survey questions be provided in both English and Arabic. Therefore, to obtain accuracy of responses

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and to enable ease of participation, the Participant Information Sheet, Consent Form and survey questions were translated. However, the interviews and FGDs were conducted in English, with the opportunity to respond in Arabic if they preferred. Only one student from the FC responded in Arabic at the interview.