Teacher’s Perceptions of E-learning Pedagogies in Grade 5 Primary Classrooms in Saudi Arabia

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Introduction

In the first chapter, the introductory portion of the thesis is presented by providing an overview of our subject of concentration as well as a small quantity of background information about it. This chapter examines the background information on electronic learning in Saudi Arabia, outlines the study purpose and research questions, describes the research technique and its implications, and discusses the ethical issues that were taken into account during the research process.

1.2 Background

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the usage of e-learning has experienced exponential expansion, and it has been extended to elementary and secondary schools in a number of nations. Over several decades, there has been a surge in the utilization of e-learning technology in education. Numerous educational institutions throughout the world, including universities, have adopted the utilization of this technology. Throughout the last ten years of the 20th century and the start of the 21st, there was a significant advancement in the use of computing devices and information and communication technology, which became evident in many areas of growth, particularly academia (Hamad et al., 2022).

The idea that gave rise to the term “e-learning” has influenced the approach of shifting from traditional education into an online environment, both in terms of the structure as well as the material being taught. The notion of e-learning has gained significant acceptance in the global population, as demonstrated by the extensive use of e-learning in educational institutions (Uksw & Slameto, 2014). Nowadays, E-learning technologies are used extensively in educational institutions and businesses, opening up new research applications. Several interconnected educational platforms have been implemented to enhance interaction with others, coordination of activities, and people-to-people engagement, demonstrating the significance of e-learning systems in the learning process (Aparicio et al., 2013).

In general, the capabilities of e-learning platforms consist of providing students with access to learning material and examinations, providing students with tools for communication and cooperation, and providing instructors with facilities for course administration and evaluation. Online educational platforms may also incorporate administrative capabilities or interfaces to systems of management for the purpose of managing intake and enrollment, as well as for resource planning and other administrative activities such as accountancy (Piotrowski, 2010).

The use of e-learning platforms to facilitate education and teaching has had a considerable impact on the content generation and administration techniques of educational institutions. In most cases, teachers and students have been required to adjust how they prepare, access, and engage with educational information. The change of conventional practices via the use of software-driven approaches for organizing classroom content has resulted in the emergence of the need to adapt human systems to organize and interact with educational information (Mwanza & Engeström, 2005).

The fundamental purpose of primary education is to smooth the transition of students from the education they received as children to the education that is more traditionally and comprehensively offered. This education system is centered on acquiring knowledge, acknowledging, and cultivating each of the unique needs, capacities, and pursuits of each student. Therefore, the instructional techniques employed in primary education should aim to motivate students, guide them towards engaging in learning activities, and help them realize that it is feasible to explore, uncover, innovate, and identify appropriate problem-solving approaches (Hubalovsky et al., 2019). Primary education, therefore, needs a dynamic and creative atmosphere that fosters the intellectual growth of the most gifted students, motivates those with less natural skills, and provides protection and care for the most vulnerable students (Hubalovska, 2015).

In the same way that a great number of other nations across the globe have done, Saudi Arabia has incorporated electronic learning into their educational system. In more recent times, the Kingdom has broadened the scope of the use of this technology to basic educational institutions. Yamani and Hanaa (2014) found that teaching mathematics using e-learning in Saudi primary schools had a positive impact on students’ performance. This is seen as a promising indication of educational changes in Saudi Arabia.

The interactive nature of e-learning pedagogies, which incorporate audiovisual materials such as movies and simulations in the classroom, along with easy access to these resources by students, is advantageous for elementary school students, especially those in the fifth grade in Saudi Arabian institutions. Because of their enhanced capacity for self-sufficiency and adaptation, the students will not only have the opportunity to take pleasure in the learning process, but they will also be able to cultivate their creative potential and improve their ability to approach and solve problems.

Even if the incorporation of e-learning into educational settings presents a number of benefits, the study highlights a number of obstacles that education stakeholders, in general, are confronted with. According to Noesgaard & Ørngreen (2015), utilizing e-learning to enhance classroom efficiency is challenging due to the ability of teachers to employ various strategies to resist significant changes in how they do their jobs. Research has shown that factors such as assistance and materials, personal drive and previous expertise, and the connection that exists between the e-learning tool and its users all impact how efficient it is.

1.3 Problem Statement

Across the world, in many learning institutions, we have seen the adoption of e-learning technology and how it has transformed the education sector. In Saudi Arabia, the implementation of this technology in primary and secondary schools is ongoing and it has presented several strengths and opportunities going forward. However, despite the benefits this technology presents in the education sector, its complete implementation depends on how it is perceived and adopted by the stakeholders, especially classroom teachers. Therefore, the problem this paper aims to address is the perception of grade 5 primary school teachers regarding the use of e-learning technology and its teaching methods in the classroom.

Currently, there is a research gap investigating e-learning in primary education in Saudi Arabia, especially grade 5, and most literature focuses on higher education because this is a recent government policy in education reform. By addressing this gap, this paper presents findings that can be used to improve overall implantation of e-learning in elementary schools in Saudi Arabia.

1.4 Objectives and Research Questions

Research Objective:

The objective of this research is to give insights into how e-learning teaching methods are perceived in Saudi Arabian schools’ grade 5 learning environment. The research, therefore, seeks to answer the following question;

Research Question: What are the teacher’s perceptions of e-learning pedagogies in grade 5 primary classrooms in Saudi Arabia?

In providing a solution to this research topic, the thesis answers the following sub-questions:

1. What are the e-learning platforms that have been adopted in Saudi Arabian schools?
2. How well is technology embraced in grade 5 classrooms in Saudi Arabia?
3. What are the challenges that come with the integration of technology in Saudi Arabian schools?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This paper addresses the literature gap present on the use of e-learning in grade 5 pupils in Saudi Arabian primary schools. The outcome of this study will be useful to inform policy makers on the level of adoption of the technology and how the teachers perceive it. The benefits and drawbacks that emerged when using this technology will guide future research and provide suggestions for bridging the gap and settling into online education without any difficulties.

1.6 Scope and limitations

The study explores the various types of e-learning platforms and teaching methodologies used in primary schools with a focus on grade 5. The study is specific to the Saudi Arabian context, taking into account the country’s cultural setting and its education system.

The use of a systematic literature review in this study presents a number of research limitations in relation to our topic of study. Such limitations arise from thefrom the use of academic papers and other electronic materials for review that are old such that they might fail to cover the scope of our study. The issue of publication bias may also arise when reporting the findings of this research, where some negative results may be overlooked.

1.7 Ethical Concerns

As the primary means of research, a systematic literature review presents concerns about ethics that have significant implications and may damage the credibility of the research (Suri, 2020). As a result, ethical concerns were taken into account throughout the data collection process, which consisted of conducting a systematic literature review. All of the papers that were obtained were properly cited and referenced, thereby preventing any instances of plagiarism.

1.8 Overview of the Thesis Structure

The thesis is structured in different sections. Chapter 1 introduces the thesis by giving its background information and a general overview of the paper. Chapter 2 presents the methodology, where the details of the steps to be followed in the systematic literature review are outlined, as the search strategy, selection criteria as well and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Chapter 3 presents the findings from the search, while Chapter 4 discusses the findings in detail. Chapter 5 highlights the conclusion of the study.

References 

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Hubalovsky, S., Hubalovska, M., & Musilek, M. (2019). Assessment of the influence of adaptive E-learning on learning effectiveness of primary school pupils. Computers in Human Behavior, 92, 691-705.

Mwanza, D., & Engeström, Y. (2005). Managing content in e‐learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36(3), 453-463.

Noesgaard, S. S., & Ørngreen, R. (2015). The Effectiveness of E-Learning: An Explorative and Integrative Review of the Definitions, Methodologies and Factors that Promote e-Learning Effectiveness. Electronic Journal of E-learning, 13(4), 278-290.

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Yamani, Hanaa. (2014). E-learning in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Information Technology and Application in Education. 3. 169. 10.14355/jitae.2014.0304.10.

Aparicio, M., & Bacao, F. (2013, July). E-learning concept trends. In Proceedings of the 2013 international conference on information systems and design of communication (pp. 81-86).