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1 – 3 of 3Hamzeh Dodeen and Siham Alharballeh
This study aimed at identifying the prevalence of statistic anxiety among students in social sciences programs and analyzing the relationship between statistics anxiety and four…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed at identifying the prevalence of statistic anxiety among students in social sciences programs and analyzing the relationship between statistics anxiety and four key variables: attitude toward statistics, statistics self-efficacy, achievement in statistics and academic procrastination.
Design/methodology/approach
Method a total of 440 students from all statistics sections offered in the social sciences programs in a four-year public medium-sized university in UAE participated in this study. Students participated by responding to a package that has four instruments: Statistics Anxiety Scale, Attitudes Toward Statistics, Current Statistics Self-Efficacy and Procrastination Assessment Scale.
Findings
More than 27% of students have above average statistics anxiety. Significant correlations were observed between statistics anxiety and each of attitude toward statistics course (−0.34), academic procrastination (0.33) and achievement (−0.35). On the other hand, Attitudes Toward Statistics and statistics self-efficacy have non-significant correlations. The four variables together predict more than 32% of the total variance of statistics anxiety, and the best predictor was procrastination followed by course attitude.
Research limitations/implications
Students from only one university participated in this study. Adding more universities and countries could increase the generalizability of the study.
Practical implications
Statistics anxiety is prevalent among students in social sciences programs. Statistics instructors must be ready to deal with reducing it. Several procedures have been suggested to reduce statistics anxiety but improving attitudes towards statistics courses is the key factor in this regard.
Social implications
Many students from social sciences and humanities programs and colleges experience anxiety or tension related to statistics courses which are required in most higher education institution. This paper tried to understand which variables affecting this phenomenon and in which directions. At the end, statistics is an important subject for all students during their academic life as well as practical life after graduation.
Originality/value
Statistic anxiety is the feeling of worrying and tension that students experience when taking statistics courses, especially in social sciences programs. Studying statistic anxiety and the related variables is crucial because this anxiety negatively and significantly affects students’ achievement and learning.
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Yahya Hayati Nassar, Siham Alharballeh and Hamzeh Mohd Dodeen
This study aimed to assess emotional intelligence (EI) among young adults across three Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to assess emotional intelligence (EI) among young adults across three Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 1884 university students participated from the three countries and completed the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). Data were validated by confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS AMOS version 29. Path analysis, t-tests and analyses of variance were performed to understand the influence of background variables on the EI of the study participants.
Findings
The results provide theoretical support for the SSEIT and the hypothesized relationship between managing personal and others' emotions. Although significant differences were found between participants in terms of gender and grade point average (GPA), no difference was found between participants based on nationality. The results of this study indicate the need to prioritize EI in young adults and other implications.
Originality/value
The importance of EI in individuals' daily lives cannot be overemphasized. However, scholarly insights into the state of EI in the Arab context are scarce.
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Masood A. Badri, Mohamed Abdulla, Mohammed A. Kamali and Hamzeh Dodeen
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of many factors on student evaluation of teaching.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of many factors on student evaluation of teaching.
Design/methodology/approach
The study analyzed 3,185 student evaluations of faculty from a newly accredited business program at the United Arab Emirates University using univariate and multi‐analysis of variance (ANOVA and MANOVA).
Findings
The findings support previous research regarding the existence of potential biasing factors. The results indicate that expected grade, actual grade, course level, class size, course timing, student gender and course subject significantly affect student evaluation of teaching.
Originality/value
Comparing individual faculty ratings regardless of other factors might not be fair. Our findings support the call of other researchers that ignoring these other factors may bias or make questionable the validity of student evaluation of teaching as a means of performance appraisal of faculty. Because of the possible existence of biasing factors in SET, there is a need to supplement it with other measures of teaching effectiveness
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