New curriculum design and teaching methods to enhance course performance and increase motivation of Saudi Arabian college students

Julie Nash (Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Saudi Arabia)

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives

ISSN: 2077-5504

Article publication date: 1 December 2016

Issue publication date: 1 December 2016

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Abstract

This study investigated the effect of cooperative learning on the performance of female college students enrolled in “writing and research” courses at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia). Cooperative learning (CL) activities were employed in place of traditional lectures and group activities. Two populations were compared, one with the CL methodology and one with traditional methodology. The results were assessed by final exam scores, final course grades, the number of students passing, pre and post-tests and a self-report survey. We found that this sample of Arab college students performed at a higher level in the CL classes than in the traditional classes. Findings suggest that CL is an effective method for teaching Arab college students.

Citation

Nash, J. (2016), "New curriculum design and teaching methods to enhance course performance and increase motivation of Saudi Arabian college students", Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 66-82. https://doi.org/10.18538/lthe.v13.n2.235

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016 Julie Nash

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode


Acknowledgements

Publisher's note: The Publisher would like to inform the reader that the article “New curriculum design and teaching methods to enhance course performance and increase motivation of Saudi Arabian college students” has changed pagination. Previous pagination was pp. 1-17. The updated pagination for the article is now pp. 66-82. The Publisher apologises for any inconvenience caused.

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