Papers by Hanada Taha Thomure
International Journal of Educational Research Open, 2025
This study investigated student- and school-level factors in explaining students' reading achieve... more This study investigated student- and school-level factors in explaining students' reading achievement in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Using Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021 data, a multilevel modeling analysis was conducted to examine the reading achievement of students in relation to student-level variables (gender, socioeconomic status, students like reading, students confident in reading, and students engaged in reading) and school-level variables (teacher read for enjoyment, teacher send students to library, and library in school, years as principal, and school characteristics). At the student level, all factors, except for students like reading, showed statistically significant effects on students' reading achievement. At the school level, only two variables, teachers sending students to the library and school characteristics, showed statistically significant effects on students' reading achievement. The paper suggests how reading literacy could be improved in this context.
Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2023
High quality professional development programs and opportunities for teachers are a vital aspect ... more High quality professional development programs and opportunities for teachers are a vital aspect in improving early student achievement. This study adopts a professional development model which tested the difference in early literacy skills and performance of students (n=2028) in Grades 1-3 over a 12-week teacher training program (n=25). The data were analyzed using ANOVA and indicated an overall significant improvement in all tested skills except for phonological awareness, such as rhyming word tasks and reading nonsense words, where there was a significant decrease in performance. The results also indicated a significant difference between gendered scores, where girls outperformed boys in all tested areas except vocabulary knowledge, where there was no statistical difference for Grade 1 and Grade 3 students. Informed by the data, this paper recommends greater teacher preparation in the areas of reading aloud, shared reading, phonics, and basic questioning techniques.
What Brain Imaging Research and Science of Reading Can Do for Arabic Language Teaching & Learning? , 2023
This chapter will explore the very young body of Science of Reading research available on Arabic ... more This chapter will explore the very young body of Science of Reading research available on Arabic language teaching and learning and will explore further the new concept of the science of reading and its implications for Arabic language. Moreover, the chapter will argue that the new advancements in the field of brain research, science of reading and education will help show the field the best ways to teach Arabic language and give the powers that be the needed evidence that would pave the way to changing how Arabic reading and literacy in general are approached in educational circles.
Arabic Grammar at the Advanced Level: A Paradigm Shift, 2023
Difficulties learners face when it comes to grammar continue to be among some of the unresolved i... more Difficulties learners face when it comes to grammar continue to be among some of the unresolved issues in the teaching and learning of Arabic language. These issues might be rooted in historical and more contemporary reasons.
Arabic language teacher training in the Arabian Peninsula: Great teachers don't grow on trees, 2023
Although teacher training has been described as the most important factor influencing students' a... more Although teacher training has been described as the most important factor influencing students' achievement, it, however, has not been a priority for Arabic teachers in many Arab countries. With the race for knowledge economy and modernization, many Arab countries invested in English language to the detriment of Arabic. Rather than introducing national policies that adopt and celebrate Arabic as the language of a civilization that boasted a rich body of literature, scientific writings, and magnificent verse, what is witnessed nowadays is a shunning en masse of Arabic and adoption of English language as a misguided form of modernity. Student results on Arabic literacy standardized tests in the region have consistently been below the world average despite many educational reforms initiated over the last two decades. Those reforms focused mainly on curriculum reform and digitization of content rather than teacher training reform. Few schools around the region invest in their Arabic language teachers. This chapter will focus on a success story in terms of Arabic language teacher training in Saudi Arabia (KSA), telling the narrative and the many stories of what effective schools do in order to upskill their teachers and how quality, consistent and focused teacher training and follow-up can have an impact on students' literacy. A school in KSA whose students consistently rank highly on international and regional standardized tests of Arabic literacy will be highlighted as a case study to showcase success stories from the region in terms of teacher training. This might possibly help start the conversation that leads to the construction of a teacher training framework that could work for schools in the region.
Gulf Education and Social Policy Review, 2022
Reading fluency has been defined as the process of automatically associating graphemic and phonet... more Reading fluency has been defined as the process of automatically associating graphemic and phonetic information in a text with minimal conscious attention if any at all. Research has found that the effect of fluency on reading proficiency is of importance to student learning and that increasing oral reading fluency (ORF) rates has been correlated in several studies to improved comprehension. However, no reading fluency rates (FR) or standards in Arabic have been established to date. This exploratory study begins to examine Arabic language ORF and proposes an initial Arabic reading fluency scale. Thirty-five teachers from six private bilingual schools across three Arabian Gulf countries (KSA, the UAE, and Kuwait), administered ORF tests that comprised of authentic, vowelized, and leveled Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) connected texts on 1003 students in Grades 1–6 in Fall and Spring of the same academic year. Results of independent samples t-test revealed changes in reading fluency between Fall and Spring. Furthermore, the range of FR for these initial data within each grade level was significant. Results obtained, however, appeared to be lower than several of the international ORF charts used for English and Arabic languages. Girls outperformed boys in Grades 1–3, while boys outperformed girls in Grades 4–6. The study has several limitations and several likely implications that extend to languages other than Arabic possibly including the potential importance of extended reading practice and early exposure to text.
Linguistic Identities in the Arabian Gulf: Waves of Change., 2022
Nannies have mostly occupied a beloved and nearly iconic space in popular culture ranging from Ma... more Nannies have mostly occupied a beloved and nearly iconic space in popular culture ranging from Maria, played by Julie Andrews, who cared for the talented Von Trapp family to Mary Poppins, Nanny McPhee, and Aibileen Clarke in The Help. The famous and sweet Dada Halima, played by Thuraya Fakhry, in classic Egyptian movies further warms viewers' hearts. These fi ctional nannies provide a vision of a mother substitute who always knows how to deal with diffi cult and unruly children with discipline, fun, music, and, at times, a bit of magic. These nannies have engraved a lasting memory in society's collective imagination. The picture in real life, however, is far from Maria's enchanting music or Nanny McPhee, who can make it snow in August. Saud Alsanousi, who won the 2013 International Booker Prize for Arabic Fiction, detailed the bleak reality of household maids in his awardwinning novel The Bamboo Stalk. The novel, which is woven around a maid in a Kuwaiti household who falls in love with the kind adult son of the family she works for, chronicles themes of love, racism, cultural and linguistic schisms and taboos, contradicting value systems, and abandonment (Qualey, 2015). It was probably one of the fi rst Arabic novels to touch on the topic of live-in foreign domestic workers (FDWs) and how their presence in Arab households not only affects them but naturally affects the families they work for as well. The novel's acclaim is largely down to the courageous tackling of the live-in housemaid phenomenon that is so common in the Gulf. This infl ux of live-in FDWs to the Arabian Gulf states has brought to the region a welcome mosaic of different cultures, cuisines, belief systems, ethnicities, and languages. It has, in addition, infused millions of homes around the Gulf region with housemaids and nannies whose language repertoire does not usually include Arabic, the mother tongue of all locals as well as millions of expatriate families from various Arab countries. With most housemaids and nannies being the main caregivers to children under ten in the Gulf region, this situation can be challenging with regard to Arabic language acquisition and profi ciency. While many scholars have investigated the linguistic identities of FDWs and their host families in the context of Singapore
Gulf Education and Social Policy Review (GESPR) 2 (2), 91-114, 2022
Arabic language curriculum has been undergoing reforms across the Arab world to improve Arab stud... more Arabic language curriculum has been undergoing reforms across the Arab world to improve Arab students' acquisition of their first language. Reform initiatives including internationally funded projects have been aimed recently at reforming and modernizing the teaching and learning of the Arabic language. Many Arab countries have adopted a standardsbased instruction model. However, there is a lack of vision regarding how this model can be successfully implemented at a national level. This article examines how standardsbased curricular mandates have been translated into practice and how teachers perceive implementing the standards-based Arabic curriculum in public schools in Abu Dhabi. The study employs qualitative purposeful sampling and an exploratory methodology to collect experiences of Arabic teachers who implemented the curriculum from 2010 to 2017. The findings of the study uncover the main characteristics, successes, and challenges of the standards-based teaching model as perceived by teachers. The findings also display a consensus for implementing the standards-based Arabic curriculum among teachers. Additionally, the findings show that the educational model requires intense professional development that is rigorous, continuous and collaborative, mentorship and coaching in the classroom, integrated reformative efforts to change ineffective pedagogical practices and capacity building in the UAE.
Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 2008
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to map out the status of Arabic language teaching as pract... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to map out the status of Arabic language teaching as practiced in the Arab World today and to bring into focus the main issues that any improvement to that discipline would need to address.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the current teaching practices and needs in the teaching of the Arabic language.Findings – Arabic language teaching practices remain teacher centered and bound to teaching the textbook and overlooking the importance of aligning the curriculum to instruction and assessment.Practical implications – The need is critical for writing national standards for the Arabic language in addition to establishing teacher colleges that offer quality pedagogical training all backed by sound research and generous funding.Originality/value – The paper highlights the importance of teaching and seeing the Arabic language in a totally new light that preserves national identity yet embraces best teaching practices.
The current study examined how morpho-orthographic knowledge affects the orthographic preferences... more The current study examined how morpho-orthographic knowledge affects the orthographic preferences among typical and poor native Arab readers. Two-hundred participants (100 typical and 100 poor readers) from second to sixth grade were tested using pseudo-orthographic choice task, which was composed from fifty pairs of homophonic pseudowords. For each pair of homophonic pseudowords, the participants were asked to circle the one that appears acceptable as real word according to its written orthographic pattern. The results revealed that the accuracy levels among typical readers were significantly higher than those of poor readers. Among the typical group of readers, older participants showed higher accuracy levels than younger readers, while this pattern of performance was not shown among the poor readers, indicating that morpho-orthographic knowledge which affect the spelling and orthographic preferences in Arabic is a result of intact reading development.
Mondoweiss, 2021
To best understand Arabic education, especially in minoritized Palestinian communities in Israel,... more To best understand Arabic education, especially in minoritized Palestinian communities in Israel, it is necessary to decolonize Eurocentric frameworks in linguistic research.
Curriculum Perspectives, 2020
Curriculum is an ideological act. Ideologies in education are seen as belief systems that provide... more Curriculum is an ideological act. Ideologies in education are seen as belief systems that provide tools which help us determine what and how to teach. They influence what is considered as problematic and non-problematic in our educational practices (Eisner, 1985)., articulated four curriculum ideologies: scholar academic, social efficacy, student centered, and social reconstruction. This article aimed at investigating how thinking about literacy and teaching varies when considering the assumptions embedded in each of those ideologies. It, moreover, reflected on the importance of choosing ideologies that are aligned with societies students live in so that they are truly prepared for "the word and the world" (Freire, 1973) and so that they become more autonomously persistent and cognitively involved in tasks they are undertaking. Based on that assumption, we argue that teacher education programs that are still skills-oriented or competence-based (by the technical meaning of ...
Chapter 1 Contents Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Acknowledgments Chapter 4 Introduction: Background... more Chapter 1 Contents Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Acknowledgments Chapter 4 Introduction: Background The Nature of Academic Freedom in Western and Arab Cultures Special & General Theories of Academic Freedom: General Theory of Academic Freedom, Special Theory of Academic Freedom, Contrasting General and Special Theories o Chapter 5 Western and Arab Understanding of Academic Freedom: Western Understanding of Academic Freedom Arab Understanding of Academic Freedom Summary Chapter 6 History of Arab Academic Freedom: History of Arab Academic Freedom Summary Chapter 7 Status of Arab Higher Education Today: Traditional and Modern Influences on Arab University Statistical Data: Illiteracy and Enrollment in Arab Universities and Abroad, Expenditure and Human Resources Governance Accreditation Curricula Staff Re Chapter 8 Methodology: Participants Scope Ethical Concerns Participants' Biographies Chapter 9 Thematic Analysis of Interviews: Research Questions 1-8 Summary Chapter 10 Discussion:...
The Effect of Diglossia on Arabic Language Teaching & Learning, 2021
A REPORT ON THE EFFECT OF ARABIC LANGUAGE DIGLOSSIA ON TEACHING AND LEARNING
A REPORT ON THE EFFECT OF ARABIC LANGUAGE DIGLOSSIA ON TEACHING AND LEARNING, 2021
Findings from a mixed method; quantitative and qualitative assessment of156 studies and conceptu... more Findings from a mixed method; quantitative and qualitative assessment of156 studies and conceptual papers reviewed revealed the following:
1- There are positive effects to incorporating teaching Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) using phonics which is in line with the latest research on the science of reading.
2- The distance between MSA and various dialects was observed in several studies included in the review and more recently the effect of socio-economic factors on learning MSA has been cited in several studies as an important contributing factor to delays in learning MSA.
3- A finding that was of interest was that the difficulty students found in learning MSA decreased the more they were exposed to MSA, the higher their proficiency became and as they moved up grades . Thus, several studies suggested that difficulty of learning MSA decreased around Grade 4.
4- Various teaching and learning themes were found to emphasize the importance of bridging the gap between MSA and dialects through activities that build diglossic-awareness early on.
5- Early exposure to MSA was one way of bridging the gap and easing its learning, in addition to engaging students in literacy activities, and involving parents and the community.
6- Some studies concluded that there is no effect for diglossia on student performance in school and that students sometimes came to school with some knowledge of MSA due to exposure to literacy related activities at home.
7- Several studies emphasized the importance of paying attention to teaching methodologies used with non-native Arabic speakers.
8- The contradictory findings between research on Arabic diglossia reveal the inconclusively of the current body of evidence available and puts in the forefront the high importance and need for more research around those issues.
Recommendations: Recommendations are divided into recommendations for researchers, teachers and parents, policy makers and funders, and are summarized below as follows:
1) Recommendations for researchers:
a. More research is needed on the effect of diglossia on teaching and learning
b. More testing of teaching and learning interventions is needed
2) Recommendations for teachers and parents:
a. Early exposure to MSA at home is crucial (via reading to children, and exposing them to high quality MSA cartoons, board games and music)
b. Having teachers read children’s literature to students daily in school
c. Integrating MSA into wholesome and fun activities in school
d. Ensuring that teachers are proficient in MSA and can use a simplified form with age-appropriate vocabulary with the children
e. Preparing and training teachers in best practices related to Arabic teaching and learning and the science of reading. It needs to be understood that the notion of diglossia is an inherent feature of Arabic language that should not be an excuse for poor teaching and learning practices
3) Recommendations for education policy makers:
a. Policies should underline that diglossia is an inherent feature of Arabic language that should not be an excuse for poor teaching and learning practices
b. Policies should be more focused on the quality of teaching and learning practices
c. Policies should embrace diglossia as an enriching feature in Arabic language rather than looking at MSA & SpA as competing and parallel concepts that do not meet
4) Recommendations for funders of research:
a. Need for research funding, grants and incentives to be directed at interventions to improve the teaching and learning of Arabic
b. Need for better evidence of the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices, which may mean establishing new institutions and research centers similar, for example, to the What Works Centers in the UK, which includes the Education Endowment Foundation
Textbooks are major organizers of Arabic language instruction in most Arab countries (Faour, 2012... more Textbooks are major organizers of Arabic language instruction in most Arab countries (Faour, 2012). Textbooks approved by ministries of education have traditionally guided teaching of content knowledge, skills, and values to be taught at each grade level (Faour, 2012; Sabella, 2014; Taha-Thomure, 2008). This research is a foundation study into the use of Arabic Language Arts (ALA) standards in six schools in three countries in the Arabian Gulf region (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates). Fifty-eight teachers used the ALA standards adapted from the Ohio English Language Arts standards (Taha, 2017a) for at least one year. Results of the online survey indicated that 83.5% of teachers found the standards had a positive effect on their teaching, while 94.9% of teachers found that the standards helped them collaborate with each other in planning and finding suitable resources to use. This suggests that well-supported innovations can lead to teachers being aware of and using A...
The Companion to Language Assessment, 2013
Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 2008
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to map out the status of Arabic language teaching as practic... more Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to map out the status of Arabic language teaching as practiced in the Arab World today and to bring into focus the main issues that any improvement to that discipline would need to look at. Design/methodology/approach-A review of the current teaching practices and needs in the teaching of the Arabic language. Findings-Arabic language teaching practices remain teacher centered and bound to teaching the textbook and overlooking the importance of aligning the curriculum to instruction and assessment. Practical implications-The need is critical for writing national standards for the Arabic language in addition to establishing teacher colleges that offer quality pedagogical training all backed by sound research and generous funding Originality/value-To highlight the importance of teaching and seeing the Arabic language in a totally new light that preserves national identity yet embraces best teaching practices.
Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 2008
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to map out the status of Arabic language teaching as practic... more Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to map out the status of Arabic language teaching as practiced in the Arab World today and to bring into focus the main issues that any improvement to that discipline would need to look at. Design/methodology/approach-A review of the current teaching practices and needs in the teaching of the Arabic language. Findings-Arabic language teaching practices remain teacher centered and bound to teaching the textbook and overlooking the importance of aligning the curriculum to instruction and assessment. Practical implications-The need is critical for writing national standards for the Arabic language in addition to establishing teacher colleges that offer quality pedagogical training all backed by sound research and generous funding Originality/value-To highlight the importance of teaching and seeing the Arabic language in a totally new light that preserves national identity yet embraces best teaching practices.
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Papers by Hanada Taha Thomure
1- There are positive effects to incorporating teaching Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) using phonics which is in line with the latest research on the science of reading.
2- The distance between MSA and various dialects was observed in several studies included in the review and more recently the effect of socio-economic factors on learning MSA has been cited in several studies as an important contributing factor to delays in learning MSA.
3- A finding that was of interest was that the difficulty students found in learning MSA decreased the more they were exposed to MSA, the higher their proficiency became and as they moved up grades . Thus, several studies suggested that difficulty of learning MSA decreased around Grade 4.
4- Various teaching and learning themes were found to emphasize the importance of bridging the gap between MSA and dialects through activities that build diglossic-awareness early on.
5- Early exposure to MSA was one way of bridging the gap and easing its learning, in addition to engaging students in literacy activities, and involving parents and the community.
6- Some studies concluded that there is no effect for diglossia on student performance in school and that students sometimes came to school with some knowledge of MSA due to exposure to literacy related activities at home.
7- Several studies emphasized the importance of paying attention to teaching methodologies used with non-native Arabic speakers.
8- The contradictory findings between research on Arabic diglossia reveal the inconclusively of the current body of evidence available and puts in the forefront the high importance and need for more research around those issues.
Recommendations: Recommendations are divided into recommendations for researchers, teachers and parents, policy makers and funders, and are summarized below as follows:
1) Recommendations for researchers:
a. More research is needed on the effect of diglossia on teaching and learning
b. More testing of teaching and learning interventions is needed
2) Recommendations for teachers and parents:
a. Early exposure to MSA at home is crucial (via reading to children, and exposing them to high quality MSA cartoons, board games and music)
b. Having teachers read children’s literature to students daily in school
c. Integrating MSA into wholesome and fun activities in school
d. Ensuring that teachers are proficient in MSA and can use a simplified form with age-appropriate vocabulary with the children
e. Preparing and training teachers in best practices related to Arabic teaching and learning and the science of reading. It needs to be understood that the notion of diglossia is an inherent feature of Arabic language that should not be an excuse for poor teaching and learning practices
3) Recommendations for education policy makers:
a. Policies should underline that diglossia is an inherent feature of Arabic language that should not be an excuse for poor teaching and learning practices
b. Policies should be more focused on the quality of teaching and learning practices
c. Policies should embrace diglossia as an enriching feature in Arabic language rather than looking at MSA & SpA as competing and parallel concepts that do not meet
4) Recommendations for funders of research:
a. Need for research funding, grants and incentives to be directed at interventions to improve the teaching and learning of Arabic
b. Need for better evidence of the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices, which may mean establishing new institutions and research centers similar, for example, to the What Works Centers in the UK, which includes the Education Endowment Foundation
1- There are positive effects to incorporating teaching Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) using phonics which is in line with the latest research on the science of reading.
2- The distance between MSA and various dialects was observed in several studies included in the review and more recently the effect of socio-economic factors on learning MSA has been cited in several studies as an important contributing factor to delays in learning MSA.
3- A finding that was of interest was that the difficulty students found in learning MSA decreased the more they were exposed to MSA, the higher their proficiency became and as they moved up grades . Thus, several studies suggested that difficulty of learning MSA decreased around Grade 4.
4- Various teaching and learning themes were found to emphasize the importance of bridging the gap between MSA and dialects through activities that build diglossic-awareness early on.
5- Early exposure to MSA was one way of bridging the gap and easing its learning, in addition to engaging students in literacy activities, and involving parents and the community.
6- Some studies concluded that there is no effect for diglossia on student performance in school and that students sometimes came to school with some knowledge of MSA due to exposure to literacy related activities at home.
7- Several studies emphasized the importance of paying attention to teaching methodologies used with non-native Arabic speakers.
8- The contradictory findings between research on Arabic diglossia reveal the inconclusively of the current body of evidence available and puts in the forefront the high importance and need for more research around those issues.
Recommendations: Recommendations are divided into recommendations for researchers, teachers and parents, policy makers and funders, and are summarized below as follows:
1) Recommendations for researchers:
a. More research is needed on the effect of diglossia on teaching and learning
b. More testing of teaching and learning interventions is needed
2) Recommendations for teachers and parents:
a. Early exposure to MSA at home is crucial (via reading to children, and exposing them to high quality MSA cartoons, board games and music)
b. Having teachers read children’s literature to students daily in school
c. Integrating MSA into wholesome and fun activities in school
d. Ensuring that teachers are proficient in MSA and can use a simplified form with age-appropriate vocabulary with the children
e. Preparing and training teachers in best practices related to Arabic teaching and learning and the science of reading. It needs to be understood that the notion of diglossia is an inherent feature of Arabic language that should not be an excuse for poor teaching and learning practices
3) Recommendations for education policy makers:
a. Policies should underline that diglossia is an inherent feature of Arabic language that should not be an excuse for poor teaching and learning practices
b. Policies should be more focused on the quality of teaching and learning practices
c. Policies should embrace diglossia as an enriching feature in Arabic language rather than looking at MSA & SpA as competing and parallel concepts that do not meet
4) Recommendations for funders of research:
a. Need for research funding, grants and incentives to be directed at interventions to improve the teaching and learning of Arabic
b. Need for better evidence of the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices, which may mean establishing new institutions and research centers similar, for example, to the What Works Centers in the UK, which includes the Education Endowment Foundation
The conference will bring together students, educators, academics, researchers, practitioners, experts, teachers and policy makers in the field of Arabic Language teaching and learning, as well as well-known speakers from the field of general language teaching methodology. It will provide an open forum for discussion of the current needs and issues as well as an exploration of future directions for the teaching and learning of Arabic in the 21st century.