Higher education in Libya, system under stress
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a comprehensive insight with references to the higher education system in Libya and how policy and administration backed by political nuances have caused the current situation that has affected the quality of the education.
About: This article is published in Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences.The article was published on 2011-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 34 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Education policy & Higher education.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the influential factors on student engagement in higher education institutions in the situational frame where student engagement and active learning and teaching do not have a long tradition.
Abstract: The passive role of students in their learning and education and the absence of student engagement in higher education institutions (HEIs) are quite common in many higher education institutions in developing countries. The main objective of the research presented in this paper is to explore the influential factors on student engagement in HEIs in the situational frame where student engagement and active learning and teaching do not have a long tradition. To answer our research questions, we conducted a survey with 279 undergraduate students from four universities in Libya. Our findings show that the availability and active usage of the university’s ICTs resources, the university’s reputation and teachers’ activating influence on students most efficiently predict student engagement in HEIs. The role of teachers and their competencies to use active learning techniques are perceived to be very influential in promoting student engagement.
70 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an investigation, which was carried out from the available literature to discuss the possible ways of implementing EMI in engineering education in Libya and also focus on the possibilities of implementing English medium instruction in higher education systems in non English countries in Europe, Asia and Africa and problems faced by these countries and suggested solutions.
31 citations
Cites background from "Higher education in Libya, system u..."
...Discussing the possibilities encapsulated in EMI, one cannot help mentioning that Africa has been greatly affected by the English language....
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...12 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Keywords: EMI, CLIL, higher education, non-English countries; 1....
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...Furthermore, students are reported to encounter a lot of difficulties being taught according to EMI, which is related to poor language knowledge....
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...This is especially true about Libya, Tamtam et al. (2011)....
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...Libya, for instance, unlike many neighbouring countries of the African continent has not resorted to EMI, Tamtam et al. (2011), intending to preserve the prevailing position of the Arab language....
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30 Apr 2019
TL;DR: This paper examined the role of communication strategies in the Libyan EFL classroom in developing communicative competence (CC) of learners, and investigated the content of the teaching materials (instances of CSs and types of tasks available), the teachers and students' perceptions about CSs (use, awareness, and teaching), the implementation of tasks and activities in their classrooms, and the Libyan teachers' understanding of CSS.
Abstract: Libyan EFL classrooms represent the main exposure to English (L2) for secondary school students in Libya. Classroom interaction using the L2 is essential for Communicative Language Teaching, which has been adopted by the Libyan authorities for developing the communicative competence (CC) of learners, albeit with limited success. Communication strategies (CSs), required for strategic competence, a component of CC, can potentially enhance L2 communication, interaction and learning in the Libyan secondary school classroom. The use and teaching of CSs, adopted in many educational contexts have not been investigated in the Libyan classroom. Hence, this research examined the role of CSs in the Libyan EFL classroom in developing CC. This research investigated the content of the teaching materials (instances of CSs and types of tasks available), the teachers and students' perceptions about CSs (use, awareness, and teaching), the implementation of tasks and activities in their classrooms, and the Libyan teachers' understanding of CSs. A pragmatic paradigm guided MMR approach. It produced three data sets: a quantitative content analysis of the classroom materials (English for Libya), a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the 55 teachers and 52 student questionnaires, and a qualitative content analysis of the ten teacher interviews.
The findings suggested that there exist difficulties in the Libyan classroom with regard to developing a declarative knowledge of CSs and encouraging the use of CSs in natural situations due to mismatches between the curriculum’s aims and the teachers' perceptions and practices. The different course book materials lack explicit content for teaching and learning CSs, focus on linguistic knowledge and lack interesting communicative tasks and listening content. Also, there are difficulties related to implementing interactive communicative tasks due to contextual factors, the students' levels and abilities, and the over reliance on the L1. Libyan students and teachers seem to lack interest in the materials due to their inauthenticity and focus on form. The knowledge of CSs is limited or unavailable from the teachers' education. The use and teaching of CSs appear to be limited and unconscious. This research offers a pedagogical CSs framework that could help to link CSs theory to CST in practice, which may have implications for materials designers, and may help to identify recommendations to the Libyan educational authorities.
31 citations
Dissertation•
01 Jan 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, an instructional approach to help Libyan EFL university students learn to read and respond to fiction (short stories) by drawing on their imagination was proposed. But the model was not applied to the design of a reading program which makes a transition from a teacher-centered and translation-centered approach to reading literature (Short stories) to an interactive approach.
Abstract: Reading and understanding texts in English is problematic for university EFL students in Libya, and processing English literature is even more so. Some of these difficulties are related to teacher-centered approaches that focus on form, accuracy, and translation rather than on students’ abilities to make meaning. The aim of this study is to determine an instructional approach to help Libyan EFL university students learn to read and respond to fiction (short stories) by drawing on their imagination. Therefore, this study set out to explore the role of the imagination in meaning making in education (Vygotsky, 1930; Dewey, 1938; Egan, 1992; Craft, 2005), the role that literature plays in Libyan culture (in both its oral and written forms), the role of education in Libya and the place of English therein, and the challenges of reading in a second language (English).
By analyzing the literature on the imagination and its role in learning, on reading processes in L1 and L2, on Reader-Response Theory, and on the process of meaning making in literature, I was able to answer the first research question, namely how the imagination could be stimulated and developed to extend Libyan EFL students’ abilities to read and respond to short stories. Then I synthesized that analysis into a conceptual model. Features of the imagination that have been conceptualized in the model for imaginative reading and meaning making include: schema (background knowledge and experience); the interactive theory of reading; the role of the imagination in learning (meaning making), which includes an intellectual faculty or ‘analytical thinking’ and an emotional faculty or what is called ‘intersubjectivity’; the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); and possibility thinking.
The next stage was to demonstrate that this model could be applied to the design of a reading program which makes a transition from a teacher-centered and translation-centered approach to reading literature (short stories) to a student-centered and interactive approach. The study relates the model to the literature on syllabus design to set up a framework for selecting and grading texts into five levels. I drew on the literature for interactive task design and standard EFL approaches of teaching reading to design lesson plans for the five stages of the program.
The study concludes by suggesting that for the successful implementation of the model, there is a need for a shift in attitudes to more interactive approaches that facilitate meaning making. It also suggests conducting a series of workshops to introduce interactive teaching approaches and provide teachers with techniques for dealing with the challenges of shifting from teacher-centered to student-centered teaching. Finally, the thesis provides ideas on how to further the current research by evaluating the effectiveness of the program through empirical enquiry.
20 citations
Cites background from "Higher education in Libya, system u..."
...There is a tendency in Libyan classrooms to focus on direct instruction as a method of teaching, which has negatively affected the quality of education being offered (Tamtam et al., 2011)....
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...…there is a lack of awareness and training in effective strategic reading where analysis and evaluation are essential for understanding a text (Saleh, 2002; Sawani, 2009; Orafi, 2008; Elabbar, 2011, Suwaed, 2011; Tamtam et al, 2011; Tantani, 2012; Pathan, 2012, 2013; Abosnan, 2016; Mohamed, 2016)....
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...In fact, studies and reports on the educational system in Libya have suggested that updated syllabuses and quality assurance in education must be implemented (Tamtam et al., 2011)....
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TL;DR: In this article, an ethnographic exploratory study uncovers the status quo of classroom code switching in English as a Foreign Language (English as a Forensic Language) courses.
Abstract: There has been an increasing interest in the topic of code switching (CS) for the past two decades. This ethnographic exploratory study uncovers the status quo of classroom CS in English as a Forei...
19 citations
References
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33 citations
"Higher education in Libya, system u..." refers background in this paper
...In 2004, an estimated 200,000 students were studying in Libyan universities with another 70,000 studying in higher technical and vocational training colleges, Clark (2004)....
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...In 2004, an estimated 200,000 students were studying in Libyan universities with another 70,000 studying in higher technical and vocational training colleges, Clark (2004).To accommodate the rising interest in learning, more institutions of higher learning have been established throughout Libya....
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...After independence, Libya got its first university based in Benghazi in 1957, El-Hawat (2000). Independence brought rapid changes in the education system and during the 1975-76 academic years, about 13,418 students were studying in university....
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Book•
20 Jun 1991
TL;DR: The authors examines the dynamics of 20th-century Middle Eastern politics within a historical and cultural framework, showing that the burden of history, the legacy of nationalism, and the heritage of Islam define what is and is not possible in the Middle East.
Abstract: Although momentous current events force global powers to respect the importance of the Middle East, the area has long played a strategic role in world affairs. It has been the key to the Orient, the bridge to Africa, Asia, and Europe, and a trade centre for millenia. This work by veteran authors examines the dynamics of 20th-century Middle Eastern politics within this historical and cultural framework. Part 1 addresses the underlying patterns of continuity and change in the region. According to the authors, the burden of history, the legacy of nationalism, and the heritage of Islam have defined what is and is not possible in the Middle East. Subsequent sections, organized country by country, provide 15 case studies of the political systems of the states, each written by a specialist on the particular country. This is the only work available that discusses North Africa, Libya, the Sudan, and Palestine in such a context.
14 citations