FOR RELEASE: Thursday, March 12, 2009
Doctoral Student's Research Paper Named Best at Conference
Waleed B. Al Abiky
A doctoral student in curriculum and instruction at the University of Arkansas won the award for best graduate paper at this year’s national conference of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research.
Waleed B. Al Abiky presented a paper titled “Foreign cultures representation in Saudi Arabian higher education: Attitude, Identity and Pedagogy” last month at the conference in Las Vegas. His adviser, Felicia Lincoln, associate professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education and Health Professions, described him as highly motivated and hard working.
The paper presents the quantitative findings from Al Abiky’s dissertation research. His doctoral program emphasizes curriculum development in the teaching of foreign language.
“People attending the session told me I was on the right track and that the research was interesting,” Al Abiky said. “The feedback was welcome and appreciated.”
Al Abiky, who came from Saudi Arabia to the United States in 2003 to study, explained that his research looks at Saudi students studying foreign languages at the College of Language and Translation at King Saud University in Riyadh. He’s examining the students’ attitudes toward other cultures and how these attitudes affect the students’ identities.
The quantitative findings came from Al Abiky’s analysis of a survey filled out by Saudi students enrolled in the 10 foreign language programs offered at King Saud University. For the qualitative aspect of the research, Al Abiky interviewed six faculty members of the university.
He hopes to determine how instruction affects students by putting the pieces together.
“I am interested in this topic because the world is facing challenges of transition,” Al Abiky said. “I’m looking at how people interact with each other and how economic customs of one country affect the whole world. We have to prepare students to have a dialogue with people from other cultures.”
Al Abiky plans to teach at King Saud University after earning his doctorate.
“It really feels good to be recognized,” he said about the conference award. “I wish my dissertation committee were with me at the award banquet. My work would not be possible without their encouragement and insights. I greatly appreciate their hard work behind the scenes.”