A Qualitative, Small-Sample Study of Employment Challenges for People with Disabilities in Saudi Arabia.

Many people live with disabilities and many countries worldwide are acting to provide people with disabilities opportunities to find and sustain gainful employment. Notwithstanding, people with disabilities still do not have the same access to employment as their counterparts without disabilities. Although some research has investigated these issues in Western countries, very little research has investigated these issues in the Middle East, in general, and in Saudi Arabia, in particular. The aim of the present study is to gain an initial understanding of the employment experiences of people with disabilities and prospective employers of people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. We identify several potential obstacles preventing people with disabilities from securing and maintaining gainful employment in Saudi Arabia. We secured qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with five prospective employers and five individuals with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. We focused on identifying barriers to employment. The impact of demographic factors such as age, gender, and education on employment opportunities was also examined. The results suggest several practical conclusions and recommendations relating to improving and enhancing opportunities for employment for people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia.

Teachers' Perceptions of Bullying in Saudi Arabian Primary Public Schools: A Small-Sample, Qualitative Case Study.

Bullying among primary school students is a serious problem that often has multiple negative effects including poor academic performance and mental health problems. The current study used qualitative methodology to determine the role of communication in creating awareness and preventing bullying in a school setting through stakeholder intervention and bullying-prevention programs. If teachers are aware of bullying, then they are likely to take adequate measures to reduce or prevent future bullying. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 teachers working in public primary schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The results provide an initial step in the Saudi Arabian context toward identifying the forms and types of school bullying, helping administrators, teachers, parents, and students reduce bullying and develop long-term plans for addressing bullying. Consideration of teachers' perceptions may enable the development and implementation of new programs for addressing bullying in primary school students. The discussion highlights future research directions and the limitations of the current research.

Saudi Arabian Perceptions of Childhood Anxiety, Parental Communication, and Parenting Style.

Parenting communication and parenting style, including expressions of fear, worry, and threat, may contribute to children's anxiety and apprehension. This study examined the degree to which perceptions of parental communication (both verbal and nonverbal) and parenting style are linked with childhood anxiety. This is among the first studies to investigate these relationships in a Saudi Arabian context. We employed a sample of 121 Saudi adults who completed questionnaires measuring perceptions of 2 parenting styles (authoritative and authoritarian), parental anxiety, and childhood anxiety. Parental communication elements such as shouting, criticism, facial expression, and body expressions were included among assessments of perceived parental anxiety, authoritative style, and authoritarian style. The results indicated that perceptions of childhood anxiety were positively associated with parental anxiety but not consistently associated with other assessed variables. This research addressed perceptions of parental communication and parenting style in the development of childhood anxiety, extending upon previous research on Western samples to a Middle Eastern sample residing in Saudi Arabia.

An Exploratory Study of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication in Saudi Arabian Families.

This exploratory study investigated whether factors such as gender, age, level of education, monthly income, and the number of family members are associated with verbal and non-verbal communication in Saudi Arabian families. A convenience sampling procedure was used to recruit 182 Saudi Arabian adults who responded to a self-report survey. Verbal and non-verbal communication was categorized into positive and negative communication. Descriptive and ordinal regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationships of familial variables with communication. Female gender status had a small negative association with positive communication, whereas the number of family members, level of education, monthly income, and age did not correlate with positive communication or negative communication. The Discussion section addresses the limitations of the current study and identifies several directions for future research, with special attention to the Saudi Arabian family context.

Interpersonal Communication Style and Personal and Professional Growth among Saudi Arabian Employees.

This study explored the association of interpersonal communication style (ICS) with personal and professional growth among Saudi Arabians in the context of the work environment. It was hypothesized that different ICSs are differently associated with personal and professional growth. The participants were 143 Saudi Arabian adults, including members of both genders, who were employed, with varying incomes, and who had different education levels. The participants completed a self-report survey, assessing their ICS and their personal and professional growth in an employment context. Consistent with the hypothesis, the results indicated that different ICSs are differently associated with personal and professional growth. The controlling ICS had the strongest relationship to professional and personal growth, whereas the dynamic ICS had the weakest relationship to professional and personal growth. In the Discussion, we address the limitations of the study and identify several directions for future research, with specific reference to the Saudi Arabian cultural context.

Parental Selection of Preschool Programming in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study.

A global initiative has emerged in recent years to highlight early childhood education and care as a foundation for later learning and development. The goal of this study was to investigate the choices that Saudi Arabian parents made for their children's preschool education. In a qualitative, exploratory study, we investigated parental selection of preschool programming in Saudi Arabia. Guided by a phenomenological approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 Saudi Arabian women that had preschool-aged children. Although some research has examined the constraints and factors affecting parental selection of preschool programming, it remains unclear when these constraints and factors are considered by parents during the decision-making process, and how the decisions are made. The interviews revealed that parents consider not only educational reputation in the selection of preschool programming, but also instructional use of Arabic and English, religious foundation, teaching quality, classroom preparation, program scheduling, tuition costs, and physical security of the preschool environment. The results suggest that improving information collection is essential for empowering parents to make wise decisions, with the child's happiness and academic growth having a significant impact on those decisions. The discussion addresses the importance of identifying the factors that affect parental selection of preschool programming, so that educational professionals may better meet the needs and expectations of parents in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabian Students' Beliefs about and Barriers to Online Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At a time when pandemics such as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread rapidly, the deployment of online education is essential. However, to successfully leverage online education in such times, it is important to investigate learners' motivations and beliefs about online education and associated barriers as well as the role of religious and social values. To investigate these motivations and beliefs, this study included semi-structured interviews with 10 female undergraduate students. These interviews explored the perceptions of students with regard to their engagement with online learning and assessment amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia's higher education system. The findings indicate that the challenges linked to the sudden shift in learning mode and changes in assessment techniques impacted students' engagement with learning and assessment. The findings also indicate that personal challenges decreased the willingness of students to learn online, but that their beliefs about learning online were improved by the quality of online learning. The study identified that one of the most important elements of improving beliefs about online learning is open communication between students and instructors, as this contributes to shared understanding and acceptance. The results are presented and discussed in connection with current literature, research implications, and future directions.

The Importance of Providing Play and Learning Materials for Children with Physical Disabilities in Saudi Arabia: The Perceptions of Parents.

The purposes of this exploratory, qualitative research are to (a) examine the parental role in providing materials to facilitate learning and play for children with physical disabilities, and (b) identify the difficulties expressed by parents that affect the support provided to their children with physical disabilities. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 Saudi Arabian parents of children with physical disabilities to identify the parental role in providing play and learning materials as well as the challenges identified by parents in providing this support. Parents recommended that they initiate and maintain contact with other parents of children with physical disabilities and with associated organisations. Parents also recommended that teachers welcome parents to be involved in support of their children with physical disabilities, especially in the provision of play and learning materials. The authors conclude that disability awareness programs for peers and staff members may improve physical and psychological health for children with physical disabilities.

Saudi public primary school teachers' knowledge and beliefs about developmental dyslexia.

This exploratory research investigates knowledge and beliefs about developmental dyslexia (DD) among public primary school teachers in Saudi Arabia. We explored links between several teacher-related socio-demographic variables (e.g., gender, teaching experience, self-evaluation of teaching children with DD) and knowledge and beliefs about DD. Saudi public primary school teachers (n = 136) completed an online survey that included the knowledge and beliefs about developmental dyslexia scale (KBDDS). The results indicated that KBDDS scores were significantly associated with teaching experience, DD training, and self-evaluation of teaching children with DD. We address limitations of the current research, note directions for future research, and discuss implications of these results for teacher training and professional development, with special attention to Saudi public primary education.

Mate Retention Behavior and Ejaculate Quality in Humans.

Males of some species use mate retention behavior and investment in ejaculate quality as anti-cuckoldry tactics concurrently while others do so in a compensatory fashion. Leivers, Rhodes, and Simmons (2014) reported that men who performed mate retention less frequently produced higher-quality ejaculates, suggesting that humans use these tactics compensatorily. We conducted a conceptual replication of this research in a sample of 41 men (18-33 years; M = 23.33; SD = 3.60). By self-report, participants had not had a vasectomy and had never sought infertility treatment. We controlled for several covariates known to affect ejaculate quality (e.g., abstinence duration before providing an ejaculate) and found no statistically significant relationships between mate retention behavior and four components of ejaculate quality: sperm velocity, sperm concentration, slow motility, and ejaculate volume. The present results provide little support for the hypothesis that human males deploy mate retention behavior and ejaculate quality investment compensatorily. We discuss the limitations of this study and highlight the need for research to address questions about the nature of anti-cuckoldry tactic deployment in humans, especially concerning investment in ejaculate quality.

No Evidence for a Relationship between Intelligence and Ejaculate Quality.

Genetic quality may be expressed through many traits simultaneously, and this would suggest a phenotype-wide fitness factor. In humans, intelligence has been positively associated with several potential indicators of genetic quality, including ejaculate quality. We conducted a conceptual replication of one such study by investigating the relationship between intelligence (assessed by the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices Test-Short Form) and ejaculate quality (indexed by sperm count, sperm concentration, and sperm motility) in a sample of 41 men (ages ranging 18 to 33 years; M = 23.33; SD = 3.60). By self-report, participants had not had a vasectomy, and had never sought infertility treatment. We controlled for several covariates known to affect ejaculate quality (e.g., abstinence duration before providing an ejaculate) and found no statistically significant relationship between intelligence and ejaculate quality; our findings, therefore, do not match those of Arden, Gottfredson, Miller et al. or those of previous studies. We discuss limitations of this study and the general research area and highlight the need for future research in this area, especially the need for larger data sets to address questions around phenotypic quality and ejaculate quality.

No Evidence for a Trade-Off Between Competitive Traits and Ejaculate Quality in Humans.

Research in nonhuman animals (including insects, birds, and primates) suggests a trade-off in males between investment in competitive traits and investment in ejaculate quality. Previous research reported a negative association between perceived strength and ejaculate quality, suggesting that this trade-off also applies to human males. We conducted novel analyses of data secured as part of a larger project to assess the relationship between competitive traits (shoulder-to-hip ratio, handgrip strength, and height) and ejaculate quality (indexed by sperm morphology, sperm motility, and sperm concentration) in a sample of 45 men (ages ranging 18-33 years; M = 23.30, SD = 3.60). By self-report, participants had not had a vasectomy and had never sought treatment for infertility. We controlled for several covariates known to affect ejaculate quality (e.g., abstinence duration before providing an ejaculate) and found no statistically significant relationships between competitive traits and ejaculate quality; our findings therefore do not accord with previous research on humans. We highlight the need for additional research to clarify whether there is a trade-off between investment in competitive traits and investment in ejaculate quality in humans.