Wednesday Research Seminar Series - Understanding how to develop an effective role-modelling character education programme in Saudi Arabia

We are pleased to invite you to our Wednesday Research Seminar. It will be held online on 2nd October from 4pm via Microsoft team platform. Wednesday Research Seminar Series was launched in 2008 and has featured more than 350 presentations to date. The seminars provide a forum for researchers to share their work. Presenters include faculty from Middlesex University Dubai and other universities in the United Arab Emirates, as well as researchers from other global institutions. Yousra will deliver seminar on:  

“Understanding how to develop an effective role-modelling character education programme in Saudi Arabia”

Yousra Osman

Abstract

Global citizenship education (GCE) has been placed as a target within UNESCO’s SDG 4 – Quality Education, and although GCE and education for sustainable development (ESD) are highly interlinked, a detailed interpretation of what this means in a formal educational setting is limited. It can be argued character education (CE) could be one of the mediums to provide students with the appropriate skills for a sustainable future, as CE involves developing moral values to allow individuals to feel responsible for creating an equitable future for society. Countries in the GCC are developing new long-term development plans and reforms to align with the Sustainable Development Goals, including education. Thus, this paper examines the best methods for implementing a role-modelling character education programme in Saudi Arabia to help nurture children and young adolescents’ moral values, considering the Islamic cultural and pedagogical context in the region. This is based on the findings from a qualitative study that used 14 interviews and three focus groups with 17 participants, including parents, students, consultants, and teachers.

Presenter Bios

Dr. Yousra Osman currently works as a senior lecturer in Early Childhood and Education studies at Middlesex University Dubai. She is the Campus Programme Coordinator of the Education department and is a member of the Wellness Office. Yousra completed her PhD in Education at The University of Birmingham, UK exploring the significance of using role models for moral development in school children. Prior to that, she earned an MSc in Mental Health: Psychological Therapies from Queen Mary, University of London as well as an MA in English Literature from the University of Westminster. Yousra has been working in as a lecturer in academia between Saudi Arabia, the UK and the UAE. At the University of Birmingham, UK she was a research fellow and lecturing in various Education courses at the postgraduate and undergraduate levels. Areas of teaching included citizenship education, alternative approaches in education and education as an international issue. In Saudi Arabia she taught at Effat University, taking on several roles such as lecturing in the university’s character education programme, teaching research and language skills within the Foundation programme