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International
Journal of
Humanities &
Social Sciences
Vol. 9 , No. 5
IJHSS.NET
e-ISSN: 1694-2639
p-ISSN: 1694-2620
October 2017

Vol 9, No 5 - October 2017
Table of Contents
The untold story: A language teacher’s experience in a blog-assisted
writing classroom
1
Dr. Ming Huei Lin
Skills acquisition in Cameroon: How well does the secondary school
curriculum equip school leavers for employment?
7
Ernest Nkamta
Female postgraduate students’ perceptions of active learning methods 25
Dr. Amel Thafer Alshehry
Orienteering: motivation, multidisciplinary and skills. A project in a
secondary school in the province of Salerno.
34
Prof. Rosanna Tammaro, Dott. Anna D’Alessio and Dott.
Annamaria Petolicchio
AAJHSS.ORG

1
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International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences
p-ISSN: 1694-2620
e-ISSN: 1694-2639
Vol. 9, No. 5, 2017, pp. 1-6, ©IJHSS
The untold story: A language teacher’s experience in a
blog-assisted writing classroom
Dr. Ming Huei Lin
English Department, Tamkang University
New Taipei City, Taiwan
Abstract
Classroom blogging has been in use for more than a decade. A great number of research papers
have been conducted to investigate its effects on student learning or students‟ attitudes towards
it. However, the understanding of teachers‟ experience in a blog-supported classroom is rather
limited. This paper is thus given the aim to expose teachers‟ teaching experience in a blog-
assisted teaching setting. The participant involved in this paper was a teacher-researcher who had
one-year experience teaching English writing to ESL undergraduates using blogs for a year. The
teacher-researcher‟s weekly journal regarding this teaching approach throughout the year was
collected for data analysis. The result show that teaching with the use of blog was rather time-
consuming, which was mainly caused by technical issues rather than the teaching itself. More
importantly, the teacher-researcher conceded that he failed to see his efforts being paid off by
students‟ learning output, which left him in great disappointment about blog use in class.
Keywords: classroom blogging, ESL writing, blog assisted language learning (BALL)
Introduction
For the past decades, classroom blogging has been very popular in educational settings (Chen,
2016). Many educators (for example, Richardson, 2010) have published books to advocate the
use of blogs and a great number of researchers have also shared their students‟ successful stories
in terms of enhanced learning outcomes, such as improved learning motivation, self-confidence
and the ability to write better (Arslan & Şahin-Kızıl, 2010; Challob, Bakar, & Latif, 2016; Chen,
Liu, Shih, Wu & Yuan, 2011; Fellner & Apple, 2006; Grami, 2012; Hu & Wu, 2012; Kuimova &
Zvekov, 2016; Kang, Bonk, & Kim, 2011; Lin, 2014; Lin, Li, Hung, & Huang, 2014; Miyazoe &
Anderson, 2012; Nguyen, 2012; Noytim, 2010; Sun, 2010; Sun & Chang, 2012; Taki &
Fardafshari, 2012; Vurdien, 2013; Yunus, Salehi, & Chenzi, 2012). Many researchers also believe
that the use of blogs successfully augments the interaction between teachers and students
(Trajtemberg & Yiakoumetti, 2011) and takes it beyond the classroom setting (Richardson,
2010). Moreover, the use of blogs is often described as an easy and convenient tool for teachers
to master and thus it facilitates their teaching. Some also use the usefulness of blogs in assessing
language learners‟ speaking performance (Hung & Huang, 2016) and in developing their
speaking skills (Hsu, 2016).
However, most of the studies on blogging thus far concern how and what students perceive; but
it overlooks the experience for teachers in blog-supported classrooms (Lin, 2012). Although a

2
very small number of blog researchers (Wu, 2008) did concede their negative feelings as feeling
disappointed with students‟ inactive blogging patterns and some others (Churchill, 2009; Lai &
Chen, 2011; Levy, 2009; Hourigan & Murray, 2010) have suggest that classroom blogging can be
time-consuming and increase teachers‟ workload, no explicit or detailed accounts of the
experience of blogging for teachers have been readily accessible yet.
What, then, do teachers feel the experience of teaching with blogs is like? It is this question that
the author proposes to answer in terms of exposing his own experience in teaching writing in an
English as a second language (ESL) classroom with the use of blogs.
Method
In this section, the author will report on the blogging project in which he himself was involved
and illustrate why his experience can be of any interest to researchers in the field of blog studies
or even be of any help to the understanding of teachers‟ blogging experience. The author will
then introduce how the data were collected and analyzed for writing up this paper.
The blogging project
Impelled by the overwhelmingly promising features and advantages which were reported to
result from the use of blogs, the teacher-researcher (namely, the author of this paper),
implemented a program entitled Blog Assisted Language Learning (BALL) in one of his ESL
writing classes.
The main purpose of this program was to use blogging to assist the teacher-researcher to teach
writing and students to write in English. A total of 25 ESL student writers participated in the
project. Each week on Friday morning, they received two 50-minute lessons, a pattern which
lasted for 36 weeks. Before the program started, the teacher-researcher set up his own tutor blog
and prepared the curriculum online. After the program was launched, he guided the students to
establish their own student blogs and from time to time he instructed them how to use certain
blog functions. To ensure that the student bloggers were exposed to a blog-supported learning
environment, the participants were required to post journal-style articles and assignments on
their own blogs. This in turn allowed the teacher-researcher greater opportunity to engage with
the experience of teaching with blog use, such as marking students‟ entries online, leaving
comments and feedback in their blogs and interacting with students by taking the questions
which they had included in their blogs. To achieve the purpose of integrating blog use in the
writing classroom to its fullest extent, all the learning material was uploaded online throughout
the program. The teacher-researcher also published class announcements online, archived
students‟ blog articles, and shared words of encouragement with the students in blogs. It is
anticipated that his experience of teaching with such substantial involvement in the blogging
approach, in terms of both time and activities, makes him a case worth discussion.
Data collection and data analysis
The data collected for analysis were comprised of journal entries that the teacher-researcher kept
to monitor his teaching of the BALL project mentioned. As this is a paper where an individual
teacher attempts to share his own teaching experience, no specific scientific analysis approach
will be adopted. Rather, a simple approach that is commonly used in analyzing descriptive counts
in the field of qualitative inquiries in general will be used. This includes: (1) listing every
expression or comment (the participants‟ responses to the experience) relevant to the targeting
experience and reducing and eliminating those are less directly relevant, (2) clustering similar

3
constituents and thematizing core themes of the experience, and (3) constructing a textural-
structural description.
Results
Just as Levy (2009) suggests, classroom blogging was truly a very labor-intensive and time-
consuming approach to the teacher-researcher, as he often repeated in his journals: “once again,
it took more time than planned today!” or “I am tired of coping with those seemingly endless
tasks.” Indeed, although the teacher-researcher always managed to upload material for students
ahead of the course, to maintain his tutor blog and to comment on students‟ entries and
questions without undue delay, this was a result of many late nights. Specifically, apart from
imparting writing skills to the students, some class time was used to show them how to use
certain features. For example, the teacher-researcher recorded that he “spent about 15 minutes
showing students how to revise their posts,” which delayed his schedule of teaching that day.
Additionally, while teachers in a traditional classroom probably need only print out handouts and
distribute them to students, in this case he had to spend extra time in waiting for the file to be
completely uploaded online. The completion of the task became even more difficult and
prolonged when it involved the uploading of text with pictures or with formatted bullet points.
Unlike the MS Word system (for example), with which a wide variety of applications are
equipped to allow users to play with text easily, most blog hosts offer only basic tools, so
adjusting a blog entry with pictures or numbering in the way that the teacher-researcher planned
sometimes consumed more time than he had expected. Because the editing interface of blog is
rather different from that of MS Word, pasting and copying a text with pictures between the two
systems also created extra workload. An even more slow and unexpected step ensued when the
technology failed for no reason! There were times when the teacher-researcher had to re-write
his comments and posts because they went missing before he had time to post them.
In addition to the issues of technical support and content management which took more time of
the teacher-researcher than he expected, helping students with their learning development also
ended up as a time-consuming and distracting activity for this BALL teacher-researcher as well.
For example, “the commenting function is not really ideal, as its functionality is not flexible
enough. I can only leave comments line by line in fixed order in a small „commenting window‟
inserted below students‟ entries. This causes me to spend more time than I would spend when I
teach in a traditional classroom of low-tech pens and paper,” as pens and paper allow teachers to
mark compositions freely and even to draw a few lines/arrows between the comments made and
the content referred to. More detailed comments need to be done in written language while they
could be done using pens and paper. This increased the already labor-intense assessing task.
Additionally, to ensure ordered and in-time feedback in ways which perceptibly benefit student
bloggers, both in and after class, the teacher had from time to time to keep a lookout for the
upload of students‟ entries and questions. Not only was this protracted, but it „invaded‟ the time
set aside for his private life and chopped it into fragments.
Unfortunately, the pressure on time associated with learner support activities was not entirely
the worst part for the teacher-researcher to overcome, although it did leave him feeling irritated
now and again. The most troubled moments were when the researcher observed that his
students showed low blogging involvement both in and out of class. Doubts would often rise at
this point: “whether or not the time and effort that I have put into the blogging project and my
student bloggers would ever pay off?” Throughout the project of 36 weeks, the students
produced a total of 408 entries, that is, an average of only around 17 pieces of writing each. On
average, the student writers produced only one journal every other week and most of the entries

4
were required by the teacher. Since low blogging involvement was the norm, it is not surprising
to see that the teacher-researcher‟s doubts accumulated to such a level that he started to resent
the whole blogging approach, though he managed to keep these feelings to himself and see the
project to completion.
Discussion and conclusion
It seems clear from the results above that the teacher-researcher‟s experience of teaching with
blogs is rather negative and failed to make blogging seem an attractive approach for facilitating
teachers‟ teaching or improving their workload, in particular when compared to previous
researchers‟ positive reports about students‟ learning achievements. This teacher-researcher
seemed to be trapped by the pressure on time and effort created by ensuring a functioning class
blog and the concern grew greater when students‟ performance failed to meet his expectations.
Such concerns echo the blogging experience of Wu (2008), namely, the feeling of
disappointment, and the observations of Levy (2009) and Hourigan and Murray (2010), that is,
labor-intensive and time-consuming. This in turn confirms that the experience of the author of
this paper is objectively justified, even though it is the experience of only one individual teacher.
In addition, this result once again raises an important question that have been touched on but
have not been fully studied yet (Levy, 2009; Lin, Lin, & Hsu, 2011): would it be the case that the
overwhelmingly positive effects of classroom blogging on language students‟ learning
performance as have been reported in previous studies achieved at the expense of the time and
effort of language teachers or moderators rather than the blogging approach itself? This could be
a fruitful line of inquiry for future BALL research to pursue.
However, it should also be noted that more investigations are urgently needed into teachers with
different teaching styles or teaching philosophies, before a more comprehensive and objective
understanding can be reached of blogging teachers‟ experience as a whole. This is suggested
because it is possible that teachers who believe in the value of making great sacrifices (such as
time) for students or who enjoy engaging in technology-supported settings may perceive their
teaching experience with blogs differently. It is also worth mentioning that, to improve blogging
teachers‟ experience, it is recommended that future blogging projects recruit assistants to share
the workload of sustaining the blogging approach. Last but not least, although this is not the
main concern of this study, it may be better for teachers to take students‟ learning styles into
consideration when blog use is introduced into classrooms. It is possible that the blogging
approach may be more suitable for students of some learning styles than others and thus
students‟ low engagement in blogging activities, as deplored by the teacher-researcher in the
present study, may increase.
Acknowledgements
This article was written with funding support from Taiwan‟s Ministry of Science and Technology
(MOST 104-2410-H-032-051). I also thank the editor and anonymous reviewers of International
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences for their many insightful comments on earlier versions of
this article.

5
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p-ISSN: 1694-2620
e-ISSN: 1694-2639
Vol. 9, No. 5, 2017, pp. 7-24, ©IJHSS
Skills acquisition in Cameroon: How well does the
secondary school curriculum equip school leavers for
employment?
Ernest Nkamta
Nottingham Trent University
Nottinghamshire, England
Abstract. The growing need for the secondary education system to produce school leavers with
capabilities in terms of skills and attitudes useful for solving youth unemployment challenges has
prompted education reforms in Cameroon. Many school leavers, especially those from the
secondary general education sector in the country after completing various levels are not easily
integrated into the job market due to their lack of employable skills that were not imbibed into
them during their training (Esongo, 2017). Despite the government‟s efforts at restructuring the
educational system and redefine its goals to address youth unemployment and social
development, recent evidence suggests that Cameroon has achieved little success (Ibid). The
ways in which vocational education can be incorporated in the curriculum of schools have been
under-researched in Cameroon and stands as the need for vocational education, rather than a
constitutive part of the curriculum development process. My research aims to fill the gap by
exploring the perceptions of stakeholders in education for developing a broad-based curriculum
that incorporates employability skills at the secondary school level. A qualitative case study
approach through interviews and questionnaires was applied in this study. The findings indicated
that there is a significant relationship between curriculum development, employability skills
acquisition, youth unemployment and the efficiency of the school system. It is thus
recommended that the government and education authorities should further refine their focus
on needed skills to strengthen and enhance youth unemployment; and thus, provide additional
positive outcomes for students by enhancing future curriculum development grounded in
practice.
Keywords: Employability Skills; Curriculum Development; vocational education.
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to get an in-depth understanding of the relationship between
curriculum development and employability skills acquisition in the context of Cameroon. This
included exploring the perceptions of stakeholders in education for developing a broad-based
curriculum that incorporates vocational studies at the secondary school level. Since 1990, the
government of Cameroon, backed by the IMF/World Bank-led economic recovery programme,
restructured the educational system and redefined its goals to address unemployment and social
development. Additionally, Vision 2035, known as the Strategy for Growth and Employment

8
Paper (GESP), published in 2010 sets the Government of Cameroon‟s goals for the country‟s
growth and development; the main aim being for Cameroon to become an emerging economy
by 2035. Among other aspects, the GESP identifies youth unemployment and weak productivity
as key challenges for the country‟s development. There is thus the need to review the education
received in secondary schools in Cameroon from its traditional content-based approach to the
adoption of a pedagogic paradigm relating to the more pragmatic and functional Competency-
Based Teaching Approaches (CBTAs) in line with the goals of the 2010 Growth and
Employment Strategy Paper (GESP). However, although education stakeholders in Cameroon
claim that the education system is competency-based, there is no clear evidence from research
which indicates the extent of the implementation of this policy or factors that militate against its
smooth implementation (Esongo, 2017). The curriculum in school is skewed towards academic
preparation as evident in widespread unemployment among youths (ILO, 2013). Besides,
research has demonstrated that employers want employees who possess interpersonal skills,
effective communications skills, problem solving and critical thinking skills as well as the ability
to work well within a team (Billing, 2003). A similar result from a study of employers‟ needs
from new employees in the workplace was reported by Shivpuri and Kim (2004).
Further, in its report on Global Employment Trends for Youths, the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) maintained that youth unemployment is widespread throughout the
globe because of a shortfall in young people‟s skills, job experience, job search skills as well as
the lack of the financial resources to find work (ILO 2009). This challenge, the report noted, is
compounded in developing countries by the competitive economic and social pressures brought
about by the ever-growing pool of people available for work. Despite the recognition that
unemployment is a global phenomenon, unemployment and underemployment amongst young
people in Cameroon is high. According to the International Labour Organization‟s (ILO, 2013)
report, the unemployment rate in Cameroon is 30% and that of underemployment is 75%. The
report showed that, there are about 4-6 million, able and ready to work young people who are
currently unemployed in Cameroon. Cameroon remains strategic in terms of institutional
arrangement, which involves issues of the younger age group, yet the lack of adequate technical
and professional education for youth especially those completing secondary education continues
to be a major concern and is one of the main causes for the high rate of youth unemployment in
Cameroon (Penn, 2016).
Additionally, Mbangwana (1996), observed parents as being keen to ensure the
productivity of their children by acquiring vocational skills that will enable them to bring income
into the family or make them better-off and independent. Households rely on the income from
labour; hence productivity is largely determined by the acquisition of employability skills (Ibid).
There is however, a mismatch between training and employment and the lack of training for self-
employment (Ibid). The ways in which vocational education can be incorporated in the
curriculum of schools have been under-researched in Cameroon and stands as the need for
vocational education, rather than a constitutive part of the curriculum development process. This
research aimed to get an in-depth understanding into whether if young people are given
sufficient opportunities through secondary education to raise their skills, they would be qualified
for available jobs (Winch., 2000, Unwin and Wellington., 2001 and Pring, R. et al., 2009). This
means that the educational system should be the driving force for any meaningful development.
There is need for the curriculum at secondary school level to be developed such that children in
schools can take advantage of the wide range of opportunities that would equip them with
employability skills. This study seeks to suggest appropriate solutions and recommendations to
stakeholders in the Ministry of secondary education on how to improve on the future curriculum
that will make secondary education able to serve as a basis with which students can start life.

9
Aims of Research
This study explored the perspectives of stakeholders in education for developing a broad-based
curriculum which incorporates employability skills at the secondary school level. The research
aimed:
1. To find out about the causes of the high level of youth unemployment in Cameroon.
2. To identify the types of knowledge and skills that students need from the curriculum to
enhance their working life.
3. To examine the perception of educational administrators and curriculum planners on the
responses received and the implications for revising the curriculum.
4. To present a contribution to knowledge through the development of a conceptual
framework of the relationship between curriculum development and employability skills to
inform future curriculum design in Cameroon.
5. To propose recommendations for curriculum review in Cameroon.
The following three research questions were devised to fulfil the research aim and objectives
outlined above:
Research Questions
1. What is the perception of current school pupils (Form 5, 15-16-year olds) on the types of
knowledge and skills they need from the curriculum to gain employment?
2. What is the relationship between curriculum development and vocational education from
participants‟ perspectives?
3. How can employability skills be integrated in the curriculum of schools in Cameroon to
improve employability skills for students?
Relationship between the Study and Existing Empirical Evidence
To develop a conceptual framework and subsequent methodology for understanding
how the secondary school curriculum equip school leavers for employment, I critically reviewed
the literature on: Employability skills and prerequisite for vocational education, curriculum
development and the structure of curriculum development in Cameroon.
Oni (2007) maintains that vocational education is the type of education which equips the
individual for gainful employment in recognised careers as semi-skilled workers, technicians or
sub-professionals. In relation to the focus of my study, it is connected to workplace vocational
education, which focuses on the knowledge and skills required for workplace performance. In
the work place, vocational skills are referred to as the procedures, techniques of carrying out
specialised or practical tasks that can easily be measured and quantified. These skills are easily
transferred to young students. They are much more easily trained in such skills than in
employability skills which are usually referred to as generic or core skills or non-technical skills
(Audu et al, 2013). According to Shakir (2009), these skills are not usually taught in schools even
though they are highly desired by employers. Dacre and Sewell (2007) define employability skills
as the skills, knowledge, understanding and personal attributes that enable an individual to gain
employment, thrive in their job and gain satisfaction in their chosen profession. Employability
skills can be grouped into three main categories such as interpersonal skills, problem solving
skills and decision-making skills (Audu et al, 2013). According to research findings by Bennet,
Dunne and Carre (2000), generic skills can be presented in four broad areas of management skills
namely: management of self, management of others, management of task and management of
information. Vocational skills and employability skills so complement each other that Spencer

10
and Spencer in (Ali et al, 2012) stated that superior performers in the workplace possess both
specialised vocational skills as well as generic employability skills. Employability skills
complement the vocational skills to fulfil a vital role of shaping an individual‟s life (Schulz, 2008).
Despite the importance of these skills, it has been noted that schools do not incorporate them in
to the curriculum; favouring the learning of information (Robinson 2011). Besides, although
varying educational establishments pay much attention to employability skills, Barrie (2005)
points out that evidence show that teachers do not include these skills into their teaching,
learning and assessment strategies especially in the African context. For example, Boahin,
Kamphorst, and Hofman (2010), in their survey of employers in Ghana about skills new
employees have when interviewed or recruited indicated that they offered frail employability
skills. This was evident in their problem-solving, organisational, communication, teamwork and
ICT abilities (Ibid).
In the literature, four main curriculum development models are usually identified: 1)
Curriculum as a body of knowledge that focuses on content; curriculum is what is contained in
the different subjects (Kelly, 2009). Emphasis is on the syllabus of the various subjects whose
contents are transmitted to students and later evaluated. 2) Curriculum as a product, also known
as the objective model. This aims to achieve a certain pre-planned and prescriptive end-product.
The main features of this model comprise of situation analysis, identifying aims and objectives,
choosing and organising content, selecting and organising learning activities and undertaking
assessment. 3) Curriculum as a process; compared to the product model, the process model is
more open-ended as it emphasises on a continuous process in which the result is the
development of potential skills such as critical thinking (Sheehan, 1986). 4) Curriculum as praxis:
This model emphasises on a broader view of educational practice in the society. Curriculum built
on the curriculum as praxis model does not only include well-articulated plans; it also involves
informed and committed action Grundy (1987). In this model, the focus is on continuous social
processes – considered as human interactions, values and attitudes; put into practice by
educators. This model, however, should not only be viewed as a set of plans to be implemented
but should involve a thorough and active process in which acting, planning, and assessment exist
in reciprocal and integrative relationship (Yek and Penny, 2006).
Curriculum as praxis model advocates for the production and application of knowledge
within student groups; undertaken by members of the group, addressing real problems in real
contexts by thinking and reflecting as well as developing constructive skills. The result of this
interactive learning process is the understanding of their individual pedagogical responsibilities
and what they are expected to achieve. Grundy sums-up as follows:
Curriculum as praxis is a conceptualisation of curriculum derived from an orientation towards human well-being
and which makes an explicit commitment to emancipation of the human spirit. It is a process which takes the
experiences of both the learner and the teacher and, through dialogue and negotiation, recognises them both as
problematic” (1985:115).
The praxis model further informs this study as it reflects a more dynamic interaction and
reflection where action is not only informed; it is committed. The praxis model provides a
situation where students can deal efficiently with contemporary world issues. It emphasises on
hands-on problem solving, experimenting, projects, having students working in groups, bringing
disciplines together and emphasises solving problems in an interdisciplinary way. These inherent
qualities of the model are not only important, but also help to acknowledge the way curriculum is
viewed and organised and how these impact teaching and learning. The literature on curriculum
development models shows that curriculum development models are useful in guiding teachers
and education administrators to check whether an institution is implementing or meeting the
needs of the students (Ornstein and Hunkins, 2009).
The approach to curriculum development and delivery in Cameroon is top-down. As a
result of the top-down curricula approach, to understand how it is structured and operated, it is

11
important to examine how the structures of the Ministry of Secondary Education extend to
regional, sub-regional and school levels. In the ministry are a trained cadre of inspectors to
whom the minister appoints to undertake any curriculum initiative. The trained inspectors ensure
the effective running of schools by regularly inspecting schools through visits. The inspectors
convey ministerial policies to regional delegates who in turn pass them on the sub-regional
delegates. Head teachers are directly answerable to sub-regional delegates who also ensure that
any issues affecting schools are relayed to the regional delegates. The minister takes full control
of the acts of the ministry, the public and politicians (Forzie, 1990). The implication of this
authoritarian approach is that any change can only be carried out through the directives of the
minister and as such, any changes are likely to become political. Consequently, the Minister of
Secondary Education has full responsibility for curriculum development, curriculum control and
the running of schools. Hence, curriculum implementation is often a one-sided process and any
classroom feedback or teachers‟ input is unlikely to be incorporated in the curriculum
development process (Ibid).
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework for the study shows the interdependent relationship between
curriculum development, employability skills and youth unemployment. It posits that
employability skills are concerned with increasing individuals‟ skill sets to enhance their
attractiveness to prospective employers. While most studies argue that vocational education
provides useful skills to prepare young people to gain employment (Quintini and Martin 2006,
OECD 2012), others focus on the problem of skills mismatch; often considered as the main
cause of high unemployment rates particularly in developing countries (Almeida, Behrman,
Robalino 2012).
Figure 1.0 An analytical framework for linking employability skills curriculum
development.
Curriculum
Development
Employment
Non-educational
factors
-Infrastructure
- Didactic Materials
Educational Factors
-Employability skills
Curriculum
delivery
Causes of
unemployment

12
Existing studies particularly in Cameroon have however, failed to establish the
relationship between curriculum development and employability skills. The conceptual
framework thus maintains that there is a direct relationship between curriculum development
and employability skills acquisition. It argues that curriculum development is associated with
youth unemployment. The soaring unemployment rates amidst young people in Cameroon is
essentially because of lack of employable skills. Students are expected to acquire skills and
knowledge from the curriculum, which should be reflected in their employment. Yet these
expectations are not realised in the country. The major cause of this problem could not be
disassociated with poor curriculum structures and reforms. Hence, to study how well the
secondary school curriculum prepares students for employment, a qualitative analysis of
students‟, teachers‟ and administrators perceptions as stakeholders of education offered useful
insights; ways in which the secondary school curriculum could be developed to incorporate skills
useful for the labour market.
Research Methodology
The research approach adopted for this study was qualitative case research with the aim
to provide the depth required to understand the participants‟ perceptions of their experiences
(Scott and Morrison 2007). To meet the first and second objective of my study, I undertook an
extensive review of literature relating to employability skills, vocational education and curriculum
development. The literature review involved a review of literature from both developing
countries (including Cameroon) and the developed world that illustrate how youth
unemployment has resulted in the need to enhance students‟ employability skills and how this is
linked to curriculum development.
To meet the third and fourth aims of the research, I employed an approach that enabled
the generation of varying perspectives of stakeholders (education administrators) on the
relationship between curriculum development and employability skills. Semi-structured
interviews were considered most appropriate in such situations because they enabled me to focus
the interview within a framework where all the areas I intended to probe were covered, while
giving the interviewee the opportunity to respond fully to issues being discussed or following a
line of thought I may not have envisaged (Newby, 2010). Nonetheless, it was crucial to consider
and address some of the shortcomings inherent in this approach. Denscombe (2007) examines
research that demonstrates how varying responses can be obtained depending on how
participants view the interviewer. However, this issue depends on the nature of the topics under
discussion and I was satisfied that the methods chosen were appropriate for the study. Alongside
the semi-structured interviews, the semi-structured questionnaire format was adopted for my
investigation. My choice of format was influenced by Cohen on the advantages inherent in this
design. ‘There is a clear structure, sequence, focus, but the format is open-ended, enabling the respondent to
respond in his/her own terms (2011, p.248).
Sampling Strategy
To meet the objectives of this study, purposive sampling was used (Cohen, et al., 2011)
based on the presumption that there are individuals in the country who are knowledgeable in
curriculum development issues in the country. I focussed on two specific regions; the South
West and Central regions of Cameroon shown in Figure 1.1 below.

13
Figure 1.1 – Map of Cameroon showing the 10 administrative regions
Secondary schools across the country follow the same curriculum and students take the
same national examinations; consideration was given to balancing the one Anglophone region
(English is the predominant language) and the other from the Francophone region (French is the
predominant language). Selection of the research sites for this study was challenging, as there are
ten geographical regions in Cameroon as shown on the map with; eight being French speaking
while two are English speaking. For this reason, a multistage approach was used to select two
regions out of the ten in order minimise the cost and resources of surveying samples from all
regions (Scott and Morrison, 2007 and Cohen et al., 2007). A purposive sampling of 202 form
five students (usually 15-16-year-old) and 26 teachers was done and questionnaires were
administered. The choice of form five students was found appropriate since at this stage of their
education, it is expected that they have experienced the curriculum and are about to leave school.
Teachers were sampled because I assumed that they understand the curriculum they are
responsible for delivering. Cohen et al., (2007) suggest that there is no clear-cut answer to the
issue of correct sample size since it depends on the objectives of the study as well as the
population under examination. The selected sample was for this study was considered adequate.
The Case Study Approach
Case study was considered appropriate for this study. Yin (2014) maintains that research
questions in a case study are investigated in context, from the direct experiences of those whose
social actions are highly contextual and of interest. Additionally, a case study requires detailed
information from the participants that would not be obtained through other designs
(Denscombe, 2014). A case study of four schools and the Ministry of secondary education were
used to explore issues relating to curriculum development that addressed the research questions
as well as offered a flexible opportunity to obtain a holistic understanding of the phenomena
through varying perspectives of participants and stakeholders in education (Yin, 2014).

14
Furthermore, Yin observed that an inherent characteristics of case study is its ability to
deal with varying methods of data such as interviews and document reviews. The implication of
this characteristic is that, data is collected from participants and institutions in their day-to-day
experiences rather than the „controlled confines of a laboratory, the sanctity of a library…‟ (Yin, 2014
p.88).
Participant Interviews
Participants working at the Ministry of Secondary Education and schools were
interviewed. The participants were chosen because they have the capacity to give considered
responses, as well as provide some examples of emerging good or interesting policies and
practices at national and regional levels. An interview schedule was sent to participants prior to
fieldwork describing the purpose of the research and to ensure that all interviewees were given
the opportunity to address all issues.
The aim of the semi – structured interview format used in this study was to focus the
interview within a framework where all areas I intended to probe were covered, while giving the
participants the opportunity to respond fully to issues being discussed or following a line of
thought I may not have envisaged (Newby, 2010). Interviews were held in the participants‟
offices and lasted between 35 to 50 minutes each. All interviews were carried out individually to
allow participants to address the same questions to enable comparison of their responses
(Clough and Nutbrown, 2012) while recording was done using a tape recorder (Kvale, 2007) to
enable the conversation to flow better without diversions.
Questionnaires
The questionnaire was intended to capture the opinions of teachers and students on
some important issues concerning the types of knowledge and skills current students and school
leavers need from the curriculum to enhance their working life. To meet the aims of the study,
the questionnaires intended to:
(i) Collect information about teachers‟ and students‟ knowledge of what is meant by
„employability skills‟;
(ii) To determine those skills which are considered most important to meet the needs of
employers and the aspirations of learners;
(iii) To find out about teachers‟ initiative at incorporating employability skills in their
teaching.
Questionnaires were self-administered and I made personal contact (with the support of
informal contacts in Cameroon) with the schools and administrators in advance to seek
permission. I booked an appointment with the head teacher of the schools and the teachers who
in turn informed students about the date to complete questionnaires. Participants were provided
with a participant information sheet to understand the nature and purpose of the research. Prior
to the completion of questionnaires, a consent form was handed to participants to give consent.
The participants retained a copy of the consent form and the information sheet. Further,
participants were assured of confidentiality throughout the project by using code numbers for
the participants and none of the participants was quoted by name in all documents. All the
information I collected – consent forms and recordings were stored carefully.

15
Pilot Study
As part of my investigation into how well the secondary school curriculum of Cameroon
equips school leavers for employment, a pilot study of questionnaires was carried out. The
purpose of the pilot study was twofold:
1) To identify weaknesses in the instrument (Newby, 2010).
2) To further develop my research objective.
The pilot study of students‟ and teachers‟ questionnaires was conducted in spring in 2014 with
20 secondary school students and 15 teachers at a secondary school in the South West Region,
Cameroon. The conclusions drawn from the students‟ responses revealed that, at the secondary
school level, learners are not adequately exposed to work or given the opportunity to acquire job
skills to help them gain employment. There was however, a mismatch between the students‟
responses and the teachers‟ job skills initiatives and positive feedback. While the result of the
teachers‟ questionnaires revealed that teachers teach with respect to the prescribed syllables
which stress on practicability of subjects, they give advice to students on job related issues, most
students demonstrated limited understanding of the type of skills they need from the curriculum
to enable them to gain employment. It was also noted that most students had no work
experience (voluntary or paid). The implication of this is that, the secondary school curriculum
is not preparing students for the world of work as one would expect. This helped to shape and
confirm my research question and merits further investigation on the reliability of the teachers‟
claim and how the secondary school curriculum could be developed to include skills that prepare
school leavers for work.
Although the data from the administered questionnaires was crucial and informed the
research tools and methods employed in this study, sequencing of questions and topics,
organisation of data and strategies for data analysis; it was not used to inform the content of the
final study.
Outline of Analysis Methods
Data analysis was carried out alongside the data collection process given that these
inform each other. The data analysis process involved three main stages:
Stage 1 involved Verbatim (Kvale, 2007) transcription of interviews. This process
involved transcribing the interview recordings and identifying key issues in the transcript which
were noted and put together across the data segment. These were assembled and compared in
order to design suitable codes. The codes were grouped under themes and subheadings which
gave an indication of the theoretical direction of the project.
Table 1.0: An example of coding data in the interview analysis
N
o
Relevant Text (Data immersion) Coding
1 „….So, I think if there is unemployment, there are, as I say, many
reasons: first, they need competence, and the second, is skills…‟.
„…there is a high rate of unemployment in Cameroon is because
the curriculum or call it syllabuses (syllabus make up the
curriculum) the syllabuses which have been there for more than
thirty years are already obsolete…‟.
Youth
unemploym
ent is caused
by lack of
skills and
outdated
curriculum
2 „For now, those who design the curriculum are the pedagogic
inspectors..
Curriculum
Developme

16
Table 1.1: An Example of generating themes from interviews
No. Creating categories Sub-themes Theme
1 1. Lack of cohesion (skills) or
match between education
and labour market demands.
Educational Factors
 Employability Skills and
youth unemployment
 Curriculum development
and youth unemployment
The Causes of
the high level
of youth
unemployment
2 1.Outdated Curriculum
2.Inappropriate link between
curriculum and employment
3 1.Lack or insufficient level of
infrastructure
Non-educational Factors
Stage 2 of the analytical process involved the segmentation of the data in to groups using
developed codes from stage one. The coded data was then checked for irregularities and
anomalies. This procedure ensured that emerging concepts or theories were established with firm
evidence in the actual findings. This was followed by a detailed analysis of the coded data as
individual narratives and as coded segments, to interpret data on varying levels.
Stage 3 of the analytical procedure comprised of examining links between the analytical
elements of in stage two. It involved refining any emerging theoretical concepts.
Gathered data through questionnaires was checked through as they were handed in by
students and teachers for errors such as omitted answers and failure to follow instructions
(Cohen, et al., 2011). The task of checking questionnaires was intended to eliminate mistakes
made by participants (Ibid). Data from the questionnaires was manually keyed in Microsoft
Word and Spreadsheet documents to provide a summary of participants‟ responses as well as to
enable easy access of the data and to answer the research questions (Sapsford and Jupp, 2008).
The responses from each school were allocated a row, with each column representing a separate
topic to enable sorting, cutting, pasting and allocation of categories. The closed questions formed
were tabulated to provide descriptive data while the open-ended questions had to be reduced to
a suitable form to enable the analysis (Sapsford and Jupp, 2008). Keyed in answers were used for
illustrative purposes and were extended where necessary by including answers from a larger
„…we‟ve sat in some pedagogic meetings even at the level of the
pedagogic inspectorate and we were given the opportunity to
make proposals after their presentations and I don‟t know but it
seems as though the come to those meetings to tell us what to do
and not to listen to us…‟.
nt Process
in
Cameroon is
„top-down

17
sample of the questionnaires (Ibid). consideration and care was taken when eliciting themes to
utilise them as evidence to support research questions.
Table 1.3 An Example of Tabulated Questionnaire Responses
School A School B School C School C
Response No. of Respondents
Yes 0 0 0 0
No 48 46 43 48
None
response
3 4 6 3
Total 51 50 49 51
Ethical Considerations
Qualitative study involves the researcher interacting with people in their social world.
This implies an intrusion into the lives of participants in this research (Cohen et al., 2007). The
interaction entails entering in the participants‟ personal domains to gather data and as such raises
several ethical issues that needed to be addressed during and after the process of research. As
recommended by BERA guidelines (2011), the informed consent of participants was sought
throughout the research process. This means a participant consent form and information sheet
was produced (handed to participants) explaining the research aims and objectives prior to
completing questionnaires or being interviewed as well as their right to decline any question(s)
and to terminate the interview if they wished to. In addition, the participant information sheet
detailed all the necessary steps to ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of the study
participants. I endeavoured to be open and honest throughout the study by clarifying the
research aims and objectives to participants. The participants were assured that any quotes
included in the final thesis will be anonymised and their names will not be mentioned. Ethical
approval was sought and obtained from the College Research Ethics Committee (Nottingham
Trent University) and an authorisation to conduct research in Cameroon was obtained from the
Ministry of Secondary Education in Cameroon.
Access Issues
Prior to undertaking fieldwork in Cameroon, I sought and obtained authorisation from
GLOBE Programme Cameroon, which is the body responsible for global learning programmes
in the Ministry of Secondary Education and Basic Education. Authorisation to commence
fieldwork took about six weeks; however, the difficulties encountered in gaining access for field
research were minimal because of the support of informal contacts.
Due to the lack of information and contact details on the Ministry of Secondary
Education website in Cameroon, the role of informal contacts was vital in facilitating access to
research sites. As a Cameroonian and having worked in the country, I have maintained
continuous relationships (Walford, 2001) with three key informal contacts in the selected regions
who were very helpful in the pilot study and instrumental in obtaining permission to conduct
research in schools and the Ministry of Secondary Education. The following are some of the key
roles of the 3 informal contacts:

18
Contact 1 – an administrator at the Ministry of secondary Education was instrumental in
identifying the administrators to interview and in conveying the authorisation letter to conduct
research, participant information sheet and interview schedule.
Contact 2- The head of Department of English at a secondary school in Buea (South West
Region) identified and facilitated permission to administer questionnaires in two schools.
Contact 3 – identified and secured permission to administer questionnaires in two schools in the
Centre Region.
Validity and Reliability
Silverman, (2011, p289) defines validity as „the extent to which an account accurately represents
the social phenomena to which it refers‟. Validity denotes that the data collection process reflects
accurately the aspects that they are supposed to measure (Newby, 2010). One way of achieving
validity is ensure that data is representative of the issue under investigation. This means that
attention needs to be paid to the sampling process as well as choosing examples (Ibid). For my
study, participants were carefully selected based on the presumption that there are individuals in
the country who are knowledgeable in curriculum development issues in the country and
consideration was given to balancing the one Anglophone region and the other from the
Francophone region (discussed in the “sampling” section above).
Further, to minimise threats to validity, qualitative data through interviews and
questionnaires was collected by myself. Qualitative data through interviews and questionnaire
data has been presented to give as much information about the findings to the readers to allow
them to evaluate its credibility. Newby (2010) advises that validity can be maximised if our
“argument and the evidence that supports it is as complete as we specify it needs to be” (P.17). During the data
analysis process, the transcripts were read back and forth many times to ensure that the recorded
evidence was correctly and accurately recorded. Two friends were also asked to listen and
proofread interview transcripts to ensure that they were a correct version of the recorded
interviews (Kvale and Brinkman, 2008). The data analysis relied on the study participants‟
perceptions and the data collected from them was interpreted and themes drawn.
Notwithstanding, Cohen et al., (2011), maintain that ‘threats to validity... can never be erased completely;
rather the effects of these threats can be attenuated by attention to validity … throughout a piece of research‟
(p.179).
Analysis and Discussion of Emerging Themes
This analysis of data obtained from interviews and questionnaires was aimed to determine how
well the secondary school curriculum equips school leavers for employment. The results reveal
the main reasons why the current school system in Cameroon does not prepare young people for
employment as one would expect of a national educational system. To substantiate this claim,
the framework developed for the study was used to analyse the data. Three main factors were
noted as responsible for the current high level of youth unemployment in the country. These
include educational factors - employability skills and youth unemployment; the curriculum and
youth unemployment; and non-educational factors such as inadequate infrastructure. The
preceding discussion is indicative of some of the emergent results.
Causes of the high level of youth unemployment
The causes of youth unemployment were found to be linked to educational, non-
educational factors and curriculum development. The evidence from the data suggest that youth
unemployment in Cameroon is grossly attributed to the lack of cohesion or match between
education and labour market demands. Participants overwhelmingly attributed this to the
mismatch between education and labour market demands. Three main factors were identified as

19
responsible for the current high level of youth unemployment in the country. These include
educational factors - employability skills and youth unemployment; the curriculum and youth
unemployment; and non-educational factors such as inadequate infrastructure. McQuaid et al.,
(2006) argued that possessing a range of skills such as adaptability, interpersonal and
communication skills increases the probability of an individual to secure and sustain
employment, and to progress in the workplace. This means that there is a direct relationship
between curriculum development and employability skills acquisition.
A matter of primary concern is the association of the curriculum to main cause of youth
unemployment since it has not been revised for thirty years suggesting it is not responsive to the
needs of the people as maintained study participants. A key aspect of a curriculum development
according to Van Rooy, (2005) is the need to meet the challenges of the 21st century by
continuously directing efforts towards the understanding of what works well in education and
how education in schools can be improved in a rapidly changing world. However, one of the
main obstacles is that the curriculum has failed to adapt to changes and as such does not
adequately empower students to cope with the work demands for the 21st century.
Further, youth unemployment is also associated with inadequate or lack of infrastructure.
Many participants highlighted that the dire situation caused by the lack or insufficient level of
infrastructure exacerbates the youth unemployment problem in the country. Insufficient didactic
materials, inadequate classroom space and poor ICT facilities impact on any initiatives to
facilitate the acquisition of relevant work skills. For education to meet the demands of students,
certain infrastructure must be put in place. The implication of inadequate infrastructure and
teaching materials means the lack of opportunities for young people to acquire job market skills.
The causes of youth unemployment are important because they play important roles in
the process of curriculum development and delivery both of which can in turn enhance youth
employment. Correspondingly, Youth and Peacebuilding (2013) note that a dominant aspect of
the school system failure in Cameroon is to give priority to education which enables young
people to prepare for employment after school, resulting in the high unemployment rates among
young school leavers as currently observed.
Curriculum Development Process in Cameroon
Participants unsurprisingly confirmed the curricula approach adopted in Cameroon - top-
down curriculum development structure (Forzie, 1990). Pedagogic inspectors at the Ministry of
Secondary Education are responsible for curriculum development under the directives and
approval of the Minister. This presents a major obstacle to any meaningful change at
incorporating employability skills in the curriculum because the process does not solicit input
from educators directly involved in delivering the curriculum and students whose lives are
influenced by the type of education received. This has contributed largely in determining the
outcome of students who experience the system.
Curriculum Delivery
In terms of curriculum delivery, it has been noted that there are varying initiatives and
support mechanisms available from teachers and school counsellors to students to enable them
learn employment skills. For example, many teachers claimed that they are committed, from their
teaching to give students the best possible chance of gaining employment although there was a
mismatch between their job-skills initiatives and students‟ work experience. Additionally, it has
been noted that delivering the prescribed curriculum poses some challenges for teachers
especially with the problem of harmonisation. These acute problems make it challenging to
translate the useful knowledge and skills required by employers from young people.

20
Employment
An increasing important observation is that, because of the failed objective and content-
based curricula approach, there is a shift towards a competence-based curricula approach.
Central to the competence-based approach is the aim to equip young people with concrete work-
related skills that is vital in a socially developing world rather than abstract learning (Kitta and
Tilya, 2010). For this reason, it is important to underline the perspectives of participants who
unanimously favour this approach with a view that it can solve their employment problems by
enabling students to find employment when the complete school. Consequently, a solution to
the concerns raised about the capability and employability of school leavers as it emphasises the
attributes (competencies) to be achieved by learners, hence employment.
Contribution to Knowledge and Conclusion
The major theoretical contribution to knowledge of this study is that I have developed
and applied a framework, which depicts the interdependent relationship between curriculum
development and employability skills (Figure 1.0). Previous research has focused on skills
mismatch and the need for employability skills acquisition, rather than a constitutive part of the
curriculum development process (Penn, 2016, Essongo, 2017). The conceptual framework has
been applied to understand why the secondary school curriculum in Cameroon does not equip
school leavers for employment and ways in which employability skills can be incorporated in the
curriculum. One way of applying the framework is to start by identifying the causes of youth
unemployment whilst establishing how these are linked to curriculum development. The case of
an African country context (Cameroon) pursued in this project therefore, adds to existing
knowledge on the role of country-specific context in our understanding of the mismatch
between curriculum development and skills acquisition.
Further, the findings have generated new and original data to enable a clear
understanding of curriculum development for curriculum planners and teachers in Cameroon to
enhance practice. The study could also influence the restructuring of policy on curriculum
development and as a starting point for incorporating job skills in the curriculum of schools.
Although limited research exist that explore the phenomenon of skills acquisition in Cameroon,
the type of research questions pursued in this study is the first of its kind in Cameroon. The
combined authorities in the Ministry of Secondary Education, school authorities and secondary
school students in Cameroon do not only constitute the research sample, but play a key role in
ensuring that the findings from the research generate new knowledge on how the curriculum
could be improved to address the unemployment trends in the Cameroon.
The study also contributes to the world of literature particularly in developing countries
with high youth unemployment rates. The research findings provide directions for enhancing
future curriculum development by recommending a curriculum grounded in practice.
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23
Appendix 1: Thematic areas for exploration include: -
Q1. What in your view is the cause for the high youth unemployment rate in the country?
Q2. What skills do you think school leavers need from the curriculum to help them find and stay
employment?
Q3. How can arrangements be improved between the Ministry of Secondary Education to create
effective mechanisms for employers to connect with schools?
Q4. Do you know who is responsible for curriculum development in the Ministry of Secondary
Education?
Q5. Please explain how you ensure that the curriculum is implemented?
Q6. Do curriculum developers get some input from your:
• Students;
• Teachers;
• Careers advisers;
• School Governors/Parents‟-Teachers‟ Association;
• Head teachers/Principals?
Q7. Do you or your teacher encounter any challenges in implementing the prescribed
curriculum?
Other additional comments or observations......
Appendix 2
SKILLS ACQUISITION IN CAMEROON: HOW WELL DOES THE SECONDARY
SCHOOL CURRICULUM EQUIP SCHOOL LEAVERS FOR EMPLOYMENT?
INVESTIGATOR:
Ernest Nkamta, PhD Student, School of Education, Ada Byron King Building, Nottingham
Trent University, Clifton Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK, Tel: ...........,
Email:N0324143@ntu.ac.uk.
CONSENT FORM
Organisation/Department: ……………………
Respondent No. …………..
I have read the Information Sheet dated, 9th
April 2016 for the above study. I have had the
opportunity to consider the information and ask questions and I understand the nature and
purpose of the research.
I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time,
without giving any reason.

24
I understand that the interview will be audio taped
I understand that information gained during the study will be presented in an academic
thesis, journal article and conference presentations and will include the use of anonymous
direct quotations. I understand I will not be identified and my personal details will remain
confidential
I understand that Ernest Nkamta, supervisors and PhD examiners at the School of
Education at Nottingham Trent University, UK will have access to the recordings and
transcripts without their being edited confidentiality. I understand that in all circumstances
administrative and research staff seeing the data will do so under strict confidentiality
conditions
I agree to take part in the above study
Name of Participant: …………………………………………………………….
Signature ……………………………………….. Date ………………………
Name of Principal Investigator: …………………………………………………
Signature ……………………………………….. Date ………………………

25
http://ijhss.net/index.php/ijhss
p-ISSN: 1694-2620
e-ISSN: 1694-2639
Vol. 9, No. 5, 2017, pp. 25-33, ©IJHSS
Female postgraduate students’ perceptions of active
learning methods
Dr. Amel Thafer Alshehry
Najran University, Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of postgraduate students‟ on active
learning at a university after taking a "Glossaries in Curriculum and Instruction" course in the
master's program. The views of the eight master students were based on responses to questions
administered. This study used the semi-structured interview with open-ended techniques for data
collection. The interview form consisted of four open-ended questions. Based on data analysis,
students reported that active learning support from individual learning increased their self-
efficacy and confidence in studying and learning on their own, enabling them to investigate with
greater confidence.
Keyword: postgraduate, interactive learning, thinking skills, curriculum instructions.
Introduction
The aim of the study was to explore the learning experience and attitudes of graduate students
toward self-efficacy by using a small case study project as an assessment process to enable
students to interact, promoting greater self-dependence and learning, skills needed to activated
students active learning more appropriately. With the development of new teaching strategies,
different concepts related to teaching and learning have entered into educational terminology
(Emlek et al, 2017). Some of these concepts can be categorized as self-efficacy or active learning.
The use of teaching methods by lecturers is based on aspirations of higher education institutions
to be student-centered. Here, these methods were developed to broaden students‟ skills during
their master's program to further embed informational content and influence teaching and
learning objectives, further enabling students‟ methods of searching for resources and
information related to their subjects. These methods were used to strengthen higher education in
Saudi Arabia through self-confidence, efficacy, and interaction, which have previously been
found to affect educational practices for postgraduate teaching qualifications (Badghish, 2016).
Using of visual aids during the teaching and learning were supported by the instructional
technologies, that facilitate learning when they are designed to help the postgraduate learners to
select, integrate and organize learning experiences and information to strongly designed a
meaningful interaction and enhance learning (Mayer, 2001).
This exploration has the potential to promote new learning systems regarding how e-
learning resources and facilities supported their learning and identify obstacles related to self-
learning resources that hinder students learning (Pathak & Rahman, 2013). For the purpose of
this study, self-learning and presented resources outside of the classroom provided nowadays

26
such as supported multimedia and instructional technologies that were compared to available
higher educational materials that allowed readers to navigate content utilizing embedded features
and search for external resources and multimedia objects.
A theoretical lens consisting of supporting learning theories, self-independent, and
informational processes related to the constructive learning approach was used to analyze the
results and provide insight on the students‟ learning experience. This study also showed how
these methods enhanced the students‟ motivation and confidence in learning.
Teaching masters students is not about applying rules and traditional teaching procedures; rather,
it is about engaging students as active participants through discussion and collaboration in
teaching and learning.
Literature Review
In this type of learning process, students combine cooperative learning with their teachers to
promote deep understanding (Henson and Eller, 2012). In addition, learning how to search
promotes personal growth. Students can achieve better grades in subjects that require critical
thinking and can achieve an integrated, self-dependent process (Shimazoa and Aldrich,
2010). Hannafin and Land (1997) found that students could to learn how to learn and allow
interaction to become integrated into their learning approaches.
Successful active learning approach among higher education
To achieve an affective learning process in teaching in educational institutions, students should
be given opportunities to communicate, interact, and develop self-confidence. Bonwell and
Eison (1991) defined active learning as "instructional strategies, including [a] wide range of
activities that share the common elements of involving students in doing things and thinking
about the things they are doing.”
However, one of the ways this can be done is through interactive learning in which students
become "more engaged and retain more materials, with or without a form of technology,
interactive learning helps students strengthen problem solving and critical thinking
skills"(Hatten, 2017).
Many studies have shown that interactive learning can improve students' performance
over time and can increase positive attitudes toward learning, self-efficacy, and social
skills. Additional opportunities should be provided for discussion, problems-solving, creating
solutions, and working with peers. Several educators in the field of teaching have conducted
studies using interactive learning and have found an increase in student achievement (Tarim,
2009).
Self-reliance, efficacy, and confidence with creativity are considered the main components of
mental activity. Often, most activation processes among students are reduced either in an
attempt to transfer the same information through training aids, computer information, and
capabilities of the mind. Interactive learning also enables them to search for sources of
knowledge (Panina and Vavilova, 2008).
Instructional technology supporting aids for learning skills
Learning for postgraduate students should promote dialogue with their teachers and other
participants in the pedagogical process and promote active participation in cognitive activities,
creativity, and search. Graduate students' need to reveal this status of creative opportunities by
using of instructional technology in their courses and study program to support and foster their
knowledge and experiences in the higher education (Jahnke et al, 2017). Interaction of students
in carrying out tasks in pairs and groups can help promote these skills. Khanin (2013) found that
these methods could strengthen problem-based training, self-study, and acquiring necessary
skills, such as using of computers program (power point), social analytical, practical, and
communicative methods (Zaiton, 2004). In the way of enhancing practicing active learning

27
process among postgraduate studies, Smirnov (1995) stated that "for new and higher forms of
motivation [one should arm] students with new and more effective means...to realize their goals
of [mastering] new activities, knowledge and skills" (p. 271). Thus, this kind of learning can
provide students with more opportunities to develop their higher-order thinking and increase
engagement between students and teachers, students and content, and students and facilitators
(Kutbiddinova, 2015).
Interactive learning versus traditional learning process
Active learning approaches breaks down and reduces traditional learning barriers to create a
communicative and collegial atmosphere in the classroom, which allows for successful and active
learning (Revell and Wainwright, 2009). Therefore, using of of active learning enhanced the
using of communications and multimedia through the learning process which raised a new
concepts of teaching and learning strategies with a flexible educational program (Emlek et al,
2017).
Interactive methods of learning and training promotes students‟ active participation in an
educational activity that simulates professional situations and engages students to develop
strategies for effective behavior in conflict situations (Eromasova, 2014).
Study Purpose
The purpose of the study in the using of theoretical framework was to determine the views of 2nd
year master students at Najran University who took a programming course designed for
postgraduate students. To this end, answers were sought to the research questions below:
1) What are your attitudes regarding the benefits of interactive process in students' learning?
2) What are your attitudes toward the means of communication associated with instructions
and interaction?
3) What are your views toward the differences and similarities between the traditions
teaching methods used for you learning program?
Methodology
Theoretical framework
Qualitative research methods were used multiple methods in this descriptive study so that the
researcher could develop a deeper understanding of findings based on the participants‟ views
(Creswell, 2013). Qualitative data collection instruments, such as one-on-one interviews, students
observation, and written analysis, were used so the data could be collected in a triangulation and
a realistic manner. In this techniques used of triangulation, the researcher ensure that an account
is rich, comprehensive and well-developed.
During qualitative research interviews, it is important to be sensitive to the natural
environment as the researcher acts as a participant, revealing personal perceptions and providing
flexibility in research design. The data was categorized under a multiple themes, three of which
associated with the designed advantages of using interactive learning process, communication
and instructional technologies and new methods approaches with the interactive learning.
Data collection
This study used a semi-structured interview form. The past experiences of the researcher and the
views of the educational experts working in the field of educational science were taken into
consideration to prepare the interview form. Draft questions were reviewed by the experts for
any necessary changes based on their feedback. Three main interview questions were created
with breaking down questions depending on their rich of information to their response. The
samples were distributed to ten postgraduate students in one level which were the second level

28
who had taken the postgraduate masters programming course. The interview forms were
collected from students and presented to them in case they had information to add or delete.
Some of the responses were incorporated into the data collection and analysis (Wolcott, 1990).
Therefore, the researcher found the various interpretation of responses according to the main
categories of theoretical framework provided.
Data analysis
The data collected for this study were analyzed using descriptive analysis techniques and were
interpreted on the basis of previously determined themes, which were coded by the responses to
the research questions. Data can also be presented by taking into account the questions on each
of the dimensions used during observation (Yildirim and Simsek, 2004). Themes in this course
were created for analyses and a comparison was made between various meanings in the
responses to the questions. In this case, an attempt was made to obtain more detailed and in
depth information from the qualitative analysis (Creswell, 2013).
In this case, the interview data was analysed by reading the written note, organizing the
data classifying the subcategories, grouping a common and similar treatments to construct
thematic categories, and making interpretations. Important segments in the transcription were
determined based on the literature review and theoretical framework. Therefore, this study
trustworthiness was strengthened by the application of triangulation, member check and peer
observation (Merriam, 2009).
Results
All participants‟ statements were compared and coded into forty categories by grouping
statements that participants shared in common. Subsequently, these categories were grouped
under four major thematic categories related to research questions. These thematic categories
pertained to the interactive learning approach and were determined in accordance with the
learning theories discussed in the literature, such as the teaching process used, students‟
independence, and interactive learning, and a comparison of active learning versus traditional
teaching methods.
This study, however, uncovered three correspondent subcategories, which were established from
the interviews and grouped to represent the major thematic categories. Table 1 delineates the
corresponding subcategories which were established the interview data and how they were
grouped and represent the three major thematic categories. These categorizations of students‟
insights into these categories yielded three themes as follows:
1) Developing a usefulness and positive way of practicing interactive learning
2) Interactive use of instructional technology to ease the communication with teachers and
students colleagues
3) Better understanding compared to traditional methods among thematic categories and
corresponding subcategories
All ten participants stated that interactive learning provided them with valuable opportunities to
obtain skills and experience and enabled them to construct their own understanding and
learning.

29
Table 1. Thematic categories and corresponding subcategories
Categories Subcategories
Active learning process - More self-learning opportunities
- Self-efficacy & effective chances
- confidence
Successful instructional
technology and
communication
- technological experiences and
skills
- sharing e-learning process
- understanding through social
interactions
Differentiated between
present active learning and
method used before
- advanced search features
- learning of multimedia
- Sharing experiences and
knowledge
Effectiveness of the interactive learning process
Student S1 stated, "I like the process the teacher [provided] us. I can [use this method to study based on] what
I learned.” Another student also said, "[The] process of doing small projects by searching for…resources of
related subjects…provided me with more learning [opportunities so] I can learn how to access and search at any
time."
"I learned how to prepare my reading [and] writing to do a presentation on what I searched for," said S5.
Students S3, S4, and S7 also stated that "This process draws [in] our attention more since the teachers
[provided] us with…different teaching techniques;" Student 6 was encouraged that "This [method] is more
suitable for us as postgraduate students who need to search, interact, [and develop] independent [skills] regarding
the learning process".
Student 5 said, "It would be easier…to learn difficult issues regarding…subjects…using this [method]
of learning [to] contribute to…[a] field that is difficult to understand." S6 pointed out, "It enabled me…to
search for…reading references and [enabled] me to [follow] the way the teachers teach to get more experience, in
both [the] searching and teaching process…I could [understand] how…teachers prepare their lectures and search
for the information they need for their students." Student S5 emphasized this that "The lecturer
[provided]…us [with] encouragement and guidance…to learn better."
Communication of using of instructional technology
All ten participants were believed that a useful and better communicating skills were showed
after practicing an interactive teaching methods. S3 stated that, "using…multimedia [materials]
during…studying helps…introduce [us] to the new way of teaching and learning by doing." S6 said, "I could use
graphics and other visual aids during my preparation for the presentation of the research project." S2 pointed
out instead that "It provides…better understanding, cooperation, and interaction between us and our teacher
during the presentation of the work in the classroom which facilitated learning while we work and present [the]
work;” S6 noted, “It also helps us find…other resources…than in…class studying."
When asked "Have you ever searched for additional resources while you worked on materials related to
your subject?," all participants said they had. S5 said, "Yes sure, I have searched for related references, visual
supplies, and additional technology that were very helpful [in] facilitating the content we need and I have searched
for additional resources too."
S4 provided a similar response: “I look through the internet for…additional information that often ends up
[being] very helpful [so that I] use my time more effectively." S3 stated, "It motivated me to learn and [increased
my] willingness to [exert] more effort on understanding the content."
S1 said, "This assessment [taught] me [to use] key word searching, write notes, and share various ways of using
of these multimedia and communication features."

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