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Item IUM Library Newsletter_Vol.1 Issue 4(IUM Library, 2024) IUM LibraryIt brings me great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all readers to the 4th edition of the IUM library newsletter. Since its inception in the second semester of 2024, IUM library has consistently delivered this newsletter, a testament to the dedication and resolve of its staff. Therefore, I wish to commend all involved in its production for their unwavering commitment. This newsletter plays a pivotal role in disseminating information about the library's diverse activities and services. It also serves as a comprehensive calendar of upcoming library and related events, effectively bridging the library and its users. I am confident that this edition will prove as engaging as its predecessors, brimming with valuable insights into the library and its ongoing initiatives. I now invite readers to delve into its contents. Happy reading. -Dr, Visal Moosa, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and InnovationItem IUM Library Newsletter_Vol.1 Issue 3(IUM Library, 2023) IUM LibraryItem IUM Library Newsletter_Vol.1 Issue 2(IUM Library, 2023-06) IUM LibraryIt is my pleasure to welcome you to the second issue of the library newsletter. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you for your continued patronage. Your unwavering support and participation have allowed IUM Library to thrive and continue to serve as a vital resource for knowledge, imagination, and connection. It is your enthusiasm and dedication that inspires the library staff to push the boundaries of what our library can offer. From avid readers to passionate learners, it is our staff and students who make our library a vibrant hub of intellectual curiosity, and for that, we are truly grateful. -Dr DheebaItem IUM Library Newsletter_Vol.1 Issue 1(IUM Library, 2022-11-17) IUM LibraryCongratulations to the IUM Library team for publishing the first ever IUM Library Newsletter. I am very proud of the library team who have taken this initiative; another remarkable addition to the chain of achievements the team has accomplished so far New initiatives such as this is a clear indication that the library will reach new heights under the leadership of the Chief Librarian, Ms Nashath and her energetic team. To set the bar, you need motivation, innovation mindset and the will to perform beyond expectations. The IUM library team has all these qualities. This time of the year, as we prepare for 2023, is a busy time for IUM and the library is no exception. It is truly praiseworthy that the library team has embarked on this time-consuming new initiative to publish its first newsletter alongside preparations to acquire and process materials, plan new services and programs for the students, staff, and the community. The library newsletter will not only serve to disseminate information, but it will also be a great way to connect with the library readership, promote the library brand and increase engagement which are essential for the growth of the library. This is also a meaningful way to connect with the community and showcase the remarkable work of the librarians, the services, and the products relevant for the library users, be it the IUM students and staff or the community outside. I look forward to the upcoming issues of the IUM library newsletter. - Dr Dheeba MoosaItem Adhaahama(Center for Research and Publication IUM, 2017) Center for Research and Publication IUMItem Adhaaham(2022) Center for Research and PublicationItem Adhaahama(2021) Center for Research and PublicationItem Using differentiated instruction in multigrade classes: a case of a small school(Routledge, 2021-01-02) Mariyam ShareefaThis paper presents findings of a case-study set in one of the small schools of Maldives which was practising the concept of multigrade teaching. The aim of the study was to investigate teachers’ experiences of using Differentiated Instruction (DI) in multigrade classes. It also explored the benefits as well as challenges for using DI in the combined classes. Participants of the study included the school principal and four respective teachers who were teaching in multigrade classes. Data for the study were obtained through semi-structured interview, classroom observation and document analysis of teachers’ lesson plans.Item Mainstream and special education teachers' implementation of differentiated instruction(International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling, 2019) Shareefa, Mariyam; Jawawi, Rosmawijah; Abdullah, Nor Zaiham Midwati; Matzin, RohaniThis study examines the difference between mainstream teachers and Special Education Needs (SEN) teachers’ implementation of Differentiated Instruction (DI) in Maldivian schools. A total of 64 teachers (32 mainstream teachers and 32 SEN teachers) were randomly selected, and data were collected using survey (N= 64) and classroom observation (N= 8). Independent sample t-test was adopted to analyse survey data, while mean scores of the rating scale were used to analyse observation checklist. Findings revealed that there is no significant difference between the two groups of teachers’ implementations. Both mainstream teachers and SEN teachers adopt DI at a very low level. Hence, findings suggest that despite the special training, and the importance of DI to SEN students, SEN teachers did not implement DI at any higher level than mainstream teachers. Therefore, a review of training programs conducted for both mainstream teachers and SEN teachers are found necessary.Item Legal landscapes of inclusive education in the Maldives: evolution, implementation, and future directions(2023-10-03) Shareefa, Mariyam; Moosa, Visal; Rizwan, ShuhudhaThe purpose of this research is to document the legal transition of a developing island nation, namely Maldives, to establish a nation-wide inclusive education system that caters to all students, including those with special needs. The study sheds light on the significant milestones achieved, current status of implementation of the legislations, and suggests a roadmap towards achieving inclusion in schools. The investigation draws heavily on the relevant legal, policy, and other local documents to elicit the story on the legal domain. Data from reports and similar documents are used for examining the status of implementation. Major milestones and transitions that took place over the three and half decades in the inclusive education journey of the country are discussed in the paper. These milestones in implementation are cross-checked against the expectations stipulated in the relevant legislations. The study offers recommendations to improve and widen the scope of inclusive education in the country which could be lessons for countries similar in context.Item Institutional and teacher readiness for inclusive education in schools of Hithadhoo, Addu, Maldives: a study of the perceptions of teachers(2016-01) Shareefa, MariyamThe Inclusive Educational Policy of Maldives (Ministry of Education, 2013), declares that all students should be given equal educational opportunities regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional or other conditions. The aim of this study was to find out what teachers believe, perceive, and feel about their schools ‘readiness for inclusive education, with regard to the school leadership, school climate, curriculum instructions, individual student support, and teachers ‘knowledge, skills and attitudes. The secondary purpose was to investigate the main challenges that deter inclusivity in the four government schools of Hithadhoo, Addu. A mixed approach with survey and focus group interview methods were used in the study. A total of 153 teachers participated in the survey and 10 teachers were in the focus group sessions. The findings revealed that in general, teachers had a positive view towards all the readiness factors related to inclusive education. However, the results indicated substantial challenges that may impede successful implementation of inclusive education. These challenges include lack of knowledge and skills on inclusive education, lack of facilities, lack of awareness among all stakeholders, curriculum difficulties, and time restrictions.Item Evolution and implementation of inclusive education in the Maldives: hurdles and the way forward(GI Global, 2023) Shareefa, Mariyam; Moosa, Visal; Rushdhee, Adhila; Rizwan, ShuhudhaThis chapter shares the journey of a developing island nation in their effort to implement a nation-wide inclusive education system. The chapter intends to bring to forefront key milestones, challenges faced, and the way forward in the expedition towards realizing full inclusion in schools. Towards this end, the authors engaged multiple sources of data including (i) legal, policy and other relevant documents from the local context,(ii) focus group discussions with experts, and (iii) interviews with practitioners. Insights from these multi-source explorations are triangulated and discussed in the light of local and international literature. Recommendations for moving towards enhancing and expanding inclusion in the education system are offered with specific focus on policy and practice, which can benefit the education system not only at the local level but also at the global level.Item Enhancing virtual learning during the crisis of COVID-19 lockdown - a case study of a higher education institution in Maldives(2021-11) Shareefa, Mariyam; Shareefa, Mariyam; Shihamaa, Mariyam; Shihamaa, Mariyam; Hammad, Aaidha; Hammad, Aaidha; Muneez, Mohamed; Muneez, MohamedRegardless of whether educational institutions had experience of using online teaching, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a sudden switch to fully virtual delivery mode, which presented challenges at both institutional and instructional levels. At the time, not much information about these experiences was available to guide education during lockdown. This study, therefore, explored the virtual learning experiences of a Maldivian higher education institution that had practiced virtual learning before and during the pandemic. Data was collected from 52 participants–a senior management member, four lecturers, and 47 students-through conducting semistructured interviews, studying students’ reflection journals, doing lesson observations, and reviewing documents. Thematic analysis of the data revealed several changes had occurred in the teaching process of the college. Significant modification of the instructional setup, structural arrangements, and the psychological readiness of students had both positive and negative impacts. This study endeavors to be of value to other higher education institutions who adopt virtual learning.Item Differentiated instruction: definition and challenging factors perceived by teachers(Atlantis Press, 2019-12) Shareefa, Mariyam; Jawawi, Rosmawijah; Abdullah, Nor Zaiham Midawati; Rohani, MatzinDifferentiated Instruction (DI) is a teaching strategy teachers adopt to attend to student diversity in inclusive classrooms. The aim of this paper is to explore teachers’ definition of DI while identifying the challenges experienced in implementing DI strategies. Data for the study were collected from both mainstream teachers and Special Education Needs (SEN) teachers selected from 30 Maldivian schools in which inclusive education is practiced. A total of 368 mainstream teachers and 32 SEN teachers were surveyed with an open-ended questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview was conducted for 8 teachers purposively selected from survey participants. To analyse the data of both the survey and interviews, the open coding strategy (Rossman & Rallis, 2011) was used. Findings revealed that definition of DI can be explained by associating three major facets:(1) use of different strategies (2) addressing student diversity, and (3) advancement of student learning. Six major categories pertaining to challenges were also identified:(1) time,(2) resources,(3) knowledge,(4) class size,(5) support, and (6) workload. These findings are discussed in depth, and implications for practice are suggested.Item Demystifying the impact of teachers’ qualification and experience on implementation of differentiated instruction(2023-01-01) Shareefa, MariyamAccording to many educators, teachers’ knowledge and experience are identified as key factors that facilitate effective classroom instruction. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of teachers’ experience and qualifications in the implementation of differentiated instruction (DI). The study employed convergent mixed method design with 400 teachers surveyed, out of which 16 were interviewed, and 8 teachers’ classroom teaching sessions were observed. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to analyze data collected from instruments that were adapted from previous studies. The survey data were analyzed using inferential statistics of ANOVA, while interview transcripts were analyzed using content analysis method, and observation checklists were analyzed using a mixed approach. Findings of these analyses showed that there is no significant difference in teachers’ implementation of DI based on their experience, while teachers’ qualifications showed otherwise. These findings indicate the importance of teachers’ pre-service and in-service professional development in the area of differentiated instruction. Further research is required to confirm and crossvalidate these findings in other educational contexts.Item A challenge made easy: contributing factors for successful multigrade teaching in a small school.(2020-09-01) Shareefa, Mariyam; Jawawi, Rosmawijah; Abdullah, Nor Zaiham Midawati; Matzin, Rohani; Moosa, VisalThe purpose of this case study is to investigate the factors that contributed to the success of multigrade teaching in a small school in Maldives. Data were collected using semistructured one-to-one interviews, observation of classroom teaching, and field notes. The interview was conducted with the principal of the school and four teachers who taught in multigrade classes while classroom teaching of three of the teachers were observed. Content analysis of the data revealed four major factors that contributed to successful multigrade teaching; leadership, professional development, structural support, and parent awareness. These factors could be considered to enable multigrade teaching in schoolsItem Students' perception of written corrective feedback: a case study of pre-university esl learners in the Maldives(2021-06-11) Moosa, Dheeba; Sameer, Khadheeja MohamedIn language teaching pedagogy, feedback is crucial for English as a Second Language (ESL) students to achieve the target language competency they desire. According to literature, effective feedback can only be given when educators understand the way individual students perceive the feedback that they are given. Unfortunately, there are very few published studies on the Maldivian students’ perception of feedback till date. Therefore, to understand pre-university students’ perception of feedback, this qualitative case study used data through focus group discussions and stimulated recall sessions from a sample of six students. The findings indicated that the students from the selected institute felt encouraged as well as appreciated when the lecturers gave feedback. Moreover, they felt apprehensiveness when the lecturers failed to provide enough feedback, or any at all. This indicated that the students highly regarded the importance of feedback. Therefore, it is advisable for educators to consider how students perceive the written corrective feedback provided for them so that it may result in successful uptake.Item Level of wellbeing among Maldivians during the COVID19 pandemic(2022-12) Moosa, Dheeba; Nasheeda, Aishath; Hassan, Visama; Moosa, Visal; Saeed, KhaulathThis study aims to present the level of wellbeing associated with demographic factors and COVID-19-related factors of people living in the Maldives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 312 participants aged 18 years and above using a two-stage random sampling approach. Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MCF-SF), was used for data collection. The mental wellbeing results revealed average scores in the three wellbeing domains; emotional wellbeing 4.33 (SD= 0.05), social wellbeing 3.81 (SD= 0.05), and psychological wellbeing 4.60 (SD= 0.04). Females reported a higher level of stress and a low score on the mental wellbeing scale. Participants who were single reported higher levels of stress and low levels of mental wellbeing than those who were married or divorced/widowed. Those who were unemployed and those who feared receiving medical assistance reported higher levels of stress while scoring low on mental wellbeing. At the time of the study, which was during the first wave of the pandemic, the most affected region was Male, while no significant case numbers were reported in the islands, which represents a significant population in the dataset. This study is among the few studies done in Maldives examining the mental wellbeing of the people during the Covid19 pandemic. As such, this study indicates how the extent Maldivians are affected by the Pandemic. This information will be useful for relevant authorities to plan effective interventions, identify vulnerable groups and plan to reduce the burden of mental health during crises in the future.Item Influence of reading strategies on esl students‟ reading comprehension in secondary schools in Malé, Maldives(2024) Moosa, Dheeba; Naushan, Aminath; Rajanthran, Subashini K; Ali, AniyathThe use of reading strategies plays an integral part in the reading comprehension level of students. However, English as a Second Language (ESL) learners are unaware of the impact of reading strategies on their reading comprehension level. Moreover, teachers also lack a solid foundation for teaching reading strategies to students and are unable to understand the reading strategies preferences of the students. Only a few studies have been conducted highlighting the significance of reading strategies on students’ comprehension levels, especially in the context of Maldivian secondary schools. The main objective of this study is to identify the use of reading strategies to improve the reading comprehension level of ESL learners in secondary school. This research employed an experimental design. A total of 118 students from grades 9 and 10 from a secondary school participated in the study. Two instruments were utilized to collect data- a questionnaire, a pre-test, and a post-test. Statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between reading strategies and comprehension achievement. Moreover, a significant difference in strategy use was found between male and female students. Recommendations include implementing school-wide reading programs, using think-aloud technique to model strategies, and consistent teacher training in Maldives as well as monitoring of students' reading strategies to improve comprehension and learning opportunities.Item Does successful action research merely require a culture of reflective practice or is there more to it?(2018-03-20) Moosa, DheebaThis article explores the issue of whether a reflective culture is a necessary condition for sustaining action research in the Maldives. Drawing on data gathered for a study conducted in the Maldives and supplemented by a discussion of literature on the appropriateness of AR in developing countries, I consider why AR might be useful for professional development in the Maldives. As in many developing country contexts, there are many practical difficulties, such as time constraints that can prevent teachers from engaging in AR. However, the main focus of this article is to reflect whether it is simply a case of the absence of a reflective culture or AR itself that may be acting as a barrier to teacher engagement in it. Based on these findings, I argue that familiarity with reflective practices in teaching may be a prerequisite to the development of AR in the Maldives, and therefore, it may be that introducing the notion of reflective practice into initial teacher training is the first step. I also argue that it is important to carefully and critically consider the assumptions and practices within AR and adapt it for use as a professional development tool.