An Emirati educational researcher measures the values ​​of tolerance in schools through a “national study”

Educational researcher Ali Al-Badwawi revealed the details of preparing a national research study to measure the values ​​of tolerance in Emirati schools, through a scientific questionnaire directed at educational staff under the title: “School Climate and Tolerance,” targeting students, parents, and educational staff of all categories.

Educational environment
Ali Al-Badwawi bin Muhail told Emirates Al-Youm: “The study focuses on supporting the educational environment and promoting human values ​​among students, inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, which aims to build a tolerant society based on love, mercy and acceptance of others.”

Accurate scientific standards
He stressed that this study was designed according to precise scientific standards, to be a reliable tool in measuring school climate, levels of belonging and safety, quality of relationships, and values ​​of empathy and tolerance, in addition to monitoring the influence of the family in shaping student behavior.

Expected results
He pointed out that the expected results will contribute to providing an objective picture that will help educational decision-makers develop policies and programs that promote a more humane, fair and open educational environment.

Official approvals
He stressed that all procedures were carried out after obtaining the necessary official approvals, and that participation is voluntary, simple in its procedures, but “capable of making a real difference” in understanding the reality of our schools.

Why participate?
Regarding the participation mechanism, Al-Baddawi explained that parents of students from seventh to twelfth grade can agree to their children’s participation in the study via the electronic form available on the Microsoft Forms platform, via the following link:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/
EgC2Z60fJZ

Tolerant school
Ali Al-Badwawi stressed that building a tolerant and sympathetic school represents an essential gateway to establishing a more cohesive and humane society, calling on all educators and parents to interact with this research initiative, and to provide honest and objective answers, ensuring that the results accurately reflect reality, and paving the way for a new phase of educational development based on solid scientific data, far from general impressions.
Regarding the subject of the study,

Student behaviour
He said that the statements presented through the questionnaire reflect the behavior of students and the characteristics of the school climate, and call on members of the educational staff to answer accurately and transparently, as professional witnesses to the daily reality of the school, while emphasizing that there are no right or wrong answers.

Participants’ backgrounds
He continued: “The questionnaire accompanying the study at its beginning includes a section dedicated to demographic data, which aims to identify the participants’ backgrounds through questions related to gender, educational position, and the school to which they belong, in addition to the emirate from which they participate. This contributes to analyzing the results according to geographical and professional variables, while ensuring the complete preservation of the confidentiality of each participant’s identity.”

School climate
He explained: “The questionnaire then moves to a set of main topics; In its first part, it addresses the school climate and students’ level of sense of well-being and belonging. It includes statements that measure their degree of happiness and their ability to adapt to the pressures of study and changes in the school environment, in addition to the extent of their flexibility in facing challenges, their feeling of security, their enthusiasm for maintaining daily attendance, their affiliation with the educational institution and their desire to continue in it. These indicators are measured through a six-point sliding scale, starting with “very strongly disagree” and ending with “completely agree.”

Natural links
He added: “The second part focuses on peer relationships and participation in activities, by monitoring the nature of connections between students, their level of cooperation within small groups, and their willingness to provide support to colleagues who need support. It also measures the degree of their enthusiasm to participate in games and social activities, in addition to the level of commitment to classroom rules, respect for teachers, and the quality of interaction between parents and school staff, providing a comprehensive picture of the network of relationships within the school community.”

The role of the family
Al-Badwawi emphasized that the questionnaire devotes an important part to the role of the family, through questions that monitor the nature of the interaction between home and school. Such as the extent to which parents support their children in performing duties, their participation in school activities and workshops, and the effect of family disciplinary methods on children’s adherence to school rules. It also measures students’ level of awareness of the convergence of behavioral expectations between home and school, and their ability to transfer problem-solving skills between the two environments.

Educators’ notes
This topic also addresses educators’ observations about manifestations of tension, uneasiness, or feelings of insecurity among some students, in addition to indicators of a desire to leave school or resistance to attendance, which provides a deeper insight into students’ needs and behaviors.

Empathy scale
He said: “In a qualitative step, the Toronto Empathy Scale was incorporated into the study, with the aim of measuring the level of empathy among members of the educational staff. Participants are asked to rate the frequency of their empathic feelings and behaviors on a five-point scale, from “never” to “always.” The statements include measuring the extent to which the educator shares the joy of others, his affect when witnessing disrespectful treatment, his enjoyment of helping others, in addition to his ability to notice signs of sadness even without a statement, and his feeling of motivation to provide support to those who are going through difficult circumstances.”

Inverse expressions
He added: “The study also includes inverse expressions to measure weak empathy, such as indifference to the feelings of others or being upset by colleagues’ crying. This topic concludes with a direct question about the importance of instilling the value of empathy in the educational process, while providing options that indicate the degree of priority of this value from the participant’s point of view.”

The tendency towards tolerance
He revealed that the study also includes a measure of the tendency toward tolerance, which aims to measure the attitudes of educational staff members toward students’ violative behavior, such as violence, mockery of colleagues, lying, theft, bringing harmful tools, or tampering with other people’s property. This scale contributes to identifying the limits of the educator’s firmness and tolerance, and the extent to which he accepts excuses or categorically rejects some behaviors, through a four-point scale that begins with “completely inappropriate” and ends with “completely appropriate for me.”

Behavior indicators
The same axis also includes indicators of behaviors that reflect students’ empathy, such as showing good feelings toward their less fortunate classmates, or avoiding delving into others’ problems by diverting the conversation, thus linking the values ​​of tolerance among educators and their reflection in students’ behavior within the school environment.