The effect of an international school environment on the perception of self and others : a study of expatriate students in the United Arab Emirates
The effect of an international school environment on the perception of self and others : a study of expatriate students in the United Arab Emirates
The research study investigated the judgements of self and other of 11 to 13 year old expatriate private school attenders within the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The principle theoretical perspective was social psychological and drew from the theories of social categorization and social identity. The research design incorporated a form of methodological triangulation, employing historical, observational and multi-dimensional research techniques to evaluate the differences between British, Indian and Lebanese students attending either a national or international school.
The study proposed that the general social environment of the U.A.E. inhabited by expatriate groupings contains an artifically fabricated social hierarchy, which does not appear conducive to positive inter-ethnic relations, and furthermore with respect to the education of expatriate students, the study suggests that the use of an international curriculum, without a corresponding international school structure is not, in itself, sufficient to help overcome the detrimental effects upon inter-ethnic relations established by the social framework of the external environment.
The study suggested, contrary to expectation, that the differences in the social perceptions between the students at the two school types were not so much of type as of degree. Trends were observed towards less competitive behaviour, more positive rating of self and fewer extreme judgements of others by the students in attendance at the national schools as compared to their ethnic counterparts at the international school. Moreover, students at the international school showed perceptions that could be considered indicative of a lack of a stable environment. Consequently the study suggested that attendance at an international school using an international curriculum is not sufficient to offset the negative effects of unproductive contact on inter-ethnic relations.
University of Southampton
1993
Melkonian, Michael
(1993)
The effect of an international school environment on the perception of self and others : a study of expatriate students in the United Arab Emirates.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The research study investigated the judgements of self and other of 11 to 13 year old expatriate private school attenders within the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The principle theoretical perspective was social psychological and drew from the theories of social categorization and social identity. The research design incorporated a form of methodological triangulation, employing historical, observational and multi-dimensional research techniques to evaluate the differences between British, Indian and Lebanese students attending either a national or international school.
The study proposed that the general social environment of the U.A.E. inhabited by expatriate groupings contains an artifically fabricated social hierarchy, which does not appear conducive to positive inter-ethnic relations, and furthermore with respect to the education of expatriate students, the study suggests that the use of an international curriculum, without a corresponding international school structure is not, in itself, sufficient to help overcome the detrimental effects upon inter-ethnic relations established by the social framework of the external environment.
The study suggested, contrary to expectation, that the differences in the social perceptions between the students at the two school types were not so much of type as of degree. Trends were observed towards less competitive behaviour, more positive rating of self and fewer extreme judgements of others by the students in attendance at the national schools as compared to their ethnic counterparts at the international school. Moreover, students at the international school showed perceptions that could be considered indicative of a lack of a stable environment. Consequently the study suggested that attendance at an international school using an international curriculum is not sufficient to offset the negative effects of unproductive contact on inter-ethnic relations.
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Published date: 1993
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Local EPrints ID: 462449
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/462449
PURE UUID: f6381f1a-4961-4fd1-96d9-c23a5b7873ae
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 19:08
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 19:08
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Author:
Michael Melkonian
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