Research Activities at ECAE

Congratulations to our following faculty who have been awarded research grants:

Funded: Emirates Foundation

Project Title: Promoting Inclusion of Children with Special Needs Through Certification of Teachers in Inclusive Education.

Reference Number: 2008/063

Amount: AED 381,500

Dates: 1/1/2009 till 31/12/2010

Principal Investigator: Dr. Lilly Tennant

Abstract: On completion of the grant project, a group of committed Emirati practitioners in Special Education will be equipped to meet the unique needs of students with special needs who are attending regular schools. The research component of the project will shape future special educational policies in the UAE and add to the research base in this region. By working in partnership with schools and community at large, certified teachers will have the knowledge, tools, and ability to support children with disabilities in inclusive settings. ECAE is dedicated to implementing the ideas of the Emirates Foundation in the field of Special Needs.

For more information on the project, please contact Dr. Lilly Tennant by email at ltennant@ecae.ac.ae

Funded: Emirates Foundation

Research Title: Explaining Science in Action Through Blogs

Reference Number: 2009/057

Amount: AED 49,520

Dates: 1/3/2009 till 31/7/2010

Principal Investigator: Dr. Khadeeja Ibrahim-Didi

Abstract:

This project focuses on students’ scientific explanation in the UAE classroom, understood from a Complexity-theoretic view of learning – Enactivism. It considers students’ understanding and explanation-seeking behavior through scaffolded blog interactions that build on classroom science teaching. The study seeks to inform current educational policy and initiatives in Abu Dhabi related to ICT integration in science teaching, with specific focus on discipline-specific effects, while seeking to contribute to the current literature on ecological discourses of cognition. For more information on the project, please contact Dr. Khadeeja Ibrahim-Didi by email at khdidi@ecae.ac.ae

Project Team: Dr. Khadeeja Ibrahim-Didi (Science Education)

Dr. Ieda M. Santos (ICT)

Hamda Hussain Salem Abdulla Al Harthi (Research Assistant)

Noor Habib Taher Al Hashmi (Research Assistant)

This project has been approved by Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC)