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Barriers to the Effective Use Technology Higher Education Institutions in Yemen: A Case Study of Engineering Colleges
Abstract
AbstractTechnology promises to shape new education systems with modern features that accommodate the shortcomings of traditional systems. This study aims to answer these questions: Are Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Yemen, Taiz state, preparedto accept technology-based education (TBE) and what are the main challenges for that? 5-point Likert scale questionnaires targeted 221 female engineering students and 87 faculty members from public and private universities in Taiz state, while the survey data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software 23. The study examined many related variables such as skills to use and availability of technology devices, having personal laptops or smartphones, social beliefs, students' self-motivation, and institutions' vision and infrastructures. The results demonstratedthat students exhibit better involvement with TBE than faculty members, while students' low income and social barriers represent a solid obstruction to the employment of online and blended education technologies in Yemen. The results also indicate that about 30% of the participant inYemen did not have personal laptops. Besides, HEIs' infrastructure, such as smart classrooms, electricity, Internet, administrative structure, and scientific research incentives suggest that universities are incompatible with TBE. Finally, this study addressed the impact of cost-free social media platforms in enhancing students’ academic attainments. implications for government, HEIs, faculty members, and students were recorded.
... However, there is widespread speculation about the potential risks of AI tools replacing human thought and reasoning, especially at the university level, a critical stage for shaping students' minds and equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to enter the workforce and overcome life challenges. University students in Yemen, particularly engineering students, face unique challenges shaped by the country's distinct sociopolitical and economic context and HEIs' poor infrastructure [11,12,13,14]. Key factors such as political conflict and division, economic collapse, and social restrictions significantly influence their educational experiences and outcomes [11][12][13][14][15]. Recent research highlights the profound impact of socioeconomic factors on the academic achievement of engineering students [11]. ...
... University students in Yemen, particularly engineering students, face unique challenges shaped by the country's distinct sociopolitical and economic context and HEIs' poor infrastructure [11,12,13,14]. Key factors such as political conflict and division, economic collapse, and social restrictions significantly influence their educational experiences and outcomes [11][12][13][14][15]. Recent research highlights the profound impact of socioeconomic factors on the academic achievement of engineering students [11]. ...
... Focused studies have investigated the relationships between GenAI tools and educational achievement from student views [17] and educator views [30,31,32]. It was reported that students interact with new technologies better than their educators [13,33]. Overall, the impact of GenAI on the education system has become an unavoidable reality, raising voices to HEI policymakers to establish controls and regulations to organize its use, maximize its benefits, and mitigate its potential negative effects. ...
This study assessed the impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) usage on the academic outcomes of engineering students within the context of Yemen's unique socioeconomic challenges. This study employed a quantitative approach through a structured 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire, which was distributed to 277 engineering students from Taiz University, Yemen. In a resource-constrained environment, the results exhibited a strong correlation between GenAI usage and engineering students' overall grades and skills development. Additionally, findings showed that socioeconomic challenges that students face in Yemen have moderately hindered students from the effective usage of GenAI for educational purposes, which is a key finding for higher education institutions (HEIs). Also, statistical results showed that almost all respondents are familiar with GenAI tool usage, while 89.17% use ChatGPT as a fundamental component of learning. Of course, the integration of GenAI into education has become inevitable, compelling HEI policymakers to regulate its use and formally adopt it as a primary source of learning systems. Students and educators should obtain continuous training to effectively benefit from GenAI while conforming to ethics and boosting their intellectual capabilities and skills. Raised concerns that the students overreliance on AI tools could undermine their problem-solving abilities and practical skills development while complicating students' evaluation process for educators. The outcomes of this study could serve as a foundational reference for policymakers, educators, and students in Yemen and similar settings. It also recommends in-depth studies that cover other educational contexts and respondents from other states, rather than undergraduate engineering students in the present study.
... Despite these potential benefits, AI adoption faces several sociocultural and logistical barriers, like limited AI awareness, insufficient institutional support, and gender norms potentially restricting technology access for females in some areas (Amrani et al., 2023). The implementation of AI in Yemen faces significant barriers. ...
... The implementation of AI in Yemen faces significant barriers. Infrastructure limitations, economic hardships, and social obstaclessuch as gender norms that restrict access to technology for female students-complicate the integration of AI tools (Amrani et al., 2023). Even before the ongoing conflict, Yemen's educational institutions struggled with inadequate technological infrastructure, low digital literacy, and a lack of modern learning tools (Amrani et al., 2023). ...
... Infrastructure limitations, economic hardships, and social obstaclessuch as gender norms that restrict access to technology for female students-complicate the integration of AI tools (Amrani et al., 2023). Even before the ongoing conflict, Yemen's educational institutions struggled with inadequate technological infrastructure, low digital literacy, and a lack of modern learning tools (Amrani et al., 2023). Furthermore, while students may be open to technology-based education, faculty resistance due to traditional teaching practices and limited experience with digital tools presents additional challenges (Amrani et al., 2023). ...
... The engineering sector deviates from these statistics due to its male-dominated nature, resulting in the lower representation of women [33,34]. The enrollment of female students in engineering education is lower compared to other disciplines, possibly due to societal beliefs that reinforce the dominance of men in engineering careers. ...
... A survey report revealed that approximately 39% of Yemeni people believe that university education is not necessary for females [31]. Women face additional social problems in Yemen regarding their education; a recent study indicated that 89% of families do not allow their females to engage online education platforms that allow the sharing of their mobile numbers and other personal characteristics [34]. However, engineering education equips female engineers with skills and capabilities that enable them to pursue non-traditional job opportunities such as online, office, and computer-related jobs. ...
... However, engineering education equips female engineers with skills and capabilities that enable them to pursue non-traditional job opportunities such as online, office, and computer-related jobs. Females actively participate in online part-time jobs and intermittent work to improve their income [34]. ...
Work–family conflict (WFC) is a worldwide and timeless dilemma that negatively and significantly impacts the performance of employees, families, and organizations. It intensifies when the career is engineering, the employee is female, and the job environment requires heavy-duty and field tasks. The present study investigates the WFC in an engineering environment for female engineers and studies many women-related issues in Yemen. Three questionnaires targeted 130 female engineer graduates, 60 senior engineers, and 20 female engineers’ husbands. The results indicated that marriage is strongly and negatively correlated to educational performance, job opportunities, and job continuity. The present study suggests that, in conservative societies, disruptions from family-to-work are more pronounced compared to work-to-family. Several external factors, including low stipends, economic downturns, and political crises, have a negative impact on job opportunities and job spillover. A significant finding revealed that the average wage of female engineers in Yemen is USD 145, which is 3.822 times lower than that of their male counterparts. The survey results indicated that only single female engineers, but not married female engineers, are currently employed in the industrial and construction sector. Most female engineering graduates are working in jobs unrelated to engineering. Employed females face balancing professional responsibilities, household tasks, and social commitments. Society needs to implement policies that alleviate the pressure on women’s work and promote and support dual-earning couples to enhance family income. The present study recommends organizations offer flexible work schedules, allow remote work options, and create a healthy work environment to address the work–family imbalance, particularly in male-dominated environments.
... As a result, rich and developed countries pay regular stipends to their school and college students to completely overcome their possible economic and social obstacles [6,7]. The problem intensifies in poor and developing countries where families strive to afford the essential requirements of food, housing, and medicine and cannot afford school and college financial expenses [8,9]. Furthermore, poorer societies are associated with higher fertility rates, which result in large family sizes and low incomes per capita [10]. ...
... Social beliefs have significant intersections with educational attainment, especially for female students in Yemeni society. Conservative families, for example, prohibit their daughters from participating in educational platforms and sometimes from online lectures [8]. Specifically, many Yemeni families forbid women from handing out phone numbers to classmates or enrolling in educational social networking groups [9]. ...
... It is hard to investigate this variable due to the differences between families and individuals in defining it. Conservative families may consider any communication with their daughters from students or teachers outside the university campus to be sexual harassment, while non-conservative families may allow their daughters to communicate with students and lecturers freely [8]. However, in general, the sexual harassment of female students at Yemeni universities is not a significant problem because of the social and religious beliefs of the Yemeni community that criminalize this disgraceful behavior. ...
Serious concerns have been raised over the consistent academic underperformance of Yemeni students at almost all levels of university studies. This paper investigates the impact of various socioeconomic factors on the academic performance of engineering students in Taiz State, Yemen, an impoverished and unstable society. Our quantitative methodology employed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and targeted 596 female/male students from three engineering colleges in Taiz State. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and simple and multiple regression models to examine the impact of socioeconomic variables on academic achievement while moderating financial condition and gender. This study measured academic achievement through GPAs, student attendance, and English level. Many socioeconomic influences have been examined against academic performance, such as gender, family income, family stability, family openness, marital status, co-education, part-time jobs, and stimulant use. The results accurately specified that students’ gender considerably impacts the studied variables; moreover, low-income features of families negatively affect students’ academic performance. The outcome of this study indicated that socioeconomic variables matched well with GPA, attendance rate, and English level, but with higher matching to the attendance rate. This study highlights that university students in impoverished and unstable societies, like Yemen, are significantly affected by socioeconomic factors. It recommends coordinated efforts among government authorities, educational institutions, and community leaders to mitigate the negative impact on academic achievement and implement appropriate technologies to enhance performance. Additionally, conducting similar studies in other disciplines and communities within the country is recommended for a deeper understanding of this issue.
... Despite these potential benefits, AI adoption faces several sociocultural and logistical barriers, like limited AI awareness, insufficient institutional support, and gender norms potentially restricting technology access for females in some areas (Amrani et al., 2023). The implementation of AI in Yemen faces significant barriers. ...
... The implementation of AI in Yemen faces significant barriers. Infrastructure limitations, economic hardships, and social obstaclessuch as gender norms that restrict access to technology for female students-complicate the integration of AI tools (Amrani et al., 2023). Even before the ongoing conflict, Yemen's educational institutions struggled with inadequate technological infrastructure, low digital literacy, and a lack of modern learning tools (Amrani et al., 2023). ...
... Infrastructure limitations, economic hardships, and social obstaclessuch as gender norms that restrict access to technology for female students-complicate the integration of AI tools (Amrani et al., 2023). Even before the ongoing conflict, Yemen's educational institutions struggled with inadequate technological infrastructure, low digital literacy, and a lack of modern learning tools (Amrani et al., 2023). Furthermore, while students may be open to technology-based education, faculty resistance due to traditional teaching practices and limited experience with digital tools presents additional challenges (Amrani et al., 2023). ...
This study explores Yemeni EFL students' perceptions of using AI tools in their English language learning, focusing on awareness, frequency of use, and preferred applications. AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Duolingo, and Grammarly offer personalized, interactive learning experiences that are especially valuable in regions with limited educational resources. The research utilized an online survey distributed via WhatsApp to gather data from Yemeni undergraduate students. Results indicate that while many students are familiar with AI tools and use them regularly for tasks such as vocabulary building and grammar checking, barriers like limited internet access and high AI tool costs remain significant. The study highlights the potential benefits of AI tools in accelerating learning, enhancing autonomy, and providing personalized feedback while addressing the need for improved infrastructure and support in under-resourced areas. The findings provide valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and AI developers to enhance the effectiveness and accessibility of AI tools in language learning, particularly in conflict-affected regions like Yemen.
... Studies showed that students from low-income backgrounds often lacked access to high-speed internet, personal computing devices, and digital literacy training, which hindered their ability to fully engage with online learning environments [9]. Furthermore, even in technologically advanced regions, socioeconomic disparities affected students' access to supplementary learning resources, creating an uneven playing field in digital education [10]. Research highlighted that while universities in wealthier nations could afford to implement advanced educational technologies, institutions in resource-limited settings struggled with outdated infrastructure and insufficient technical support, reducing the effectiveness of technology-enhanced learning initiatives [11]. ...
In the current globalised educational environment, higher education increasingly relied on educational technology to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. Therefore, exploring the decisive factors influencing the adoption of educational technology was crucial for its successful implementation. This paper employed a systematic review using the PRISMA method to investigate four key dimensions affecting educational technology adoption: Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, and Facilitating Conditions. Through a thorough examination of relevant literature, this review deepened the understanding of the core factors influencing the adoption process. A total of 1,891 studies related to educational technology adoption, published between 2015 and 2024, were initially identified, with 39 studies remaining after careful selection for analysis. The classification analysis revealed that all articles were categorised under the four themes: Performance Expectancy (8 articles), Effort Expectancy (18 articles), Social Influence (5 articles), and Facilitating Conditions (8 articles). This review provided valuable insights for higher education institutions aiming to enhance educational quality through the adoption of advanced educational technologies, and it also made a significant contribution to the existing academic literature. However, the interactions between the four dimensions warrant further exploration.
This study investigated the influences of Social Media (SM)platforms on the academic achievement of engineering students at Taiz University, Yemen. The novelty of this study comes from the poor and unstable respondents due to the civil war and siege imposed on Taiz City for almost a decade. The GPAs of students were considered as a measure of their educational achievement.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.