Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences has announced the names of the winners of the Hamdan-ALECSO Award for Distinguished Educational Research in its 26th edition.
The award was won by Dr. Nermin Ahmed and Dr. Ibrahim Abdel Hadi from Egypt for their research titled ‘The Impact of a Sustainability Education-Based Program on Raising Awareness of Climate Change and Environmental Citizenship Values Among Middle School Students in Informal Settlements. Additionally, Dr. Suleiman Al Balushi, Huda Al-Hosni, Zahra Al-Shakili, and Asmaa Al-Salimi from the Sultanate of Oman were awarded for their research titled ‘The Impact of an Innovative Enrichment Mobile Application Based on the Dr. Electron Gaming Approach on Eighth Grade Students’ Self-Efficacy Towards Science During the COVID-19 Pandemic’. Dr. Majed Al-Harathi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also secured an award for his research on ‘The Impact of Using Stimulating Augmented Reality in Developing Learning Engagement and the Educational Quality of Tenth Grade Physics Students’.This year, the award witnessed an increase in the diversity of participating countries, with 17 Arab countries involved. The number of research submissions reached 146 studies. Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, stated, “We are proud to announce the names of the winners of Hamdan-ALECSO Award for Distinguished Educational Research for the 26th edition. The award aims to encourage educational researchers working in the field of education across the Arab world, highlighting successful practices for learning and application.”Dr. Al Suwaidi added that the foundation continues the approach of its founder, the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in supporting the education sector and promoting educational research in the Arab world. The foundation aims to discover and encourage talented individuals in the field of educational research, motivating them to present outstanding projects for the development of the educational sector. Since its launch, the award has successfully reinforced the value of research, achieving its goals by enhancing educational quality.The Secretary-General of Hamdan Foundation extended congratulations to the winners and encouraged them to continue their research and studies. He also expressed hopes for the continued benefit of decision-makers in the educational field in the Arab world.On his part, Professor Dr Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ALECSO) said, “We are honored to come together at this annual event to announce the recipients of Hamdan-ALECSO Award for Distinguished Educational Research for the year 2023. We view this occasion as an opportunity to reaffirm our ongoing commitment to enhancing the collaboration between ALECSO and Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences in the United Arab Emirates. Our aim is to cultivate a fruitful partnership, encouraging educators to actively participate in scientific research and knowledge creation. This collaborative effort contributes significantly to the advancement of teaching practices, utilizing the outcomes of educational research for the benefit of education as a whole.”His Excellency Professor Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar expressed gratitude to all participants and extended congratulations to the winners of the research awards. He commended the organizers and implementers of the award, acknowledging their tremendous efforts, which led to a significant increase in the number of competing research projects compared to previous cycles, reaching a total of 146 submissions from 17 Arab countries. This growth indicates a rising interest and participation among researchers and educational practitioners.His Excellency emphasized that this remarkable progress serves as a motivator, inspiring them to be even more dedicated to expanding the reach of the award. They aim to disseminate the research outcomes widely, contributing to the enhancement of education and improving the performance of educational systems in Arab countries.It is worth mentioning that the award has undergone several stages and developments since its inception by the late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (may his soul rest in peace) in an initiative aimed at promoting research activity, specifically the “Best Applied Local Research,” in 2003. After several years, modifications were made, and it evolved into the category of educational research at the Arab level in 2007. It continued to attract research submissions until the strategic partnership was established with the Arab League Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ALECSO) in 2021. This led to the announcement of the Hamdan-ALECSO Award for Distinguished Educational Research. The award aims to discover and encourage outstanding educational researchers from the Arab world, introducing them and disseminating their practices among stakeholders in the educational field for collective benefit. Additionally, it seeks to enrich and enhance the Arab educational library with distinguished research based on international standards, solidifying its position among global awards.The award’s winners, both institutions and individuals, will be felicitated during an awards event to be held in collaboration with ALECSO.