Trends and Issues in Educational Technology Research in Saudi Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis Review

Abstract

As Information Technology expands, all industries and fields in Saudi Arabia are experiencing reduced costs and improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of operations in various systems. This has positioned the higher education sector in Saudi Arabia as the land of opportunity in terms of educational technology and its ability to support the development of sustainable educational systems. However, scholars in the field in Saudi Arabia still lack sufficient academic scientific study surrounding the various trends and issues in educational technology research in Saudi higher education. Therefore, this study contributes to this gap in knowledge by aiming to evaluate the contents of previous relevant articles concerning educational technology within Saudi universities. The study reviews the trends (i.e. types of technology, target groups, the socio-technical research context, research theories and the research paradigm and methodology) and the various issues on which studies of educational technology have concentrated. Based on this, a total of 52 studies were reviewed. Thereafter, the study outlines limitations in the previous studies and accordingly puts forward various potential future directions and opportunities for research in this field, and some implications for theory.

Keywords: Educational Technology, E-Learning, Higher Education, Saudi Arabia, Universities.