Index

Abstract

The present research paper aims to identify the role, activation methods, and obstacles of dialogue education in promoting human values among female high school students. It makes a proposal to activate dialogue education and promote human values among high school female students. The author adopted the descriptive-analytical approach and used a questionnaire to define the reality, activation requirements, and obstacles. The results showed the low role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school female students; most items were rated ‘low’. The obstacles were identified, and the overcrowded classroom was ranked first. Moreover, the activation requirements were defined, and transforming the teacher from a mere instructor into a negotiator and a creative educational environment innovator for students was ranked first. The paper recommended establishing a specialized center for education and dialogue to improve and support values, in general, and human values, in particular, inside and outside the school.

Keywords: Activation, An educational proposal, Dialogue education, High school , Human values, Promotion, Role.

Received: 3 February 2022 / Revised: 23 September 2022 / Accepted: 5 October 2022 / Published: 7 November 2022

Contribution/ Originality

The study made an educational proposal to activate dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students. It linked dialogue education to promotion of human values such as individual, family, professional, moral, and spiritual values, as the common denominator shared by heavenly religions and international cultures.

1. INTRODUCTION

Education is a cultural necessity for the survival and continuation of societies and a cornerstone of social development. Hence, education is vital since it can’t be fulfilled in isolation. Instead, it causes and directs changes to ensure a better life for individuals. Dialogue is the approach that the Holy Qur’an uses to address and guide man’s mind to the right path in worldly life and guarantee eternal salvation. Since time immemorial, dialogue has been the distinctive feature of the prophets and messengers to call upon people in the name of Allah. Moreover, it is the most prolific way of missionary activity. Dialogue is a key to social life since it is the means of expressing one’s needs, desires, tendencies, feelings, situations, and problems and managing life affairs (Al-Rumi, 2014).

Dialogue promotes science, intellect, and morals. It is one of the characteristics of human beings for linguistic and social communication, human relationships, and a means of understanding and cooperation. No one can explore other’s nature, thoughts, expectations, and secrets without a good interaction through dialogue. Moreover, no one can enjoy intimacy and familiarity except through exchanging cultures and opinions with others (Alsamara’ay, 2012). Hence, dialogue is one of the essential means of understanding and intellectual and cultural communication between people and individuals. When the culture of dialogue prevails among a society’s individuals, it discards aggressive feelings, enlarges the circles of understanding and approaching, and helps adopt a better solution for problems that are hard to solve traditionally (Bahnasy, 2020). Dialogue makes it possible to communicate and interact with others and promote harmony and agreement instead of violence and clashing, which require respecting and believing in cultural diversity and bringing up generations in the culture of accepting the other (Al-Saeed, 2014).

Saudi Arabia has paid attention to dialogue education. The Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, Late King Fahd Ibn Abdulaziz, issued a royal decree to establish a dialogue center entitled King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue in Riyadh in 2003 to provide an appropriate atmosphere to reinforce national dialogue in the society for public interest and maintain national unity based on Islamic faith (King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, 2006). It is worth noting that the late King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz exerted efforts and made initiations to foster Islamic dialogue mechanisms through the International Islamic Conference for Dialogue in Mecca and also Madrid International Conference for Dialogue in 2008 and established the interreligious and intercultural international dialogue (Muslim World League, 2008).

To support the culture of dialogue, the Ministry of Education and King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue signed a memorandum for cooperation to establish a strategy to spread the culture of dialogue in education. The memorandum included many motivating items, e.g., “developing communication skills for dialogue”, “dialogue education”, intellectual dialogue, “community dialogue, “dialogue with children (talk to me), and “Salam project for cultural communication” (Ministry of Education and King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, 2018). Dialogue is essential in education. However, it has been neglected by those who have adopted violence or spoiling. If dialogue is established adequately, the outcome is a mentally-balanced individual who fulfills religious, national, and social responsibilities. It encourages respecting the student’s opinions and overcoming personal fear and embarrassment. Besides, it is socially essential since it promotes cooperation and intimation among society members and eliminates discord and conflict, which, in turn, develops society (Al-Harbi, 2011).

Dialogue is an appropriate educational way to develop students’ values since it allows all individuals to express thoughts about their desired values and reevaluate them. Besides, it triggers different thinking styles and enhances communication among students with teachers and peers (Al-Galad, 2008). Al-Gewir (2013) reports the potential of employing dialogue in developing values to acquire new behaviors and positive values, such as helping others. In this sense, dialogue helps students be transformed from mere recipients into participants, believing in the values that the teacher aims to cultivate. Education relies on values since value education is a mutual responsibility between the family, school, media, and relevant institutions. Values are the cornerstone of education, through which an individual can define one’s behavior in life (Al-Galad, 2008).

Mutual human values represent the common ground for all religions and world cultures (International Association for Human Values, 2007). So, a new cultural structure that can interact with recent changes should be established. This structure can promote justice, tolerance, peace, international cooperation, international understanding, dialogue, openness, accepting the other, and coexistence (Makram, 2014). Due to the importance of human values, Makram (2014) argues for the need for a new educational method that absorbs human values as a universal common to exchange work bases and coexistence. Al-Askar and Al-Sadaat (2021) suggest that institutions seek to achieve human values, such as justice, equality, democracy, cooperation, and equal opportunities, by affording education and educational services for everyone.

Human values are a set of values and principles that control man’s ambition at the different levels of relationships, representing a meeting point of religion, culture, and behavior with one’s mind and heart to decide life duties and ensure existence in the world and legacy to fulfill humanity’s right in one’s behaviors and achievements (Makram, 2008). Singh (2009) categorizes human values into six types: (a) Individual values (the most significant) focus on self-assessment and freedom support to decide what is suitable for the person, (b) family values consider the family as the main constituent of a society, (c) professional values provide equality and justice for all individuals, representing national traditions and history, (d) moral values form the right path of an individual to feel respect and appreciation, (e) spiritual values include love, mercy, truth, and unity worldwide.

High school is one of the essential atmospheres for social and educational interaction since it reinforces socially-accepted behavior and provides dialogue for cultural progress, intellectual enlightenment, and civilization (Al-Zanati, 2011). It requires intelligence, wit, and skills and considering students' individual differences to allow opportunities for development in different fields. Therefore, students’ features, motifs, and behavior should be understood because a lack of knowledge in these areas causes several problems. Furthermore, this understanding helps modify negative behaviors, promote positive behaviors, and resolve problems (Al-Obaid., 2017). High school is the most critical educational stage because it is the loop between primary education and university. Thus, teaching in this stage should utilize dialogue with students to trigger their thoughts to develop and reinforce values to establish a value-based society with tools, skills, and bases of a good dialogue (Al-Elwan & Al-Awamra, 2020).

Due to the importance and relevance of dialogue education to human values, it has been discussed by many studies. For instance, Al-Harahsha (2017) concluded that reinforcing dialogue culture among high school students was moderate. Sugato and Hartono (2017) showed that the adopted teaching methods could reinforce dialogue skills and motivate students to be courageous, responsible, and self-confident. Aldosary (2016) showed that heavy curricula, fear of criticism, lack of a specialized course on dialogue, lack of cultural activities, and obscure concepts of dialogue hinder the practice of dialogue. Gillies (2016) argued that dialogue education triggers raising questions’ skills, exploring and evaluating ideas, and explaining and interpreting suppositions. Albaz (2015) illustrated that the students agreed on the suggested mechanisms to activate dialogue education to develop values.

Al-Gewir (2013) concluded that students’ practice of dialogue with high school teachers was moderate. Alanzi (2012) reported several obstacles to effective dialogue, such as poor listening among speakers, the lack of adequate information on the topic, and fanaticism. Al-Tayar (2011) found out that high school students encounter a crucial stage of personal growth and considerable emotional and social changes, such as rejecting many social values and principles if not convinced. Smit (2010) illustrated that the school focuses on enhancing values of forgiveness among students through preventing violence and superiority and training students in the strategies of dialogue and discussion.

Al-Obaid (2009) reported high agreement among experts on the causes and justifications behind reinforcing dialogue culture and skills among high school students. Dialogue education prevailed to do practical discussions that allowed students free expression. Bahareth (2009) concluded that student activities helped develop dialogue values and acquire dialogue skills, such as fluency, among high school students. Al-Bani (2007) indicated the culture of dialogue among high school students in Riyadh and its role in reinforcing some moral values. The participants agreed on the importance of dialogue with teachers and peers. Bewley and Sarandon (2007) argued that dialogue enabled students to think by listening to others’ opinions and made education easy to be monitored and evaluated simultaneously.

Reviewing the literature on dialogue and its relevance to education and role in reinforcing human values, especially among high school students, showed that educational institutions have assumed the responsibility of taking care in this stage to prepare a generation can exchange and convey experiences, interact positively with society, and communicate with the others through developing dialogue skills. The youth stage is marked by quick reactions, a tendency to be independent, expand social networks, and reject many social values and principles. Besides, any attempt to impose a certain opinion or idea is in vain, except through negotiation, dialogue, and persuasion (Al-Tayar, 2011).

The author argues that it is important to define the obstacles to practicing dialogue education because high school students are in adolescence and are acquiring new values. They attempt to prove themselves in this stage, believing they need to be fully independent. Thus, this stage is vital to forming values that gradually begin in childhood. Many values are cultivated. Hence, it is essential to focus on the students' positive values and encourage them to express their opinions freely through dialogue education.

The contemporary society suffers from a dilemma in human values. It needs to adopt a human model that is more capable of absorbing the cultural outcomes of the nations and societies for the sake of the cultural development of the human identity in the future through activating intercommunication factors among countries and societies based on human values of existence and goals (Makram, 2008). The present research paper is a response to increasing global interest in cultivating human values among the young to face social changes and cultural, political, and economic transformations worldwide. It addresses the high school students specifically because there are psychological reasons among students to show the importance of dialogue in reinforcing human values, such as eliminating fear and lack of confidence, embarrassment, and stuttering. Moreover, dialogue makes students familiar with speaking and conversing in groups and prepares them for leadership and management situations. It trains them to improvise in situations at school and role-plays and get the correct meaning. Therefore, the present research paper seeks to make an educational proposal to activate the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students.

2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Currently, several factors highlight the need for dialogue, such as the technological revolution, which raises awareness and prepares people for a dialogue-based life in schools and social life, the considerable evolution of educational and psychological theories, and the student’s acceptance and eagerness to negotiate (Al-Hussein, 2010). Moreover, the world experiences a value dilemma that has disturbed human values’ standards. Therefore, there should be a common ground of human values to ensure the safety and stability of society and human progress nationally, regionally, and internationally since the individual holds and develops values through a vision that reinforces one’s position (Makram, 2008).

It is worth noting that public schools’ role in reinforcing dialogue culture, methods, arts, ethics, and skills has declined. This role is sometimes ignored despite the urgent need to spread dialogue culture among young people. Undoubtedly, the dictating and memorizing method, without discussing the teacher's other opinions, is an inherited wrong culture, concluding that the teacher is faultless and non-negotiable (Al-Jabreen, 2016).

Dialogue is important for promoting individuals and societies, as recommended by many conferences and studies. For instance, the National Unity Conference: Principles and Values organized by King Mohamed ibn Saud in 2013 recommended cultivating dialogue among members of the society on controversial issues by agreeing on respect and recognition of all parties (The Dialogue, 2014). The Conference of Promoting Intercultural Dialogues in Casablanca in 2005 aimed at reinforcing dialogue at different sustainable educational stages through activities (Al-Awadah, 2017).

Despite the importance of dialogue culture, it has not received due attention. King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue (2006) reports that the level of dialogue culture in Saudi Arabia is approximately moderate in the working class to low in the less cultured class. Moreover, 18% of the participants perceive the dialogue culture level in uncultured classes in Saudi Arabia as nearly none, suggesting the need to raise the dialogue culture level. Filmban (2010) reports that the dialogue culture with its principles and ethics among young people, family, school, and society is very low or nearly none in meetings and discussions.

Reviewing the literature, such as Al-Elwan and Al-Awamra (2020), Al-Harahsha (2017), Al-Obaid (2017), Al-Gewir (2013), Al-Tayar (2011) and Al-Bani (2007) showed that the role of dialogue in reinforcing human values among high school students has not been studied adequately. Besides, the obstacles that affect the continuity of dialogues among many parties result from the lack of applying dialogue principles, elements, or ethics. These obstacles are temporal and controllable if the speakers have complete awareness and a sincere desire to overcome and achieve the desired goals (Al-Wahsh, 2017).

The problem in this paper has been defined as the urgent need to activate dialogue practices at educational institutions and make it integral to education. The opportunity should be given to students to talk and discuss, which will affect their thinking and dialogic skills as a unique feature in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the importance of dialogue education in promoting human values in high schools to promote the students’ emotional and intellectual maturity to interact with society. Dialogue plays an important role in promoting their skills in a better way for many reasons, such as the physical, psychological, mental, emotional, and social changes among high school students. The paper raises the following questions:

3. OBJECTIVES

The study aims to highlight the reality of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students from the teachers’ perspective. It first defines the activation methods towards establishing the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students from the teachers’ perspective and then identifies the obstacles to those activation methods. Moreover, it also makes an educational proposal to activate the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students.

4. SIGNIFICANCE

The study is important because of its variables, i.e., dialogue education and promoting human values, target group, namely high school, and the institutions through which students gain dialogue skills to reinforce their human values. It is significant theoretically and practically.

4.1. Theoretical Significance

Dialogue is a helpful method to form the personality and modify the behavior, attitude, and respect of the others' opinions of the student. Therefore, it is important to study dialogue education and its use by high school students to identify dialogue culture and its role in formulating values. The present study enriches the Arab library, especially in Saudi Arabia, by providing further knowledge and ideas on dialogue education and its role in promoting human values. Its results enrich the educational field on dialogue education and promoting human values. The study also enriches the cognitive aspect of scientific studies that tackle the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students because a few studies addressed this aspect. It motivates authors to do further studies on the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students based on different variables.

4.2. Applied Significance

The results provide a comprehensive view for pre-university education planners and officials in Saudi Arabia on the important role, obstacles, and activation methods of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students. The study provides a practical background for educational policy planners and officials in the Saudi Ministry of Education, especially while setting the curricula and defining the teaching methods and extracurricular activities to develop dialogue skills in an educational way among high school students to promote human values. Moreover, it makes an educational proposal to activate dialogue education to promote human values among high school students.

5. LIMITATIONS

 The study faced a few limitations:

Object limits:

Spatial limits: Educational offices in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Human limits: A group of female teachers in the educational offices in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Temporal limits: The paper was applied in the second semester of the academic year 2020/2021 .

6. DEFINITION OF TERMS

6.1. Educational Proposal

Assaf (2017) defines the educational proposal as “a future perception in the long run that is based on intellectual and philosophical beliefs, aiming at making a change in the challenges facing a particular issue” (p.292). It is procedurally defined as suggested planning based on educational bases depending on activating the constituents of dialogue education to promote human values among high school students in Saudi Arabia. The planning includes the role of the teacher, curricula, student activities, and administrative body. It also comprises a set of goals, mechanisms, and confrontation methods to activate dialogue education to promote human values among high school students.

6.2. Role

It is a set of useful behavioral activities defined according to measurable, practical criteria to be done by the individual who will occupy a specific social position (Hossam & Meabed, 2003). Moreover, the role is “a set of actions done by an individual to confirm being in a certain position” (Abdel-Hadi, 2009). It is procedurally defined as a set of measurements, duties, tasks, and practices that high school students must acquire to promote human values through activating dialogue education, measured by the first part of the questionnaire.

6.3. Dialogue education

According to Al-Elwan and Al-Awamra (2020) dialogue is “a kind of speech between two groups or two persons exchanged equally and marked by quietness, logic, and rationality” (p.83). Educationally, dialogue is “teaching the young through interaction after preparing the response-based questions, making one feel that the outcome is familiar to get the information easily with persuasion” (Bakkaar, 2010). Dialogue education is procedurally defined as a systematic educational method and a kind of exchanged speech and conveying information, ideas, and problems used by high school teachers with students by tackling a social or academic issue to reach common grounds characterized by quietness and avoiding fanaticism to develop and reinforce human values, maintaining dialogue ethics.

6.4. Human Values

Values are “standardized rules to reform individuals and groups' behavior and determine the desired and undesired” (Akl, 2005). Human values are "principles and moral standards that respect the humanity of the individual and seek to achieve happiness, assurance, security, safety, and coexistence" (Garar, 2019). They are procedurally defined as the human principles from a defined social framework, promoted by dialogue education, and used to evaluate high school students’ behaviors to be socially accepted. They include individual, family, professional, moral, and spiritual values.

6.5. High School

It is “the final stage of general education that includes all the inputs and decides the outcomes of general education and the basis of the following educational stages” (Alsaeedi, 2008).

7. METHODOLOGY

7.1. Method

The study adopted the descriptive analytical approach as the most appropriate because it qualitatively expresses reality, describes and discusses a phenomenon, and highlights its characteristics. It utilized the quantitative method (questionnaire) for data collection to show the quantity of the phenomenon to conclude results, make recommendations, and draw generalizations and relationships (Ditchman et al., 2013; Kandelgy, 2008; Pandey, 2014) . The author reviewed the literature and collected and analyzed data by studying the reality of dialogue education and its role in promoting human values among high school students using a questionnaire. Using the same questionnaire, the author surveyed the teachers’ opinions on the activation methods and the obstacles to activating the role of dialogue education in promoting human values. Then, the author did statistical processing and analyzed and discussed the results.

7.2. Populatio

The population covered all on-job public and private school teachers in Saudi Arabia numbered (6511) in the academic year 2020/2021, according to the statistics of the Riyadh Department of Education (Ministry of Education, 2020).

7.3. Sampling

The sample covered (416) teachers selected according to Krejcie and Morgan Table for the Sample Size as 7% were selected from each office of education. After getting their contact information from the Riyadh Department of Education, an online questionnaire was shared via Google Drive with the participants. Table 1 shows the distribution of the participants according to the variables and their demographic characteristics like qualification, years of experience, and specialization.

Table 1. Description of the sample.
Variable
Frequency
Percentage
Qualification Bachelor
376
90.4 %
Graduate studies
40
9.6 %
Total
416
100
Years of experience Less than 5 years
292
70.2 %
From 5 to less than 10 years
88
21.2 %
10 years and more
36
8.7 %
Total
416
100 %
Specialization Humanities
244
58.7 %
Physical sciences
172
41.3 %
Total
416
100 %

7.4. Tool

A questionnaire was which aimed to identify the reality of the role, activation methods, and obstacles of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school female students. It also made a proposal to activate dialogue education to promote human values among high school female students. The author reviewed the relevant literature (e.g., Bahnasy (2020); Al-Elwan and Al-Awamra (2020); Garar (2019); Al-Harahsha (2017); Al-Jabreen (2016); Albaz (2015); Al-Gewir (2013); Al-Harbi (2011); Al-Zanati (2011); Bahareth (2009); Al-Bani (2007) and interviewed specialists to define the domains of the questionnaire and formulate the items. Then, they developed a draft of the questionnaire: 20 items in the first domain, 16 items in the 2nd domain, and 13 items in the third domain, considering that the items were concise, accurate, and clear. The final form included two parts. Part One covered the personal data (qualification, years of experience, and specialization). Part Two comprised three domains according to a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, and strongly disagree).

7.5. Setting the Questionnaire

  1. Reviewer’s (face) validity

    2. The draft was presented to (13) reviewers of the faculty members at Saudi universities to identify the relevance, appropriateness, clarity, and phrasing of the items. Based on the reviewers’ comments for modifying, deleting, replacing, and phrasing items, modifications were made, and the final questionnaire was developed.

    Table 2. Correlation coefficients between the score of the domain and the total score of the questionnaire (N= 40).

    Correlation coefficients between the scores of the domain
    Domain One: The reality of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students
    • Correlation coefficient
    		0.87**
    Domain Two: The obstacles to the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students
    • Correlation coefficient
    		0.85**
    Domain Three: The activation methods of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students
    • Correlation coefficient
    		0.56**

    Note: ** significant at the level of 0.01 and less.
  2. Internal validity: Internal validity was estimated between the score of the domain and the total score of the questionnaire after application to (40) items, illustrated in Table 2, showing that the correlation coefficients were in the closed interval [0.87-0.56], and suggesting that all correlation coefficients were statistically significant at the level of 0.01. The questionnaire was therefore  valid.
  3. Reliability: The reliability was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha, as shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Reliability coefficients between domains and the questionnaire.
 Tool
Cronbach’s alpha
Domain One: The reality of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students
0.97**
Domain Two: The obstacles to the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students
0.94**
Domain Three: The activation methods of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students
0.94**
Total tool
0.96**

Note: ** significant at the level of 0.01 and less

Table 3 shows that all reliability coefficients were statistically significant at the level of 0.01 and ranged from 0.94 to 0.97, and the total reliability coefficient was 0.96. The questionnaire therefore had  high reliability.

8. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 4 shows that the professional, moral, family, spiritual, and individual values were ranked first, second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. The author argues that professional values are common. Dialogue education promotes them among high school students more than other values. The author believes this finding is logical because family fosters other values before joining the school, especially high school. Schools play a crucial role in cultivating various professional values, turning them into real practices through laws, provisions, and activities that support dialogue and identifying behavior types to acquire and promote positive behaviors, including justice, equality, equal opportunities, altruism, moderate intellectual openness, and objectivity of judgments. Furthermore, high school students are about to assume personal and social responsibility. Thus, dialogue education promotes professional values and prepares students for the aspired social and professional positions. Individual differences were ranked last because societies experience rapid social and human changes resulting from identity loss and value conflict. Consequently, students have a material-driven identity, causing antisocial behaviors and tension. Furthermore, dialogue education cannot promote personal values adequately.

Table 4 shows that the percentages of the domain ranged (44.7%- 51.1%). Item (dialogue education promotes altruism) was ranked first, indicating that Saudi teachers promote altruism through dialogue education. The author argues that altruism effectively builds human personality and society. It is also an excellent moral motivated by Islam. Moreover, altruism should be promoted among students to communicate effectively and spread love, suggesting that teachers promote dialogue education to get rid of hatred and revenge. Item (dialogue education promotes self-respect) was ranked last, denoting that teachers did not raise students’ awareness about the importance of self-respect through curricula and extracurricular dialogue activities because teachers might not be convinced of the importance of this value to be promoted among students and with the administrative and teaching staff and society. Additionally, the students lacked the initiative of dialogue and asking about any issue in the courses and didn’t attend the meeting held by teachers to discuss such issues. Thus, dialogue education did not play an influential role in acquiring self-respect.

Table 4. Responses of the participants to the reality of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students.
Items
Total sample (N=416)
Frequency
Mean
Relative weight
Percentage
Rank 
Strongly agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly disagree
 
 
 
 
Individual values Dialogue education promotes self-respect.
0
64
80
162
110
2.23
930
44.7
19
Dialogue education promotes accepting criticism.
0
62
102
160
92
2.39
966
46.4
17
Dialogue education promotes self-confidence.
0
74
104
152
86
2.45
998
48
16
Dialogue education encourages making personal decisions. 
0
66
134
140
76
2.48
1022
49.1
13
Sub-total
2.38
3916
47
5th 
Family values Dialogue education promotes tolerance and love principles in all practices.
0
54
140
152
70
2.42
1010
48.6
15
Dialogue education promotes honesty regardless of the result.
0
78
120
144
74
2.5
1034
49.7
9
Dialogue education promotes flexible interaction with others.
0
74
126
142
74
2.55
1032
49.6
10
Dialogue education encourages respecting others’ feelings.
2
62
144
134
74
2.49
1032
49.6
10
Sub-total
2.49
4108
49.3
3rd 
Professional values Dialogue education promotes the values of justice, equality, and equal opportunities.
0
78
130
134
74
2.53
1044
50.2
5
Dialogue education promotes altruism.
2
82
122
148
62
2.32
1062
51.1
1
Dialogue education promotes moderate intellectual openness.
0
76
130
134
76
2.47
1038
49.9
7
Dialogue education promotes objectivity of judgments.
2
80
118
142
74
2.51
1042
50.1
6
Sub-total
2.45
4186
50.3
1st 
Moral values Dialogue education develops moderate interaction with others.
2
72
122
140
80
2.48
1024
49.2
12
Dialogue education promotes social responsibility. 
0
68
144
120
84
2.5
1028
49.4
11
Dialogue education encourages respecting others’ ideas and opinions.
0
80
132
126
78
2.43
1046
50.3
4
Dialogue education motivates patience and self-discipline in different situations.
0
86
124
134
72
2.54
1056
50.8
3
Sub-total
2.48
4154
49.9
2nd 
  Spiritual values Dialogue education promotes cooperation and teamwork derived from Islamic teachings.
0
66
132
136
82
2.48
1014
48.8
14
Dialogue education raises students’ awareness of intercultural communication mechanisms.
4
78
134
124
76
2.23
1058
50.9
2
Dialogue education reinforces piety and fear of God.
0
66
104
134
112
2.32
956
46
18
Dialogue education disseminates democracy and peace among students to call the world to the ideas of Islam.
4
76
122
132
82
2.46
1036
49.8
8
Sub-total
2.37
4064
48.8
4th 
Total 
2.44
20428
49.1

 

The total mean of (2.44) and the total percentage of (49.1%) suggested a poor role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students. Most items were rated low. This finding contradicted the author’s expectations but highlighted the participants’ opinions on the reality of applying dialogue education to promote human values among high school students. The author argues that dialogue education was not frequently used by teachers to promote human values because of their lack of interest.

Teachers did not perceive the importance of dialogue education as the best method for developing human values and its role in building a positive personality. They did not monitor value aspects in behaviors and sayings among students nor equipped students with accepting criticism, making appropriate decisions, objectivity in judgments, and forming positive attitudes towards altruism, honesty, cooperation, self-respect, others’ respect, patience, and self-confidence. The author argues that teachers were not qualified to practice dialogue education in university and in-service training courses. Thus, they do not master dialogue skills and ethics nor the importance of promoting human values among students. They do not have behavioral standards for discussing course topics and resolving problems. Moreover, some teachers practice behaviors that negatively affect the students’ desire for effective dialogue. For instance, they ask students in traditional teaching to be silent and not interrupt because of chaos inside or outside the classroom, causing the lack of adequate space for discussion. They sometimes limit discussions to academic issues without addressing social ones. Some students lack the initiative of discussion and being brave to discuss any problem in the course. They do not attend meetings held by teachers or administration for discussion. Additionally, the lack of teacher-student communication does not motivate students to have discussions and weakens the role of dialogue education in developing human values among students.

This finding agrees with Al-Jabreen (2016) and Filmban (2010) that the reality of dialogue education in developing values is low or null. It differs from the results of Al-Harahsha (2017) and Al-Gewir (2013) that the reality of dialogue education in developing values is moderate, and the results of Al-Obaid (2009) that this reality is high.

Table 5 illustrates that the percentages of the obstacles to the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students ranged (59.3: 91.5%). Item (overcrowded classrooms in high schools) was ranked first. The author argues that overcrowded classrooms make it difficult to control and guide students and result in chaos and poor attention among speakers, hindering the use of dialogue education among high school teachers. Item (lack of educational decision makers’ awareness in dialogue education for students) was ranked last. The author argues that the school principal should believe in the important role of dialogue education in building active relationships with students to guide their behavior and attitude. The principal plays a critical role in fostering dialogue and its ethics in school by activating dialogue between teachers and students and motivating teachers to practice dialogue in the classroom in student activities. Moreover, the leaders of the Ministry of Education and school principals are interested in applying modern educational methods and joining training courses, conferences, and workshops on these methods, such as dialogue education and their role in developing values.
Table 5 shows that the most significant obstacles are

Table 5. Responses of the participants to the obstacles to the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students.
Items
Total sample (N=416)
Frequency
Mean
Relative weight
Percentage
Rank
Strongly agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly disagree
 
 
 
 
Overcrowded classrooms in high schools
290
84
30
12
0
4.56
1900
91.3
1
Believing that dialogue triggers disobedience among high school students
294
82
28
10
2
4.57
1904
91.5
2
Lack of students’ feeling of the importance of their ideas and suggestions
272
106
22
16
0
4.52
1882
90.5
3
Lack of student activities for students to express attitudes and fulfill desires
294
64
38
20
0
4.51
1880
90.4
4
Topics of high school courses do not allow students to discuss.
284
80
34
18
0
4.51
1878
90.3
5
Lack of training courses on dialogue education for high school teachers
276
90
36
14
0
4.5
1876
90.2
6
Lack of teachers’ interest in fostering students’ correct answers in dialogue
278
74
42
20
2
4.45
1854
89.1
7
High school courses are overcrowded with information.
254
116
26
20
0
4.45
1852
89.0
8
Failure to help students find appropriate solutions to academic or social problems
272
80
44
20
0
4.45
1852
89.0
8
Some wrong answers in dialogue may stick to students’ minds.
276
80
28
26
6
4.42
1842
88.6
9
High school teachers do not accept others’ violating opinions.
254
102
36
22
2
4.4
1832
88.1
10
Teachers do not allow students to express themselves.
260
96
26
32
2
4.39
1828
87.9
11
Students are not handled as persons with responsibilities and rights.
236
100
46
32
2
4.28
1784
85.8
12
School administration’s poor understanding of promoting human values practically
240
56
50
62
8
4.1
1706
82.0
13
Lack of the high school administration in promoting dialogue in discussing students
204
76
56
72
8
3.95
1644
79.0
14
Lack of educational decision makers’ awareness in dialogue education for students
82
62
70
164
38
2.96
1234
59.3
15
Total 
4.31
28748
86.4

Table 5 shows that the participants highly agree on the obstacles to dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students, with an arithmetic mean of (4.31) and a percentage of (86.4%). The author argues that research on dialogue education and human values is relatively new and encounters difficulties in application among high school students. It should receive due attention. Furthermore, human values should be promoted through dialogue education because of the increasing changes mixed with the culture of high school students. The high agreement on these obstacles requires developing a proposal to activate the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students. This finding agrees with Aldosary (2016) and Alanzi (2012) regarding the obstacles to activating dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students.

Table 6 shows that the percentages of the activation requirements of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students ranged (84.7: 96.5%). Item (teacher’s shift from being an instructor to an interlocutor and creative designer of an educational environment) was ranked first. The author argues that the teacher is the cornerstone of education, and any educational development should be through the teacher. Thus, activating the role of dialogue education in promoting human values cannot be achieved but through the teacher and considering future teachers in terms of characteristics, skills, and competencies, requiring critical modifications in teacher preparation to confront fast changes. Item (teachers’ participation in discussions with students via social media) was ranked last.
Table 6 illustrates that the most significant activation requirements are:

The participants highly agree on the activation requirements of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students, with an arithmetic mean of (4.70) and a percentage of (86.8%). The author argues that dialogue education, especially its relation to the value system, is relatively new and requires interest by the participation of educational institutions in suggesting guiding mechanisms for activating dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students. The diversity of selecting and suggesting mechanisms to activate this role helps fulfill the students’ human needs and requirements and resolve their problems and obstacles. Moreover, these mechanisms are achieved by developing a proposal to activate dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students. This finding agrees with Sugato and Hartono (2017), Al-Gewir (2013), Al-Tayar (2011), and Al-Bani (2007) regarding the importance of dialogue education in promoting values and with Albaz (2015) and Makram. (2014) regarding the need for activation mechanisms and suggestions.

Table 6. Responses of the participants to the activation requirements of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students.
Items 
Total sample (N=416)
Frequency
Means
Relative weight
%
Rank
Strongly agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Teacher’s shift from being an instructor to an interlocutor and creative designer of an educational environment
354
54
6
2
0
4.82
2008
96.5
1
Developing dialogue by courses’ design by presenting topics that encourage students to think and express opinions
338
74
0
4
0
4.79
1994
95.9
2
Holding events to support discussion on human values in schools through the participation of teachers and students
334
78
0
4
0
4.78
1990
95.7
3
School administration’s building of communication channels with students by listening to their ideas
330
78
4
4
0
4.76
1982
95.3
4
Motivating students to discuss cultural and community issues and values
328
82
2
4
0
4.76
1982
95.3
4
Practicing dialogue with students on human values through courses and extracurricular activities to be a personal feature
326
84
2
4
0
4.75
1980
95.2
5
Holding fruitful discussion seminars and meetings to develop students’ dialogue skills and ethics
330
72
12
2
0
4.75
1978
95.1
6
Including programs to disseminate the culture of dialogue in the activities of educational supervision of schools
322
86
4
4
0
4.74
1974
94.9
7
Interest in the sources of Islamic legislation to deduce the methods of sound dialogue education to persuade students
320
84
8
4
0
4.73
1968
94.6
8
Setting up signboards on the importance of dialogue in promoting human values in schools
308
98
4
6
0
4.7
1956
94.0
9
Holding specialized training courses on dialogue and its practice to raise teachers’ awareness of dialogue skills, objectives, and methods
306
98
8
4
0
4.69
1954
93.9
10
Interest in the culture of reengineering interactive behavior through dialogue educations
302
96
14
4
0
4.67
1944
93.5
11
Teachers’ participation in discussions with students via social media
254
88
14
38
22
4.23
1762
84.7
12
Total  4.7 25472 86.8  

Based on the theoretical framework and field results, the author developed a proposal to activate the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students. It included three parts: Introduction (philosophy, fundamentals and pillars, justifications, objectives, and application requirements), Proposal (mechanisms), and Obstacles. In preparing this proposal, a special attention was laso given to confrontation suggestions, beneficiaries, and participants.

The philosophy of the proposal originates from the nature of dialogue as an important pillar of social life because it spreads concepts and behaviors that ensure the concept of closeness and harmony with others and prevent conflict, disagreement, and cultural dispersion. Developed nations rely on dialogue as a means of civilization and cultural construct. It is based on the important role of school in student preparation for appropriate interaction in society and confronting challenges. Educating students on dialogue and its ethics and skills is the best way to modify human behavior and thinking, reject violence, and express opinions, especially in the fast-evolving world culturally, socially, and educationally. Moreover, the nature of the role of educational institutions in building students’ personalities by promoting human values within a balanced value system is important. High school is crucial and aims to refine intellect and human behavior. In this stage, students pursue achieving objectives in the changing world politically, economically, and socially.

The proposal relies on several fundamentals and pillars regarding activating the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students, such as:

Many factors justify the need for a proposal to activate the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students, such as

The proposal primarily aimed to develop human values among high school students by cultivating a set of basic concepts, values, and attitudes that raise students’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities, such as accepting criticism, making decisions, tolerance, respecting others’ feelings, altruism, objective judgments, intellectual openness, assuming social responsibility, and teamwork through dialogue education.
These primary objective are detailed as follows:

Other mechanisms included:

Besides, ,the proposal also considered confrontation, beneficiaries and particpants
Confrontation suggestions

The author suggests some bodies play an active role in utilizing dialogue education in promoting human values across Saudi Arabia, as follows:

  1. Cooperation with schools to promote strengths and handle weaknesses and recruit the most significant number of youths by employing dialogue education in promoting human values, accepting the other, getting rid of violence in practicing and getting rights.
  2. Developing and activating youth centers to use dialogue education in promoting human values 

9. RECOMMENDATIONS

Because of the nature of the study, recommendations are the activation methods of the role of dialogue education in promoting human values among high school students. The author recommends establishing a center for education and discussion to develop human values inside and outside the school and assigning students to do studies relevant to dialogue education issues and associating them with value system issues, including tolerance, patience, honesty, objective judgments and opinions, accepting criticism, self-confidence, making decisions, flexible communication, justice, equality, altruïsm, and social and democratic responsibility. Connections should be established with education and media experts to make programs that connect education, discussion, and human values to be disseminated in educational institutions, such as the family, school, university, mosque, and clubs. Reserve classrooms should be utilized to have fruitful and guided discussions to promote human values.

Moreover, enrichment activities should be included in the high school courses to promote several human values. Lessons on the method, principles, mechanism, and ethics of dialogue education should be included in the academic programs of pre-service teacher preparation. A religious culture should be built to encourage participation in dialogue and motivating educational institutions to promote equal opportunities through activities, programs, and courses to foster human values that match Islamic culture, which encourages dialogue and develops values. Cooperation should also be promoted between family counseling centers and educational institutions to employ the results of the psychological, human, and educational studies on dialogue education and value development to build programs, plans, and scientific strategies. Educational officials should be motivated to be interested in human values in training courses to illustrate the most significant values to be applied and promoted among students.

10. CONCLUSION

Cultivating human values results from a set of efforts exerted by educational institutions and cannot be educated fully in course books. Instead, it depends primarily on practices and applications in the school. Dialogue education is very important and a primary life demand for high school students to maintain their level of mental health and social, professional, family, self, and religious adjustment. Moreover, activating dialogue education by educational institutions results from social and cultural awareness. Dialogue education supports and promotes human values and affects high school students.

Funding: This study received no specific financial support.  

Competing Interests: The author declares that there are no conflicts of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

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