An Exploratory Study of Students’ Academic Entitlement in Arabic Culture and Religion Courses

Abstract

Academic entitlement (AE) is the expectation of academic success without the recognition, exercised through thought and action, of personal responsibility for attaining that success. In the present exploratory study, we examined the extent to which AE is present in female college students enrolled in Arabic culture and religious courses at a Middle Eastern university with a secular curriculum. The study also examined whether AE accounted for poor course performance. Arabic culture and religious courses promote inner modesty. Such courses, however, exist in a society with contradictory values, with Islam and tribal traditions promoting modesty and unity while capitalistic forces promote immodesty and competition through unfettered marketing and consumption. Although evidence of AE was minimal, overall less endorsement of AE emerged as students moved from earlier to later courses, gaining academic experience. Specific aspects of AE were found to be related to lower course performance. The procedure of this study and its findings can serve as a roadmap to implement proactive interventions for students enrolled in such courses.

Keywords:

• Academic entitlement
• culture
• religion
• academic performance

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Ethics approval statement

The research was conducted under the purview of the Deanship of Research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maura A. E. Pilotti

Maura A. E. Pilotti is a cognitive scientist whose research interests include learning and memory processes across the lifespan. Currently, her research focuses on the interrelations of memory, language, and culture. She received her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the City University of New York (USA). Institutional affiliation: Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU). E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Huda Al Mulhem

Huda Al Mulhem is a scholar of Islamic Studies and Culture. Her research focuses on the impact of religious beliefs and culture on educational practices. She received her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at Iman Ouzai University (Lebanon). Institutional affiliation: Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU).

Omar J. El-Moussa

Omar J. El-Moussa is an educational researcher whose interests include instruction, leadership, and student success in higher education. He is currently the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU). He received his MS degree in ESOL from NOVA Southeastern University and his BSc in English Literature from King Faisal University.