Developing Standards to Evaluate Scientific Theses and Dissertations in Faculties of Education at Yemeni Universities in Light of Contemporary Trends

Abstract

The study is aimed to develop a set of standards for evaluating scientific theses and dissertations at Yemeni universities in light of contemporary trends. The study uses a mixed-methods approach: quantitative and qualitative. The sample consists of (7) evaluation checklists, (10) faculty members, and (15) postgraduate students. Data was collected using interviews. The findings of the study reveal variability among the approved evaluation checklists with respect to the number of standards, their precision, comprehensiveness, and methods of scoring, and most of these checklists tended to be general in nature and lacked clear sub-indicators. The findings also indicate that the faculty members tended to focus on the soundness of the methodology, title originality, and formal aspects during the evaluation process. There was also a general consensus among them regarding their reliance on officially approved evaluation forms. However, their perspectives varied concerning the overall quality of thesis evaluation, despite acknowledging the existence of several challenges, most notably the difficulty in determining the appropriate grade for the research work. In contrast, graduate students expressed dissatisfaction with the evaluation process, citing the absence of clear criteria and insufficient support from some supervisors. In response to these findings, the study develops a comprehensive list of standards for evaluating theses and dissertations at Yemeni universities in light of contemporary academic trends. It comprises five main domains, encompassing fifty specific indicators.