Abstract
The growth of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education has created new opportunities for academic engagement, yet it has also introduced linguistic and cultural challenges, particularly in Muslim majority contexts. In Saudi Arabia, where Islamic religiosity plays a central role in students’ identity and daily practices, EMI may present a paradox: a gateway to academic success or a challenge to students’ linguistic confidence, self-efficacy, and religious values. This study explores the complex interplay between religiosity, self-efficacy, and academic achievement in EMI settings, with a focus on the ways students experience and navigate their potential vulnerabilities in their learning journeys. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research combines survey data from Saudi university students with qualitative interviews to examine how beliefs shape academic self-efficacy in EMI. Quantitative investigate if self-efficacy mediates the relationship between religiosity and academic success, with students who exhibit higher/lower religious commitment demonstrating both resilience and struggle in adapting to EMI. Qualitative interviews explore how students perceive EMI (i.e. as a challenge to their religious and linguistic identity or not). We also investigate whether gender differences (especially in a segregated context like KSA) highlight any unequal experiences of vulnerability (i.e. do female students report unique pressure in balancing religious expectations, self-confidence, and academic success?). By situating EMI within the broader discourse of religious and educational vulnerability, this study contributes to discussions on how higher education policies can better support religious students in EMI environments.
Presenters
Ismael LouberAssistant Professor, English, Academic Writing Programme, Gulf University of Science and Technology, Kuwait
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Commonalities and Differences
KEYWORDS
Islam, Religiosity, Education, English-Medium-Instruction, Self-Efficacy
