PhD Degree Awarded to Ms. Fatima Mohammed Abu Talib in Social Studies
Ms. Fatima Mohammed Hamoud Abu Talib was awarded a PhD degree in Social Studies for her dissertation titled: A Proposed Model for Developing the Secondary School Geography Curriculum in the Republic of Yemen in Light of International Standards, which was submitted to the Department of Social Studies Curricula and Teaching Methods, Faculty of Education – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Saturday, January 24, 2026.
The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
# Committee Members Designation Position
1 Assoc. Prof. Mansour Ahmed Al-Haj Mahna External Examiner Chair
2 Assoc. Prof. Abdulsalam Mohammed Ahmed Al-Salahi Main Supervisor Member
3 Assoc. Prof. Abdulwahid Ali Mohammed Iskandar Internal Examiner Member
The dissertation aimed to:
Propose a model for developing the secondary school geography curriculum in light of international standards.
Develop a list of international standards that should be incorporated into the secondary school geography curriculum.
Evaluate the secondary school geography curriculum from the perspectives of teachers, supervisors, experts, and university faculty members.
The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:
The domain of fundamental geography concepts and modern technologies was ranked first.
Physical geography and ecosystems were ranked second.
Human geography, sustainable development, and resources were ranked third.
The practical and applied value of geography was found to be insufficiently incorporated into the curriculum.
In light of these findings, the researcher recommended the following:
Incorporating international standards and their domains into secondary school geography textbooks.
Benefiting from the proposed model and giving greater attention to the practical and applied aspects and the utilitarian value of geography as a subject.
The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and specialists, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.
