Dr. Khadija Kaj Itani is Assistant Professor and Chair of the General Education Program at Effat University. Dr. Itani received her bachelor's degree in English Literature at the Lebanese University in Beirut before pursuing her postgraduate education at the University of Wales and subsequently the University of London. She earned a professional doctorate in education at Exeter University, England where her thesis scrutinized the New English secondary curriculum and explored teachers' perceptions of the new secondary English curriculum in order to identify reasons why the actual curriculum was incompatible with the taught curriculum.
After teaching Early Childhood Education at Effat University for a long time, Dr. Itani currently heads the Department of General Education and teaches civic engagement by mainly drawing upon the target-communities’ values, attitudes and behaviors. Prior to joining Effat, She has previously taught a range of courses in language, literature and creative writing at King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah and the University of Sharjah.
Dr Itani’s research interest lies mainly in educational theories and pedagogies. In one of her earliest research studies, she examined the effects of peer coaching on professional development in the context of higher education. In collaboration with her colleagues, she has produced another study concerned with identifying the underlying reasons that impede or facilitate students' progress at learning in general and learning English in particular. In addition, she has recently produced two more studies on value-based liberal arts teaching model and educational leadership styles.
