This is the second of three articles in exploring Saudi gifted student experiences in pre-college research and the profound effect it has had on their lives. The focus will be on the overall expectations of their journey, the struggles faced during the process and how these exceptional students found creative ways to overcome them and learn from them.
The Story -
I first met Taala Abualnaja in 2017 at an Ibdaa (National Science Fair) science research workshop in the Eastern Province. When she presented her work to me, I thought this was a senior in high school, but it turns out that she was just in her final year of middle school (9th grade). It was so incredible that she had such a high level of maturity and passion. Her enthusiasm was contagious and I was so excited to mentor her and help her improve the work for the next stages of competition. The following is an interview with Taala that provides insight into her overall experience with scientific research and innovation.
The Interview and Notes by Dr. Mark -
When did you obtain that spark of interest in STEM education and research?
“Since a very young age, nothing has affected me more than science. The thought of exploring the unanswered questions always captivated me and sparked a life-long fascination. I believe that research is the best way to learn everything.”
What is your advice on moving from the interest phase to actually working in a lab?
“I believe that the most important thing you should keep in mind is that you have to sketch a clear plan and road map of what you want to be doing in the lab, and what are going to deal with. In addition, make sure that you have the same goals as your research teammates and always communicate properly.”
When you first started a research project, what were your main expectations?
“My main expectations when I started a research, is to answer the question that wandered my mind about my topic and get to a conclusion. When you conduct a research, you are exploring your question, and the possibility to find an answer, that you are not sure exists. That thought is both daunting and exciting to think about and it is what made me deeply passionate about scientific research.”
Note - To this point, Taala displays the brainstorming process that is so important for a student to go through when choosing a topic for a project. It should not be taken lightly because this is an endeavor that could last at least for one school year and much effort will be put into completion of the work. Taala exhibited this and wanted to find an answer to a real problem.
Why did you decide to work on this project concept for another year?
“When I was in 9th grade, I moved to a school that part of the integrating people with visual impairments into public schools’ project. Through being with them almost every single day I had all kind of questions, about their book, social skills, and learning techniques. Ever since I realized the power of research and how it can help people, I became passionate about it.”
Note - The students that have the best experience developing a project are the ones that can apply it to the real-world, especially in areas that affect their personal lives. Taala saw students with visual impairments each and every day, so wanted to do something to help improve their quality of life.
How does developing a project differ from textbook learning?
“I think the most noticeable benefit for me was getting the opportunity to work on my own and apply everything that I learn on my research which creates a deeper understanding when approaching complex topics. This way also helps discover what works and what does not.”
Note – This is a clear example of project-based learning, where the student is the owner of the project and makes the decisions on the background research and the journey through the process. This allows them to gain confidence and try new methods that will help them discover and practice skills that they can use during their educational progress and their career.
What were the top challenges faced when conducting the research?
“The main issue I faced when I started conducting my research was how skeptical people were at first about the idea. Which is a quite common behavior towards anything new and unfamiliar especially coming from a younger person. Another issue I had to face was translating the whole research from Arabic to English mainly because I was explaining a research that related to the Arabic language.”
Note – This is a common problem for young scientists and innovators. They have to be able to convince their audience about the novelty and efficacy of their project. If it is an original area in a field of study, it is difficult to do this and the main solution is to develop a solid plan of action that includes great background publication review and excellent communication skills. Having a mentor or advisor is also a good way to help with the viability of the project concept from the beginning.
How did you overcome the challenges listed above?·
“I had to work hard and contact several people and explain my idea thoroughly, I had to make sure to develop public speaking skills in order to get my ideas across, and be confident and accept constructive criticism with an open mind.
To translate my research, I had to always seek help from people and make that my work was always revised and edited. Although explaining complex meaning that may be only relevant to Arabic speakers was hard, explaining it people and finding the method that works helped. “
Note – Taala showed how she was able to address the challenges in a very astute manner. A student must believe that they concept is valid and feasible, plus be able to describe it to other persons, including judges at competitions.
What important skills did you learn during the entire process, both scientific process and personal development?
“My experience with scientific research have taught me so much valuable lesson that I will utilize in the future, it did not only teach me how to manage and improve my speaking and writing skills, but it helped me gain a vibrant and respecting community that share the same passion for research. Overall, the experience made me a more confident, focused, and determined person.”
Note – It is well defined here that research is not about winning, but rather about a learning journey through a scientific/innovative process. It helps the student grow not only as a researcher, but also as an individual.
What was your fondest memory of the entire research process? Did this have any influence on your next educational steps (majors, internships, clubs, etc.)?
“A memory that I will always look back at, took place in ISEF 2018 when the father of one of the participants gathered all our team moments before the grand award ceremony and told us “ both winning and losing only cause you temporary feelings, it is the lesson you gain from this experience are what going to change you.” Those words taught me aim to learn new things and be a better person, and it definably made me take a lot more risks regarding clubs and competitions.”
After you now have finished pre-college research, did the experience meet your expectations listed in the first question? Exceed? How?
“The experience has exceeded my expectations in so many ways, not only was I able to answer my research questions, but I have gained so much new skills and met so many new people that inspired and shaped me in all aspects.”
Note – Excellent! This is a great reference for new students to try working on a research or innovation project. Take the first step and discovery the possibilities!
What would you tell young Saudis thinking about participating in scientific research competitions? What impact can it have on their lives and careers?
“I think my message to everyone who is thinking of taking this big step, is to not be afraid to try and learn. Every big accomplishment starts with the decision to try. This experience is going to impact you in ways you never thought were possible and make realize so many things about yourself and your subject preferences. It personally helped me grow and flourish and become who I am today.”
The Lessons Learned -
This interview with Taala was very informative and delivered such great advice to other students, as well provide parents and teachers with the benefits of research projects. Textbook foundational learning is obviously important, but this type of hands-on, student-led endeavors helps them so much to prepare for the next steps in their development. The main lessons that she provided for others can be summarized as follows;
The project experience helps not only with subject content knowledge but also with communication skills, written and verbal. These are so important when helping other understand the work and the real-world application. Plus, these are skills that can be used in the student’s future, no matter what career path is pursued.
