Examining Education Optimization Extent Among the Teaching Staff at Qassim University by Measuring Their Professional Performance Competencies Rates

The study aimed to examine Qassim University teaching staff professional competencies level and the extent of its implementation to reach 80% optimization level. The researchers used a test developed for this purpose; it included 42 items to measure eight key competencies: authorities and administration, development and quality assurance management, learning and teaching, learning resources, management competencies, personal competencies, scientific research, and the institution relationships with the society. We designed the test answers based on a 5-point Likert scale, and insured its validity and stability. An available sample of (218) from the teaching staff at College of Sciences and Arts in Rass/ Qassim University participated in the study. We found that the personal competencies means scores (M. = 4.76) are high, the institution relationships with the society means scores (M. = 3.24) are low, overall mean score (M. = 3.94) is moderate. The teaching staff implementation of their personal competencies to optimize education means scores (M. = 4.09) are high, the management competencies means score (M. =2.52) are low, the overall means score (M. =3.4) is moderate. The teaching staff scored lower than the expected optimization level of 80% at (α = 0.05), the scores of the implementation level and the expected level in all the domains were low except in the personal competencies which scored over 80%, and a mean of (M. = 81.72).


Background
Islam stressed the concept of optimization; the term refers to many meanings called upon by Islam as improvement, planning, and enhancement. The holy Quran and the prophets' Hadith promised those who improve their work with the greatest rewards. Allah says that ﴾ (such is) the artistry of God Who disposes of all things in perfect order: for He is well-acquainted with all that ye do﴿ (27: 88), the Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said, "Indeed, Allah has prescribed excellence in everything." The educational-learning process is a trust from Allah to humankind and a religious decree; Allah says that ﴾Those who faithfully observe their trust and their covenants﴿ (23:8). Accordingly, education is the learners' right that is to say teachers are obliged to teach, not as a favor but as the learners right to be taught" (Ali, 1999).
Performance optimization in teaching is a translation of the needs and expectations of those who benefit from the educational process; it materializes by a set of features in the structure of educational services and the way to perform work to achieve satisfaction. Teaching optimization guarantees a distinctive product, because it is an ambitious continuous process that requires distinguished members able to perform their expected roles with the minimum cost by the optimal investment of the available financial and human resources. This entails determination of the developmental professional domains needed for the teaching staff, which will help to design a proper plan to achieve the prospected goals, and to determine the extent of achieving them through designing a test to measure the teaching staff performance levels (Kanaan, 2005). Prophet Muhammad [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] determined the standard of good work by benefiting others when he said, "A Muslim does not plant something or cultivate something of which the birds or the human or the animals eat, but that a reward is given to him for this as a charity." (Al-Hindi and Hosam, 1989).
Universities are the core of knowledge communication, social progress, scientific awareness, and cultural development, they are supposed to prepare professional teachers, promote educational desires and academic environment, and motivate the scientific competencies to create and improve, which will benefit the society and the world. This process entails continuous and reasonable measurements of the teaching staff performance competencies at the university (Khathelah, 2000). It guarantees the ability to keep pack with new technology, information, and cognitive revolution (Abd Al-Maqsood and Mohammad, 1997).
Achieving performance excellence is a goal sought by optimizing the education process. Excellence in performance occurs through comprehensive scientific and professional foundations and standards that stress optimization of value product through several stages understood by clear verses from the holy Quran and Hadith. Allah says that ﴾ (such is) the artistry of God Who disposes of all things in perfect order: for He is well-acquainted with all that ye do﴿ and says that ﴾Behold thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth."﴿ (2:30). Allah asked humankind to do work to please HIM, so work need to complete immediately, with all the details and this calls for full sincerity in the work.
Scholars gave many definitions of the university teaching optimization materialized through accuracy, optimization, performance improvement, development of the student's knowledge, and the extent of success in achieving educational goals (Al-Bohire, 2005). Researchers defined the professional performance competencies of the teaching staff as a set of knowledge, concepts, skills, and tendencies that guide the educational behavior and help to accomplish teaching in a certain level of ability. Performance measurements judge the teaching staff performance according to numerical estimates (Al-Shafei and Mohammad, 2006). We measure performance by agreed upon special standards such as Khawajah and Al-Sayeh (2008) test. Cognitive competencies refer to information and mental skills necessary for the performance of teacher in all educational domains. They are the base of work optimization in Islam. Knowledge availability is important in the Holy Quran, Allah says that ﴾And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning) ﴿ (17:36). Knowledge without work equals nothing, Allah says that ﴾And say: "Work (righteousness): soon will God observe your work and His apostle and the believers: soon will ye be brought back to the knower of what is hidden and what is open: then will He show you the truth of all that ye did"﴿ (9:105). Therefore, the teaching staff should always remember that Gods control is over humankind control, it is the highest degree of individual and collective accountability, Allah says that ﴾But stop them for they must be asked﴿ (37:24). Emotional competencies refer to the teaching staff readiness, tendency, values, and beliefs; they include various fields such as the sensitivity of the educational member, self-confidence, and tendency toward the profession, Allah says that ﴾and my success (in my task) can only come from God: in Him I trust and unto Him I look.﴿ (11:88). Performance competencies include psychomotor skills such as the use of educational technology, aids, and presentations. Performing skills depend on the cognitive competencies the member has. "Learn whatever you like to learn, but Allah will never Benefit you with the knowledge until you act with it" (Al-Iraqi, 1995). Productive competencies refer to the teaching staff performance in teaching that is the effect of educational competencies in the learners and the extent of their adjustment in their future learning or their professions. Allah says that ﴾And He has subjected to you, as from Him, All that is in the heavens And on earth: behold, In that are Signs indeed For those who reflect﴿ (45:13).

Literature Review
Many studies examined university teaching staff performance, for example, Ibrahim (2003) identified several teaching staff quality standards such as efficacy in teaching, professional development, educational research development, academic production, social service, and periodic evaluation of the teaching staff in order to enhance performance and familiarize the teaching staff with modern education methods through attaining specialized training courses. Al-Sameeh (2005) confirmed that the teaching staff promotion list (article 106) issued by the ministry of higher education in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia neglected the importance of developing educational performance of the teaching staff, and stressed the conditions of sabbatical leaves, attending seminars, conferences, and consultations. Al Herashe (2007), suggested a concept of the professional development unit of the educational staff in light of quality concept. They found that the professional development is important in the field of debate and discussion, dissertation supervision, preparing the learning package, and electronic learning, they agreed on the importance of familiarizing the teaching staff with new teaching methods, self-improve, encourage on educational research, and attendance of seminars and conferences.
Abo Duff (2007) examined the teaching quality concept in Islamic perceptions through reading the Quran and Hadith, he found that Islam preceded in stressing the quality of education in the terminology used such as optimization, soundness, and proficiency, he also mentioned many strong motivations to enhance and improve teaching continuously. Al-Mazrouei (2010), evaluated the educational performance of teaching staff in the departments of the faculty of education in Umm Al-Qura University from the viewpoint of doctoral students. He tested 41 male and 48 female students and found that the style of communication and justice scores ranked first.
Sarairah (2011), examined the professional performance level of the teaching staff in Jordan public universities from heads of department's viewpoint. Participants (No. 77) selection method was a simple random one; he used the descriptive analytical method in data analysis. He found that the professional performance level among the teaching staff was high referring to a good indicator of good organizational environment. Al-Habeeb and Al-Obeid (2015), considered the standards of educational staff performance basic requirements to improve the quality of the university education in order to reach excellence. They found that teaching and academic activities scored first, research and authoring followed, then personal competencies scored third, cooperation and abiding to the university regulations scored fourth, followed by serving the university and society and performance development scored the last. Mohammad and Samo (2015), examined the efficacy level of teaching methods at Dahok University. They found that the effect of improving the teaching staff skills on effective and quality teaching methods scores was high. They stressed the importance of improving the teaching staff skills within the comprehensive developmental plan of teaching, because this improvement improves the quality of the teaching process in general, which in turn reflects on the quality of the academic programs and the institution product quality. Al-Qahtani (2015), defined the indices of internal efficacy in the higher education institutions in light of the quality standards and academic accreditation. He designed a test and tested a random sample of the King Khalid University teaching staff for university leadership and management standards, courses, human resource, student activities, and examinations and evaluations. All the scores came high.
In a recent study Wu et al. (2018) studied the perceived competencies differences between teachers of math and science majoring in math and science or majoring in other subjects. Teachers from elementary schools of Taiwan (No. 1374) completed the Math/Science Teachers' Professional Development Questionnaire. The results identified two competencies that need more development among the teachers who are not majoring in math and science they are self-efficacy in inquiry skills and the ability to offer students with the appropriate learning environment to help them understand the two subjects.
An overview of the previous literature shows that local and global studies in the extent of teaching optimization through measuring the rates of professional competencies of the teaching staff are scarce. This fact prompted us to examine the topic in an attempt to fill the gap in literature related to Arab and local societies.

Limitations of the Study
Generalizations of the study results may be restricted by its variables and goals, the procedural definitions, and methods of assessment; it also measured the professional performance of the teaching staff in one university (Qassim University).

Procedural Definitions
Performance optimization: It is a set of basic effective determinants used to judge the quality of the teaching staff performance, ranked as lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors, and professors, all teaching undergraduate students.
Professional competencies performance rates: It is a set of competencies, knowledge, skills and trends owned and practiced by the teaching staff, it enables them to teach and take responsibility, it may have a direct or indirect effect on the educational process, and it is measured by testing the performance rates (Al-Hakmi, 2004).
Teaching staff means the teachers at Qassim University holding positions of lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors, and professors, all teaching undergraduate students.

Problem of the Study
The study problem stemmed from the necessity: To determine the professional competency standards of the teaching staff. To set standards of educational optimization including inputs and outputs to be able to understand the actual situation in order to reform it, and to enable academic institutions from surviving in the age of competition and excellence in performance. To measure teaching staff performance, which influence the processes of teaching and learning, educational and scientific goals sought, and the production of trained human resources that will develop institutions and societies. To establish an indicator, which helps the teaching staff in finding negative aspects in their performance and reinforce the positive aspects in it.
Measuring the teaching staff performance includes the teacher behaviors and products, his problem-solving ability, practicing the teaching process in class in a good way.
Because teachers influence on education and students is important, we attempted to examine teaching staff professional competencies performance rate through answering the main question of the study "what is the extent of education optimization at Qassim University measured by the teaching staff professional performance competencies?" The sub-question that stem from the main question are: 1. What is the level of professional competencies existing in the teaching staff of Qassim University in light of education optimization? 2. What is the extent of teaching staff implementation of professional competencies at Qassim University in light of education optimization different domains? 3. Does the rate of implementing the teaching staff at Qassim University of their professional competencies exceeds the expected optimization rate of 80%?

Importance of the Study
The importance of the study stems from examining the extent of education optimization at Qassim University by measuring the professional performance competencies of the teaching staff; therefore, it is beneficial to higher education workers it enables them to implement a subjective instrument to examine the teaching staff performance and attempt to develop it to optimize education. It benefits academic head departments because it highlights the teaching staff participation to optimize teaching. It adds literature to fill a gap in education optimization, because as far as we know, this study is the first to examine teaching optimization at Qassim University by measuring the teaching staff professional competencies performance. It benefits curricula planning and training professionals to design the proper training programs needed by the teaching staff in order to optimize education.

Goals of the Study
The study aimed to recognize the rates of the professional performance competencies of the teaching staff, recognize the domains of teaching staff professional performance competencies at Qassim University. In addition, to propose a criterion to measure professional performance of the teaching staff in order to optimize education, to give a clear and accurate picture of the actual performance to ensure adopting reform measures and raise the performance level of the teaching staff.

Methodology
We have adopted the analytical descriptive method, because it depends on studying the phenomena as it occurs, describes, and analyzes it by minutes.

The Population of the Study
The study population included all the teaching staff working at Qassim University and holding positions of lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors, and professors.

The Study Sample
A convenience sample of (218) from the teaching staff at College of Sciences and Arts in Rass participated by answering the test items; table 1 illustrates the distribution of the sample according to gender, academic degree, experience, and division.

Test of the Study
To be able to answer the study questions, we designed a scale to measure the degree of education optimization at Qassim University by measuring the rates of professional performance competencies of the teaching staff.

Procedures
We designed the test, which included in its final version (42) items distributed on eight main competencies: Authorities and administration, development and quality assurance management, Learning and teaching, Learning resources, Management competencies, Personal competencies, Scientific research, The relations of the educational institution with the society. We designed the test answers based on a 5-point Likert scale, participants answers ranged from (Strongly agree, Agree, Either agree or disagree, Disagree, Strongly disagree).
We considered in the design of the test the teaching staff at Qassim University viewpoints by asking them about the professional competencies they believe should exist in a teaching staff in light of teaching optimization, and reviewed few previous tests such as Adel (2013). The initial version included (48) items that measures the professional competencies a teaching staff should have at Qassim University before we present it to the reviewers.
Competent professors at Qassim University reviewed the initial version of the test to ensure its suitability to the Saudi local environment in terms of the dimension representation, suitability to measure the teaching staff professional competencies, and items structure, based on their comments we modified or excluded few items. The test included the items that scored a percentage more than (80%), while we modified the items that scored a less than the required percentage or were ambiguous. The final version of the test included (42) items. Based on a 5-point Likert scale the overall score of the test range between 42-220.

Validity and Reliability of the Test 2.3.1.1. Face Validity
After the review of test items and exclusion of few items, the final version included 42 items distributed on eight dimensions: Authorities and administration, Development and quality assurance management, Learning and teaching, Learning resources, Management competencies, Personal competencies, Scientific research, The relations of the educational institution with the society.

Construct Validity
The correlation of the test items with the overall score is insured by analyzing the answers of a pilot sample of 40 participant from the teaching staff, it demonstrate that the coefficients correlation of the overall test range between (0.32-0.68) and the domains scores range between (0.33-0.90), the following table illustrates the scores.

The Test Stability
To ensure the test stability, we retested the pilot sample after an interval of two weeks, and then we computed the Pearson correlation coefficients. We calculated the consistency coefficient by the internal consistency method depending on Cronbach's Alpha, table 4 illustrate the results we consider appropriate for the purpose of this study.

Results and Discussion
To answer the first question of the study "what is the extent of education optimization at Qassim University measured by the teaching staff professional performance competencies" we calculated the means and standard deviations of the professional teaching competencies that should exist in the teaching staff of Qassim University in light of teaching optimization, the following table illustrated the scores. As seen in table 5, the means scores range between (3.24-4.76), the personal competencies score was the highest and ranked first (M=4.76), this result may be attributed to the teaching staff agreement on considering personal competencies the most important dimension. Personal competencies are the acquired abilities that allow for work and behavior in a certain context, they include knowledge, skills, abilities, and trends integrated and combined. The teaching staff who acquired these competencies tends to raise, recruit, and employ them in teaching students, which in turn reflects positively on the educational process. Moreover "the relations of the educational institution with the society" was ranked last (M=3.24). The overall score of the means scored (3.94). This result may be attributed to the lack of literature on the topic of "the university social responsibility" because it is a modern concept on the local level. This result agreed with the study of Al-Habeeb and Al-Obeid (2015), they concluded that teaching and academic activities are ranked first followed by research and authoring, then the personal competencies of the teaching staff ranked third. The results of our study agreed also with the previous study when it considered the domain of the social responsibility of the university the last scored. We calculated the means and standard deviations of the teaching staff responses on each item as seen in table 6. As table 6 illustrated the means scores range is (2.83-4.92), item "I seek justice in caring for all students" ranked first and scored a means of (M=4.92). This result may be attributed to the fact that the teaching staffs at Qassim University are competent in dealing with the students such as being just, equal, and fair to all students. Islam urged us to be just to everyone in general and to students in specific regardless their environments and discard bias because it leads to stress among students and affects the student cognitive development. This humanizes education and achieves a kind of humanity and justice through the educational practices in educational contexts. The results agree with Al-Mazrouei (2010) study, who found that the communication and just style between the students scored the first. While the last rank was for item "Adequate facilities for using laptops are available"; and the means scored (M = 2.83). This result may be attributed to the lack of proper facilities for the teaching staff to use their laptops because the university is a beginner.
To answer the second question of "What is the extent of teaching staff implementation of professional competencies at Qassim University in light of education optimization different domains?" we calculated means and standard deviations of the teaching staff of Qassim University implementation of the professional competencies as illustrated in table 7. As seen in table 7, the scores of means range is (2.52-4.09), the personal competencies domain ranked first and scored a means of (M = 4.09), and this result confirms that the teaching staff agreed on the importance of the personal competencies. Personal competencies refer to the skills, knowledge, values, and tendencies that make the teaching staff member able to perform tasks in a good level of optimization, and economize in time and effort, which in turn reflects on the educational process positively. While the domain of Authorities and administration ranked last and scored a means of (M = 2.52), the overall means score is (M = 3.14), the responses showed that the University does not authorize and empower the teaching staff to take responsibility and trusts them to work. This is attributed to the centrality of the decision making which has no role for the teaching staff, as if his role is limited on teaching and he is not allowed to participate in administration of the University. The result disagreed with Al-Qahtani (2015); he found that the scores of administration and authority of the teaching staff in the university are high. We calculated the means and standard deviations of the responses on each item as seen in table 8.  Table 8 illustrates the means scores range (2.00-4.33). Item "I follow Islam behaviors to be an example for the students" was ranked first and scored a means of (4.33), this result may be attributed to our religion behaviours; Prophet Mohammad [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said "Allah Almighty have not sent ME for taunting but as an educator and accommodator" (Ibn Ḥanbal, n.d). This result agrees with the results of Abo Duff (2007), he examined teaching quality concept in Islamic perceptions through reading the Quran and Hadith, he found that Islam preceded in stressing the quality of education in the terminology used such as optimization, soundness, and proficiency. Item "I am involved in establishing society supportive organizations, or professional service organizations associated with the society needs" ranked last and scored a means of (2.00).
To answer the third question "Does the rate of implementing the teaching staff at Qassim University of their professional competencies exceeds the expected optimization rate of 80%?" we calculated the means and standard deviations of the teaching staff implementation rate of their professional competencies. In addition, we used the t-test to compare the results with the expected optimization rate (80%), table 9 illustrate the results. In table 9 we observed significant differences at (α = 0.05) between the teaching staff at Qassim University implementing rate of their professional competencies and the expected optimization level of 80% in all the domains and the overall degree were less than the expected level of optimization except for the personal competencies which scored a means of (81.72).
This result informs us that to reach the expected optimization rate of 80% by the teaching staff in professional competencies has a theoretical and philosophical approach, its procedural organized steps, and positive implementation results that should be considered by the university to reach the goal. Therefore, we recommend scholars to conduct further research to study the effect of universities teaching staff implementation of their professional competencies to reach educational optimization level of 80%, and to clarify the picture more and enable the decision makers to take sound decisions.
To sum up, improving education is one of the main issues that occupy authorities' minds all over the globe, which acknowledges the importance of education proficiency as the core of social, economic, and sustainable community development. In universities, teachers hold responsibility of the educational quality product. Teaching optimization refers to a set of effective key determinants used to judge the quality of teacher's performance, this judgment requires measurement of the teacher's performance proficiencies constantly, objectively, and realistic to ensure reformation and persistence of the educational organization in the age of increased competition. The current study attempted to test education optimization among teachers at Qassim University by measuring their professional performance competencies rates, for the purpose of education reformation and optimization.

Recommendations
In light of the findings, we recommend researchers to: 1. Care for preparing the teaching staff for education according to the standards of education optimization. 2. Participate with Arab and foreign universities in developing the teaching staff professional competencies according to the standards of education optimization. 3. Orient the teaching staff in the professional competencies for education optimization. 4. Provide the material and human resources required to strengthen the university correlation with the society, which has a great impact on education optimization.