Students' satisfaction at Jordanian universities and its relation to some variables

The purpose of this study is to determine and compare the importance and the various levels of satisfaction related to undergraduate students at public and private universities in Jordan. The study sample consists of 304 students distributed over two groups: public university (n = 120) and private university (n = 184). Means, standard deviations and three-way analysis of variance (MANOVA) are used to compare students’ perception to the levels of importance and satisfaction, and the mean difference between the two levels in two different institutions. All significant MANOVAs were followed by one-way ANOVA to determine which group differs significantly from the others. Results of the study reveal that students at public and private universities consider the importance of the Satisfaction Scales to be ‘somewhat important’. Students at public universities consider the satisfaction to be ‘neutral’, while students at private universities consider it to be ‘somewhat dissatisfied’. In general, students at public and private universities believe the performance gap levels to be high.peer-reviewe

Men and classrooms in Qatar: A Q methodology research

Globally, gender differences in the teaching profession are a longstanding public policy concern. International organizations and scholarly research routinely sound alarms concerning the low number of males joining the teaching profession. Although there have been multiple explorations of why the teaching profession has become gender imbalanced in favour of women, such studies have largely focused on the Global North. To this end, this study aimed to elucidate the situation in the Global South. Specifically, through Q-methodology, this study explored the perceptions of a group of G12 Qatari male students on joining teaching as a possible profession. The data showed that, to varying degrees, these students rejected the idea of becoming teachers. They took one of two positions: non-negotiable refusal or negotiable refusal. These positions are explained, and long-term strategies are proposed for policymakers in Qatar to gradually steer the ship towards a more equitable direction

Principal selection for Qatar's government schools: Policy makers', principals' and teachers' perspectives

Research indicates that principals are critical in school reform since the implementation of policies and practices is to a large extent determined by the role that principals play in educational change. This study examines the principal selection process used in Qatar for the government schools and identifies knowledge and skills necessary for effective principals from the perspectives of policy makers, principals and teachers working in these schools. Qualitative interviews were held with three policy makers, 21 principals and 82 teachers in focus groups. Findings provide insight into the principal selection process and demonstrate that principals should develop their decision-making skills, should advance as instructional leaders and, since government schools are very diverse, principals must be able to manage issues of nationality, culture and equality. Recommendations are offered to improve the principal selection process for principals working in Qatar or other countries in the Gulf Region.Scopu

Challenges facing teacher education in Qatar: Q methodology research

This study aims to identify the challenges facing teacher education in Qatar. Through Q methodology, it examines the ways in which schoolteachers, preservice teachers, teacher education faculty, and Ministry of Education and Higher Education personnel identify what they see as significant challenges faced by teacher education in the country. The overall aim is to provide an overview of teacher education in Qatar and the challenges of improving programs and processes. Results show that the participants' perspectives fall on a continuum of diverse views in which minimal consensus exists. Still, four consensus points were found across the emerged perspectives: schoolteachers’ workload, responsibilities and roles of educational stakeholders, the exasperation towards college-based teacher education, and the impact of culture on teacher education. Based on the results of this study, we argue that these consensus points represent the main challenges facing teacher education in Qatar

Teacher leadership and virtual communities: Unpacking teacher agency and distributed leadership

This study explored the development of teacher leadership in collaborative online spaces, also called virtual communities of practice (vCoP). Employing a phenomenological research design with semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection method, participants were drawn from a single vCoP. The findings underscored the pivotal role of vCoPs in nurturing teacher leadership skills, facilitated by the dynamic interplay of teacher agency and distributed leadership. Teacher agency empowers educators to proactively take control of their learning journey within vCoPs, enabling them to explore areas of personal interest and expertise, including knowledge sharing and project initiation. Simultaneously, distributed leadership empowers teachers to assume leadership roles within the vCoP, irrespective of their formal positions or seniority, involving activities such as guiding discussions and organizing professional development. This harmonious collaboration between teacher agency and distributed leadership fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment within vCoPs, where teacher leadership thrive

Career Advancement, Job Satisfaction, Career Retention, and Other Related Dimensions for Sustainability: A Perception Study of Qatari Public School Teachers

The lack of teacher retention directly impacts the sustainability of a nation’s educational goals and educational system. There are several influences on the retention of teachers, such as career advancement opportunities, job satisfaction, and other dimensions of being an educator. This survey research examines one hundred and sixty-seven Qatari teachers’ perceptions about Qatar’s current career advancement system and several related dimensions, such as professional development, professional competency, professional licensure system, and career advancement standards essential for sustainability. The findings demonstrate that Qatari teachers are dissatisfied with the current career advancement system, significantly influencing job satisfaction and career retention. In contrast, the influence on professional competencies enhanced for career advancement, obtaining a professional license for career advancement, and career advancement standards were insignificant. It is recommended that Qatar establish an improved career advancement system with career advancement initiatives that meet the needs of Qatari teachers to improve job satisfaction and retention.This publication was made possible by a National Priorities Research Program Grant [No. 13S-0209-200319] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation). The contents herein are solely the responsibility of the authors