EDUCATION FOR A NEW ERA: STAKEHOLDERS’ PERCEPTION OF QATARI EDUCATION REFORM

The paper reports the results of a qualitative research study that explores principal, teacher, and parent perceptions with regard to Qatar’s education reform, Education for a New Era (EFNE) launched in 2004. The study focuses on the effects of the reform on each group, their perceived advantages and disadvantages of the reform, and the challenges they face in the implementation of EFNE. Data for this study was collected through an open-ended questionnaire. The results point to the positive effects of EFNE on improving instruction, principals' leadership style, and learner attitude to education. These stakeholders believe that the reform is too ambitious and sometimes unrealistic. The three groups also report challenges that revolve around the amount of extra effort and work it requires from them, the continuous reform changes, and the threats to the local culture and language. Discussion and conclusions are provided regarding EFNE

Influence of the practicum experience on student teachers' beliefs about their role in EFL classrooms

As worldwide educational reforms link educational outcomes with teacher performance, teachers are increasingly pressured to adopt several roles that reflect these new demands. Thus, the purpose of the study was to investigate student teachers' perceptions of their roles and whether these beliefs underwent certain changes during the practicum experience. It also explored the factors within the socio-cultural context that may have influenced the development of their beliefs. A qualitative research methodology was employed, which involved the collection of empirical data from multiple sources including pre- and post-interviews, weekly journals, and mid- and post-reflective essays. The results revealed the intricate nature of student teachers' beliefs about their roles and the processes of belief change. Despite the apparent flexibility of these beliefs, the results revealed the divergence between the student teachers' anticipated roles and their actual roles. To facilitate student teachers' belief change towards the goals of the teacher preparation program as well as those they had initially anticipated for themselves, several recommendations include the necessity of establishing closer partnerships between universities and schools, the exposure to multiple social learning activities, a careful consideration for student teachers' procedural concerns, and the attention to the subtle power relationships that play out during the practicum experience.Scopu

Qatar’s Educational Reform: The Experiences and Perceptions of Principals, Teachers and Parents

This study describes the implications of the massive Qatari educational reform, Education For a New Era (EFNE), from the perspectives of teachers, principals, and parents provides insight into these stakeholders perceptions regarding how EFNE has impacted teaching and learning and the new challenges they face. This qualitative study uses open-ended questionnaires, focus groups and interviews. Survey data is collected from 18 Independent Schools including 17 principals, 413 teachers and 565 parents and interviews with 17 principals, 26 teachers and 50 parents. Findings describe the effects, impact, the challenges and the advantages and disadvantages of EFNE on these stakeholders.Qatar Foundation’s National Priorities Research Program Grant No. 4205503

Reflections of scientific literacy team members related to use of reading strategies

The efficacy of reflection in improving teaching practices has long been recognized. Deconstructing reflective conversations provides a window into thinking; tracking changes in those conversations over time can reveal the level of understanding and levels of growth and development of those involved. This qualitative study analyzes the reflection of teachers participating in a six-week project, the goal of which was to improve reading instruction. It analyses the breadth, depth, and content of their weekly sessions and relates this to observed classroom practice. The sample for this pilot project was eleven teachers in two preparatory schools, one for boys and one for girls. Each team consisted of teachers in science, English, or scientific English from either the seventh or eighth grade level. Each week the groups were given a professional development session focused on some aspect of reading instruction, then collaboratively planned a lesson that one member of the team would teach the following week and that all members would observe. The focus of this study, however, is the collaborative reflection conducted at the first of the next week's session, in which the team members evaluated and critiqued the lesson. These conversations, paired with the classroom observations of the lesson they were critiquing, revealed what they did and did not understand from the professional development and what was and was not incorporated into practice. The sessions were recorded, transcribed, coded, and entered into frequency charts. This presentation, however, will focus on the qualitative analysis of the sessions - the meaning making - of the interactions of the participants and what these interactions revealed about their learning and teaching of the targeted outcomes. A better understanding of the nature of collaborative reflection can help teachers and teacher educators use reflection to improve the effectiveness of professional development.qscienc

Technology integration in EFL classrooms: A study of Qatari independent schools

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of teachers' individual characteristics and perceptions of environmental factors on the extent of technology integration into EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms. To this end, a national survey examining EFL teachers' perceptions was conducted at Qatari Independent Schools. A total of 263 teachers responded to the survey, which investigated technology availability and support, teachers' value and self-efficacy beliefs, obstacles to technology integration, and formal technology preparation. The analysis of the data included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis determining the relationship among these factors. Teachers revealed consistent perceptions about obstacles to integration, high levels of confidence in using technology, and consistent beliefs about the importance of using technology as a learning tool. The extent of technology integration was predicted by technology availability, perceived importance, and formal training. The findings can assist with the technology advancement and development efforts in reform communities, similar to the Qatari context, by indicating the areas of strength and areas where additional efforts are needed. The results will lay the foundation for policymakers, teacher educators and professional development providers about current aspects and pending issues determining technology integration, thus enabling them to make better-informed decisions. 1 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York

Fidelity to and satisfaction with prescribed curriculum in an Arab educational context: ESL teachers' perspective

Educational institutions in the Arab Gulf are requiring rapid changes to enhance English language learning to keep up with globalization and economic growth. This urges the need for investigating policy changes such as effectiveness in curriculum orientations and their impact on the actual process of teaching in order to gauge how educational institutions are performing. This paper reports the findings of a survey study on curriculum enactment in the English Language Foundation Program of a higher education institution in the Arab Gulf region. Data collection methods included a survey and interview with teachers investigating their opinions about the curriculum, how much support it offers teachers to reach the objectives of the course, and whether/to what extent as well as the reasons why they feel they need to modify the curriculum at the implementation level. Results showed that most teachers exercised discretion in using the prescribed curriculum materials due to individual contextual factors. Results also indicated that either when implementing the prescribed or modified materials, most participants highlighted the importance of using reliable quality resource materials that can help teachers as well as students to enhance the learning process. Findings have implications for English as a second language curriculum design in Arab higher educational contexts. British Educational Research Association.Scopu

Education for a New Era: Stakeholders’ Perception of Qatari Education Reform

The paper reports the results of a qualitative research study that explores principal, teacher, and parent perceptions with regard to Qatar’s education reform, Education for a New Era (EFNE) launched in 2004. The study focuses on the effects of the reform on each group, their perceived advantages and disadvantages of the reform, and the challenges they face in the implementation of EFNE. Data for this study was collected through an open-ended questionnaire. The results point to the positive effects of EFNE on improving instruction, principals' leadership style, and learner attitude to education. These stakeholders believe that the reform is too ambitious and sometimes unrealistic. The three groups also report challenges that revolve around the amount of extra effort and work it requires from them, the continuous reform changes, and the threats to the local culture and language. Discussion and conclusions are provided regarding EFNE

All that glitters is not gold: Challenges of teacher and school leader licensure licensing system in Qatar

In 2001, the Government of Qatar began a comprehensive education reform (Education for a New Era) based on RAND’s recommendations and options for building an educational system that would meet the country’s changing needs. Nine years later, Qatar’s educational landscape has significantly changed. Among these changes is the introduction of Professional Standards for teacher and school leaders and Qatar’s first system for the registration and licensing of teachers and school leaders that are directly linked to the professional standards. This study seeks to analyze school leaders’ perspectives regarding the Qatar National Professional Standards for Teachers and School Leaders and the recently introduced accompanying licensure system. The study reports results from questionnaires addressed to 74 school leaders. These findings illuminate problematic issues and indicate that these policies use ambiguous terminology and procedures, ignore local educators’ input, and provide unrealistic expectations of society, lack consistency and created resistance on the part of educators. Discussion is provided that centers on the implications of importing educational products and the need to take into account the local culture in implementing these products

Improving Reading: From Teacher Development to Student Reading

On multiple international assessments of student learning including the IEA's TIMSS and the OECD's PISA, Qatar students have performed poorly on both reading and science when compared with international peers. To counter this academic and societal challenge, NPRP 4 – 1172 - 5 – 172 “Improving Reading Skills in the Middle School Science Classroom” trialed an innovative model for professional development of teachers that would impact how reading is taught as part of both science and English instruction at the preparatory level. This paper reports on changes in teacher knowledge and student performance over the course of the program. Background Following a baseline study of reading demands, students' use of reading strategies, and instructional patterns, a pilot professional development program for 11 teachers in two preparatory schools was developed. The program employed a cyclical model of professional learning known as Lesson Study (Fernandez & Yoshida, 2004; Takahashi & Yoshida, 2004) in which a group of teachers study a topic, jointly plan a lesson, observe the lesson being taught to a group of students, and then reflect on how the lesson could be improved. In the Qatar program this cycle was repeated five times. Topics studied by the teachers included motivation to read (interest and purpose), strategic processes involved in reading, and the development of lessons with reading components. Method In the final year of the study, teachers from 12 schools were trained to lead Lesson Study groups with three additional teachers in their respective schools using the materials previously developed. The impact of the research on the participating teachers and students was measured through multiple means including a quasi-experimental assessment of student reading performance and strategy use before and after the program; teacher interviews before, during, and after the training; and classroom observation notes from researchers and participants. Results Results from the student assessment are still being analyzed. Qualitative indicators from the teacher interviews and class observations suggest that teachers developed a deeper understanding of 1) the component mental processes involved in reading as an ability, 2) practical methods and activities for modeling and having students practice strategic reading behaviors, and 3) the personal value of professional development that incorporates reflective learning. Discussion Beyond the immediate impact on student learning, the research also contributes an interesting case study for the international policy debate regarding the use of native languages versus English as part of instruction. During the period in which the research occurred Qatar changed from teaching science through English to teaching it in Arabic with limited exposure to scientific terminology in English. In response to this change, the researchers encouraged participants to consider a form of pedagogy known as “translanguaging” in which speakers do not restrict themselves only to one language but rather think of all the languages at play in a contact situation as resources to draw on (García & Wei, 2014). The Lesson Study groups comprised teachers of English teaching in English and teachers of science teaching in Arabic. Reading materials in both Arabic and English were provided for sample lessons, and the research team and participants switched back and forth between languages during training sessions. Translanguaging emphasizes the need to be strategic whether reading, writing, or speaking, and as such formed a natural complement to the focus on strategic reading in the professional development. As a case study, this research suggests alternatives to policies that try to dictate one language over another.qscienc