Preface | p. iii |
Figures | p. xi |
Tables | p. xiii |
Summary | p. xv |
Acknowledgments | p. xxvii |
Introduction | p. 1 |
Past Efforts to Reform Education in Qatar | p. 2 |
RANDÆs Analysis of QatarÆs K-12 System | p. 3 |
Design of the Reform | p. 4 |
Implementation of the Reform | p. 8 |
Aims and Purpose of the Study | p. 9 |
Organization of This Monograph | p. 10 |
Methods | p. 12 |
Case Study Data Collection and Analytic Approaches | p. 13 |
Observations | p. 16 |
Elicited Information | p. 18 |
Secondary Data | p. 20 |
Quantitative Data Characteristics and Analytic Approaches | p. 20 |
QNEDS Surveys | p. 20 |
QCEA Data | p. 21 |
Sample Selection for Ministry and Independent School Case Study | p. 22 |
Initial Sample Selection | p. 22 |
Changes to the Study Sample | p. 23 |
Study Limitations | p. 23 |
Recruiting, Retaining, and Developing Staff in QatarÆs Independent Schools | p. 27 |
Recruiting for the Independent Schools | p. 29 |
Effects of Qatarization on Recruitment | p. 30 |
Challenges to Retaining Skilled Qatari Teachers in Independent Schools | p. 34 |
Teaching in an Independent School Is More Demanding Than Teaching in a Ministry School | p. 35 |
Teachers in Independent Schools Have Longer Working Hours and a Longer Academic Year Than Do Teachers in Ministry Schools | p. 36 |
Teachers in Independent Schools Feel Less Secure in Their Jobs Than Do Teachers in Ministry Schools | p. 37 |
Higher Salaries Do Not Always Adequately Compensate for the Increased Workload | p. 39 |
Professional Development Opportunities Fostered by the Reform | p. 40 |
Providers of Professional Development | p. 42 |
Types of Professional Development Activities in Which Teachers Participated | p. 44 |
Subjects Addressed in Professional Development | p. 46 |
Does Professional Development Meet the Needs of Independent School Teachers? | p. 48 |
Conclusions | p. 51 |
Developing Curriculum and Instructional Materials | p. 55 |
Curriculum Development in the Independent Schools | p. 56 |
Curriculum Development Was a Challenging Task for Independent School Teachers | p. 57 |
Curriculum Development Was Less Difficult for Teachers in Independent Schools That Had Formerly Been Scientific Scholls | p. 59 |
The Education Institute Engaged Experts to Help Teachers Implement the New Curriculum Standards | p. 60 |
External Support Was Valuable in Helping Independent School Teachers Understand the Curriculum Standards and Select or Design Curriculum Materials | p. 62 |
Curriculum Development in the Ministry Schools | p. 62 |
Concerns About Eliminating Required Textbooks in Independent Schools | p. 64 |
Many Parents Were Concerned That Prescribed Textbooks Were Not Being Used in Independent Schools | p. 67 |
Institutional Responses to Concerns | p. 68 |
Teacher Satisfaction with the Overall Learning Environment in Ministry and Independent Schools | p. 69 |
Conclusions | p. 71 |
Evaluating Classroom Practice and Pedagogy | p. 75 |
Promoting Student-Centered Classroom Instruction | p. 76 |
TeachersÆ Strategies for Engaging Students | p. 78 |
Overall Use of Instructional Activities | p. 78 |
Level of Cognitive Demand Placed on Students | p. 85 |
Implementation of the New Curriculum Standards in Arabic, Mathematics, and Science | p. 87 |
Demands Imposed by Curriculum Development and Implementation Limited Most SchoolsÆ Efforts to Integrate Across Subjects | p. 88 |
Standards Implementation Was Not at the Expected Level in Most Classrooms | p. 88 |
The Focus on Professional Development in English Was Drawing School Attention and Resources Away from Professional Development in Other Subjects | p. 88 |
Pedagogy Was More Student Centered in Independent Schools Than in Ministry Classrooms But Was Still Predominantly Teacher Centered | p. 89 |
Teachers Had Problems Implementing Group Work Activities | p. 89 |
Materials Were Aligned with the Standards ôin Spirit,ö But Lesson Plans Were Not Associated with the Relevant Standards | p. 90 |
Information and Communications Technology Resources Were Commonly Used in These Classes But Rarely in New and Interesting Ways | p. 90 |
Teachers Were in Need of More Subject-Specific Professional Development to Help Them with These Issues | p. 91 |
Teaching Mathematics and Science in English | p. 92 |
QNEDS Survey Data | p. 92 |
Subject-Matter ExpertsÆ Assessment of How Well the Independent Schools Were Implementing the Language-of-Instruction Policy | p. 93 |
Conclusions | p. 95 |
Improving Student Performance Through Motivation Strategies and Parent Engagement | p. 97 |
Teacher Contributions to Improving Student Motivation | p. 98 |
Student Satisfaction with School Experiences | p. 101 |
Continuing Problems with Student Motivation | p. 103 |
Selection Effects | p. 103 |
Changes in Examination Requirements | p. 104 |
Reliance on Private Tutors | p. 104 |
Parent Apathy | p. 105 |
Parent Involvement | p. 106 |
Parent-Community Boards of Trustees | p. 106 |
Types of Parent Involvement in the Schools | p. 107 |
General Concerns Shared by Independent School Parents | p. 114 |
Conclusions | p. 116 |
Measuring Student Performance | p. 119 |
The Qatar Comprehensive Educational Assessment | p. 120 |
Overview of Student Performance on the QCEA | p. 121 |
A Statistical Model to Examine Relationships Among Student Achievement, School Type, and Other Factors | p. 122 |
Relationship Among Student Performance, School Type, and Student Characteristics | p. 125 |
Generation I and 11 Schools Were Associated with Higher Student Achievement Than Were Ministry Schools | p. 126 |
Generation I Schools Showed Somewhat Larger Positive Effects Than Did Generation II Schools | p. 128 |
Student and Family Demographics Were Found to Be Strongly Associated with Student Achievement | p. 128 |
Teacher Education Level and Years of Teaching Experience Were Found to Be Unrelated to Student Achievement | p. 130 |
Relationship Between Student Performance and Reform Features | p. 130 |
Conclusions | p. 131 |
Summary of Findings and Recommendations | p. 133 |
Differences Between Independent and Ministry Schools | p. 134 |
How Effectively Have the New Independent School Components Been Implemented? | p. 136 |
Changes in Ministry Schools | p. 138 |
Recommendations to Strengthen the Reform | p. 139 |
Reform System Functioning | p. 139 |
Participants in the System | p. 140 |
Student Assessment System | p. 144 |
Conclusions | p. 145 |
Appendix | |
Summary of Classroom Observations | p. 147 |
Student Achievement Model | p. 151 |
References | p. 165 |
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.
The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.