Abstract
The belief that implementing professional standards will improve teaching and learning has led many countries to embrace standards based educational reforms. Qatar is one of those nations implementing, Education for a New Era that includes the adoption of professional teacher standards. This paper examines Qatar’s professional standards for teachers using Habermas’ knowledge constitutive interests (KCIs) as a theoretical framework. Findings provide insight into how the KCIs are embedded in the professional standards. Suggestions are provided regarding the possible use of Habermas’ knowledge constitutive interests in the preparation of teachers.
Highlights
When it comes to educational reform, what country would not want professional teaching standards to serve as the foundation of education reform? Commonsense tells us that having professional standards is a good thing because standards equal quality
The purpose of this study is to examine how Habermas’ theory of knowledge constitutive interests is evident within the discourse of the Qatar Professional teacher standards and once this is determined, to develop possible ways that the technical, practical and emancipatory interests framework could be used in teacher preparation
Evidence from the professional teacher standards is provided demonstrating how the knowledge constitutive interests (KCIs) are manifested in the teaching discourse
Summary
When it comes to educational reform, what country would not want professional teaching standards to serve as the foundation of education reform? Commonsense tells us that having professional standards is a good thing because standards equal quality. Educational reformers’ accept and promote professional standards as a cure for an ailing educational system This is the case in Qatar whose national educational reform embraced a standards based educational reform that includes national professional teacher standards. The assessment pointed to a number of problems It revealed that the existing system was highly centralized, with limited strategies for evaluation and monitoring of policies and processes. It indicated that there was a lack of communication and shared vision among education stakeholders because of a top-down decision-making policy. Education for a New Era (EFNE), a systematic reform designed to convert Qatar’s schools into “a
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