Supreme Education Research Articles

Early years education in Qatar: The good practice guide in theory and practice

Qatar’s massive education reform, Education for a New Era has dramatically shaped the educational landscape by implementing professional and curriculum standards and introducing best pedagogical practices at all levels. The current concern with Qatar’s educational reform is not so much the adopted policies but rather the implementation of these policies into classroom practices. This study examines several kindergartens in Qatar to explore the issues and concerns regarding the implementation of the Supreme Education Counsel’s The Early Years Education Good Practice Guide (GPG); a policy document providing evidence-based, needs based, culturally responsive appropriate early childhood teaching methods and materials. This research study includes focus groups with 22 kindergarten teachers/academic coordinators and classroom observations. By providing what Fullan (2000) terms an “inside, inside out and outside story”, we examine both the practices being utilized in kindergartens and obstacles that prevent teachers from implementing the GPG from the perspective of teachers and other early childhood school personnel. Finally, we provide possible recommendations regarding the implementation of the GPG.

College Students' Attitude toward the Medium of Instruction: Arabic versus English Dilemma

In 2012, the Supreme Education Council of the State of Qatar decreed a change from English to Arabic as a medium of instruction in four of the colleges of Qatar University. This surprise move created much controversy, especially among the students, the first stakeholders to be affected by this decision, related to the impact this change would have on their futures. The aim of this study is to investigate the attitudes of college students at Qatar University concerning the shift from English to Arabic as the language of instruction. The sample includes 295 students from the four colleges affected by this decision. Data were collected using an Arabic version of the standardized Student Attitudes Towards the Instructional Medium questionnaire. The findings of the study are interpreted in the light of students' perceptions about the place of English in Qatari society, the role of Arabic and English in their educational careers, and the importance of each language for their futures. Findings are also interpreted in the light of a review of previous findings on the attitudes of students on this issue. Discussion and recommendations may inform language policy decisions.

System model of professional behavior in supreme education (Qualitative research)

Since the field of behavior in supreme education is a multi-dimensional concept and it is the source of effect in it, it has become the focus of attention in a lot of universities. The variety of research in the field of professional behavior has caused researchers and those in charge to face a lot of variables and aspects regarding it. But very rarely the employers’ viewpoints and experiences about influential factors on professional behavior has been investigated. Hence, it is vital to carry out an investigation which clarifies the variables of professional behavior and the relationship among them alongside a comprehensive insight. The present study considers this issue in two parts. The first part comprises determining influential variables in professional behavior based upon experiences, viewpoints, and understandings of key informants; and the second part, employing a systematic model, indicates the relationship between the presented variables in supreme education policy. This research has been carried out in Shahid- Bahonar University, Medical Sciences, Payame Noor and Azad University of Kerman using a grounded theory method. Method : In this research the content of the interviews of 37 key informants were analyzed theoretically and semi-structurally. The analysis of data was done in a thematic way in line with simultaneous and continuous comparison with data collection; afterwards 395 primary codes were extracted after plunging and analysis of data. Findings : The findings of this study confirms the existence of 5 shading themes and 17 subordinate themes including: 1. Individual ethic factors (individual ethical standards, deep belief, self-control, conscience), 2.Management factors (model roles of managers, benevolent behavior, cooperation in making decisions), 3. Organizational factors (selection and implementation, strategic ethical plans, organizational culture), 4.Factors of occupational ethics (educational ethics, research ethics, and communication ethics) 5. Factors beyond organizations (culture, political conditions, public confidence, financial conditions); and at last, the relationships between variables were indicated through system model which affects the process of professional behavior. Conclusions : The results of this study specify the influential factors on professional ethics in supreme education. The point of high significance is that participants focus highly on individual themes such as job conscience and divine supervision. Considering the field of strategic factors, Institutional and public confidence are of considerable significance.

Validity of Borrowed Questionnaire Items: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

In support of a country-wide educational reform, the Supreme Education Council created the Qatar National Education Database System. We describe this system and use analytic techniques to tentatively evaluate some aspects of the quality of its scaled attitudinal information. In particular, we stress the importance of developing criteria for ensuring the validity of “borrowed” measures. We also point to the desirability of longitudinal data quality research in the context of a culture in which measurement instruments such as questionnaires have gone from little or no use to a newly familiar feature of the educational landscape.

The Supreme Court and Education in Religion

The Supreme Court and Education in Religion