Science Education Reform in Qatar: Progress and Challenges

Science education reform in Qatar has had limited success. In the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), Qatari 4th and 8th grade students have shown progress in science achievement, but they remain significantly below the international average. Also, in the Program for Inter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Science and Technology Education, 2016-08, Vol.12 (8), p.2253
Main Author: Said, Ziad
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achievement Gap
Achievement Tests
Administrator Attitudes
Comparative Analysis
Cooperative Learning
Education reform
Educational Change
Elementary Secondary Education
Foreign Countries
Grade 4
Grade 8
International Assessment
Interviews
Likert Scales
Mathematics Achievement
Mathematics Tests
Problem Based Learning
Program for International Student Assessment
Qatar
Questionnaires
Science Achievement
Science Education
Science Instruction
Science Teachers
Science Tests
Scores
Secondary School Students
Statistical Analysis
Student Motivation
Teacher Attitudes
Teaching Methods
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
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Summary:Science education reform in Qatar has had limited success. In the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), Qatari 4th and 8th grade students have shown progress in science achievement, but they remain significantly below the international average. Also, in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Qatari students have shown progress in science achievement, but they are again below the international average. To gain insight into what factors limit the students' science achievement, the School Science Teaching Inventory Questionnaire (SSTIQ) was administered to science coordinators and teachers in 24 independent schools in Qatar. The questionnaire results, in conjunction with interviews, indicated that science coordinators and teachers believed that a set of factors was responsible, and that low student motivation was the factor that was most responsible. Low student motivation was due, in part, to textbooks being overemphasized, and inquiry-based and problem-based methods being underemphasized. Based on these findings, recommendations for improving students' science achievement were provided.
ISSN:1305-8223
1305-8215
1305-8223
DOI:10.12973/eurasia.2016.1301a