ERIC Number: EJ1101880
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Aug
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1305-8223
EISSN: N/A
Science Education Reform in Qatar: Progress and Challenges
Said, Ziad
EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, v12 n8 p2253-2265 Aug 2016
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.
Descriptors: Science Education, Educational Change, Problem Based Learning, Questionnaires, Interviews, Foreign Countries, Science Achievement, Achievement Gap, Achievement Tests, International Assessment, Secondary School Students, Elementary Secondary Education, Mathematics Tests, Mathematics Achievement, Science Tests, Science Instruction, Science Teachers, Administrator Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Student Motivation, Teaching Methods, Scores, Cooperative Learning, Grade 4, Grade 8, Comparative Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Likert Scales
EURASIA. Gazi Egitim Fakultesi, K Blok 210, Teknikokullar, Ankara, 06500 Turkey. Tel: +90-312-202-8192; Fax: +90-312-222-8483; e-mail: editor.eurasiajournal@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.ejmste.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Elementary Education; Grade 8; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Qatar
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Program for International Student Assessment; Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A