In light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in several countries being locked down, there has been a paradigm shift in terms of learning worldwide. As a result, educational institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have acted swiftly and shifted from face-to-face education to distance learning. Thus, this study investigated high school students’ perspectives on the distance learning of mathematics. The research employed a quantitative method using a developed and validated online survey. The convenience sampling consisted of 580 high school students in Al Ain. Descriptive statistical analysis of the mean and standard deviation of scores was used and then interpreted based on Gagné’s rating (1991). In general, the results showed that the students had an ambivalent view of their distance learning experience. Notably, students’ most negative perceptions were about missing the interaction with teachers and colleagues, and disapproving of the unfavourably long screen times. Furthermore, 78.3% of the participants showed no preference for choosing to study mathematics by distance learning in the future, given a choice. This study has extra relevance since the process of distance learning has become more prevalent in the UAE owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is imperative that educational institutions try to understand the complexity and embedded nature of distance learning, and the challenges encountered by students while they are studying mathematics in an online environment.

We tested the mathematical literacy (ML) proficiency of 204 grade 10 “advanced track” students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using 34 questions from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 released items. Using a quantitative descriptive approach, we analyzed the performance of males (n = 106) and females (n = 98) on items spread across the four content subdomains (quantity, space and shape, change and relationship, and uncertainty), the processes of problem-solving (formulate, employ, reasoning, and interpret), and the four PISA contexts (personal, occupational, societal, and scientific) across six PISA proficiency levels. The test was formulated in three types of response format (multiple choice, closed- and open-ended). Results showed that overall student performance was in the very low category. Female students outperformed male students in all aspects of mathematical literacy. The highest percentage achieved in the modelling process was in the interpreting and then employ and formulate tasks. Students performed almost perfectly in problems that covered the uncertainty content area but fared poorly with problems dealing with change and relationship. Students performed better on personal mathematical problems than occupational, societal or scientific problems. These findings are important for UAE teachers regarding direct application to classroom practice and for researchers and officials to shape future research and recommendations for future new educational policies.

Gifted education has received attention all over the world, including the UAE, because of its significant contribution to economic investment. This quantitative study aimed to describe and analyze mathematics teachers' perceptions of teaching gifted learners in general education classrooms in the UAE. The survey consisted of 19 statements on a 5-point Likert scale, with a sample of 66 teachers. The analysis of the results concerned two factors: teacher competency, and perceptions of the effectiveness of gifted learner programs. The results showed generally positive attitudes toward gifted education, and more specifically teachers showed positive perceptions toward their competency to teach gifted students, while they mostly held negative perceptions regarding the effectiveness of gifted programs. In addition, teaching level (cycle 1, cycle 2, cycle 3) impacted teacher perceptions regarding their competency to teach gifted students and the applied gifted programs in their schools. However, a broader study not limited to Al Ain city teachers would provide results that are more informative.

The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of a proposed mathematical enrichment program based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) framework for mathematical literacy. Mathematical literacy is essential because it helps students understand and use real-world mathematics frequently tested in many international assessments. PISA has received special attention because of its place on the national agenda of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which aspires to become a globally preeminent nation. This quantitative research employed a non-equivalent pre- and post-test quasi-experimental method. A mathematical literacy test was used to collect data from a sample of 102 students of 10th grade in the UAE. The findings revealed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups and an effect size above the mean according to the covariate analysis. The female students recorded greater improvement than the males. Overall, the results obtained from this study revealed that implementing mathematics enrichment programs based on the PISA framework might be one of the solutions to enhance students’ mathematical literacy.

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