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

Abstract

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.

Partnering for Sustainability: Parent-Teacher-School (PTS) Interactions in the Qatar Education System

“…Although parental involvement in the education system is critical and needs to be improved, few studies have investigated parental participation in Qatar, as indicated by Al-Thani et al [22]. There are some concerns regarding parents' role and responsibilities in QES as they have become less involved in children's schooling [22].…”

“…Although parental involvement in the education system is critical and needs to be improved, few studies have investigated parental participation in Qatar, as indicated by Al-Thani et al [22]. There are some concerns regarding parents' role and responsibilities in QES as they have become less involved in children's schooling [22]. Today, parents in Qatar tend to hold full-time jobs, causing them to leave their children with maids/nannies for long periods of time, impacting parents' roles and obligations in their children's education.…”

“…The heavy dependency of Qatari parents on expatriate maids in raising their children has increased since the 2000s following rapid development, urbanization, and internationalization, with negative impacts on children's language skills and quality of learning [47]. The high dependency on domestic maids in Qatari households not only impacts children's language and behavior, but it also affects the role of parental involvement in school [22]. Parents in Qatari schools are getting less involved, and the students are becoming less motivated to study over the years [18].…”

“…For instance, T3 states that "We don't have direct communication with parents; first, the counselor has to call the parent and arrange a meeting as per our request." Counselors are responsible for communicating with parents to arrange meetings, hold workshops to inform parents about the child's academic progress and notify them about school activities [22]. However, the interviewed parents expressed a need to have direct communication with teachers instead of receiving calls from counselors.…”

“…The Supreme Education Council (SEC), renamed the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), introduced a policy in 2004 that emphasizes the role of PTS partnerships. This policy involves parents contributing to their children's learning process under the 'Classroom Visit' program, wherein parents are invited to visit classrooms and observe the teaching process [22]. Additionally, the SEC evaluates each school with regards to its success with parental involvement under the 'Partnerships with Parents' program, which focuses on three dimensions: (1) communication and feedback, (2) involvement and collaboration, and (3) support and reporting [17].…”