Teacher education in Qatar - Research Paper Example

?Teacher education in Qatar. Summary of prosed study The proposed study is an examination of the issues surrounding current TESOL teacher training provision in Qatar. It presents a literature review on the latest developments and issues in TESOL teacher education across the world, and then specifically in Gulf region and Qatar. This literature review highlights the central role of technology in preparing today’s students for further study and for the world of work, and the evident failure of current TESOL teaching across Qatar to integrate this vital skill into English language teaching. A key aim of this study is to find out why TESOL education is floundering in Qatar, and suggest improvements to this situation using modern technology. The aim of the fieldwork is to identify barriers to the use of technology in TESOL and to propose strategies for integrating more technology into Qatari TESOL teacher training and thereby strengthen TESOL provision for all future students and teachers of English in Qatar. Empirical data is gathered by means of questionnaires and structured interviews. The aim of this fieldwork is to establish how technology is being used in teacher education and how far it meets the current needs of teacher trainees. The views of student teachers and their lecturers are gathered and compared, and any strengths and weaknesses are identified. The results are analyzed and recommendations are made on appropriate ways to remedy any deficiencies in TESOL teacher training provision in Qatar. Significance of the study in the Qatari context Along with other developing nations, most Arabic speaking countries in the Gulf region are engaged in a comprehensive program of reform in their education systems (Brewer et al. 2006). This is driven partly by forces of globalization, which make demands on the local population such as an ability to speak foreign languages and operate in a multi-cultural work environment, and partly by internal adjustments to phenomena like the need to train students and staff in the use of new technologies (Alghazo, 2006) and a drive for quality improvement across the board. There has been an increasing privatisation of schools, in line with Ministry of Education’s policy since 2009, and this places considerable demands on the teacher training programmes which supply newly qualified teachers and some in service training to these schools (Constant et al, 2010). Qatar’s program of education reform is at a critical stage in its development. On the one hand great progress has been made in agreeing new priorities, both in terms of teaching methods and attainment targets, but on the other hand, the lingering presence of outdated methodologies and practices in the classroom is holding students back from achieving the best possible outcomes. English was made compulsory throughout Qatari schools, colleges and universities , and there has been an increasing emphasis on providing subject specific tuition in English as well as pure English language classes (Mansareh, 2011). Very recently, however, there has been a partial revision of this policy, with a new ministry decree encouraging some university courses to revert back to Arabic, and the likelihood that schools may follow suit (Fenton, 2012). There appears to be an on-going debate at the highest level in Qatar about the effectiveness of its English language provision, and its place in the education system. It is vital that the gap between Qatar’s ambitions for English language education and its current practice, is understood, along with the reasons why these problems remain, and potential solutions for addressing any deficiencies. Despite a long tradition of teaching English in Qatar, some of the results have not been ideal. It may be unrealistic to make up for deficiencies in previous planning and practices, but it is both possible and necessary to make better plans for the present and future. Teacher educational programs are the key to the future of Qatar’s education system, and so this study uses a literature review to establish key areas of concern, and possible strategies for improvement. A survey method among current teacher trainers and trainees will test whether there is agreement with these findings among teacher trainers, and current TESOL trainees areas. Views are sought on how far, and in what ways new technology should be introduced into TESOL. Analysis of the results will then lead to recommendations on improving TESOL training provision for both new and existing teachers. It is hoped that this combined theoretical and practical approach will provide evidence for curriculum review, especially with regard to the use of new technologies, and that this in turn will enhance teaching provision across Qatar when these teachers go out to take up or continue their teaching careers. A crucial feature of this research is the exhaustive collection of points of view from current trainers and trainees. Understanding how these key professionals feel about technology and what kind of experience they have had in their careers thus far is the first step towards removing barriers and introducing up to date and effective teaching methods using modern technology. Proposed methodology and paradigm The proposed methodology for this project is a literature review to investigate theory, and then a combination of questionnaire and structured interview for empirical fieldwork. The questionnaire will provide quantitative data on the actual practices of current TESOL trainees and teacher trainers in Qatar, and also some demographic data on the gender, age, qualifications and experience of these individuals (Oppenheimer, 1992). The structured interview is designed to dig more deeply into the attitudes and beliefs of both trainers and trainee teachers, exploring what they think about teaching methods in Qatar, and in particular how they feel about increasing the use of technology in their classes. This means that the study can be categorised as a “mixed method” approach, because it involves both qualitative and quantitative research being combined together to achieve a rounded picture of the area of study (Cresswell, 2008, p. 203). It is recognized that the data gathering methods may inadvertently contain bias, and so efforts will be made to reduce this possibility as far as possible. In the questionnaire procedure, participants will be recruited strictly on the basis of informed consent, with a guarantee that no names will be used in the evaluation or writing up of the study. Participants will be referred to anonymously by number. This will help to reduce the amount of self reporting bias, which is bound to be present in some form when individuals are asked to give information about their own working practices (Stone et al. 2000). In the interviews, every effort will be made to reduce social desirability bias by encouraging participants to speak freely about both positive and negative aspects of their work, again with assurances of confidentiality (Arnold et al., 2005). In order to increase the validity of the data gathered, and reduce any bias that may creep in to the interviews because of the researcher’s own views or conduct, the interview will be carefully planned in advance, and reporting sheets as well as audio recordings will be used. Each interview will be conducted according to the same format and sequence of questions. Attention will be paid to retaining as far as possible the same wording for questions, because even slight changes in emphasis or word choice can skew the answers quite significantly (Cohen et al., 2000, p. 121). A time schedule will also be used, with appropriate time allowance for each question, and just one open session at the end of the interview for each participant to contribute his or her own thoughts in a free narrative. This tight control of the method will ensure that the data gathered remains relevant to the topic and comparable between the different participants, and it will minimize any bias from the conduct of the researcher. The format of the questionnaire will be similar to that used by Al-Issa and Al-Bulushi, (2010), who used simple questions, with multiple possible responses, each to be answered along a five point scale of agreement/disagreement, although the present study will use different questions which focus on actual and desirable technology use in TESOL. Analysis of the questionnaires will be done using graphic illustrations. Pie charts will be used to represent the results of closed questions , (such as yes/no answers) and bar charts for questions which have a scale of responses (such as a Likert-style range of 1-5). No attempt will be made to quantify teachers’ free responses, but instead a narrative will be constructed, picking out common views and any interesting contributions which the teachers themselves wish to make. This last aspect is impossible to measure in quantitative ways, but it is very important for an understanding of what teachers think is important. Teachers and trainers will explain in their own words how they see the issues raised in the interview, and this may reveal aspects which the researcher himself had not thought of. Overall, therefore, all these methods will combine to give a comprehensive picture of how teachers and trainees in TESOL education view their role in general, where they see a need for improvements and what potential there is for using more technology in teaching. Literature review part one: teacher education in TESOL Mark Warschauer was one of the first to identify the crucial importance of new technologies for this discipline (Warschauer, 1998). Others have pointed out that technology itself is only a tool, and that the key to its successful use in teaching is to find applications which bring improvements in student learning (Barber et al., 2007) It is reasonable to assume that the methods teachers themselves find most beneficial during their training will inform their own further learning and, indirectly also their teaching approaches. One recent study pinpointed the particular benefits that the use of web discussions can bring, as for example in forums to which students post messages for the teacher and for each other, noting in particular the way that interdependence between students, collaborative skills and social skills were all positive outcomes (Biesenbach-Lucas, 2004). These benefits do not happen automatically, and they were not evident consistently across the programs where web based learning opportunities were made available. Factors such as the extent of tutor direction, the linkage with standard classroom teaching, and the use of asynchronous message forums were all positive features which enhanced student use of the technology. Interestingly, some of the benefits were most pronounced for students who otherwise may have been reluctant to participate in traditional classes: “Some students who rarely participated in class were very productive group members in the web-discussions throughout all five semesters; this is especially true for the non-native speakers in the classes” (Biesenbach-Lucas, 2004, p. 165). It may be that the extra time which students have to interpret the words of others, and draft their own response, encourages participation, whereas the pressure of speaking up in a live classroom situation inhibits less confident students. It is exactly this kind of effect that needs to be researched more, to see if teachers can adapt available technologies to the classroom situations that they encounter. There are also certain inherent advantages in using web-based texts, such as for example the possibility of inserting hypertext links into any text, which bring the learner directly to explanatory or supplementary materials. The basic text is thus augmented as much as the student needs it to be, without the requirement of a teacher on stand-by to answer questions (Li and Hart, 2000, p. 375). Web based documents can be easily passed to class participants, and shared on internal networks, incorporating multi media such as sound, illustrations, instantaneous or asynchronous chat, and video, all of which enhances the interest of the learning materials and encourages use of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Different kinds of assessments can also bought in or designed by teachers, with the advantage that they can be accessed by students on demand, and with built-in feedback. One factor which may influence the transferability of from trainer to trainee in TESOL training programs is the socio-cultural gulf that often separates the two: much tertiary tuition is conducted by contracted expatriate teachers from outside the Gulf. These teachers may not fully understand the socio-cultural environment of Qatari classes, and they may have little incentive to criticize prevailing norms in the local TESOL structures and systems (Syed, 2003, p. 337). An interesting parallel to this debate is found in the work of some Dutch scholars, who examined the way that student teachers learn from their mentors and lecturers. Too often instruction is given in how to teach, but there is very little in the way of explanation about why teaching should be done in a certain way ( Zanting et al., 2003, p.196). A study of Omani trainee teachers found that reflective learning was not taught to them, since much of the teacher training syllabus was concerned with teaching to a national textbook, “with teaching methods being governed by the Ministry of Education and teachers being instructed to use the teachers’ guide” (Al-Issa and Al-Bulushi, 2010, p. 53). Literature review part two: problems with teacher education in Qatar There is a rich diversity of education in Qatar, including more than 180 government schools and various private establishments. Some 90,000 students are educated in schools alone, and student teacher ratios are usually lower than international average, although in common with other GCC countries, the performance in key subjects has in the past fallen below international average (Barber et al., 2007). Since 2002 new international partnerships with British and American organizations have helped to develop new benchmarks, and a public school scoring system with the consequence that “Qatar’s school system now ranks among the most transparent in the world” (Barber et al., 2007, p. 47). These developments bring extra pressure on teachers to reach the standards that have been set down as targets and teacher training provision is slowly gearing up to fit these new demands. A recent study on how the educational reforms are progressing in Qatar concluded that one reason for the slow acceptance of information technology in the classroom lies in the fact that most teachers have little awareness of the potential that ICT offers for students. (Manasreh, 2011). In effect the lack of skills in the teachers is what prevents the reforms from being as successful as they should be. Another factor that may be affecting the quality of teaching provision in Qatar is the relatively low level of awareness that there is in schools of the importance of in service professional development (Nasser and Romanowski, 2011). Teachers do have such opportunities, and they take part enthusiastically in training, but there appears to be a problem with focus: “Teachers are more concerned with mastering and refining teaching methodologies than with developing the thinking processes needed at times to understand the theory required to sustain real educational reform” (Nasser and Romanowski, 2011, p. 166). The acquisition of technical skills, even very advanced uses of information technology, is not sufficient to deliver reform, but the authors conclude there is a need for teachers to become agents change by embracing deeper theoretical and critical reflection skills. They need to know why such technology is important, and exactly how it can enhance their own and their student’s learning. If teacher training can rise to the challenge of answering these questions, then Qatari teachers will be able lead reform from the inside of schools, rather than just follow directives from the government. References Al-Gahtani S. (2004). Computer Technology Acceptance Success Factors In Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Global Info. Tech. Mgt, 7(1), 5-23. Al-Issa, A. and Al-Bulushi, A. (2010)Training English Language Students to Become Reflective Teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education 35 (4), pp. 41-64. Alghazo, I. (2006). Student Attitudes toward Web-Enhanced Instruction in an Educational Technology Course. College Student Journal, 40(3), 620-63. Arnold, J., Silvester, J., Patterson, F., Robertson, I., Cooper, C. and Burnes, B. (2005) Work Psychology: Understanding Human Behaviour in the Workplace. Fourth Edition. 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