Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education - Volume 2013, Issue 1

This study investigates undergraduate students' experiences working with a mentor to understand research through the process of publishing scholarly manuscripts. The study is based on a 10-week educational program. Two undergraduate students were integrated into an educational mentoring process to identify and evaluate the research of various scientific manuscripts, such as literature reviews, research questions, hypotheses, and methods. The undergraduate students were exposed to the processes behind the review, research and production of manuscripts. They also worked with their mentors to review a manuscript, an activity that engaged them in the process of editorial work through the manuscript management system. The students then drew concept maps of the publishing process, pre- and post-session. These maps presented evidence of students' knowledge of the complex interactions of the players and issues in the publishing process. The students evaluated the mentoring process and demonstrated their satisfaction with the strength of the program. As a qualitative study and as a result of the study program, a blueprint of an undergraduate course in scholarly publishing was developed, and is presented in the paper.

Qatar is in the midst of a massive systematic reform designed to convert its schools and Ministry of Education into a world-class competitive educational system according to Education for a New Era. Influenced by neoliberalism as a dominant ideology that treats education as just another service to be bought and sold on the market, Qatar is one of the most active importers of foreign education providers in the world and this adoption or borrowing of educational methods has drastically shaped the educational landscape in therein. Neoliberalism and the adoption of educational methods or strategies have influenced teacher licensing, curriculum, professional development and daily classroom instruction. One expanse of the educational system that has received little attention is the preschool classroom. This paper reports the findings from nonparticipant observations of preschool classrooms in the England and Qatar, followed by personal reflections and experiences regarding Qatari preschool education. The purpose of the study is to examine the policies and practices in the Qatari preschool system and to determine to what degree preschool pedagogical practices are similar to those practices found in England. The analysis illustrates that there are some teaching methods and pedagogical polices that reflect the British system, but teachers in Qatar still require additional professional development in order to adapt and utilize these pedagogical strategies and policies to better meet the Qatari context.

The development of leaders is a high priority on the national agenda for countries around the world especially in fast-developing regions such as the Middle East. Qatar seeks to support and develop Qatari men and women in the labor force while attracting qualified expatriate workers, many of these individuals serving as leaders in various aspects of society. In particular, the increase in women as leaders in such vital fields as education raises important issues that women face in order to be effective leaders. The central focus of this research project is to explore the perspectives of Middle Eastern Women living in Qatar regarding the barriers they might face and then use Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) to produce strategies that can be integrated into educational leadership programs in order to enable women to develop complex understandings of the circumstances and structures that present barriers to leadership. The sample for this study was drawn from Middle Eastern Women living in Qatar who are in leadership positions. Forty-one participants completed a ten-question, open-ended survey posted on Survey Monkey (it was made available in both English and Arabic) regarding their perspectives on the barriers facing them as women in leadership positions. Upon completion of the data analysis, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted based on the emergent survey themes. Findings from survey responses and interviews support previous research findings regarding barriers faced by women in the Middle East. Transformative Learning Theory is used to offer ways to prepare women for leadership, because it fosters certain emancipatory knowledge essential to personal and national development.

Qatar K-12 school reform emphasizes student-centered classrooms where students actively engage in enquiry and use their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Classrooms characterized by these elements should emerge as more successful on Qatari standards-based assessments, but little research has been done to examine the relationship between these characteristics and standards attainment. This study investigated the conditions for student-centered teaching and learning through examination of teacher and student perceptions, and student achievement in math and science classrooms in higher and lower achieving elementary schools. Data were collected in 17 schools randomly selected from 46 schools that had implemented the standards for at least 3 years. Findings indicate that the percentage of standards met by schools is very low and the incidence of classroom behaviors associated with student-centered classrooms is also very low across schools. However, schools making more progress meeting standards tended to exhibit higher levels of student-centered behaviors. The implications of these findings for professional development and the implementation of reform in Qatar were discussed.

The presence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is similar to other neurological disorders of the brain in that it lacks a simple specific blood or other straightforward test to confirm the disorder. Parent and teacher rating scales are the standard measure of the presence of ADHD. Most referrals to medical professionals for an ADHD assessment are made by the student's teacher. Qatar schools are staffed differently than other countries in the region, with less than 25% of teachers being local Qataris. Given the appointment of teachers from surrounding nations, there is a lack of quality control for teacher preparation with each nation setting their own standards for teacher education and professional development. Without adequate knowledge of ADHD, teachers may not be able to accurately complete the teacher rating scales needed by medical professionals to assist in confirming a diagnosis of ADHD. Therefore, it is important that teachers understand the characteristics of ADHD, and that ADHD is a neurobiological disorder. This descriptive study explores teacher knowledge and perceptions of ADHD. The instrument for this study was derived from the Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorders Scale (KADDS) adapted to fit the local Qatari context and study objectives. Participants were recruited from a random sample of Qatar Independent Schools. Frequency distributions and t-tests were conducted to determine ranges of responses, and relationships between responses and four demographic variables. Results are reported for demographics, teacher knowledge and teacher perceptions and beliefs. The results suggest that current clinical and scientific knowledge of the symptoms, causes and treatment of ADHD is not included in teacher preparation or professional development programs. Thus the ability of teachers to assess eligible students and to monitor medications for students with ADHD comes under question. Promising results include the fact that many teachers reported that they did not know the answers to more than 35% of the survey questions and therefore their knowledge and attitudes may be more readily influenced through workshops and in service programs.