Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum Volume 2012 Issue 1

Qatari educational curriculum standards emphasize student-centered classrooms where students actively engage in inquiry and problem solving. Classrooms characterized by these elements should emerge as more successful on Qatari standards-based assessments, but little research has been done to determine whether these elements exist. The purpose of this study was to develop profiles of Qatar schools and to examine the relationships among classroom processes, teacher and student perceptions, and student achievement in math and science classrooms in higher and lower achieving elementary schools. Data were collected in October, 2008, in 17 schools randomly selected from 46 schools that had implemented the standards for at least 3 years. Descriptive data for school profiles were generated and compared qualitatively. 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 (0% to 9.53%). However, teachers report high levels of efficacy on a 6 point scale for teaching in reform-oriented schools and perceive that they are implementing high levels of standards-based practices. Reports of inquiry practices were lower (4.2 to 5.76) but still high compared to observation of these practices. While schools making more progress meeting standards tended to exhibit higher levels of student-centered behaviors, no patterns existed for teacher perceptions. They tended to be high despite achievement level or level of observed implementation. Students' perceptions of classroom environment and problem solving also were high, but variations by achievement level were noted with higher performing schools reporting greater student-centeredness and problem-solving activities. The mismatch between participant perceptions and both observed behaviors and achievement has implications for the implementation of reform in general and professional development in particular.

Background and Objectives: Special education in Arab countries, including Qatar, is hampered by the lack of reliable and valid assessments that are (a) in Arabic, (b) contextualized to Arab countries, and (c) normed on appropriate local samples as such instruments are necessary for the accurate identification of disabilities and development of effective instruction. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief behavioral screening tool completed by teachers and parents of children and youth. Its 25 items assess a range of emotional and behavioral disorders through six scales. The instrument, widely used in research as well as practice, has been translated into more than 50 languages and used across a number of countries. Its use in Arab countries, and especially the Gulf, has been limited, however. This UREP-funded research assessed the adequacy of the Arabic version of the SDQ in Qatar by (a) examining the instrument's psychometric properties and (b) investigating its efficacy in identifying emotional and behavioral disorders. Methods: SDQs were collected on over 2,300 students from six primary schools in Qatar. The schools were selected based on geographic location and students' gender, academic performance, and nationalities. Analyses investigated (a) the theoretical structure of the SDQ, (b) the reliability of the SDQ as a whole and its scales, and (c) score classification using standard scoring bands. Results: Results from confirmatory factor analyses suggested that the structure of the SDQ and its scales found in other research was replicated to a large extent, but not entirely. The internal consistencies of the instrument and its scales were adequate to strong for all but two scales. For only three of the 12 scales did the application of the standard scoring bands, however, begin to sort the students into the 80% normal, 10% borderline, and 10% abnormal distribution of scores supported by research in some countries. Conclusions: Additional work is needed to improve this instrument needed in Qatar by: (a) strengthening the internal consistencies of unreliable scales and (b) constructing Qatar‐specific bands for score classification. Doing so will provide schools with an important resource for addressing students' emotional and behavioral needs.

Energy is an important driver for the socio-economic development of a country. Only a sufficient amount of quality energy can promote economic development and satisfy energy demand of the people. Therefore, one important aspect of energy planning is to devise policies that can promote a justifiable use of energy consumption. In order to be able to do so, energy planners use various kinds of mathematical models. In this research, we studied electricity consumption in Qatar through econometric models. As residential and industrial activities are the two most demanding electricity consuming activities in Qatar, we have focused our analysis on these two sectors only. The analysis studies the historical growth pattern and fits the consumption pattern through various econometric models. The most significant model is then proposed for use to forecast electricity consumption for a specified planning period into the future. We believe that an understanding of relationship between electricity consumption and various socio-economic variables will help the planners to develop better generation and transmission policies. Our analysis shows that most of the socio-economic variables may not fit the model due to the electricity consumption characteristics in Qatar. However, the chosen econometric models provide insignificant absolute difference with actual electricity consumption. Once the future values of socio-economic variables are made available, reliable forecast can be obtained for use by the decision makers. We present various results obtained from the analysis.

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by developmentally inappropriate inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, and is the most common and thoroughly researched neuropsychiatry disorder affecting children and adolescence. The diagnosis of ADHD requires a comprehensive clinical assessment, including a detailed patient history, clinical interview and observation, and a thorough physical examination. Objective: Our study is a prospective study to analyze the socio-demographic data of children with the diagnosis of ADHD attending the outpatient clinic of the department of psychiatry at Hamad General Hospital in Qatar, the co-morbid psychiatric disorder associated with ADHD, and also the effect of different treatment modalities on those patients. Results: 29.2% of patients have co-morbid autism, up to 17.6% for organic brain syndrome; oppositional defiant disorders and conduct disorder, followed by depression and obsessive compulsive disorder in 5.8% of cases. Conclusion: Clinically, treatment with stimulants result in an immediate, often dramatic, improvement in the core symptoms of ADHD. We concluded that accurate diagnosis and optimal management of this disorder may be the keys to improving long term outcomes of youth with this disorder.

Background: Traffic accidents have become a social scourge more serious than may be expected. Traffic accidents are greatly concerning for all members of society, and have become one of its most important problems, draining human and material resources. This is in addition to the incurred problems of social, psychological and material losses. Road traffic accidents are increasingly being recognized as a growing public health problem in Qatar. Objective: The main aim of this work is to identify the factors affecting the road accidents in Qatar, and the model that predicts the number of road accidents by year 2022. Method: The number of road accidents can be predicting by the Accident Prediction Model - a mathematical formula describing the relation between the safety level of existing roads (i.e. crashes, victims, injured, fatalities), and variables that explain this level (population ,driving license, number of vehicles). The methods that describe the existing case in Qatar were the multiple linear regression model and the artificial neutral network. Those methods were analyzed and their findings compared. Results: In this study we used multiple linear regression (using number of vehicles, type of vehicles, population, number of driving license) and neural networks to both back-cast (1992-2012) and forecast accidents (2012-2022) in the state of Qatar. The results estimated that if there is no intervention the number of accidents is expected to reach 320,000 by 2022. Conclusions: The main causes of road accidents have remained much the same over time with reckless driving, speeding and lane changing errors (at roundabouts and on higher speed roads) responsible for more than 90% of accidents. Pedestrian fatalities and accidents are of particular concern in Qatar and the number of heavy vehicles using roads has also increased, causing additional safety issues. Road safety has been given high priority for some years in Qatar through extensive safety and awareness campaigns and more aggressive law enforcement, which over the last three years has helped reduce fatalities to their lowest mark in two decades.

In the near future Qatar will be a country of many museums, but already many temporary exhibitions are open to the public. The International Council of Museums defines museums as an institution which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment. The question of whether a sports museum is a place for scientific research has already been raised. The on-going discussion is about how to accomplish this. As a contribution, this article aims to examine the practical use of research in museums based on the "Arab Games Exhibition" (AGE), which was developed by the Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum in Doha, Qatar in 2011. The AGE showcased the history of these Games from their first edition until its last. Lacking a comprehensive body of reliable secondary literature and information on the whereabouts of possible artifacts, it was necessary to develop an extensive research project to find written and oral sources, and then objects to exhibit. Thus, the whole exhibition concept was based on the findings of the developed research. The primary sources used in the research were the documents displayed in the exhibition, which reinforces the idea that the museum collections function as a primary source for research. The sports museum's collections are usually sport artifacts and memorabilia preserved to document the phenomenon. Therefore, research sources and collections are interconnected. In addition to the scarce written sources, the memories of athletes were recorded. These interviews were presented audio-visually for the exhibition, 'giving a voice' to the athletes and explored the appeal of audio-visual exhibits to the public. Naturally, these interviews have become part of the museum collection, being preserved for future exhibitions and research. The example of the AGE illustrates the uses of research in museums. The museum collections can be considered as 'archives' of sources for socio-cultural studies. Furthermore, the exhibitions and the educational programs can be considered the 'space' where the knowledge developed through research is reinterpreted to showcase the complexity of the sport phenomenon to the public.

Background & Objectives: The Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) will be conducting research to assess the media landscape in Qatar. To do so, DCMF intends to use a methodology developed by UNESCO referred to as the Media Development Indicators (MDIs). The MDIs define a framework, within which the media can best contribute to, and benefit from, good governance and democratic development. The MDIs comprise five categories of indicators that, together, provide an aspirational picture of the media ecology to be constructed in order to ensure freedom of expression, pluralism and diversity of the media. Those indicators include: a system of regulation; plurality and diversity of media; media as a platform for democratic discourse; professional capacity building; and infrastructural capacity. The MDIs are not intended as a tool to rank a country's level of media development against that of others. Instead, the indicators should be tailored and customised to fit the particularities of the national context in order to support the efforts of actors working in the area of media development, including policy makers. Methods: Collaboration, consultation and national ownership are key components to enhance the potential impact and local capacity of this project. To this end, DCMF will commission the research to a team of five Qatar-based researchers. The research group will receive training from a UNESCO expert on how to best conduct an MDI assessment. Simultaneously, DCMF will set up an Advisory Committee composed of the most notable stakeholders and experts in the field of media development in Qatar who will provide the research group with feedbacks and recommendations. The project will start in October and end in April 2013. Results: In addition to providing one of the first in-depth analytical studies of the media situation in Qatar, this research will guide the formulation of policy-related recommendations. The final report will be published as a book in Arabic and English. It is hoped that this book will serve as a public resource for universities, media outlets and research institutes in Qatar and, in the long-term, support Qatar's transition from a carbon economy to a knowledge economy.

This paper presents the implementation of a two-month reading extracurricular activity designed for fourth grade students. The resulting data and analysis detailed primary students attitudes towards reading, teacher self-efficacy, teacher instructional behavior and home literacy measures. The reading program was designed through a Qatar University partnership with the Childhood Cultural Center, both non-governmental organizations. The program was run in four schools selected randomly. The program was announced to each school and students in the four schools were asked if they wished to enroll after receiving parental consent. In total there were 248 in the treatment group (students who enrolled in the reading program in the English and Arabic) and 176 students who were recruited in the control group (did not enroll in the program). The main analytical design was a split-plot analysis of variance (ANOVA) design. The findings of this study suggested that students in the reading program were prone to have higher interest than those who did not enroll in the reading program, even when factoring out parental and home environment effects. This paper begins by providing background information on the importance of reading. An overview is presented of existing evidence on the effectiveness of an after-school setting and a description of the reading program tested to support the implementation of these models in school sites. The results from this study provide an impact evaluation and recommendations for further implementation.

During the last decade, many cities in the Middle East have experienced dramatic forms of urban change in response to the new world order and what is referred to as "globalization". Global flows of capital, people, and knowledge and information began to reshape the economic, social, and political structures of cities across the region. This study investigates the role of global knowledge and information flows in shaping development in Doha during the era of globalization. It focuses on the hubs or places that have the capacity of triggering flows from the global domain to the local context. These hubs are classified into three main types: 1) Micro places of flows which are small hubs that connect a local context to the global domain. They perform individually and spontaneously with minimum regulations. They also don't feature any forms of coordination. Homes, offices and cafes exposed to global flows of information via internet and satellite channels fall under this category. 2) Intermediate scale places of flows which feature more intense agglomerations of global flows than micro hubs. They perform in a relatively more regulated and coordinated manner and are usually run by institutions or organizations. 3) Mega places of flows which are hubs that host very intense and massive scales of global flows. They are usually very specialized and regulated. Besides, they require huge investments which make them a feature of rich cities. These three types of hubs play a significant role in intensifying flows of knowledge to Doha. This study maps and analyzes these three types of hubs of knowledge flows in the city. It presents a comprehensive documentation of these hubs in order to highlight their contribution to the city.

This study reports on undergraduate student experience with a mentor on understanding research through the publishing of scholarly manuscripts. The study designed a 10-week intervention/educational program. Two undergraduate students were integrated in an educational mentoring process to identify and evaluate research in scientific manuscripts, as in literature reviews, research questions, hypothesis, and methods. The undergraduate students were exposed to the process of review, research and production of manuscripts. The two students saw the research process in final form as a pre-published manuscript. Undergraduate students worked with the mentor in reviewing a manuscript and they were engaged in the process of editorial work through the manuscript management system. Students drew the post concept maps of the publishing process, pre and post intervention, the maps showed evidence of knowledge and complex interactions of players in the publishing process. The students evaluated the mentoring process and demonstrated satisfaction with the program strength. The study proposed the development of an undergraduate course in scholarly publishing and developed a blue-print of the course.