Institutional and Unit Characteristics
Institutional Characteristics
Qatar University (QU) is the national university of Qatar and is located in its capital, Doha. The university is situated on the northern edge of the city, approximately 16 kilometers from the downtown city center, with architecture that is distinguished and modern while reflecting the ideals of traditional Islamic design.
The State of Qatar is an Arab emirate, geographically located on a small peninsula on the northeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by Saudi Arabia. Qatar is an oil and gas-rich county with the second highest per capita income in the world. Qatar began an extensive, systemic education reform in 2002; QU has been a key player in that reform.
The history of the university and the history of the unit are inextricably interrelated. Higher education began in Qatar with an Emiri decree in 1973 proclaiming the establishment of the College of Education, the founding college of Qatar University. At present, Qatar University is comprised of eight colleges: College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, College of Engineering, College of Law, College of Business and Economics, College of Pharmacy, and College of Medicine. It currently has more than 14,000 students and an alumni body of more than 30,000. QU offers more than 60 specializations. While the majority of its courses are at the undergraduate level, QU currently offers 26 programs at graduate level.
In addition to a well-equipped state-of-the-art library, the university has a number of support-for-learning centers and units, including an education technology center, advanced video conferencing facilities, and international standard laboratories. Students are further supported by Cisco WebEx, Blackboard and lecture capture technologies in (and outside) the classroom that provide opportunities for QU students to access relevant course information, and to revisit lectures, workshops and classroom discussions. Additional support for students includes a reformulated Foundation Program, amended policies on student academic probation and retention, a self-study to gauge students’ first-year campus experience, a refocused Student Learning Support Center, counseling services, dedicated Center for Academic Advising and Retention, peer tutoring and teacher-student mentoring. The Office for Faculty and Instructional Development (OFID) supports the organization’s faculty body and serves their professional development needs, providing opportunities for sharing experience and teaching/learning skills development.
QU has a commitment to research and has recently established a multi-million Research Complex and a number of specialized research centers within the seven colleges. It generously funds internal research, faculty professional travel, graduate student research, scholarships and fellowships. Community service also stands as an intrinsic part of QU’s mission and vision, and outreach activities include professional development for professionals in a broad range of careers, high school programs, health and wellness campaigns, environmental conservation, library facilities, and consultancy support services.
Qatar University shall be a model national university in the region, recognized for high-quality education and research, and for being a leader of economic and social development.
Qatar University is the national institution of higher education in Qatar. It provides high quality undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare competent graduates, destined to shape the future of Qatar. The university community has diverse and committed faculty who teach and conduct research, which addresses relevant local and regional challenges, advances knowledge, and contributes actively to the needs and aspirations of society.
Professional Education at Qatar University
The unit consists of the College of Education. It has two departments: Educational Sciences, which offers two baccalaureate degrees, two post-baccalaureate diplomas, and one masters degree; and Psychological Sciences, which offers two post-baccalaureate diplomas and a masters degree. The unit’s mission states: “The College of Education is committed to providing excellence in the initial and advanced preparation of education professionals by establishing a foundation in which life-long learning, teaching, research, and community partnerships are fostered. The college fulfills its commitment by providing:
- To its members an educational, motivational, and supportive environment for both learning and teaching in a climate characterized by responsible freedom.
To society highly qualified education professionals and on-going professional development, by supporting scholarly activities, and by sharing the responsibility of educational reform through effective partnerships.
Other units at the institution that are involved in educator preparation are the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, which provide content courses for candidates seeking baccalaureate degrees. The unit collaborates closely with the departments that provide content courses to identify the best courses for our candidates and to monitor their progress. Frequent meetings are held with faculty from these other colleges to review courses, syllabi, standards, and other mutual concerns. The only other unit involved in the preparation of professional educators is the newly established Sport Science Program, which is part of CAS. At present there are no students enrolled in the Physical Education track as this program is still in the recruitment stage. The National Center for Educator Development provides a range of professional development opportunities for inservice teachers. It is a center within the College of Education (the unit).
Programs Offered
Until 2010, there was no teacher licensure system in Qatar, and to the present date, the licensure system is in an early stage of being implemented. For that reason, not only the baccalaureate programs, but also the post-baccalaureate programs, in which most of the candidates are inservice teachers, are offered licensure at the initial level, including:
The two masters programs (Masters in Educational Leadership and Masters in Special Education) are considered programs for other education professionals. With rare exceptions the candidates in these programs have no initial licensure or certification. The reason for this classification is the structure of the programs and the positions to which the candidates transition.
The unit has no off-campus or alternate route programs. Although most of our programs are enhanced by some online delivery, especially in the post-baccalaureate diploma programs, at this time no course or program is offered completely online. The unit received recognition by the Center for Quality Assurance in International Education in January 2011, with the exception of Standard 2. This standard was met satisfactorily after a follow-up visit in May 2013. The new licensure system in Qatar is portfolio-based, and until fall 2013, only inservice teachers could apply for licensure. In fall 2013, the
Supreme Education Council, which is the governing body for K-12 schools in Qatar, agreed to grant QU graduates from the teacher education program initial licensure, based on the high quality of the program and the unit’s rigorous standards for graduation.
Conceptual Framework
The
conceptual framework was developed through extensive interactions with a broad range of stakeholders and is interrelated with the vision and mission of the unit and the university. It is built upon the following unit values:
Honoring the history, culture, and values of Qatar and its people
Providing challenging academic programs benchmarked to international standards of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and dispositions
Contributing to the solution of social and educational problems
Respecting diversity locally and globally
Promoting collaborative communities of practice
Using the most current technologies to advance education
Contributing to theory and practice in education through scholarship
Fostering life-long learning
Requiring the highest standards of professional ethics
It is summarized in this conceptual framework statement: Together we shape the future through excellence in teaching, scholarship, and leadership. The word together represents the realization that achieving the goals of Qatar’s national vision for education is the responsibility of the whole community, not just the unit. It also represents the concept of the unit as a learning community. A constructivist epistemology and active, student-centered pedagogical approaches are central to our programs. The phrase we shape the future… is interpreted as a two-fold responsibility to our candidates to, first. help them learn about, engage, and critique cultural and social values, traditions, morality, and religion; and second, to provide them with the knowledge and skills needed to develop their intellectual and social potentials. The phrase in the conceptual framework through excellence in teaching, scholarship, and leadership represents the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that our candidates are expected to master and demonstrate. These fall within the categories of:
- Knowledge about K-12 students
In-depth content knowledge in their fields Pedagogical content knowledge and skills
Dispositions that contribute to effective teaching and learning
Knowledge and skills about the instructional uses of technology
Ability to use and to generate scholarship and to engage students in scholarly inquiry
Ability to engage in professional communities and to serve as teacher-leaders
Emerging from the conceptual framework are eight unit learning outcomes that are expected of candidates in all programs:
Content --– Apply key theories and concepts of the subject matter.
Pedagogy--Plan effective instruction to maximize K-12 student learning.
Technology--Use current and emerging technologies in instructionally powerful ways.
Diversity--Foster successful learning experiences for all students by addressing individual differences.
Problem Solving--Arrive at data-informed decisions by systematically examining a variety of factors and resources.
Scholarly Inquiry--Actively engage in scholarship by learning from and contributing to the knowledge base in education.
Ethical Values--Apply professional ethics in all educational contexts.
Initiative--Lead positive change in education.
The dispositions expected of candidates are similar for all programs, varying only according to the specialized fields in which they will eventually serve, and are related to the unit learning outcomes. The dispositions for the initial preparation programs follow:
Content: Upholds high standards for content knowledge for all students.
Pedagogy: Makes decisions consistent with the belief that all children can learn.
Diversity: Validates students’ unique strengths and ways of learning.
Technology: Demonstrates willingness to adopt the most appropriate learning resources, including ICT resources.
Scholarly Inquiry: Reflects on personal beliefs and practices about teaching and learning. Problem Solving: Recognizes the importance of a systematic approach to problem solving and decision-making.
Ethical Values: Treats all students, parents, and colleagues with fairness and dignity.
Initiative: Readily engages with new opportunities and tasks.
In addition to the Unit Learning Outcomes and program dispositions, candidates must also demonstrate knowledge and skills related to the corresponding Specialized Professional Associations (SPA) that represents that discipline and the Qatar National Professional Standards for Teachers (initial programs) and School Leaders (programs for other school professionals). The national standards for teachers follow:
Qatar National Professional Standards for Teachers
Structure innovative and flexible learning experiences for individuals and groups of students.
Use teaching strategies and resources to engage students in effective learning.
Foster language literacy and numeracy development.
Create safe, supportive, and challenging learning environments.
Construct learning experiences that connect with the world beyond school.
Apply information and communication technology in managing student learning.
Assess and report on student learning.
Apply knowledge of students and how they learn to support student learning and development.
Apply teaching/subject area knowledge to support student learning.
Work as a member of professional teams.
Build partnerships with families and the community.
Reflect on, evaluate, and improve professional practice.
Through various discussions and assignments, the unit helps candidates understand the interrelatedness of these standards and expectations and provides multiple opportunities for candidates to learn, practice, and demonstrate them. An online data management system allows the unit to follow the progress of candidates as they put into practice the conceptual framework and international, national, and unit standards.
Exhibits for the Overview