Considering that one of the main objectives of the Educational Research Center is to achieve cooperation and exchange of knowledge in the fields of education with various partners, the Center has been engaged and continues to engage in many important projects to achieve the desired goals, in line with the vision and mission of the Center. Among the main research priorities identified by the center are the following:
- Building collaborations with partners and stakeholders
- Research capacity building
- Completion and dissemination of educational research
The Center has embarked on a series of partnerships with multiple entities, the most prominent aspect of this cooperation is the launch of partnerships between the center and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, research centers within Qatar University, and other research centers outside the university.
- Areas of cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education:
The Educational Research Center (ERC) has launched an ambitious initiative aimed at collaborating in various fields with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, which takes multiple forms that address topics related to the challenges facing the education system in Qatar. Cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education includes three main axes:
- Preparing and implementing joint research projects for QNRF grant (National Priorities Research Program).
- Preparing and carrying out joint research and reports centered on the most important challenges facing the education system at its various stages.
- Providing training workshops for the Ministry's employees within the framework of building national capacities in the field of scientific research.
In this context, the Educational Research Center held a series of meetings with the Department of Educational Policies and Research at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, as the first meeting in this regard took place on 20-09-2020, followed by regular meetings that resulted in the following:
- Identify strategic research priorities that will form the focus of joint studies and research between the Ministry and the Center
- Preparing and implementing joint research projects.
- Agreement to share data on completed research and studies available at the Educational Research Center and the College of Education on the one hand and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education on the other.
- Agree to prepare a report on the performance of Qatari students in international tests with a focus on the PISA test.
- Agreement to prepare a report on the opinions and perceptions of parents of primary school students about distance education during the Corona pandemic (Covid 19).
The field of cooperation with the Ministry | Current status and extent of project completion |
Identify strategic research priorities (defined in three): – Students' performance in reading, writing, and mathematics skills (pre-university education stages). – Challenges of e-learning and distance learning (primary and preparatory education). – Academic achievement and factors affecting students' performance (primary and preparatory education stages). | Completed March 2021 |
Sharing data on research and studies carried out (data is available on the Ministry's website and in the College of Education). | Completed April 2021 |
Preparing a report on the performance of Qatari students in the PISA | Completed May 2021 |
Coordination with the Ministry and Dr. Youssef Al-Shaboul to prepare a study on the opinions and perceptions of parents of primary school students about distance learning during the Corona pandemic (Covid 19). | Presentation and provision of data on the results of the study to the Ministry |
Preparing a joint research project that won a grant from the Qatar National Research Fund (National Priorities Research Program – Research Clusters Track). | In progress (Project duration: 5 years) |
Providing training workshops for the Ministry's employees within the framework of building national capacities in the field of scientific research. | In Progress (2021) |
- Areas of cooperation with institutes and centers and departments at Qatar University
The Educational Research Center has also initiated collaborations in various education-related fields within Qatar University, including the preparation of projects, research papers and training workshops. The center has already begun collaborating with the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute, the Center for Inclusion and Special Needs Support, the Early Childhood Center, and the Student Experience Department at Qatar University.
- Cooperation with the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute at Qatar University:
Cooperation with the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute covers multiple aspects, as shown in the following table:
Scope of cooperation with the Institute of Social and Economic Survey Research | Current status and extent of project completion |
- Preparation of the "Education Study in Qatar 2021" project - Preparation and formulation of the study questionnaire - Coordination with the Ministry to prepare the comprehensive framework (disclosure) for independent schools, private schools, international schools, and community schools for the academic year 2021-2022, provided that the framework includes the name of the school, the gender and number of students, and the type of school | Project completion date: mid-February2021 |
Audit and review the five Qatar Education Study 2018 reports: – Motivation report among school students and parents' participation in the education process (one report in Arabic and another in English) – Private lessons report (Arabic and English) – Parents' Satisfaction Report (Arabic and English) – School Facilities (report in Arabic and another in English) – Curriculum and textbook report (Arabic and English) | Completed on 22 November 2021 |
Training workshops on the preparation and publication of research, these training workshops are provided by the Director of the Center every week and continuously | From 10 October to 30 November 2021 |
| Preparing a joint research paper on parents' satisfaction with schools | Completed on 22 October2021 |
| Preparation of a joint research paper on private lessons in Qatar (joint research) | Completed on 23 September 2021 |
Preparing a joint research paper on the future aspirations of secondary school students (joint research) | In progress |
Preparing a joint research paper on the impact of the Corona pandemic on secondary school students' learning of STEM subjects (joint research) | In progress |
Joint research paper on the potential impact of organizing the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar (joint research) | In progress |
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- Cooperation with Qatar University Center for Young Scientists:
- Cooperation with the Qatar University Young Scientists Center includes the aspect mainly related to the preparation of joint research projects for the Qatar National Research Fund (National Research Priorities Program) grant, the preparation of research papers on the challenges faced by the students of this center, among others.
The field of cooperation with Qatar University Center for Young Scientists | Current status and extent of project completion |
Preparing research papers on the challenges faced by students during the Corona pandemic (joint research) | In progress |
- Cooperation with the Center for Inclusion and Support for People with Special Needs at Qatar University:
The collaboration with the Center for Inclusion and Special Needs Support includes the preparation of a joint research project for the Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP) grant and the preparation of a research paper on the challenges faced by students with special needs.
The field of cooperation with the Center for Inclusion and Support for People with Special Needs | Current status and extent of project completion |
Preparing a research paper on the challenges faced by students with special needs during the Corona pandemic (joint research) | In progress |
E. Cooperation with the Early Childhood Center:
The Educational Research Center also collaborates with a group of faculty members at the Early Childhood Center to prepare and publish educational research.
The field of cooperation with faculty members at the Early Childhood Center | Current status and extent of project completion |
Preparing a joint research paper on the academic ambitions of secondary school students in Qatar. | In progress |
Possibility of preparing joint research papers on other topics (challenges facing teachers in Qatar, curriculum and textbook). | In progress |
F. Cooperation with Qatar University Student Experience Department:
Cooperation with the Student Support Center includes the preparation of joint research papers on the academic performance of Qatar University students.
The field of cooperation with the Student Experience Department | Current status and extent of project completion |
Preparing joint research papers on the academic performance of Qatar University students. | In progress |
3. Cooperation with research institutions outside Qatar University:
In terms of external collaboration, the center has already begun collaborating with Qatar Foundation's Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) as well as Sunway University in Malaysia in partnership with researchers from the UK and Australia.
Area of cooperation | The extent of the completion of the project |
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development Preparing a joint research project with researchers from Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Research won Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP) grant – Research Clusters Track) on the theme "Sustainable Development Goals – Education and Citizenship in Qatar: Strengthening Qatar's Power in the International Arena" | In progress |
Sunway University, Educational Research Centre in Higher Education - Malaysia Centre for Higher Education Research (CHER) – Preparing joint research with a group of researchers from Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Australia on the topic of students' return to university studies after the Corona pandemic | In progress |
جامعة لندن (University College London UCL)، معهد التربية – المملكة المتحدة (Institute of Education) – Preparing joint research with a group of researchers at the Institute of Education on higher education topics and international education institutions in the Gulf region | In progress |
Waseda University, Qatar Chair for Islamic Area Studies at Waseda University, Japan Chair of the State of Qatar in Islamic Area Studies at Waseda University – Agreement with researchers from Waseda University, Japan, to carry out research projects and prepare research papers related to the social aspect of education (e.g., society's view of university degrees, liberal education in the era of globalization) | Preliminary agreement |
In addition to collaborating with Sunway University, the Centre is currently engaged in talks with other institutions in the UK and Hong Kong to establish cooperation in educational research, including:
- Institute of Education, University College London, UK.
- Education University Hong Kong to build collaborations in educational research.
- Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh
2. Research Projects:
Regarding research projects, the three members of the Educational Research Center (Dr. Abdullatif Sellami, Dr. Michael Romanowski, and Dr. Youmen Chaaban) are all involved in different research projects, and their participation in the following:
A) Qatar National Research Fund Grants: National Priorities Research Program (Research Clusters Track)
Research Project | Current status and extent of project completion |
“Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – Education and Global Citizenship in Qatar: Enhancing Qatar’s Nested Power in the Global Arena” (NPRP12C-0804-190009) – (Scholarship duration is 5 years) – Dr. Romanowski and Dr. Abdullatif Sellami (Research Associate) | In progress |
“Promoting Sustainable Development of K12 STEM in Qatar in a Digital Age” (NPRP12C-0828-190023) – (Scholarship duration is 3 years) – Dr. Ahmed Al-Emadi, Dr. Ahmed Majriya, Dr. Abdul Latif Sellami (Research Associate) | In progress |
B. QNRF Grants: National Priorities Research Program (Regular Track)
Research Project | Current status and extent of project completion |
“Gender, Education, and Employment Transitions in Qatar: Implementing the First Survey of Qatari Youth” (NPRP13S-0111-200034) – (Scholarship duration is 3 years) – Dr. Abdullatif Sellami (Research Associate) | In progress |
أ) Qatar University Internship Program | Current status and extent of project completion |
Qatar University Collaborative Research Grant “Barriers to Students’ Participation in STEM Education in Qatar” (QUCG-SESRI-2020/21-1) – (Scholarship duration is two years) – Dr. Abdullatif Sellami (Principal Investigator) | In progress |
- Qatar University Young Scientists Center | In progress |