Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development
Teacher Education Specific to Mathematics and Science
Mathematics and science teachers who teach at Grades 4 and 8 must have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or science. New teachers must have four years of supervised student teaching experience at the primary level and pass a qualifying examination before they can be employed officially as a teacher, and must complete a series of training programs to strengthen their abilities in teaching and delivering information. Teachers also do exchange classroom visits that usually are scheduled by a subject matter coordinator. Teachers are able to use items and stimuli from the item bank network developed by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and are able to access the national reports on student performance on the national examination Qatar Comprehensive Educational Assessment (QCEA) and on the international studies (e.g., TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA).
Requirements for Ongoing Professional Development
The Professional Development Office in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education provides professional development opportunities for teachers and school leaders, so they can stay current on the latest teaching and school leadership and management techniques. It also advises schools on the design and content of their own professional development plans, and approves the professional development plans of independent schools and provides support needed in this context.9
Training workshops in formulating questions for teachers of mathematics and science were held by specialists in this field, aiming to raise the achievement of students on the TIMSS assessment.
Teachers receive educational supervision from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education experts, and a report is given for every teacher that is used to pinpoint areas of strengths and weaknesses and identify ways of improving their teaching skills.