Cultural Fit of Western Education Models for the Qatari Higher Education Context

• In Event: Interrogating the Truth in Educational Research in the Arab World: Perspectives From an Underrepresented Context

Abstract

Several researchers attribute the adoption of Western models of education in non-Western contexts to false universalism (i.e., the belief that a practice originating in one context can be applied in another with similar outcomes) and neocolonialism (i.e., subtle forms of colonial dominance which perpetuate value systems, ideologies and mindset through education) (see Nguyen-Phuong et al., 2012; Gyamera & Burke, 2018). These concepts will be discussed in this symposium presentation in relation to two studies recently conducted in the Qatari HE context.
Theoretical framework
Education research and practice are in the midst of an exciting shift from a focus on best practice to contextualized practice, from fidelity of implementation to local adaptations, and from policy borrowing to policy learning and enactment. This has not always been the case for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Over the past few decades, GCC countries have avidly implemented Western models of education reform and “evidence-based” practices to overhaul their education systems. In the case of Qatar, several empirical studies and conceptual papers have revealed the challenges and problems of adopting such models in Higher Education (HE) institutions (Du et al., 2020; Romanowski, 2021, 2022). Under the pressing need to modernize, Western models have permeated almost every aspect of HE in Qatar, including quality assurance measures, accreditation procedures and instructional design. While the two studies did not initially refer to concepts discussed above, several of their findings were seen in light of the transfer of Western models and the consequential cultural conflicts and mismatches that occurred.
Methodology
Study 1 was a qualitative evaluation study of a professional development program implemented
at Qatar University involving 24 participants across different colleges. The program advocated
for the instructional design principles of constructive alignment, problem- and project-based
learning, and authentic assessments, all originating from Western models of education. Study 2 engaged 57 local education stakeholders in the development and evaluation of a teacher
competency framework as an emergent structure for teacher preparation programs in Qatar. The
study adopted Q-methodology, an approach used for the systematic study of subjective
perspectives (Watts & Stenner, 2012).

Findings and significance
As a qualitative study, the analysis of the multiple sources of data collected for Study 1 revealed how participants perceived their professional learning, and why they perceived such learning was supported or hindered within cultural and structural systems. The study concluded that professional development efforts should consider the local systems of influence on faculty professional learning, with implications for the design of PD programmes. For Study 2, participating education stakeholders failed to reach consensus across the three dimensions of what teachers should know, do and value, despite the attempt to develop a framework originating from internal deliberations. The study highlighted the interrelationships among these constructs and questioned the tradition of treating them as separate entities.

Author

• Youmen Chaaban, Qatar University
  Presenting Author