rom formal settings such as public and private schools to informal experiences such as extracurricular activities, recreational activities, and the workplace, today’s young people are able to gain educational experiences across multiple learning environments. Unfortunately, with a large equity gap between different student populations, many students lack access to the wide breadth of learning experiences that others may participate in regularly. In Qatar in particular, there are several challenges related to youth learning and development—and in order to overcome these barriers, the adoption of larger learning ecosystems in which continuous collective effort among community members and stakeholders will be key to implementing new ways of learning for youth in Qatar.
Challenges
Indeed, while continual education throughout life is considered critical to social and economic development in Qatar, significant challenges surrounding learning poverty and attainment gaps still remain, with the biggest challenge stemming from inequitable distribution of available resources—leading to inequitable access to learning, structural inequalities, and difficulties for learners to pursue more educational opportunities.
In an effort to address these challenges, WISE recently released a report on how developing local learning ecosystems in Qatar has the potential to advance equity, inclusion, and social cohesion throughout the country. Through a series of surveys, interviews, and workshops with stakeholders and learners in Qatar, WISE sought to better understand the concept of learning ecosystems in Qatar along six core areas: equity and social cohesion, skills and values, innovative practices and pedagogical approaches, student motivation, collaboration and partnership working, and COVID-19 and the remote learning experience.
Findings
In terms of equity and social cohesion, WISE noted several key findings. First, they found that the schools surveyed understood equity and social cohesion as multi-dimensional concepts, with a strong focus on inclusion and widening opportunity—but also a general recognition that equity benefits everyone, not just those in disadvantaged groups. They also found that schools had a concept of social cohesion as a booster for tolerance, engagement across communities, and diversity. Lastly, they noted that in order to promote equity and social cohesion, strategies such as eliminating grade repetition, avoiding early tracking, and managing school choice to avoid systemic segregation and inequalities were necessary to increase equity and social cohesion in their learning ecosystems.
In addition, skills and values can be used to serve two broad purposes: act as instruments for measurable economic benefits and to support moral and civic purposes in social and cultural development. They also noted how schools placed value on 21st century skills and lifelong learning, and that values such as moral character and interpersonal collaboration were seen as equally important.
In terms of innovative practices and pedagogical approaches, several key approaches were highlighted, such as blended learning, inquiry-based learning, mastery-based approaches, as well as practical, real-life applications of learning. Similarly, innovative initiatives such as inter-school competitions, clubs, campaigns and youth leadership opportunities were mentioned. On the pedagogical side, the importance of professional development and collaboration to improve quality of teaching was also noted, and a lack of high-quality information about learning opportunities was put forward as a challenge—further demonstrating that in order to help schools invest in more innovative pedagogies, providing more information on opportunities and resources will be critical.
In terms of learner motivation and agency, schools often mentioned activity-based learning, context-based learning, and outcomes-based education as successful ways to boost learner motivation. Similarly, schools noted how strategies such as academic and career counselling, positive reinforcement, partnerships between schools and universities, and extracurricular activities-built motivation in students, expanded choice, and promoted self-efficacy. However, the ability to expand student choice is often constrained by curricula and teaching delivery methods.
In terms of collaboration and partnership, the report found that inter-school competitions, teacher exchanges, and professional development initiatives were some of the most common examples of collaboration cited by schools. Similarly, schools who participated in the survey described how collaboration could be used to not only help build the confidence, resilience and skills of learners, but to also promote social cohesion and help learners develop a greater sense of global awareness and diversity. However, participating schools noted many barriers as well, citing time, language differences, different curricula among schools and administrative costs—although potential solutions were also noted, such as implementing a centralized platform for knowledge sharing, supporting staff to develop collaborative skills, and encouraging stronger links with external business and community organizations.
Lastly, the report examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected learning environments in Qatar, and found several potential gains at the systems level, including increased quality of online content and resources, more development of technical infrastructure and communication systems to support learning, opportunities for professional development for teachers, new opportunities for parental engagement, and school decentralization.
Recommendations
Through their engagement with both government schools and private schools in Qatar, WISE was able to compile a series of recommendations for improving and expanding local learning ecosystems both within Qatar and beyond. First, the report stressed that there is a need for an in-depth mapping of the pre-existing learning ecosystem and learning assets across Qatar, as well as a need to create greater alignment in terms of shared goals, values and priorities for youth learners.
The report also recommended exploring practices that can support organizations and stakeholders in developing co-owned visions and goals, and to similarly strengthen the network infrastructure for collaboration and practice sharing as well as develop strategies and tools to increase connections among schools, informal learning providers, higher education and business.
Another key recommendation involved investing in a multitude of verticals, such as: investing in the skills and capacities needed for collaboration and partnership, investing in media platforms and storytelling as cultural change tools, and investing continually in the development of inclusive and equitable practices.
Lastly, the research concluded that expanding educational leadership across government as well as increasing institutional capacities for innovation and systems thinking will be key in supporting the development of learning ecosystems.
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Developing Local Learning Ecosystems in Qatar for Equity and Inclusion
School in Umm Salal Muhammed, Qatar.
Photo by Leonid Andronov via Adobe Stock.
December 18, 2021
F
rom formal settings such as public and private schools to informal experiences such as extracurricular activities, recreational activities, and the workplace, today’s young people are able to gain educational experiences across multiple learning environments. Unfortunately, with a large equity gap between different student populations, many students lack access to the wide breadth of learning experiences that others may participate in regularly. In Qatar in particular, there are several challenges related to youth learning and development—and in order to overcome these barriers, the adoption of larger learning ecosystems in which continuous collective effort among community members and stakeholders will be key to implementing new ways of learning for youth in Qatar.
Challenges
Indeed, while continual education throughout life is considered critical to social and economic development in Qatar, significant challenges surrounding learning poverty and attainment gaps still remain, with the biggest challenge stemming from inequitable distribution of available resources—leading to inequitable access to learning, structural inequalities, and difficulties for learners to pursue more educational opportunities.
In an effort to address these challenges, WISE recently released a report on how developing local learning ecosystems in Qatar has the potential to advance equity, inclusion, and social cohesion throughout the country. Through a series of surveys, interviews, and workshops with stakeholders and learners in Qatar, WISE sought to better understand the concept of learning ecosystems in Qatar along six core areas: equity and social cohesion, skills and values, innovative practices and pedagogical approaches, student motivation, collaboration and partnership working, and COVID-19 and the remote learning experience.
Findings
In terms of equity and social cohesion, WISE noted several key findings. First, they found that the schools surveyed understood equity and social cohesion as multi-dimensional concepts, with a strong focus on inclusion and widening opportunity—but also a general recognition that equity benefits everyone, not just those in disadvantaged groups. They also found that schools had a concept of social cohesion as a booster for tolerance, engagement across communities, and diversity. Lastly, they noted that in order to promote equity and social cohesion, strategies such as eliminating grade repetition, avoiding early tracking, and managing school choice to avoid systemic segregation and inequalities were necessary to increase equity and social cohesion in their learning ecosystems.
In addition, skills and values can be used to serve two broad purposes: act as instruments for measurable economic benefits and to support moral and civic purposes in social and cultural development. They also noted how schools placed value on 21st century skills and lifelong learning, and that values such as moral character and interpersonal collaboration were seen as equally important.
In terms of innovative practices and pedagogical approaches, several key approaches were highlighted, such as blended learning, inquiry-based learning, mastery-based approaches, as well as practical, real-life applications of learning. Similarly, innovative initiatives such as inter-school competitions, clubs, campaigns and youth leadership opportunities were mentioned. On the pedagogical side, the importance of professional development and collaboration to improve quality of teaching was also noted, and a lack of high-quality information about learning opportunities was put forward as a challenge—further demonstrating that in order to help schools invest in more innovative pedagogies, providing more information on opportunities and resources will be critical.
In terms of learner motivation and agency, schools often mentioned activity-based learning, context-based learning, and outcomes-based education as successful ways to boost learner motivation. Similarly, schools noted how strategies such as academic and career counselling, positive reinforcement, partnerships between schools and universities, and extracurricular activities-built motivation in students, expanded choice, and promoted self-efficacy. However, the ability to expand student choice is often constrained by curricula and teaching delivery methods.
In terms of collaboration and partnership, the report found that inter-school competitions, teacher exchanges, and professional development initiatives were some of the most common examples of collaboration cited by schools. Similarly, schools who participated in the survey described how collaboration could be used to not only help build the confidence, resilience and skills of learners, but to also promote social cohesion and help learners develop a greater sense of global awareness and diversity. However, participating schools noted many barriers as well, citing time, language differences, different curricula among schools and administrative costs—although potential solutions were also noted, such as implementing a centralized platform for knowledge sharing, supporting staff to develop collaborative skills, and encouraging stronger links with external business and community organizations.
Lastly, the report examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected learning environments in Qatar, and found several potential gains at the systems level, including increased quality of online content and resources, more development of technical infrastructure and communication systems to support learning, opportunities for professional development for teachers, new opportunities for parental engagement, and school decentralization.
Recommendations
Through their engagement with both government schools and private schools in Qatar, WISE was able to compile a series of recommendations for improving and expanding local learning ecosystems both within Qatar and beyond. First, the report stressed that there is a need for an in-depth mapping of the pre-existing learning ecosystem and learning assets across Qatar, as well as a need to create greater alignment in terms of shared goals, values and priorities for youth learners.
The report also recommended exploring practices that can support organizations and stakeholders in developing co-owned visions and goals, and to similarly strengthen the network infrastructure for collaboration and practice sharing as well as develop strategies and tools to increase connections among schools, informal learning providers, higher education and business.
Another key recommendation involved investing in a multitude of verticals, such as: investing in the skills and capacities needed for collaboration and partnership, investing in media platforms and storytelling as cultural change tools, and investing continually in the development of inclusive and equitable practices.
Lastly, the research concluded that expanding educational leadership across government as well as increasing institutional capacities for innovation and systems thinking will be key in supporting the development of learning ecosystems.
