University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Improving math achievement among fourth graders at Al-Corniche Primary For Girls: a gap analysis

(USC Thesis Other)

Improving math achievement among fourth graders at Al-Corniche Primary For Girls: a gap analysis

PDF

Download a page range

Download transcript

Copy asset link

Request this asset

Transcript (if available)

Content Running head: IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

1

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AMONG FOURTH GRADERS AT AL-CORNICHE
PRIMARY FOR GIRLS: A GAP ANALYSIS

by

Fawzi Al-Ajji

___________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August 2015

Copyright 2015 Fawzi Al-Ajji

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank Allah all mighty for all of his blessings
throughout my life and ask him to grant me and all of those that I love the highest level in
paradise in the hereafter.
I would like to give acknowledgements to a list of people. My dissertation would not
have been made possible without their support and encouragements.
First of all, to my mother for her overwhelming love, support, encouragements, and
constant prayers every day from the day I started primary school and all the way during my ups
and downs in the last two years. She has truly been the wind beneath my wings.
Secondly, to my wife and five children for tolerating my constant absence from their lives
while at home or when traveling. And I ask for their forgiveness for canceling their yearly
vacation and constant refusals to take them out not because I did not want to but because I could
not do so.
Thirdly, my deepest thanks and appreciation goes to my dissertation chair, Dr. Helena
Seli, for her trust in my abilities and for constantly reminding me that I can do it. Her insightful
guidance enabled me to understand the foundations and research and the beauty of academic
work. Her enthusiasm to teach and help her students is unlike anything that I have encountered
throughout my entire study life. Her prompt replies to my enquiries were so reassuring and her
many valuable pieces of advice helped me build my self-confidence and made my dissertation
writing process truly enjoyable. Thank you so much Dr. Seli, I will never forget you.
Fourthly, I would like to thank all the professors and the entire administrative team of the
Global Ed.D program for their tremendous assistance and support.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

3
Fifthly, thank you to all the members of Global Ed.D Cohort Two for constantly
motivating and reminding one another the importance of determination and perseverance until
the very end. I want to particularly thank Iris Chang, Brenda Sinclair, and my brother Luke
Hamid for their constant help and support during the entire time of the program. You all will
always be in my mind and I look forward to keeping our special relationships forever.
Finally, I would like to thank my company Maersk Oil Qatar for granting me the
opportunity and time to enroll and for paying half of the cost of the program. I particularly would
like to thank, Sh. Faisal Al-Thani, Saad Al-Mohannadi and the CEO Mr. Jacob Thomasen for
always believing in me and giving me their full trust and support.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 2
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 10
Chapter 1: Overview of the Study 11
Introduction of the Problem of Practice 11
Organizational Context and Mission 12
Organizational Performance Problem 12
Related Literature 13
Importance of the Problem 17
Organizational Goal 18
Stakeholders and Stakeholders’ Goals 18
Stakeholder for the Study and Stakeholder Performance Gap 21
Purpose of the Project and Questions 22
Methodological Framework 23
Definitions 23
Organization of the Dissertation 23
Chapter 2: Literature Review 25
Qatar National Vision 2030, Nationalization and Math Achievement 25
Role of Mathematics in the Global Economy 32
Measuring Mathematics Achievement 34
Qatari Students’ Performance in International Achievement Tests 37
Schools in Qatar and Math Tests 38
Teachers’ Challenges in Qatar and Other GCC Countries 42
The Importance of Mathematics Teachers 44
Best Practices in Teaching Mathematics 46
Test Taking Strategies 49
Summary and Conclusion 54
Chapter 3: Methodology 55
Purpose of the Project and Guiding Questions 55
Framework for the Study 56
Assumed Causes of the Performance Gap 57
Validation of the Causes of the Performance Gap 66
Participants 75
Procedures 75
Data Collection 75
Role of Investigator 77
Data Analysis 78
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

5
Chapter 4: Results and Findings 79
Participating Stakeholders 79
Results and Findings for Knowledge and Skills Causes 80
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes 98
Results and Findings for Organizational Assumed Causes 116
Summary 133
Chapter 5: Solutions, Implementation And Evaluation 135
Recommended Solutions for Validated Causes 136
Solutions Integration 145
Implementation Plan 147
Evaluation Plan 150
Limitations 157
Future Research 158
Conclusion 159
References 161
Appendices 184
Appendix A: Survey Instrument for Teachers 184
Appendix B: Semi-Structured Interview Protocol for Teachers 187
Appendix C: Math Achievement Skills Preparation Checklist 189

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

6
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Organizational Mission, Organizational Global Goal and Stakeholder’ Goals 21
Table 2. Summary of Sources about Assumed Causes of Knowledge, Motivational, 65
and Organizational Issues
Table 3. Summary of Assumed Knowledge Causes and Validation 68
Table 4. Summary of Assumed Motivation Causes and Validation 71
Table 5. Summary of Assumed Organizational/Culture/Context Causes and Validation 74
Table 6. Knowledge Assumed Causes and Validation Methods 81
Table 7. TIMSS Key Facts 82
Table 8. TIMSS Key Math Concepts 83
Table 9. Knowledge Assumed Causes Validated or Not Validated 97
Table 10. Motivation Assumed Causes and Validation Methods 99
Table 11. Motivation Assumed Causes Validated or Not Validated 115
Table 12. Organization Assumed Causes and Validation Methods 116
Table 13. Organization Assumed Causes Validated or Not Validated 133
Table 14. Summary of Validated Knowledge and Skills, Motivation, and Organization 134
Assumed Causes
Table 15. All Validated Knowledge and Skills, Motivation, and Organization Gaps 136
Table 16. Professional Training Lectures’ Schedule 149

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

7
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Gap analysis process 56
Figure 2. Responses to procedural knowledge statement: “I currently use or have 84
used manipulatives to teach math.”
Figure 3. Responses to metacognitive knowledge interview question 1: “What are 86
your strengths in teaching math in general?”
Figure 4. Responses to metacognitive knowledge interview question 2: “What are 87
some challenges you have in teaching math in general?”
Figure 5. Responses to metacognitive knowledge interview question 3: “How do 88
you feel about your content knowledge of math?”
Figure 6. Responses to metacognitive knowledge interview question 4: “How do 89
you feel about your pedagogical knowledge of math?”
Figure 7. Responses to metacognitive knowledge second assumed cause interview 91
question 1: “What are your goals for increasing the math achievement for
your students?”
Figure 8. Responses to metacognitive knowledge second assumed cause interview 92
question 2: “How do you determine your goal?”
Figure 9. Responses to metacognitive knowledge second assumed cause interview 93
question 3: “How do you convey this goal to your students?”
Figure 10. Responses to procedural knowledge interview question: “How do you 95
feel about using objects or manipulatives in teaching math?”
Figure 11. Responses to motivation self-efficacy statement: “I feel confident about 100
my ability to prepare students to do well on tests that measure math
achievement.”
Figure 12. Responses to self-efficacy statement 2: “I am confident in my content 101
knowledge related to math.”
Figure 13. Responses to self-efficacy statement 3: “I am confident about my 102
pedagogical knowledge related to math.”
Figure 14. Responses to motivation attribution statement: “Student math achievement 103
is strongly influenced by the amount of effort I put into the math lessons.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

8
Figure 15. Responses to motivation attribution statement: “I expect to see better 104
math scores if I try harder to stress to the students the importance of
doing well in the math achievement tests.”
Figure 16. Responses to motivation value statement: “I believe that what I am 105
teaching in class will help students prepare for math achievement tests.”
Figure 17. Responses to motivation attainment value statement: “It is important to 106
me to teach all the mathematics components that are featured in the math
achievement tests.”
Figure 18. Responses to motivation self-efficacy question: “How do you feel about 108
your ability to teach math achievement tests taking strategies?”
Figure 19. Responses to motivation attribution question: “What are some of the 109
causes for the students’ success or failure to do well in math
achievement tests?”
Figure 20. Responses to motivation attribution question: “Do you expect to see 110
better math scores if you stress to the students the importance of doing
well in math achievement tests?”
Figure 21. Responses to motivation value question: “How important is it for students 112
to be prepared for math achievement test?”
Figure 22. Responses to motivation attainment value question: “How important is it 113
for you to teach all the math components in the math achievement tests?”
Figure 23. Responses to organization goal setting statement 1: “Al-Corniche has a set 117
goal to increase the students’ math achievement.”
Figure 24. Responses to organization goal setting statement 2: “I think this goal is a 118
reasonable one.”
Figure 25. Responses to organization cultural model statement 1: “There is on-going 119
cooperation and team work amongst all math teachers in this school.”
Figure 26. Responses to organization cultural model statement 2: “I have a good 120
working relationship with other math teachers.”
Figure 27. Responses to organization cultural settings statement 1: “I believe that I 121
am compensated fairly/adequately in this school.”
Figure 28. Responses to organization cultural settings statement 2: “I believe the 122
only factor that differentiates the teachers’ pay in this school is
performance level.”
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

9
Figure 29. Responses to organization professional development statement: “I believe 124
that additional training is necessary to help me teach math achievement
tests taking strategies.”
Figure 30. Responses to organization resources statement: “I believe the number of 125
teachers teaching math at the primary school is adequate for all students
to do well in math.”
Figure 31. Responses to organization cultural settings question: “Are you satisfied 127
with your compensation and benefits in this school?”
Figure 32. Responses to organization professional development question 1: “Have 128
you received any training on teaching math achievement tests taking
strategies? If yes, how long ago?”
Figure 33. Responses to organization professional development question 2: “Was 129
the training sufficient to give you the skills and knowledge you needed
to do well in class? Why or why not?”
Figure 34. Responses to organization resources question: “In your opinion, how 131
many math teachers are needed for the primary school to do well in
mathematics in general and achieve higher scores in the math
achievement tests in particular?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

10
ABSTRACT
This dissertation addressed the barriers preventing Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls
mathematics teachers from supporting improved students’ math achievement. The barriers were
examined in the context of the school aiming to achieve an average score of 467 in the TIMSS
mathematics testing by 2017. The stakeholder group of focus for this research were all the math
teachers at Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls. The Gap analysis problem-solving framework
was utilized. It was used to identify the root causes of knowledge and skills, motivational, and
organizational issues that explained the gap between the current and desired student math
achievement. Data were collected from surveys, interviews, and a document analysis and were
transcribed and analyzed. These data were used to validate assumed causes in knowledge and
skills, motivational and organizational issues. Solutions and strategies were developed to help the
teachers achieve their goal of proficiently implementing math instructional strategies needed to
improve the students’ math achievement. An implementation of the solutions and an evaluation
of the implementation plan were provided to conclude the dissertation.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

11
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Introduction of the Problem of Practice
The Qatari students at primary schools have performed poorly in mathematics
achievement tests as measured by local and international tests. This is a cause for a significant
concern as this generation of students is entrusted with helping the country realize its 2030 vision
of creating a knowledge-based economy. The goal of creating a knowledge-based economy in
any country is dependent on a workforce that has been equipped with a strong Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Hence, the importance of Qatari
students’ success in STEM subjects particularly in mathematics. Therefore, the performance
problem that is the focus of this gap analysis is improving math achievement.
The Qatari students’ math achievement at the independent primary schools is low. This
low achievement was confirmed internally through the 2012 Qatar Comprehensive Educational
Assessment (QCEA) results that showed only 7% of grades four, five and six students were
meeting the national math standards (Supreme Education Council [SEC], 2013a).
Internationally, the scores of Qatari fourth grade students in the 2011 Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) placed the country amongst the bottom quarter of 63
participating nations; the average score for Qatari students was 413 with the scale average for all
participating countries being 500 (Mullis, Martin, Foy, & Arora, 2012). In the 2012 Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA), the students in Qatar achieved 377 points which
placed them 63rd out of 65 participating nations (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development [OECD], 2010, 2013).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

12
Compared to the gulf region, Qatar performed below Bahrain and United Arab Emirates
(UAE) but achieved better results than Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. Moreover, when
compared to the 2007 TIMSS, Qatari fourth graders average score went up by 117 points (SEC,
2013b). Although the increase of 117 points seemed significant, it only highlighted the fact that
the 2007 performance was extremely poor and even with that improvement the score was still
very low when compared to the majority of the participating nations.
Organizational Context and Mission
Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls is a member of Al-Corniche Schools Complex.
The complex is made up of primary, intermediate, and high schools that are located in four
separate locations in the capital city of Doha. It was established in 2004 and operates under the
umbrella of Qatar’s Supreme Educational Council (SEC). As an independent school, Al-
Corniche is “a government-funded school that was granted autonomy to carry out its educational
mission and objectives while being held accountable to terms agreed to in an operating contract”
(SEC, 2012a). The complex serves students from kindergarten to twelfth grade and consists of
five primary, preparatory and secondary schools with 3,900 students and 350 teachers. Al-
Corniche offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma program for students in secondary
school. The mission of the Al-Corniche Schools Complex is to provide a comprehensive and
challenging academic program that develops life-long learners and provides every student with
the necessary skills and support to form a Qatari educational society of high standards capable of
supporting a knowledge-based economy (Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls, 2013).
Organizational Performance Problem
At the secondary level, Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls is highly regarded in the
country for producing some of the best Qatari graduates. A number of its graduates have been
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

13
admitted by some of the best universities in the world in various disciplines but mainly in
sciences and mathematics-related majors, which are critical for the country. However, at the
primary level the math achievement of its students was far from encouraging. At the 2012 Qatar
Comprehensive Educational Assessment, only 6% of Al-Corniche students met the national math
standards (SEC, 2013a). This very weak math achievement followed a low average score in the
2011 TIMSS mathematics by the fourth grade students who received only 434 points (Mullis et
al., 2012). This score was not only low when compared to the TIMSS average scale score of 500,
but also when compared to other local schools in Qatar (SEC, 2013b). This represented a
discrepancy between the school’s targeted achievement score of 500 and actual student
achievement in mathematics. The discrepancy gap analysis was used to frame the problem.
Related Literature
Mathematics has become fundamental to our way of life and comprehending how the
world works. Science, technology and engineering, and the advances in these fields on which
economic future of a nation hinges all depend on mathematics. Hence, having a strong
mathematics education is vitally important for all students. Furthermore, having a solid
command of mathematics allows students to be creative problem solvers, assertive, and skilled
individuals which are attributes highly in demands in universities and industries (Ofsted, 2012).
From a global point of view, mathematics is a powerful tool for global understanding and
communication (Asia Society, 2013). Using mathematics, learners can navigate their way in the
world and answer complicated and actual problems. For students to do well in a global setting,
their mathematics content needs to be strong which encompasses understanding of how the
world is from different perspectives, acknowledging that issues are interrelated globally (Asia
Society, 2013).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

14
According to Steen (1989), mathematics is the key to opportunity for jobs that utilizes
computers, worldwide communications and the global economy and through mathematics, we
learn to make sense of things around us. He stresses further that as the current work place has
been mathematized by technology and as public policy is dependent on statistics, not only
learning mathematics is a requirement for future scientists but an essential education of all.
Numerical aptitudes are increasing in significance. Essential numeracy and quantitative
aptitudes are becoming very important in all employments, life-skills, and for financial planning
and data management (Ofsted, 2012). The ever-changing world economy means that strong math
knowledge and skills are in need more than any time in recent history. Businesses utilizing
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are becoming fundamental to
development and economic prosperity and promises to be the main provider of jobs for future
generations (Royal Society, 2011).
Qatari students’ low achievement in mathematics’ standardized tests is well documented
in the last two TIMSS tests in 2007 and 2011 (Mullis et al., 2012). The low performance was
confirmed through the results of the 2012 Programme for International Assessment (PISA) test
in which Qatari students ranked 63rd out of 65 participating countries, having achieved an
average score that was 118 points below the average score of Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD) countries (Sedghi, Arnett, & Chalabi, 2013). However,
Qatar was not the only country in the Gulf Region suffering from low mathematics achievements
in standardized tests. The students of the other five nations who make up the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Bahrain have
not performed any better in the same TIMSS tests, joining Qatar in the bottom quarter of the 63
participating nations (Mullis et al., 2012). UAE students, who enjoy a similar economic status to
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

15
Qataris as they also have one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world, reported a 13-point
improvement in their average score in PISA 2012 compared to 2009. However, UAE still ranked
48 out of the 65 participating countries (Nazzal, 2013). The issue of performance in math,
therefore, impacted the entire Gulf Region.
Qatari standardized tests have faced the following challenges during the last 10 years:
1. Public schools changed from a centralized system and curriculum under the Ministry
of Education to full independence with funding and supervision by the Supreme
Education Council (SEC) to less strict centralization under the SEC as of late.
2. Mathematics teaching language changed at the independent schools from Arabic
before 2004 to English and back to Arabic in the last four years.
3. The continuous transfer of education personnel between the SEC and schools on one
hand, and between the education sector and other sectors on the other resulted in
frequent losses and gains of expertise.
Therefore, for the purpose of this study the evaluation of the Qatari students mathematics
achievement improvement will be measured using the TIMSS test.
Launched in October 2008, Qatar National Vision 2030 (General Secretariat for
Development Planning [GSDP], 2008) promotes a society of justice, goodwill and equality.
QNV 2030 personified the principles of the Qatari constitution that “protected freedoms, upheld
moral and religious values and traditions, and ensured security, stability and equal opportunities”
(GSDP, 2011). In line with these principles, QNV 2030 rested on four pillars:
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

16
1. Human development: to allow the people of Qatar to maintain a “prosperous society.”
2. Social development: to sustain a society of high moral standards underpinned by
justice and compassion and one that is able to play a visible role in a global
partnership for development.
3. Economic development: to attain an economy that is diversified and competitive, able
to fulfill the needs of the whole population and provide a high standard of living for
the current and future generations.
4. Environmental development: to make sure that there is a balance between progressing
the economy, developing the society and protecting the environmental (GSDP, 2011).
Looking at the issue from the perspective of the Qatar National Vision 2030 as explained
above, in order to create a knowledge-based economy and to have Qataris leading the oil and gas
sector, for example, universities must produce quality technical Qatari graduates (GSDP, 2008).
In order for the universities to produce such graduates, the high schools must produce students
who are strong in mathematics and sciences and are willing and able to be enrolled in
engineering and technical disciplines. To graduate such students from high schools, these
students must have developed an early interest in mathematics and sciences and be successful in
the various testing stages, particularly in standardized tests, in order for them to be motivated
enough to pursue such fields in high school and later in universities (GSDP, 2012).
Unfortunately, at the present time and based on the latest data from Qatar University
which accounted for the majority of university enrollments in the country, only 32% of those
who applied were directly registered for degree programs. The remaining either enrolled in the
foundation programs (a program designed to academically bridge the gaps between what the
students actually learned at high school and what is needed to succeed at the college level) or
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

17
completely failed to meet the foundation program requirements (Qatar University, 2013). It is
believed that those students who applied to engineering and technical disciplines were unable to
achieve minimum standards in mathematics (SAT and ACT) and computer skills (Qatar
University, 2013). This low proportion of students gaining direct admission indicated the
inadequate level of kindergarten to twelfth grade student preparedness in mathematics and
science for university level education (GSDP, 2012). This highlighted the need for an
intervention to strengthening Qatari students’ abilities in mathematics and sciences. Since the
problem has been detected as early as fourth grade through both QCEA and TIMSS tests and to
measure improvements through TIMSS, which is held every four years, it was therefore believed
that an effective intervention has to start as early as first grade.
Importance of the Problem
As a result of poor achievement in math, the reputation of Al-Corniche Schools Complex
For Girls as one of the best schools in the country is under threat. The latest indications of the
primary school students’ math achievements were alarming. Results of the 2011 TIMSS
mathematics scores published on the Supreme Education Council (SEC) website showed that Al-
Corniche’s fourth and eighth grade students’ average mathematics scores were very low when
compared to leading schools in the country (SEC, 2013b). The Al-Corniche Primary School
students in particular scored 434. This score was not only low when compared to the TIMSS
average score of 500 but also when compared to other local schools in Qatar.
Qatar is a country that depends solely on the oil and gas industry. The problem of low
achievement in mathematics affects the eventual enrollment, number, and quality of Qatari
students graduating with engineering and science degrees. This, in turn, limits the number of
Qatari graduates to be recruited by oil and gas companies in a market where there is already a
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

18
severe shortage of Qatari nationals with technical degrees. This finding is alarming to future
employers such as oil and gas companies and to Qatarization efforts in the energy and industry
sector as a whole (GSDP, 2011).
Organizational Goal
The goal of the Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls’ fourth grade students is to
improve students’ math achievement. This goal will be measured by achieving an average score
of 500 points in TIMSS mathematics by 2019, demonstrating an increase of 66 points from the
2011 TIMSS average score of 434. The school established this goal as part of its strategic plan to
improve its students’ overall achievement in mathematics when compared to the leading
independent schools. The intention is to improve the students’ overall preparations for the next
educational stages and university enrollment. As an intermediate step, the attainment of Al-
Corniche Primary School goal will be measured by the achievement of the fourth grader students
of an average score of 467 points on TIMSS mathematics in August 2017 through an internal test
similar to that of the TIMSS.
Stakeholders and Stakeholders’ Goals
There are many stakeholders who will contribute to the achievement of higher math
achievement at fourth grade in Al-Corniche Primary For Girls, such as: the parents, the Supreme
Education Council, the counselors and the technology support staff, but there are three primary
stakeholders: students, teachers and administrators.
Administrators contribute to the overall success in achieving Al-Corniche Primary For
Girls’ school’s goal. The most important administrators at Al-Corniche are the complex’s
principal, who is also the licensed owner, and the primary school’s principal. The complex’s
principal directs all resources and is in charge of setting goals, introducing and implementing
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

19
new policies. She can make necessary investments to improve the quality of teachers if needed
and is the one to whom all school’s managers at the various complex schools reports. The
primary school’s principal is accountable to the complex’s principal; and handles the day-to-day
affairs of the students and teachers. She is instrumental in driving the teachers’ performance
through daily and weekly meetings and through frequent feedback sessions and in motivating
students to perform well in all tests.
Students contribute to the overall success in achieving Al-Corniche Schools Complex For
Girls’ goal, as their improved performance in the math achievement and achieving the desired
scores will be the most important measures of success. In the past, the school did not have a goal
towards high performance in standardized tests such as the TIMSS, so students were not
prepared adequately to tackle such tests. The importance of doing well in mathematics in
particular, and sciences in general, and its role in their future success was not clearly explained to
the students. The students had little knowledge of the different components of the math
achievement tests and were not exposed to math achievement test taking strategies. If the school
is planning on graduating high performing students who will go on to enroll in technical
disciplines at universities and contribute to the establishment of a knowledge-based economy in
Qatar, their math skills have to be very strong. An early indication such as the TIMSS math
performance, therefore, becomes very instrumental in helping the students achieve a better future
for themselves, the school and the country.
The teachers contribute to the overall success in achieving Al-Corniche Primary For
Girls’ school’s goal as teachers are entrusted with the task of educating the students not only in
mathematics but also in achievement test taking skills and strategies. It is well documented in the
literature that the teacher is the most important variable in the learning process. Citing more than
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

20
nine researches for different outcome measures and different educational systems across a range
of studies and countries, Alton-Lee (2003) attributed up to 59% of the variance in student scores
to quality teaching and through the quality of the learning environment generated by the teacher
and the students. Lamb and Fullarton (2002) corroborated what Alton-Lee posited by indicating
that a large part of variation in mathematics achievement was also due to teacher effects.
The teachers’ strength in math pedagogy is instrumental to keeping students engaged and
motivated to understand mathematics and to perform well on math tests. Research findings
indicate that capable math teachers offer a way to guide their students to a structured grasp of
concepts, to learn thoughtfully, to think critically, and eventually to math achievement (Saritas &
Akdemir, 2009). Furthermore, it is argued that math achievement depends on a solid
understanding of the subject domain and the theory behind math education (Ball, 1993;
Grossman, Wilson, & Shulman, 1989; Rosebery, Warren, & Conant, 1992). This means teachers
have to employ many strategies to support student learning and persistence. It also means that
teachers must attain professional training in mastering the strategies of high performance in the
mathematics testing. However, it appears that Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls’ math
teachers have not received such training. Additionally, teachers have not had any incentives in
the past to develop their abilities in teaching any math skills beyond the prescribed curriculum.
Table 1 identifies the key stakeholders and outlines their goals as related to the
overarching organizational goal.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

21
Table 1
Organizational Mission, Organizational Global Goal and Stakeholder’ Goals
Organizational Mission
The mission of the Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls is to provide a comprehensive and
challenging academic program that develops life-long learners and provides every student with
the necessary skills and support to form a Qatari educational society of high standards capable
of supporting a knowledge base society.
Organizational Global Goal
By 2019, the fourth graders at Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls primary school will
improve their math achievement. As one indicator, this improvement will be measured by
achieving an average score of 500 points on TIMSS mathematics.
Students
By May 2016, all fourth
grade students will
demonstrate proficiency in
the number, geometric shapes
and measures and data
display of a math
achievement test.
Teachers
By April 2016, all Al-
Corniche Primary School
math teachers will
demonstrate mastery of the
best instructional strategies
recommended to improve
students’ math achievement.
Administrators
By October 2015, the Al-
Corniche Schools Complex
principal will create and
implement policies needed to
improve fourth grade
students’ math achievement.

Stakeholder for the Study and Stakeholder Performance Gap
While the joint efforts of all stakeholders will be needed to achieve the organizational
goal of improving math achievement as measured by scoring 467 points in the fourth grade
students TIMSS math by August 2017, it was critical to study the barriers that prevented the
teachers from helping the students to perform better in math. The stakeholders of focus for this
study, therefore, were the teachers of grade one through six students at Al-Corniche Schools
Complex For Girls’ primary. Not achieving this goal will not only hinder the mission of Al-
Corniche School to produce graduates with high technical standards capable of enrolling in the
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

22
best universities, but it will contribute to lowering the number of Qataris who will join energy
and industry companies. This in turn will eventually affect the National Vision 2030 drive to
create a knowledge-based Qatari society. The school established this goal as part of its 2014
strategic plan to improve its students’ overall achievement in mathematics when compared to the
leading independent schools. Currently, the students TIMSS math average score is 434. The
organizational goal is that Al-Corniche students achieve an average score of 467 by August
2017. The organization gap in performance, therefore, was 8%. The teachers, the stakeholder of
focus’ goal is therefore to support improved student’s math achievement through demonstrating
mastery of the instructional strategies recommended to produce high performance in
mathematics. It is expected that at present none of the teachers have achieved a mastery level.
The stakeholder of focus gap in performance, therefore, was 100%.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis to examine the root causes of
fourth grade students’ low math achievement at Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls primary
school. The analysis focused on causes for this problem due to gaps in the areas of knowledge
and skill, motivation, and organizational issues. The analysis began by generating a list of
possible or assumed causes and then by examining these systematically to focus on actual or
validated causes. While a complete gap analysis would focus on all stakeholders, for practical
purposes the stakeholder group to be focused on in this analysis was the teachers.
The following questions guided this study:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational barriers that prevented Al-
Corniche Primary School For Girls’ mathematics teachers from supporting improved
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

23
student’s math achievement. This will be measured by the achievement of an average
score of 467 in a mock TIMSS mathematics testing by August 2017?
2. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational solutions to those barriers?
Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis, a methodical, analytical process that helps to
elucidate organizational goals and identify the gap between actual performance level and the
desired performance level within an organization, was implemented in order to examine the
potential causes of and explore potential solutions for the lower than desired average student
evaluation scores. Personal knowledge and related literature formed the base used to generate
assumed causes for the performance gap. The methodology was a qualitative case study with
descriptive statistics. Surveys, focus groups and interviews, literature review and content analysis
were used to validate these causes. Research-based solutions were recommended and evaluated
in a comprehensive manner.
Definitions
GCC: Gulf Cooperation Council
PISA: Program for International Student Assessment.
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
SEC: Supreme Education Council, the highest authority on education matters in Qatar.
TIMSS: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.
Organization of the Dissertation
The gap analysis is divided into five chapters: In the first chapter, the reader was
provided with the key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about students
achievement in standardized tests and teachers performance. The organization’s mission, goals
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

24
and stakeholders as well as the initial concepts of gap analysis were introduced. In the second
chapter, a review of current literature surrounding the scope of the study is provided. Topics such
as Qatar National Vision 2030, role of mathematics in: life, economic prosperity in Qatar and
globally and as a major factor in admission to college, international and Qatari students’
achievement tests in mathematics, preparing Qatari students for TIMSS math test, teaching
TIMSS mathematics in Qatari schools, best practices in teaching mathematics, test taking
strategies, and mathematics teachers are addressed. Chapter 3 details the assumed and validated
causes for this study as well as the gap analytic methodology when it came to choice of
participants, data collection and analysis. In Chapter 4, the data and results are assessed and
analyzed. Chapter 5 provides solutions, based on data and literature, for closing the perceived
gaps as well as recommendations for an implementation plan for the solutions. Chapter 5
concludes with a synthesis of the study’s results and recommendations for a summative
evaluation of the implementation plan.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

25
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
This literature review reflects on the issue of math achievement and how it is linked to
the success of Qatarization as an important objective of Qatar national Vision 2030 (QNV 2030)
to achieve a knowledge-based economy. It highlighted the current situation for recruitment of
Qatari graduates with technical qualifications from universities to the energy and industry sector,
and the enrollment of Qataris in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines
at higher and kindergarten to twelve education. The review also focused on the role of
mathematics as an important factor in the success of societies in general and students in
particular and how the success in math achievement drives further interest in pursuing STEM
majors at universities. The latest Qatari students’ achievements in standardized tests such as
TIMSS and PISA was reviewed with a reflection on Qatari schools preparation and performance
in such tests. The review focused on the role of mathematics teachers and best practices in
teaching math and tests taking strategies to improve students’ performance in mathematics’
standardized tests such as TIMSS. Finally, the review focused on teachers’ knowledge,
motivation and organizational needs for learning and improving the Qatari students performance
in math achievement.
Qatar National Vision 2030, Nationalization and Math Achievement
Qatar National Vision 2030
Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), launched in October 2008, was created with the
goal of building a bridge from the present to the future. It aimed to transform Qatar into an
advanced country, sustaining its development and providing a high standard of living for its
entire people for generations to come. It anticipated a dynamic and prosperous Qatar with
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

26
economic and social equity for all. QNV 2030 rested on four pillars: human development, social
development, economic development, and environmental development.
The human development pillar of QNV 2030 called for the advancement of all Qataris in
order to maintain a prosperous society and address the issues and needs of the current generation
without affecting the needs of future generations. Qatar planned to invest in its people so that all
can participate fully in the country’s social, economic and political life and function effectively
within a competitive global knowledge-based economy.
Human and economic development. Qatar’s future economic success is increasingly
dependent on the ability of its people to deal with a global environment that is knowledge-based
and extremely competitive. To meet this challenge, Qatar is building far-reaching and
contemporary health and educational systems, as well as raising the standards of its work force,
including welcoming and keeping highly qualified expatriate workers (GSDP, 2011).
Qatar National Vision 2030 aimed at developing Qataris with a world-class education to
become tomorrow’s innovators, entrepreneurs and professionals, thereby creating a knowledge-
based economy (GSDP, 2011). A labor market strategy report prepared by the International Bank
for the state of Qatar indicated that to achieve the goal of a knowledge-based economy, Qataris
have to work in high productivity jobs and for that to happen they must attain necessary
education, skills and motivation (World Bank, 2009). Further, QNV 2030 stated that excelling at
subjects like sciences, technology, and mathematics was a prerequisite for Qataris if they were to
become an advanced nation and establish a knowledge-based economy (GSDP, 2008). Excelling
at schools and later universities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
will not only help Qataris to develop a knowledge-based economy, but it will also produce
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

27
qualified Qataris to assume leading roles in the country’s economical backbone i.e. the energy
and industry sector.
Energy and industry sector. Qatar’s energy and industry sector comprised of various
companies working on exploration, production, and processing of oil and gas. The sector
supports the country’s development through the production and delivery of many products and
services some of which are exported to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and
further to in excess of 60 countries around the world. The energy and industry sector employs
close to 40,000 people in addition to tens of thousands more in the supply chain. The diversity of
the work force includes over 70 nationalities with a wide range of expertise and skills. As of the
end of 2013, Qataris made up 25% of the sector’s workforce (Ministry of Energy and Industry,
2013).
Being the backbone of the country’s economy, Qatar National Vision 2030 calls for
creating an environment conducive to the majority of Qataris graduates joining the energy and
industry sector. This will allow Qataris to at least assume the critical jobs in the onshore and
offshore operations and to hold the leadership positions in the majority of the companies working
in Qatar (GSDP, 2008). To make sure this happens, the government has established a process
called Qatarization, i.e. Nationalization.
Nationalization
Nationalization or localization can be described as the replacement of expatriate nationals
with qualified nationals. According to Bhanugopan and Fish (2007), “localization is a process in
which local officers increase their competencies, and consequently improve their performance,
the main objective being to train and develop locals to enable them to replace expatriates with
competency and efficiency” (p. 366).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

28
Globally, nationalization is practiced in some countries to localize the work force,
however, implementation and reason for implementation differs from a country to another. In
Kazakhstan, for example, the government has a policy that requires all companies to invest one
percent of their operating capital for the training of the Kazakhstani national workforce in order
to fuel the national workforce growth (Minbaeva, Hutchings, & Thomson, 2007). In South
Africa, Africanization is used as an imperative to move away from Apartheid into a democratic
dispensation (Botha, 2010).
Regionally, foreign laborers dominate all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, i.e.
Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain work forces. It was suggested that a
country’s reliance on expatriates can have severe long lasting effects socially, politically, and
economically (Rees, Mamman, & Bin Braik, 2007). Hence, nationalization became vital in
maintaining continuous economical developments as it allows the local population to prosper
through empowerment. It is for that reason that all GCC have nationalization programs.
However, these nationalization programs are marked by various challenges:
For example in Kuwait, the challenge for Kuwaitization is that the majority of the
Kuwaiti labor force is reluctant to join the private sector because of the availability choice jobs in
the public sector. The government of Kuwait seems to have a moral commitment to employ all
Kuwaitis, and consequently, the door to public jobs is kept open. In addition, private sector
employers viewed Kuwaitis as “irresponsible, dependent, and difficult to manage and discipline”
(Salih, 2010). The challenges in Oman are different because there is a mismatch between the
employability of graduates from the education system and the skills needed by employers. In
addition, private employers still favor foreign labor because of the assumed higher work ethic
(Swailes, Al Said, & Al Fahdi, 2012).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

29
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) according to Godwin ,“Emiratizationis is an
affirmative action quota driven employment policy that ensures UAE nationals are given
employment opportunities in the private sector” (2006, p. 8). To do that, certain businesses
deemed appropriate for nationals, such as the financial, tourism and human resources sectors,
were selected by the government and instructed to meet allocated quotas (Morris, 2005).
However, one major challenge was that Emirati nationals, like other gulf nationals, seemed to
prefer the government sector due to higher wages, better non-monetary benefits, and shorter
work hours (Randeree, 2009). On the other hand, the Emiratisation challenges faced by
employers included absence of work-readiness, low level of skills and education, and week
command of English (Al-Ali, 2008).
According to Sadi (2013), in Saudi Arabia, the government initiated a labor force
nationalization program called “Nitaqat” (ranges) in 2011 that complemented the current strategy
of “Saudization” where Saudis replace expatriates. This job replacement of foreign workers by
Saudis intended to change a 40-year old dependency of the local market on migrant laborers. The
Nitaqat program classified private businesses based on their level of Saudization into four
categories: Premium, Green, Yellow, and Red. Those firms categorized as Premium were those
with highest level of Saudi nationals followed by Green, Yellow and so on. The scheme of
Nitaqat rational was to allow the Ministry of Labor to reward and penalize firms accordingly
thereby driving the nationalization process more effectively. While the main motivation of
Niaqat was economic, some fundamental social and political issues were also reinforced.
Furthermore, it was expected that Nitaqat scheme would advance Saudis employment while
endeavoring to safeguard expatriates incomes (Sadi, 2013).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

30
The localization effort in Qatar is known as Qatarization. The purpose of the program is
to ensure workforce participation of nationals mainly through a quota system and training. Much
like the rest of the GCC countries, the Qatarization program started in 2000 by the Emir himself
through political, legal, and quantitative methods (Forstenlechner, 2010). The implementation
was done through a combination of quotas and government incentives, making Qatarization and
the preferential employment of Qataris a legal requirement for businesses enforced by the
Ministry of the Interior. However, the goals of Qatarization as initially planned have not been
achieved. The goal for the government sector was to reach 50% Qatarization by 2010. However,
Qatar Petroleum, the largest state-owned company in the oil and gas industry, achieved only 28%
Qatarization (The EIU ViewsWire, 2010). In the private sector the plan had intended for 20% of
jobs to be Qatarized; however, this was not achieved, and the goals were determined to be
unrealistic (Kamrava, 2009).
In general, countries from the same region usually faced similar challenges. According to
Williams, Bhanugopan, and Fish (2011), nationalization efforts in all GCC countries encountered
similar challenges resulting from issues such as: ineffective quota systems; prestige driven
culture; cultural restriction on working women; and non market focused education systems.
However, in Qatar’s case the educational factor, particularly the low quality and number of
graduates from universities, seems to be the biggest drawback for Qatarization especially at the
energy and industry sector.
Enrollment of Qataris at Universities and Quality of Graduates
It was difficult to find any citations in the literature about the quality of engineering and
science graduates in Qatar whether they have graduated from Qatari based universities or abroad.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

31
Therefore, the following two paragraphs were written based on my own experience working as
head of Qatarization for six years at Maersk Oil Qatar.
In addition to losing graduates at the interview stage due to under achievement in
aptitude, skills and knowledge, and personality assessments, there is an added drawback when it
came to hiring recent college graduates. A number of those graduates were not well prepared to
join the work place and need extensive training programs to fulfill the requirements of their entry
level positions. Poor English language proficiency, adhering to the working hours (longer hours
in the energy and industry sector as compared to governmental jobs), and weak technical skills
were some of the issues companies in the Energy and Industry sector encountered when
employing recent Qatari graduates. These graduates weakness meant that more time and training
was needed so the graduates can perform their work duties.
Qatar Ministry of Education data showed a steady decline in the numbers of high school
students registered in the 12th grade in science sections in secondary schools since 1995. Qatar
University, the largest recruiter of Qatari students, also showed that its enrollment of Qatari
students trends over more than a decade revealed a decline in enrolment in all science and
mathematics programs to the point that over recent years less than 12% of students annually
enrolled in science and engineering programs (Said & Friesen, 2013).
Few Qatari university students completed their degrees in engineering and science
disciplines and ended up joining the energy and industry sector. For example, the number of
graduates from Qatar University faculty of science over a period of 6 years from 2002-2007 was
505 students, amounting to 7.6% of the total graduates (Qatar Statistics Authority, 2009).
From the above, at the university level the low number and quality of graduates seemed
to be related to technical skills indicating weak knowledge in mathematics and sciences. At the
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

32
same time there was a continuous enrollment decline in the science sections at high schools that
featured and required strong performance in mathematics and sciences. This indicated the
important role those subjects played in shaping the enrollment decisions and the quality of future
graduates. It also confirmed the dire need to attract more young Qataris into the math and science
tracks and the need to improve the instructional quality of such subjects as early during the
kindergarten to twelve stages as possible. For the purpose of this study, the focus was only on
the role of mathematics and the improvement of math achievement.
Role of Mathematics in the Global Economy
Mathematics as a Core Skill for Life
In an ever increasingly complex world, it is imperative that people know at least basic
numeracy. Mathematics has become fundamental to our way of life and comprehending how the
world works. Science, technology and engineering, and the advances in these fields on which
economic future of a nation hinged all depended on mathematics. Hence, having a strong
mathematics education was vitally important for all students. Furthermore, having a solid
command of mathematics allowed students to be creative problem solvers, assertive, and skilled
individuals which were attributes highly in demands in universities and industries (Ofsted, 2012).
Numerical aptitudes increased in significance. Essential numeracy and quantitative
abilities have become very important in all employments, life-skills, and for financial planning
and data management (Ofsted, 2012). It has become vital that all citizens understood data and
viewed statistics critically (British Academy, 2012). The argument was that increasingly social
dialogues on issues rely on statistical arguments, specifically in a digital data driven world, the
understanding of these arguments become important for knowledgeable debate and decision
making (Porkess, 2012).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

33
Mathematics as Key to Economic Prosperity
From a global point of view, mathematics was a powerful tool for global understanding
and communication (Asia Society, 2013). Using mathematics, learners could navigate their way
in the world and answer complicated and actual problems. For students to do well in a global
setting, their mathematics content needed to be strong which encompassed understanding of how
the world was from different perspectives, acknowledging that issues were interrelated globally
(Asia Society, 2013).
According to Steen (1989), mathematics is the key to opportunity for jobs that utilize
computers, worldwide communications and the global economy and through mathematics, we
learn to make sense of things around us. He stressed further that as the current work place has
been mathematized by technology and as public policy was dependent on statistics, not only
learning mathematics was a requirement for future scientists but an essential education of all.
The ever-changing world economy means that strong math knowledge and skills are in
need more than any time in recent history. Businesses utilizing Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have become fundamental to development and economic
prosperity and promised to be the main provider of jobs for future generations (Royal Society,
2011).
Mathematics as a Major Factor in Admission to College
Almost all colleges talk about a holistic approach to admission; however, two aspects
playes a major role in getting into universities and colleges: high performance in the core
subjects at high school which includes mathematics and performing well on standardized tests
that are made up of mathematics, English and sciences (College Board, 2012). According to
Huebner and Corbett (2008), although students were able to access many two-year public higher
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

34
education institutions, they often found themselves denied of being accepted by some four-year
institutions or universities as they were not ready for college-level mathematics. Even if a
student got admitted to a college or a university, insufficient level of mathematics readiness
limited their choices of majors and careers (Ali & Jenkins, 2002; Olson, 2006).
Not only is high performance in mathematics key to success in gaining admission to
universities and colleges, it is also important for performing well at universities and later at the
work place. According to McCormick and Lucas (2011), special attention should be given to
mathematics college preparation as it does not only play a key role in admission to colleges and
universities but it ultimately contributes to college completion. Other research has corroborated
what McCormick and Lucas said and showed that college mathematics ability is strongly
correlated to college completeness, it also added that those students who required math
remediation had lower chance of academic success and more chance of dropping out during their
university years (Adelman, 2006; Ali & Jenkins, 2002; Hall & Ponton, 2005).
Finally, mathematics deficiencies can also effect how a student performs in other subjects
while in college. According to Vorderman, Porkess, Budd, Dunne, and Rahman-Hart (2011),
without a sound understanding of mathematics, appreciation of a range of other educational
disciplines such as music, the sciences, geography and economics is compromised.
Measuring Mathematics Achievement
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) measures trends in
mathematics and science achievements at the fourth and eighth grades. It is conducted on a
regular four-year cycle since 1995. It is a study focused on mathematics and science that
examines the effectiveness of educational systems around the world in terms of teaching
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

35
methods and outcomes achieved. This is done under the supervision of the International
Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The study is conducted in science
and mathematics at the same time in all the participating countries (SEC, 2011).
Not all the countries participate in the test. However, the number is increasing on a yearly
basis. For example, since 1995, participation has increased from 43 countries to 57 countries that
are planning to participate in the 2015 TIMSS. The assessment is developed by international
experts through a consensus building process, with the final product endorsed by all participating
countries. Problem solving, detailed written answers and multiple-choice responses form the
foundation of the assessment (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2012a).
At grade 4, the TIMSS mathematics part focuses on three areas: numbers (manipulating
whole numbers and place values; performing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division;
and using fractions and decimals), geometric shapes and measures, and data display (NCES,
2012a).
TIMSS is a useful way of tracking international trends in student achievement and for
countries to evaluate standards and objectives. The information that TIMSS reveals through its
strong focus on the curriculum and analysis of a variety of educational contexts mean that it can
also be used to inform policy development (Mullis et al., 2012).
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
The Program for International Assessment (PISA) is a global measuring system based on
a three-year cycle that assesses abilities in reading, mathematics and science of 15 year olds.
After being launched in 2000 by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD), PISA is quickly becoming the preferred global benchmark for assessing nations’
student achievements on the conclusion of their compulsory education (Sahlberg, 2011). PISA
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

36
focuses on the capacity of young people to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned to
real-life situations outside of the academic classroom. “This orientation,” as the OECD says,
“reflects a change in the goals and objectives of curricula themselves, which are increasingly
concerned with what students can do with what they learn at school and not merely with whether
they have mastered specific curricular content” (OECD, 2007, p. 16). The PISA assessment also
captures the ability of students for continuous learning beyond school environments (NCES,
2012b).
In each cycle even as all three subjects are assessed, one area is analyzed in depth
allowing each participating nation to have a continuous data set on their achievements in each
subject. Beyond this, PISA also extends to measuring general or cross-curricular competencies
such as learning strategies (NCES, 2012b).
According to Sahlberg (2011), TIMSS differs from PISA in the following ways:
1. Mathematics and science competencies and understanding are measured in TIMSS,
whereas PISA goes beyond this by assessing 8
th
graders on how the skills and
knowledge they have learned can be applied in new situations.
2. The IEA (TIMSS testing organization) is based on a four-year cycle with a changing
number of participating countries, whereas PISA largely includes developed OECD
countries that all participate in each three-year cycle.
3. In not limiting the study to a specific age, as is the case in PISA which only tests 15
year olds, TIMSS enables the progress of students to be tracked from the first cycle,
in 4
th
grade, to the next, in 8
th
grade.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

37
Qatari Students’ Performance in International Achievement Tests
TIMSS Performance
In 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Qatari
fourth grade students placed the country amongst the bottom quarter of 63 participating nations.
The average score for Qatari students was 413 with the scale average for all participating
countries being 475 (Mullis et al., 2012). Some of the countries that did more poorly than Qatar
included Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Tunisia with average scores of 410, 385 and 359 respectively.
The top three countries were Singapore, Republic of Korea and Hong Kong with average scores
of 606, 605 and 602 respectively (Mullis et al., 2012).
When compared to the 2007 TIMSS, Qatari fourth graders average score went up by 117
points (SEC, 2013b). Although the increase of 117 points seems significant, it only highlighted
the fact that the 2007 performance was extremely poor and that the improvement still added up
to a very low score compared to the majority of the participating nations.
PISA Performance
Qatar’s participation in PISA started in 2006. That participation was considered a
baseline from which the country can track its progress in reading, mathematical and scientific
literacy of 15-year-old Qatari students over time.
In 2009 PISA, the students in Qatar achieved 50 points more in mathematics skill
performance than what they did in 2006 achieving 368 points. In the 2012 PISA the score
improved further by nine points. However, while improving their mathematics scores from 2006
onwards, Qatari students still ranked 63
rd
out of 65 participating nations (OECD, 2010, 2013).
Qataris’ performance compared to gulf countries’ students’ performance. In the
2011 TIMSS, the students of the other five nations who made up the Gulf Cooperation Council
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

38
(GCC), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Bahrain did not perform
well. Qatar performed below Bahrain and United Arab Emirates (UAE) but achieved better
scores than Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. However, all six countries were in the bottom ten
of the 50 participating nations (Mullis et al., 2012).
In the 2012 PISA, only UAE and Qatar students participated in the test from the GCC
countries. UAE students performed better than Qatari students by achieving a 13-point
improvement in their average score compared to 2009. However, UAE still ranked 48 out of the
65 participating countries (Nazzal, 2013). The issue of performance in math, therefore, impacts
the entire Gulf Region. Some of the reasons for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries
students’ low achievements, from the teachers’ performance angle, will be discussed under
quality and training of teachers in GCC.
Schools in Qatar and Math Tests
Type of Schools in Qatar
Qatar has three types of schools. First, the independent schools, which account for more
than 60% of the schools in the country and educates the majority of Qatari students in
Kindergarten to 12th grade stages. The curriculum in these independent schools is prescribed by
the Supreme Education Council. Lessons are taught in Arabic, with English, mathematics,
Islamic Studies and science all compulsory subjects. The stages of schooling are divided into
Kindergarten, Primary, Preparatory, and Secondary. Education in such schools is paid for and
supervised by the government, while being operated by licensed operator, who in some cases
served as the principal. The second type is called International schools, accounting for about
26% of the total schools and educating the majority of expatriate children. Various international
curricula are taught in these schools; the school’s choice of curriculum usually reflects that of its
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

39
affiliated home country such as American and British schools. Some schools also teach the
International Baccalaureate programme, or follow the Montessori Method. The grades in
international schools usually relates to the standard grades of the curriculum used. The third type
of schools is private Arabic and Communities schools, accounting for 14% of the total schools
and educating mainly Arabic and Asian expatriates children. These schools are funded and
operated privately or by their respective country’s embassy. All schools are monitored and
assessed by a scheme known as the Qatar National School Accreditation system (SEC, 2013a).
Performance in mathematics varied greatly based on the type of school, with the
international schools leading the way in the 2011 TIMSS scores. Students from international
schools such as Doha College, which follows a British curriculum, scored 608 points exceeding
that of average scale score of Singapore. Singapore was the leading country in 2011 TIMSS
fourth grade mathematics with scale score of 606. By comparison, the independent schools
scores in the same test were so far behind the international scores and below that of the TIMSS
center point of 500, with the leading Qatari Independent School scoring 496. There was no
record found of the private Arabic and Communities schools scores (SEC, 2013b).
The low performance of Qatari schools was evident across all types of schools except for
some of the international schools. The lowest performing schools in the 2011 TIMSS were the
independent schools with scores in the low 400s. These schools were created as part of the
government efforts to improve education in Qatar in 2003. They are funded by the Supreme
Education Council (SEC) and are operated by relatively independent administrations. Qatari
nationals make up the majority of students in these schools. The private and community schools
scores were not listed by the SEC but expected to have performed better than the independent
schools. These schools are self-funded and governed, generally serving students who are the sons
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

40
and daughters of Arab and Asian workers. By far, the best performing schools were the Qatar
based international schools with scores that mirror the 2011 TIMSS top five nations, with scores
close to or above than 600 (SEC, 2013b). These schools’ students are generally from western
countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and other European nations. These schools
are generally self-funded and governed.
Qatari Standardized Tests Compared to TIMSS
Math performance in Qatar has been measured in different ways over the last twelve
years. Schools have gone from a centralized system and curriculum under the Ministry of
Education to full independence with funding and supervision by the SEC to less strict
centralization under the SEC as of late. The language in which mathematics was taught at the
independent schools has gone from Arabic before 2004 to English and back to Arabic in the last
four years. These changes in governance yielded a continuous transfer of education personnel
between the SEC and schools, on one hand, and between the education sector and other sectors
on the other, resulting in frequent losses and gains of expertise. The latest system instituted was
put into place in 2011. This system evaluates the students based on school exams contributing
70% to the final grade with the remaining 30% coming from the Qatar Comprehensive
Educational Assessment tests (QCEA), at the end of the school year (SEC, 2010). The validity of
grading system faced and continues to face criticism from the general public throughout the last
few years. As recently as early July 2015 some of the general public received the high school
exams results announced by the SEC with outrage and skepticism. Prompting the SEC to admit
that the previous years’ results were not accurately measured and reported (Fahmy, 2015). As
the SEC grading system was not yet dependable coupled with the on going implementation of
many educational changes to the curriculum and student evaluations, it is believed that currently
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

41
either PISA or TIMSS will be better indicators of the true Qatari students’ achievement in
mathematics. The TIMSS, for example, is conducted to the highest level of quality and accuracy
(SEC, 2011). All assessment procedures conformed to set standards. These procedures
comprised student samples selection, test materials translation, test booklets and questionnaires
design, answers coding, and analysis of results and final reports preparation. The TIMSS
“provides schools and students with an opportunity to experience cutting-edge assessments that
are designed by international experts, applicable to all participating countries and that meet a
high technical standard that is rigorously applied and monitored” (SEC, 2011, n.p.).
Teaching Achievement Tests Mathematics in Qatari Schools
Achievement test mathematics curriculum at schools. It was not possible to find a
document on various Qatari educational organizations that explicitly confirmed the adherence to
the achievement test mathematics curriculum. However, in a document placed on Qatar
University website titled “Curriculum Standards for the State of Qatar Mathematics: Grades K to
12” (Qatar University, 2006), the following statement was placed at the start of the forward by
the then director of the SEC Education Institute:
These curriculum standards (i.e. mathematics) lie at the heart of ‘Education for a New
Era’, Qatar’s education reform initiative. They draw on international expectations of what
students should know, understand and be able to do at each stage of their schooling, as
well as on the current best practices in Qatar’s public schools. (p. 5)
This, in essence, means that the mathematics curriculum in Qatar follows an international
curriculum on which major achievement tests are based.
Teacher training in mathematics’ achievement test preparation. No information was
found on any school conducting teacher training for mathematics’ achievement test preparation.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

42
However, information published on the SEC website as late as 2012 indicated that the SEC has
conducted workshops for PISA, targeting school vice-principals and coordinators and teachers of
the three subjects of the assessment (mathematics, reading and science) by introducing them to
the different ways of covering skills at school, supervision of responsibilities and training them
on how to formulate questions similar to those of the assessment. They were also invited to
present practical activities that would prepare the students pass the assessment (SEC, 2012b).
The website indicated that other training workshops will follow in preparation for the
TIMSS test, scheduled in 2013. The department had also decided to organize compensatory
workshops for vice-principals, teachers and coordinators who were absent and want to learn
more in order to be fully aware of the nature and criteria of the assessments (SEC, 2012b).
Teachers’ Challenges in Qatar and Other GCC Countries
It was not easy to find a lot on this from the literature so the introduction would be based
on my own knowledge followed by some evidence from some recent studies. To understand the
teachers’ challenges in Qatar and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries two
major issues needs to be explained. First, being a teacher is one of the least attractive jobs to the
majority of the GCC nationals. Compared to other jobs that they could get, teaching does not pay
well, requires long hours in and outside the school, offers little job progression over much longer
time, and is not prestigious in societies where prestige mattered a lot.
The second issue is due to the fact that only few nationals became teachers, consequently
the Ministries of Education in the GCC started recruiting teachers from neighboring Arab
countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. Sometimes these teachers come
straight from their country but generally there were many who resided in GCC over many years.
Regardless whether they came from outside or were residents the quality of these teachers is
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

43
questioned. Generally Arab teachers who were really good had attractive jobs back home and did
not want to leave and those who were residents in GCC became teachers only because they did
not do well in high school to go for high paying disciplines such as engineering or medicine.
This was the same reason for Qataris and other GCC countries national who chose to become
teachers. Consequently, those who did well at high school selected higher-paying professions,
such as medicine and engineering while moderate or low performers went for low-paying
professions such as teaching or social work (Barber, Mourshed, & Whelan, 2007). Hence, in
both cases whether the teacher was national or an Arab expatriates either way the quality was not
the best to start with.
Once those teachers joined the teaching profession, other issues made matters worse. If
we look at one of the most important ways to develop teachers, professional development, a
study showed that only 43% (34% in Saudi Arabia) of the students had mathematics teachers
who received professional development compared to an international average of 51% (Al-
Sadaawi, 2009). Some of those teachers that were hired based on submitted qualification in some
countries were found to be not qualified at all. In 2011, while investigating teachers’
qualification to teach in Qatari schools, the Supreme Education Council reported that more than
30% of teachers in Qatar were not qualified to teach; with 35% of whom were teaching in
independent schools (Romanowski, Cherif, Al Ammari, & Al Attiyah, 2013).
A conference was held under UNESCO in Doha early in 2015 to discuss “Enhancing
Students Performance in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for Improved Learning Outcomes.” In this conference, 43
educators and senior policy makers from all GCC countries except Kuwait, and a number of
international education experts met for two days. In their summary of the major challenges
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

44
pertaining to teachers they included the following: (1) Teaching was affected due to the teachers
different backgrounds in dialects, qualifications, and pedagogical methods; (2) Teachers were
not satisfied in their jobs; (3) Teachers were subjected to excessive workload; (4) Resources
were not good enough to support international assessments and teachers were not well trained to
help students as expected; and (5) Teachers did not value tests such as PISA (UNESCO, 2015).
The Importance of Mathematics Teachers
Teachers were so important in the classroom to the point that some studies attributed
students’ learning outcomes solely to the teachers. For example, Rowe (2003) asserted that:
The quality of teaching and learning provision is by far the most salient influence on
students’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes of schooling—regardless of their
gender or backgrounds. Indeed, findings from the related local and international
evidence-based research indicate ‘what matters most’ is quality teachers and teaching,
supported by strategic teacher professional development. (p. 15)
In a 1996 report titled “What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future,” the National
Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) called attention to teacher quality as
the key to improving American education. NCTAF argued that student learning was mostly
effected by the teachers’ skills and that “recruiting, preparing, and retaining” quality teachers
was so vital to education improvement (National Commission on Teaching and America’s
Future, 1996). Many studies corroborated the NCTAF study showing that teachers and teacher
expertise were the most important factors related to student learning and achievements (Bembry,
Jordan, Gomez, Anderson, & Mendro, 1998; Darling-Hammond, 1997; Ferguson & Ladd, 1996;
Slavin & Fashola, 1998; Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

45
Outside the United States, a study in the United Kingdom showed that the quality and
effectiveness of teachers rather than the school, classroom or students played a role in students’
progress (McBer, 2000). The study showed that thirty percent of differences in students’
progress was due to teachers (McBer, 2000).
To determine variance in student achievement, Hattie (2003) meta-analyzed the findings
from more than 500,000 evidence-based studies. Looking at students, teachers, parents, peers,
school, and the principals, Hattie concluded that apart from the students themselves the highest
variance in achievement (30%) was for the teachers. Hattie went on to identify five major
dimensions of excellent teachers. These excellent teachers can: (1) find ways to illustrate their
subject, (2) Drive learning through interactions, (3) Observe learning and offer feedback, (4)
Deal with affective qualities, and (5) Impact student achievements.
Citing more than nine research studies about different outcome measures and different
educational systems across a range of studies and countries, Alton-Lee (2003) attributed up to
59% of the variance in student scores to quality teaching and through the quality of the learning
environment generated by the teacher and the students.
As for mathematics achievements in particular, Lamb and Fullarton (2002) indicated that
a large part of variation in mathematics achievement is due to teacher effects. A number of
studies have also shown that although classrooms and school environment are important to
student achievement, teachers account for more than the school environment (Scheerens, 1993;
Scheerens, Vermeulen, & Pelgrum, 1989). Since teachers play an important role in students’
achievement in mathematics, it was critical that teachers use the best practices in teaching
mathematics.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

46
Best Practices in Teaching Mathematics
According to The Education Alliance (2006), students’ poor performance can be linked
to the method used to teach mathematics at the early stages. Daro (2006) indicated that a
majority of teachers do not construct the building blocks needed to understand mathematics but
focus on specific problems. To build these basic foundations, teaching concepts, skills, and
problem-solving should be part of programs used to increase student achievements in
mathematics (Daro, 2006).
So what are the best instructional strategies or best practices that can build solid
foundation and a strong understanding of mathematics? When researching to find those best
practices, it was difficult to find one model of teaching or a set of best practices that were agreed
upon and acceptable to educators and researchers everywhere. Therefore, the approach here was
to describe some models and some practices and then list 10 evidence based best practices that
were supported at least by two references.
According to Battista (1999), one model for success in mathematics was for the teachers
to drive the students to read, write, use demonstrations, and other objects and participate in
formal mathematical and logical arguments. Another model was based on a meta-analysis of
100 research studies on teaching mathematics. The instructional model discussed had three
phases. Demonstrations, explanations, questioning, and discussions were part of phase 1. In
phase two, students were given assistance and feedback on their performance. In phase three,
students’ ability to apply knowledge gained and recall information were assessed (Dixon,
Carnine, Lee, Wallin, & Chard, 1998). A third approach was based on the high achievement of
Japanese students in the TIMSS study where teachers in the United States and Canada looked at
the strategies used to teach mathematics in Japan. The strategy used was called the “Lesson
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

47
Study.” The Lesson Study is an instructional approach that includes a group of teachers who
develop, observe, analyze and revise lesson plans focused on a common goal. This strategy
encourages teachers to work together across grade levels (Janzen, 2006). A fourth model
described some of the most important principles in mathematics learning and teaching including:
(1) Teachers expectations about what students need to learn, (2) Questions focused on
understanding concepts should be asked by the teachers, (3) Problem based activities should
focus on problem solving strategies, and (4) Understanding concepts should be emphasized in
the mathematics curriculum (Sabean & Bavaria, 2005).
When it came to math best teaching practices, there were many, however, the following
section includes 10 most frequently referred to:
1. The use of manipulatives. Using objects in teaching mathematics helped students
understand mathematical concepts and processes, increased flexibility in thinking,
provided tools for problem-solving, increased math achievement after long term use,
and could also decrease the anxiety some students face (Furner, Yahya, & Duffy,
2005; Johnson, 2000; Sabean & Bavaria, 2005; Sarama & Clements, 2010).
2. Differentiating instruction. Creating tailored learning plans based on students needs
such as teaching to students’ learning styles, grouping students, giving personal
projects, adjusting assessments, and one-on-one teaching for weak students was
linked to increase in achievement particularly for above grade level students
(Achieve, and National Governors Association, 2005; Clements, Agodini, & Harris,
2013; National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008).
3. Emphasizing problem solving and inquiry. Through helping students to solve
problems in class not only can students improve their skills in problem solving but
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

48
they can also acquire new content (Creemers & Kyriakides, 2012; Mirra, 2009;
Mullis et al., 2012).
4. Building on prior knowledge and experience. Teachers should relate new information
taught to what the students already know (Furner et al., 2005; McLaughlin et al.,
2005; Rosenshine, 2010, 2012).
5. Use of instructional technology tools. Multiple studies have shown that a positive
relation exist between using technology in class and student achievements, for
example a research summarizing 25 meta-analyses concluded that students’
achievement was effected positively and substantially by using computers in class
(Tamim, Bernard, Borokhovski, Abrami, & Schmid, 2011; Spiezia, 2011).
6. Numbers sense. Focusing on numbers sense broadened the students’ ability when
solving problems and emphasized thinking and understanding in math (Cawelti,
2004; Cobb et al., 1991; Markovits & Sowder, 1994; Jordan, Glutting, & Ramineni,
2010).
7. Students’ interaction. Opportunities should be given for students’ interaction and
formation of small groups in class and during problem solving situations, while
supporting students to develop their own solutions and compare with others (Boaler,
1998; Creemers & Kyriakides, 2012; Stigler, Gallimore, & Hiebert, 2000; Slavin,
1990).
8. Asking questions and challenging students. Strong mathematics teaching necessitates
understanding student’s needs through asking them questions, challenging, and
helping them to learn it successfully (Creemers & Kyriakides, 2012; Fosnot, 2005;
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000; Reinhart, 2000; Small, 2009).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

49
9. Learning time. Research showed a positive relation between total teaching time spent
on mathematics and students’ achievement so teachers must allocate enough time for
learning math (Keeves, 1976; Lavy, 2010; Suarez, Torlone, McGrath, & Clark, 1991).
10. Class management and environment. Research has shown that quality teaching
included managing the classroom well and providing supportive and productive
environment for all students (Creemers & Kyriakides, 2012; Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, 2010; McBay, 1989).
In this study, we asked the teachers about the use of manipulatives since it seemed the
one practice that was listed frequently and about teacher collaboration which was featured
regularly when referencing best practices. A suggestion for a future research is to include more
of these best practices during the data collection.
Test Taking Strategies
In order for teachers to help support student performance in math achievement ten of the
best math teaching practices were discussed in the previous section, however, research has
shown that the performance of students was further enhanced through learning test taking
strategies. According to Gulek (2003), to exhibit their knowledge and skills in important tests it
was essential for students to receive enough and proper test preparation. It was argued that
training on test taking skills allowed the students to better process, store, and retrieve knowledge,
in addition to developing other skills such as time management, organization, and
comprehension (Zeidner, 1998). Other studies reported a substantial link between sufficient test
preparation and academic performance and the enhancement of test takers attitudes and
performance (Berliner, 1986; Chittooran & Miles, 2001; Norton & Park, 1996). Another research
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

50
went further positing that students who were taught test-taking strategies did generally better on
tests with important consequences such as high school diploma (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 2009).
Other major benefits from teaching test taking strategies to students, in addition to
becoming familiar with the test format, was the reduction of test anxiety as students start feeling
better once they know what to expect. Once anxiety was reduced or eliminated the test results
reflected a clearer picture of what students know (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 2009).
So what are these test taking strategies? Below are the 20 most frequently referenced
strategies:
1. Schedule test preparation early (Boyd, 1988; Goodwin, 2000; Simmons, 1998)
2. Encourage practicing taking sample and old tests (Chaleff & Toranzo, 2000;
McClaskey, 2001; Simmons, 1998)
3. Offer timed tests to students before the actual test (Chaleff & Toranzo, 2000)
4. Use computer scored answer forms in all practice tests (Gray, 1999)
5. Teach about how to reduce test anxiety (Beidel, Turner, & Taylor-Ferreira, 1999;
Hancock, 2001; Scruggs & Mastropieri, 2009)
6. Teach about motivation / emotional support (McClaskey, 2001; Simmons, 1998;
Gray, 1999)
7. Explain purpose of test (Simmons, 1998)
8. Explain test vocabulary and terminology before the test (Marzano, Kendall, & Gaddy,
1999)
9. Tell the student to get a good night’s sleep (Duke & Ritchhart, 1997)
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

51
10. Advocate eating a nutritious breakfast such as food with protein (Cooper, Bandelow,
& Nevill, 2011; Pivik, Tennal, Chapman, & Gu, 2012; Wesnes, Pincock, Richardson,
Helm, & Hails, 2003; Widenhorn-Müller, Hille, Klenk, & Weiland, 2008).
11. Tell the students to arrive on time (Boyd, 1988)
12. Teach about pacing and time management (Boyd, 1988)
13. Instruct students to reading and follow test directions (Boyd, 1988; Chaleff &
Toranzo, 2000; Priestley, 2000)
14. Advocate writing neatly (Boyd, 1988)
15. Tell students to attempt multiple choice questions first (Boyd, 1988)
16. Instruct students to check answers and choose the correct answer (Boyd, 1988)
17. Encourage students to question their answers and make an educated guess (Boyd,
1988)
18. Tell students to skip difficult questions and mark and come back (Priestley, 2000)
19. Show students how fill the bubbles Correctly (Simmons, 1998; VanHorn, 1997)
20. Teach them how to look for vocabulary clues and tricks ex: word problems
(McClaskey, 2001; Priestley, 2000)
Teachers’ Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Needs for Learning and Improving
the Students Performance in Achievement Tests
Mathematics teacher knowledge needs. The research indicated that capable math
teachers offer a way to guide their students to a structured grasp of concepts, to learn
thoughtfully, to think critically, and eventually to math achievement (Saritas & Akdemir, 2009).
Furthermore, it was argued that strong understanding of mathematics domain and the theory
behind math education is required for math achievement (Ball, 1993; Grossman et al., 1989;
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

52
Rosebery et al., 1992). Also, the teacher not only needs knowledge of a particular subject matter
but also needs to have pedagogical knowledge and knowledge of their students (Bransford,
Brown, & Cocking, 2000).
Teacher’s content knowledge in particular and the way they teach it was, according to a
number of studies, a significant contributor in predicting students’ performance in mathematics
and science (Darling-Hammond, 1999; Goldhaber & Brewer, 1996). Additionally, higher level
of students’ achievement in mathematics was attributed to teachers who received extensive
training in curriculum based and content specific pedagogy (Brown, Smith, & Stein, 1995;
Cohen & Hill, 1997; Wiley & Yoon, 1995).
Mathematics teacher motivation needs. Researchers have had varying results when
examining whether teacher motivation leads to increased levels of academic achievement.
Stevens and White (1987) studied the records of students in 15 school districts, with 191 teachers
as subjects. The standardized test scores from the California Achievement Test were used as the
best estimate of the learned behavior in each teacher’s classroom. There was no direct
relationship between teacher morale and student achievement. However, Stevens and White
deduced that this topic needed more research and investigating students’ achievement before
their involvement with the teachers participating in the study. The results of another study
showed that high level of collaboration amongst teachers correlated significantly with higher
scores on the California Achievement Test (Jordan, 1986). The teachers’ collaboration and social
interaction was believed to have boosted the teachers’ motivation causing them to perform better
hence improving students’ achievement (Bishay, 1996).
A number of teachers needs influence their motivation. For example, a teacher needs to
have a strong self-efficacy about the strength of both their content and pedagogical knowledge.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

53
Some researchers have indicated that they found that teachers’ self-efficacy influenced their
teaching behaviors and their students’ motivation and achievement (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007;
Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001). A second need that promoted motivation and
engagement was the availability of adequate resources and working conditions (Rueda, 2011). A
third factor that contributed to stronger teacher motivation was job satisfaction (Mullis et al.,
2012). Pay for performance was another contributor to enhanced motivation. According to Hills,
Madigan, Scott, and Markam (1987) when used effectively pay for performance or merit pay was
a strong motivating tool. Furthermore, the literature showed that employee motivation and job
satisfaction was influenced primarily by equity and fairness (Lewis, Goodman, & Fandt, 1995).
Mathematics teacher organizational needs. Teachers need to have professional
development to improve their skills and to keep up with latest teaching methods. A large-scale
study found that extra spending by the school on improving the quality of teachers resulted in
more achievement gains than if it was spent on anything else (Ferguson, 1991). More recent
meta-analyses of a research conducted in the United States showed that teacher professional
development in mathematics impacted positively student achievement (Blank & de las Alas,
2009).
Not only teachers required development on the job but they also needed clear goals from
their organization particularly for student achievements. A meta-analysis of 27 studies between
1978 and 2006 showed that student achievement was strongly affected by promoting teacher
learning and development, and establishing goals (Robinson, Lloyd, & Rowe, 2008). Teachers
also need some form of a work-life balance from the school in order not to get burned out on the
job. It was argued that job burnout lead to lower productivity and effectiveness and those
affected by it can negatively impact other teachers (Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 2001).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

54
Other teachers’ needs from the organization included a suitable working environment and
sufficient facilities. According to Werang (2014), to get a solid contribution from teachers to the
success of students all facilities required must be sufficiently provided. Evidence indicates that in
some countries, poor working conditions may cause teacher shortages. For instance, research
from in the United States revealed that poor working conditions contributed to the resignation of
teachers who have been in the profession for just a few years more than low pay (Johnson,
2006). Finally, teachers will be more motivated and satisfied in their job if the organization
treated them fairly and equitably (Lewis et al., 1995).
Summary and Conclusion
This chapter highlighted the importance of Qatarization as a central objective of Qatar
National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) to achieve a knowledge base society. It examined the current
situation for recruitment of Qatari graduates and their enrollment in STEM disciplines at higher
and kindergarten to twelve education. The chapter introduced the role of mathematics and
mathematics teachers in the eventual success of Qatari students and their progress towards
STEM education at university. The Qatari students achievements in standardized tests such as
TIMSS and PISA was reviewed. Then the chapter focused on the role of mathematics teachers
and best practices in teaching math and test taking strategies to improve students’ performance in
mathematics-standardized tests such as TIMSS. Finally, the chapter reflected on teachers’
knowledge, motivation and organizational needs for learning and improving the Qatari students
performance in math achievement tests.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

55
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
Purpose of the Project and Guiding Questions
The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis to examine the root causes of
fourth grade students’ low math achievement scores at Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls.
The analysis focused on teachers as the stakeholder of the study and their performance goal to
demonstrate mastery of the best instructional strategies recommended to improve students’ math
achievement. This goal will be measured by the achievement of the fourth grade students of a
score of 467 points on TIMSS mathematics in August 2017 through an internal test similar to
that of the TIMSS.
Causes for this problem due to gaps in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation, and
organizational issues were analyzed. The analysis began by generating a list of possible or
assumed causes and then, by examining these systematically, to focus on actual or validated
causes. While a complete gap analysis would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the
stakeholder group to be focused on in this analysis was the teachers. The following questions
guided this study:
1. What were the knowledge, motivation, and organizational causes that prevented Al-
Corniche Primary School For Girls mathematics teachers from supporting improved
student achievement in math? This will be measured by the achievement of an
average score of 467 in a mock TIMSS mathematics testing by August 2017.
2. What were the knowledge, motivation, and organizational solutions to those barriers?
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

56
Framework for the Study
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis, a methodological, analytical process that helps to
elucidate organizational goals and identify the gap between actual performance level and the
desired performance level within an organization, was implemented in order to examine the
potential causes of and explore potential solutions for the lower than desired average student
TIMSS mathematics scores. Personal knowledge and related literature formed the base used to
generate assumed causes for the performance gap. Surveys, focus groups and interviews,
literature review and content analysis were used to validate these causes. Research-based
solutions were recommended and evaluated in a comprehensive manner.
Gap analysis utilizes several different approaches for gathering and analyzing data,
specifically, qualitative methods, such as interviews, document analyses, observation,
quantitative methods such as surveys, and mixed methods which combine qualitative and
quantitative studies. The gap analysis process is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Gap analysis process
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

57
Assumed Causes of the Performance Gap
When a problem exists in an organization, it is usually due to many variables which occur
at the same time and involve many people. Individuals in the organization have the tendency to
respond to problems based on assumed and invalidated causes drawn from their past experiences,
due to overconfidence and time or social pressure (Clark & Estes, 2008). As a result of the
assumed causes, organizational improvement solutions are speedily implemented by institutions
without first validating the causes of the performance gaps. When it fails, it can make the
organization perform worse and damage its ability to survive (Clark & Estes, 2008). The gap
analysis provides a framework to assess causes in an evidence-based manner. It recommends an
in-depth examination of possible causes to performance gaps that include three components: (a)
scanning (informal) interviews with stakeholders; (b) learning, motivational, and
organizational/culture theories to acquire a thorough understanding of the possible causes; and
(c) review of the literature of the specific topic in question.
Scanning Interviews
The following information was generated based on informal conversations and
observations of the Al-Corniche Primary School’s mathematics teachers’ performance and
attitude towards teaching mathematics in general and mathematics achievement tests preparation
in particular. This was what I knew about the organization without having conducted a deeper
study and issues were categorized under knowledge, motivation, and organization.
Knowledge and skills. On visiting the school and discussing the mathematics
achievement tests and the students’ level of preparation, it was clear that the teachers did not
know much about achievement tests and how to prepare students for the test. For example, some
of them indicated that the Supreme Education Council (SEC) had not included the achievement
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

58
tests such as TIMSS curriculum while in fact the standard Qatari curriculum took into account
international achievement tests such as TIMSS during its development. This was conveyed to all
independent school principals in 2006 (Qatar University, 2006).
Motivation. When talking to the teachers I came to know that they were being paid much
less than their national colleagues. So the teachers felt that they were over worked and under
paid when compared to the Qatari teachers who generally were not teaching math or science.
This represented an active choice issue based on Clark and Estes (2008). The teachers chose not
to care about or prepare the students for the achievement tests since unfairness in treatment
“destroyed their motivation” (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 87). This issue also is a cost value issue
based on Pintrich (2003).
Organization. The teachers seemed to be vague when asked about a school goal to do
well in mathematics achievement tests. People do not commit to their jobs and are not motivated
to do their best to achieve targets without clear goals and feedback (Locke & Latham, 1990).
They also seemed to have not received any training on best practices.
Learning and Motivation Theory
This section discussed the assumed causes that were generated based on the major
learning and motivation theories. Although they may not have been observed in the school
setting, these factors needed to be examined due to the critical role they played in performance
outcomes.
Knowledge and skills. For the purpose of this gap analysis, the identification of the
assumed knowledge causes was guided by Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) knowledge types and
cognitive processes.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

59
Factual knowledge. The first assumed knowledge cause was a factual cause where it
seemed that some teachers did not know the basic knowledge about achievement tests such as
TIMSS test domains covered and the test format.
Conceptual knowledge. An assumed conceptual cause was that the teachers did not
know the concepts addressed by achievement tests such as the different TIMSS mathematics
parts.
Procedural knowledge. Two assumed procedural causes were identified. The first
assumed procedural knowledge cause was that teachers did not use manipulatives as a best
teaching practice. The second assumed cause was that teachers did not know how to apply the
instructional strategies to prepare the students for the mathematics achievement tests.
Metacognitive knowledge. Two assumed metacognitive causes were identified. The first
was that teachers did not evaluate their own strengths and challenges in teaching math in general
as well as achievement tests specific knowledge and skills. The second assumed metacognitive
cause was that the teachers do not set goals for themselves to raise the students’ performance in
math.
Motivation. Two widely accepted definitions on motivation by Pintrich (2003) and
Clark and Estes (2008) reflect how achieving a goal or performance target demands that both
effort and motivation are sustained. Pintrich explains that “motivation is the process whereby
goal-directed activity is instigated and sustained” (Schunk, Pintrich & Meece, 2002, p. 1).
According to Clark and Estes, motivation is what “gets us going, keeps us moving, and tells us
how much effort to spend on work tasks” (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 80).
For Clark and Estes, there are three components or indices of motivation that impact how
activity is sustained towards achieving a goal. These are active choice, persistence and mental
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

60
effort (Clark & Estes, 2008). Active choice is when action supersedes the intention to achieve a
goal; continuing towards a goal despite interruption is persistence; and mental effort is when
people develop innovative solutions and work in cleverer ways (Clark & Estes, 2008). Achieved
together, this results in increased performance, but equally underachievement occurs when there
is a lack of choice, effort or persistence. Pintrich (2003) explains motivational problems through
a series of design principles and motivational generalization that incorporate interest, goals,
attribution and self-efficacy. These definitions and their associated frameworks will guide this
discussion on motivation.
The first assumed motivational indicator was related to active choice, where teachers did
not how to personally initiate preparation for achievement tests. There were four key
motivational variables attributed to this active choice presumed cause:
1- The teachers did not see the value of preparing the students for the mathematics
achievement tests. This represented a value issue where teachers perceive negative
aspects of engaging in the task (Wigfield & Eccles, 1992) as the teachers do not think
the preparations will be useful in the absence of a set goal related to math
achievement tests.
2- There were two variables here: (1) The teachers did not believe they were capable of
teaching mathematics achievement test taking strategies and (2) Teachers were not
confident in their ability to prepare students to do well in achievement tests with their
current content and pedagogical knowledge. Both of the variables represented a self-
efficacy issue. Self-efficacy refers to individuals’ beliefs about their capabilities to
carry out a particular course of action successfully (Bandura, 1997). Some researchers
have indicated that they are finding that teachers’ self-efficacy influences their
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

61
teaching behaviors and their students’ motivation and achievement (Skaalvik &
Skaalvik, 2007; Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001).
3- The teachers believed that students lacked the ability to do well in the math
achievement tests. This represented an attribution issue. The basic concept about
attributions refers to beliefs about the causes of success and failure and how much
perceived control one has to bring about outcomes (Weiner, 1986).
The second assumed motivational indicator was related to persistence and was identified
as the teachers who had started addressing mathematics achievement tests components not doing
it consistently. The key motivational variable attributed to this persistence presumed cause was
that teachers did not see the importance of teaching the mathematics components that feature in
the achievement tests. This represented an attainment value issue. Attainment value refers to the
subjective importance of doing well on a task with reference to one’s basic personal values and
needs (Eccles & Wigfield, 1995). So from the teachers point of view, as there was no clear and
measurable goal with regards to a math achievement test score improvement, it was not
important to them to teach the mathematics components that feature in such tests.
The third assumed motivational indicator was related to mental effort and it was
identified as the teachers who had started addressing math achievement tests were not trying hard
enough to stress to their students the importance of doing well in such tests. It was suspected
that Al-Corniche Primary School math teachers saw little chance of the students succeeding in
doing well in achievement tests so they were not motivated to teach them. This represented an
attribution issue. Attributions refer to “the beliefs one has about the reasons for success or failure
at a task or activity as well as the degree of control they have in affecting that outcome” (Rueda,
2011, p. 41).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

62
Organization. Organizational causes were the third cause of performance gaps.
According to Rueda (2011), there were things about the organization itself that impeded their
performance. They includes how the setting is structured and organized, the policies and
practices that define it, and even how people interact with each other within the setting, which is
the organization culture. The organization culture plays an important part in determining the
performance and results of an organization (Erez & Gati, 2004). According to Clark and Estes
(2008), performance gaps are caused by the lack of efficient and effective organizational work
processes and material resources. Schein (1992) defined the meaning of culture (i.e., observed
behavior regularities) as:
a pattern of basic assumptions — invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as
it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration — that
has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new
members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.
(p. 9)
Two major aspects of an organizational culture can help in identifying performance gaps;
cultural model that is defined as “shared mental schema or normative understandings of how the
world works, or ought to work” (Rueda, 2011, p. 55). The second is cultural setting where
“organizational policies and practices are enacted” (Rueda, 2011, p. 57). This concept of culture
helps in explaining irregularities and phenomena within any organization particularly in the
context of organizational performance gap (Schein, 2004).
The first assumed organizational performance gap was related to the teachers not pushing
the students hard enough to do well in mathematics achievement. The possible organizational
cause was that the organization had not given the teachers a clear goal for achieving a certain
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

63
math achievement score. People do not commit to their jobs and are not motivated to do their
best to achieve targets without clear goals and feedback (Locke & Latham, 1990). The second
assumed organizational performance gap was related to teachers spending more time on
impressing the management with their out of class activities than in class. The possible
organizational cause was that the organization allowed a detrimental culture of competition
amongst fourth grade math teachers. Constant competition with everyone is a motivation killer
(Clark & Estes, 2008). Collaboration amongst teachers on the other hand is beneficial to the
school, the teachers themselves, and most importantly to the students. Researchers Goddard,
Goddard and Tschannen-Moran (2007) reported a positive relationship between teacher
collaboration and differences among schools in mathematics and reading achievement.
The third assumed organizational performance gap was related to the teachers who were
not motivated enough to teach well. The possible organizational cause was teachers were not
paid enough and pay was not only based on performance. This was related to the fact that Al-
Corniche Primary School For Girls (following instructions from the Supreme Education Council)
maintained two kinds of employment contracts with different compensation and benefits based
on whether the teacher was Qatari or non-Qatari. Teachers who were not Qataris received
significantly (at least 50%) less than what their Qataris colleagues received (The Peninsula,
2014). What makes matters worse is that the all 15 of the mathematics teachers at this school are
non-Qataris. This issue represented an issue of severe unfairness. Constant unfairness,
dishonesty, and hypocrisy kills motivation. The fourth assumed organizational performance gap
was related to the teachers lacking training resources to become more effective at teaching
mathematics achievement test strategies. The possible organizational cause was due to inadequate
professional development on teaching mathematics achievement test taking strategies. This was a
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

64
problem because when teachers’ knowledge was inadequate or misaligned with the curriculum
goals, it can result in chaos and inefficiency (Clark & Estes, 2008). The fifth assumed
organizational performance gap was related to the teachers not being able to spend enough time
with every student to help them with math issues. The possible organizational cause was due to
shortage of teachers to teach math in fourth grade. This means that there were not enough
teachers to help all students do well in math and help improve the school scores in math
achievement tests. According to Rueda (2011) adequate resources and working conditions
promote motivation and engagement that means in the absence of adequate resources the people
will be demotivated and disengaged which is possibly the situation here.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

65
Table 2
Summary of Sources about Assumed Causes of Knowledge, Motivational, and Organizational
Issues
Causes

Sources
Knowledge (indicate for each
if it is (F)actual, (C)onceptual,
(P)rocedural, or
(M)etacognitive Motivation Organizational Processes
Scanning interviews,
personal knowledge
(P) Teachers did not know
how to prepare students for
the test.
Teachers knew little about
math achievement tests
Teachers felt over worked and
under paid
Teachers did not care about
external achievement results
Teachers were not clear
about the organizational
goal doing well in
standardized tests
Teachers were not trained
on math best practices
Learning and
motivation theory
(F) Teachers did not know the
basic knowledge about
achievement tests such as
TIMSS
(C) Teachers did not know the
concepts addressed by the
different achievement tests
such as TIMSS mathematics
parts and its overall structure.
(P) Teachers did not know
how to apply the instructional
strategies necessary to prepare
the students for the
mathematics achievement
(P) Teachers did not use
manipulatives as a best
teaching practice
(M) Teachers did not evaluate
their own strengths and
challenges in teaching math in
general as well as
achievement tests specific
knowledge and skills
(M) The teachers did not set
goals for themselves to raise
the students’ performance in
achievement tests
mathematics
Active choice
1) Teachers did not see the value of
preparing the students for the
mathematics achievement tests
(value)
2) The teachers did not believe they
were capable of teaching
mathematics achievement test
taking strategies (self-efficacy)
3) Teachers were not confident in
their ability to prepare students to
do well in achievement tests with
their current content and
pedagogical knowledge (self-
efficacy)
4) Teachers believed that students
lacked the ability to do well in the
math achievement tests
(attribution)
Persistence
Teachers did not consistently teach
the mathematics components that
feature in the math achievement
tests (attainment value)
Mental effort
Teachers saw little chance of the
students succeeding in doing well
in the achievement tests
(attribution)
Goal setting:
The organization has not
given the teachers a clear
goal for achieving a
certain math score
Cultural model:
The culture of competition
amongst fourth grade math
teachers is detrimental
Cultural settings:
Teachers are not paid
enough and pay is not only
based on performance
Professional
Development:
Teachers have insufficient
professional development
on teaching achievement
tests taking strategies
Resources:
Not enough teachers to
teach math in Al-Corniche
Primary School
Background and review
of the literature
Teachers did not have good
understanding of mathematics
achievement tests subject
domain
Teachers did not have strong self-
efficacy particularly about their
content knowledge
Teachers did not receive
training on content and
pedagogical knowledge

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

66
Validation of the Causes of the Performance Gap
The remaining sections of Chapter 3 will describe how the assumed causes were
validated to determine which might require solutions and which turned out not to be problems
and therefore required no solutions.
Validation of the Causes of the Performance Gap: Knowledge
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) identified four different types of knowledge (factual,
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive) and six categories of cognitive processes
(remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating). These four types of
knowledge and six categories of cognitive processes provided guidance for developing solutions
to the assumed causes.
Factual knowledge causes’ validation. To assess the teachers knowledge about basic
information relating to achievement tests such as the different TIMSS mathematics parts, TIMSS
test information including domains covered and test format, a survey was conducted where the
teachers were asked “What are some key facts about the TIMSS such as the number of items
tested, the test format and the time allocated for each section?”
Conceptual knowledge causes’ validation. To validate that teachers did not know the
concepts addressed by achievement tests such as different TIMSS mathematics parts, the
teachers were asked to take a basic TIMSS knowledge survey asking them about the different
concepts. This question: “What are some key math concepts included in TIMSS?” was included
when the initial survey conducted to assess the assumed conceptual caused discussed above.
Procedural knowledge causes’ validation. There were two procedural causes, to assess
the first cause which was about teachers not using manipulatives as a best teaching practice, the
teachers were asked in the survey “I currently use or have used manipulatives to teach math.”
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

67
And during the interview they were asked, “How do you feel about using objects or
manipulatives in teaching math?” For the second cause about teachers not knowing how to apply
the instructional strategies to prepare the students for the mathematics achievement tests, the
teachers were asked to submit a sample lesson to show how they taught mathematics and
specifically how they prepared students for the mathematics achievement tests.
Metacognitive knowledge causes’ validation. The assumed metacognitive cause, that
teachers did not evaluate their own strengths and challenges in teaching math in general as well
as achievement tests specific knowledge and skills, were assessed by asking the teachers to judge
their own teaching effectiveness in teaching different math strands. The teachers were asked four
interview questions; (1) What are your strengths in teaching math in general? (2) What are some
challenges you have in teaching math in general? (3) How do you feel about your content
knowledge of math? And (4) How do you feel about your pedagogical knowledge of math?
The second assumed metacognitive cause, that the teachers did not set goals for
themselves to raise the students’ performance in math achievement, were assessed by asking the
teachers in three interview questions; (1) What are your goals for increasing the math
achievement for your students? (2) How do you determine your goal? (3) How do you convey
this goal to your students?

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

68
Table 3
Summary of Assumed Knowledge Causes and Validation
Assumed Knowledge Cause How Would It Be Validated?
Teachers did not know the basic
knowledge about achievement tests such
as TIMSS.
(Factual)
Via a survey, teachers were asked what are some
key facts about the TIMSS such as the number of
items tested, the test format and the time allocated
for each section?
They did not know the concepts addressed
by achievement tests such as the different
TIMSS mathematics parts and the overall
structure.
(Conceptual)
Teachers were asked to take a basic TIMSS
knowledge survey. They were asked what are
some key math concepts included in TIMSS?
There teachers did not use manipulatives
as a best teaching practice.
(Procedural)
The teachers were asked in the survey “I currently
use or have used manipulatives to teach math.”
And during the interview they were asked, “How
do you feel about using objects or manipulatives
in teaching math?”
Teachers did not know how to apply the
instructional strategies necessary to
prepare the students for the mathematics
achievement tests.
(Procedural)
Teachers were asked to submit a sample lesson to
show how they specifically prepared students for
the mathematics achievement tests. This was
assessed using the Achievement Tests Math Skills
Preparation Checklist on Appendix C.
Teachers did not evaluate their own
strengths and challenges in teaching math
in general as well as math achievement
tests specific knowledge and skills.
(Metacognitive)
The teachers were asked four interview questions;
(1) What are your strengths in teaching math in
general? (2) What are some challenges you have
in teaching math in general? (3) How do you feel
about your content knowledge of math? And (4)
How do you feel about your pedagogical
knowledge of math?
The teachers did not set goals for
themselves to raise the students’
performance in math achievement tests.
(Metacognitive)
The teachers were asked three interview
questions; (1) What are your goals for increasing
the math achievement for your students? (2) How
do you determine your goal? (3) How do you
convey this goal to your students?

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

69
Validation of the Causes of the Performance Gap: Motivation
Motivation causes validation. There were four key motivational variables attributed to
active choice presumed cause to be validated:
1. The teachers did not see the value of preparing the students for the math achievement
tests. The assumed cause was validated through a survey with two survey items: “It is
important to prepare students for math achievement tests.” And “I believe that what I
am teaching in class will help students prepare for math achievement tests.” They
were also asked in an interview “How important is it for students to be prepared for
math achievement tests?”
2. The teachers did not believe they were capable of teaching math achievement tests
taking strategies assumed cause was validated through an interview question: “How
do you feel about your ability to teach math achievement tests taking strategies?”
3. The teachers were not confident in their ability to prepare students to do well in
achievement tests with their current content and pedagogical knowledge assumed
cause was validated through asking the teachers if they agreed with three statements.
The first statement was “I feel confident about my ability to prepare students to do
well on tests that measure math achievement.” The second statement was “I am
confident in my content knowledge related to math.” And the third statement was “I
am confident about my pedagogical knowledge related to math.”
4. The teachers believed that students lacked the ability to do well in the math
achievement tests assumed cause was validated through a survey with a survey item
through asking the teachers if they agreed with the statement “Student math
achievement is strongly influenced by the amount of effort I put into the math
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

70
lessons.” They were also asked in an interview “What are some of the causes for the
students’ success or failure to do well in math achievement tests?”
The second assumed motivational indicator was related to persistence and it was
identified as teachers not consistently teaching the mathematics components that feature in the
math achievement tests. The key motivational variable attributed to this persistence presumed
cause was that teachers did not see the importance of teaching the mathematics components that
featured in the math achievement tests. This assumed cause was validated through asking the
teachers if they agreed with the statement “It is important to me to teach all the mathematics
components that are featured in the math achievement tests.” The teachers were also asked in
interview the question, “How important is it for you to teach all the math components in the math
achievement tests?”
The third assumed motivational indicator was related to mental effort and it was
identified as teachers not trying hard enough to stress to their students the importance of doing
well in the math achievement tests. It was suspected that Al-Corniche School math teachers saw
little chance of the students succeeding in doing well in the math achievement tests so they were
not motivated to teach them. This assumed cause was validated through a survey by asking the
teachers if they agreed with the statement “I expect to see better math scores if I try harder to
stress to the students the importance of doing well in the math achievement tests.” They were
also asked an interview question, “Do you expect to see better math scores if you stress to the
students the importance of doing well in math achievement tests?” A summary of the assumed
motivational causes that have been identified is shown in Table 4.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

71
Table 4
Summary of Assumed Motivation Causes and Validation
Motivational Problem
Type of
Indicator Possible Cause(s) How will it Be Validated
Teachers did not
initiate preparation for
the math achievement
tests by themselves
Active choice Teachers did not see the value
of preparing the students for
the math achievement tests.
Survey Items:
“It is important to prepare students for math
achievement tests.” And “I believe that what I
am teaching in class will help students prepare
for math achievement tests.”
Interview Question:
They were also asked in an interview “How
important is it for students to be prepared for
math achievement tests?”
Teachers were not confident
in their ability to prepare
students to do well in
achievement tests with their
current content and
pedagogical knowledge.
Teachers did not believe they
were capable of teaching math
achievement tests taken
strategies.
Survey Items:
Three items, The first item was “I feel confident
about my ability to prepare students to do well on
tests that measure math achievement.” The
second item was “I am confident in my content
knowledge related to math.” And the third item
was “I am confident about my pedagogical
knowledge related to math.”
Interview Question:
“How do you feel about your ability to teach
math achievement tests taking strategies?”
Teachers believed that
students lacked the ability to
do well in the math
achievement tests.
Survey Item:
“Student math achievement is strongly
influenced by the amount of effort I put into the
math lessons.”
Interview Question:
“What are some of the causes for the students’
success or failure to do well in math achievement
tests?”
Teachers did not
consistently teach the
mathematics
components that feature
in the math
achievement tests.
Persistence They did not see the
importance of teaching the
mathematics components that
feature in the math
achievement tests.
Survey Item:
“It is important to me to teach all the
mathematics components that are featured in the
math achievement tests.”
Interview Question:
“How important is it for you to teach all the math
components in the math achievement tests?”
Teachers did not try
hard enough to stress to
their students the
importance of doing
well in the math
achievement tests.
Mental effort They saw little chance of the
students succeeding in doing
well in the math achievement
tests.
Survey Item:
“I expect to see better math scores if I try harder
to stress to the students the importance of doing
well in the math achievement tests.”
Interview Question:
“Do you expect to see better math scores if you
stress to the students the importance of doing
well in math achievement tests?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

72
Validation of the Causes of the Performance Gap: Organization
Organizational causes validation. The first assumed organizational performance gap
was related to the teachers not pushing the students hard enough to do well in math achievement
tests. The possible organizational cause was that the organization had not given the teachers a
clear goal for achieving a certain math achievement test score. This assumed cause was validated
with a survey through asking the teachers if they agreed with the following two statements. The
first statement was “Al-Corniche has a set goal to increase the students’ math achievement.” The
second statement was: “I think this goal is a reasonable one.”
The second assumed organizational performance gap was related to teachers spending
more time on impressing the management with their out of class activities than in class. The
possible organizational cause was that the organization allowed a detrimental culture of
competition amongst fourth grade math teachers. This assumed cause was validated through
asking the teachers in a survey if they agreed with the following two statements. The first
statement was “There is on-going cooperation and team work amongst all math teachers in this
school.” The second statement was “I have a good working relationship with other math
teachers.” They were also asked in an interview the question “How do you feel about your
working relationship with other teachers? Discuss the degree to which you feel cooperation /
teamwork is present.”
The third assumed organizational performance gap was related to the teachers
experiencing unfair treatment. The possible organizational cause was due to the teachers not paid
enough and pay was not only based on performance. This assumed cause was validated through a
survey by asking the teachers if they agreed with the following two statements. The first
statement was “I believe that I am compensated fairly/adequately in this school.” The second
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

73
statement was “I believe the only factor that differentiates the teachers’ pay in this school is
performance level.” They were also asked in an interview the question “Are you satisfied with
your compensation and benefits in this school?”
The fourth assumed organizational performance gap was related to the teachers lacking
training resources to become more effective at teaching math. The possible organizational cause
was due to inadequate professional development on teaching math achievement tests taking
strategies. This assumed cause was validated through a survey by asking the teachers if they
agreed with the statement “I believe that additional training is necessary to help me teach math
achievement tests taking strategies.” They were also asked in an interview two questions. The
first question was “Have you received any training on teaching math achievement tests taking
strategies? If yes, how long ago?” The second question was “Was the training sufficient to give
you the skills and knowledge you needed to do well in class? Why or why not?”
The fifth assumed organizational performance gap was related to the teachers not being
able to spend enough time with every student to help them with math issues. The possible
organizational cause was due to shortage of teachers to teach math in fourth grade. This assumed
cause was validated through a survey by asking the teachers if they agreed with the statement “I
believe the number of teachers teaching math at the primary school is adequate for all students to
do well in math.” They were also asked in an interview the question “In your opinion, how many
math teachers are needed for the primary school to do well in mathematics in general and
achieve higher scores in the math achievement tests in particular?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

74
Summary of Assumed Organizational Causes
Table 5
Summary of Assumed Organizational/Culture/Context Causes and Validation
Organizational Problem
Possible Organizational
Cause(s)* How will it be Validated
Teachers were not
pushing the students
hard enough to do well
in math achievement
tests (P)
The organization did not
given the teachers a clear
goal for achieving a
certain math achievement
test score. (Goal setting)
Survey Item:
Two items were asked, the first item was “Al-Corniche has a set goal
to increase the students’ math achievement.” The second item was: “I
think this goal is a reasonable one.”
Teachers were spending
more time on
impressing the
management with their
out of class activities
than in class (P)
The culture of
competition amongst
fourth grade math
teachers was detrimental.
(Cultural models)
Survey Item:
The first item was “There is on-going cooperation and team work
amongst all math teachers in this school.” The second item was “I
have a good working relationship with other math teachers.”
Interview Question:
“How do you feel about your working relationship with other
teachers? Discuss the degree to which you feel cooperation /
teamwork is present.”
Teachers experienced
unfair treatment (P)
Teachers were not paid
enough and pay was not
only based on
performance. (Cultural
settings)
Survey Item:
Two items. The first item was “I believe that I am compensated
fairly/adequately in this school.” The second item was “I believe the
only factor that differentiates the teachers’ pay in this school is
performance level.”
Interview Question:
“Are you satisfied with your compensation and benefits in this
school?”
Teachers lacked training
resources to become
more effective at
teaching math (P)
Teachers had insufficient
professional
development on teaching
achievement tests taking
strategies.
Survey Item:
“I believe that additional training is necessary to help me teach math
achievement tests taking strategies.”
Interview questions:
Two questions. The first question was “Have you received any
training on teaching math achievement tests taking strategies? If yes,
how long ago?” The second question was “Was the training sufficient
to give you the skills and knowledge you needed to do well in class?
Why or why not?”
Teachers were not able
to spend enough time
with every student to
help them with math
issues (P)
Not enough teachers to
teach math in Al-
Corniche Primary
School.
Survey Item:
“I believe the number of teachers teaching math at the primary school
is adequate for all students to do well in math.”
Interview Questions:
“In your opinion, how many math teachers are needed for the primary
school to do well in mathematics in general and achieve higher scores
in the math achievement tests in particular?”
* Personal Knowledge (P) or the Literature (L) or Theories related to culture/context (T)

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

75
Participants
The math teachers at Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls primary school were the
main stakeholders of the gap analysis. There were 15 of them, teaching grades one through six.
The reason for expanding the number of teachers to include all teaching grades at the primary
was due to fact that almost all math teachers at the school were used to teach all grades at one
stage or another and those first graders entering grade one in 2015 will be the same students who
will be doing the achievement test used to measure the improvement i.e. TIMSS. All teachers
were surveyed and interviewed.
Procedures
To validate knowledge, motivation, and organizational assumed causes, an online survey
and face-to-face interviews were conducted. A survey was developed to validate the assumed
causes identified. Surveys were distributed through online software in December 2014, once
approval from both the School and University of Southern California (USC) Institutional Review
Board (IRB) was granted. The survey was sent to all 15 math teachers at Al-Corniche Schools
Complex For Girls primary school. Responses were collected anonymously, tabulated through
software and a copy made for back up purposes stored on an external hard drive located in a
locked drawer. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to probe responses. Interview
protocol was generated to guide the interviews. All results were kept on a password-protected
laptop. Upon completion of the data analysis the back-up copy and all recordings would be
destroyed.
Data Collection
The school principal set aside a time and a room at the school where all the face-to-face
interviews for each teacher were conducted. The survey was sent to all teachers electronically.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

76
Surveys
The survey included 19 items based on existing, valid and reliable instruments that used
the Likert scale. Sample items included “We have a set goal to increase the students math
achievement test score” and “I currently use or have used manipulatives to teach math.” The
survey was sent (in Arabic and responses were translated later into English) to all 15 math
teachers at Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls primary school via online and a simple
software was used to process the data. Responses were collected anonymously, tabulated through
software and a copy made for back up purposes stored on an external hard drive located in a
locked drawer. All results were kept on a password-protected laptop. Upon completion of the
data analysis the back-up copy and all recordings would be destroyed. The survey protocol is
presented in Appendix A.
Interviews
The interview protocol consisted of 18 questions. The teachers were made aware that the
interviews were confidential. The principal was present at the interview room. She stressed the
importance of participating fully in this study to the teachers and reassured them about its
confidentiality as well. At least one interview was conducted with all 15 teacher (in Arabic and
responses will be translated later to English). Each interview took about one hour. Interview
protocol is presented in Appendix B.
Document Analysis
Teachers were asked to submit a sample lesson to show how they specifically prepared
students for the math achievement tests. The document was analyzed based on the math
achievement tests preparation checklist included in Appendix C. This list was created based on a
literature research that discussed best practices in teaching mathematics and eluded to employing
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

77
modeling/demonstration math, allowing the students time for hands on problems, differentiation
and encouraging group work and collaboration, and practicing from the standardized test sample
tests (Gonzales et al., 2008). A criterion was developed with a math preparation expert from the
American School of Doha (high achieving international schools), where contribution percentages
for those five factors mentioned above to the overall quality of the preparation and the minimum
required frequency of administering each was assigned to each factor. Then the scores of the
combination versus the recommended minimum was tabulated to see if the teachers’ lessons
were below, meeting, or exceeding the recommended minimum.
Role of Investigator
My role in this study was a researcher who was conducting a gap analysis for the Al-
Corniche Schools Complex For Girls primary school in order to identify possible solutions for
improving math teachers’ performance and enhancing fourth grade students’ math achievement
tests performance. The school’s principal and teachers were briefed on the nature of the study.
They declared their willingness to help with this research. The principal came on to the meeting
that was held with the teachers prior to data collection and reiterated the importance of the
teachers’ full cooperation and that teachers should feel comfortable in the presence of the
principal investigator as the goal from this was purely academic and no individual identities will
be used or revealed at all.
The solutions generated from this study will be used by the school to improve the
teachers’ performance and if the students’ results were improving they would also be shared with
the Supreme Education Council to improve the fourth grade students’ math achievement tests
scores across the nation. All efforts were made to ensure that participants involved in the study
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

78
were consulted throughout the process. Results of the study were shared and validated by
stakeholders for accuracy, and any concerns were addressed to protect their privacy and rights.
Data Analysis
The survey results were examined for frequencies. Interview results were transcribed, and
coded into themes that mesh with the knowledge, motivation, and organization categories.
Documents were examined to further triangulate survey and interview results, providing an in-
depth assessment that complemented the statistical output.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

79
CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis based on the work of Clark and
Estes (2008) to examine the root causes of fourth grade students’ low math achievement at Al-
Corniche Primary School For Girls. The analysis focused on the role of teachers in relation to the
goal and potential causes for this problem related to the teachers’, key stakeholder, gaps in the
areas of knowledge and skill, motivation, and lack of organizational resources, both culture- and
context-related. In Chapter 3, the analysis started by generating a list of assumed causes related
to the knowledge, motivation, and organizational resources that prevent teachers from
demonstrating mastery of the instructional strategies needed to improve students’ math
achievement.
In this chapter, data gathered through surveys, interviews, and document analysis were
analyzed and triangulated. The results and findings were then compared against the assumed
causes described in Chapter 3 to determine whether they are valid and thus require solutions or
are invalid. The solutions to validated causes will then be presented in Chapter 5.
Participating Stakeholders
A total of 15 teachers participated in the study and they represented 100% of the key
stakeholder population. They comprised all mathematics teachers in the Al-Corniche Primary
School. Both the surveys and the interviews were held at the school premises and all interviews
were held face-to-face.
In order to ensure that the teachers were able to respond to the study objectively and
appropriately, they were briefed about the purpose, privacy, and confidentiality of the study.
Prior to responding, the teachers were given a hard copy of the approved University of Southern
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

80
California (USC) Institutional Review Board (IRB) information sheet. They were given enough
time to read and ask the interviewer questions for clarification if needed. The teachers were told
that they have the right to skip any questions and terminate the interview at any time they
choose. Additionally, confidentiality was emphasized and assurance was given that no identifiers
for any teacher would be mentioned in the final study.
Results and Findings for Knowledge and Skills Causes
According to Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), there are four types of knowledge: factual,
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. The knowledge assumed causes in this gap analysis
were identified based on this four-types of framework. All four of these types were recognized as
possible factors influencing the teachers’ performance. The next section describes the findings
related to these assumed knowledge causes.
There were 6 assumed knowledge causes. Table 6 shows the type of knowledge, the
assumed causes and their validation methods.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

81
Table 6
Knowledge Assumed Causes and Validation Methods
Category Assumed Cause Validation Method
Factual Teachers do not know the basic knowledge
about TIMSS
Survey
(List of information)
Conceptual Teachers do not know the concepts addressed by
the different TIMSS mathematics parts and the
overall structure
Survey
(List of information)
Metacognitive Teachers do not evaluate their own strengths and
challenges in teaching math in general as well as
achievement tests specific knowledge and skills
Interview Q’s
Metacognitive The teachers do not set goals for themselves to
raise the students’ performance in math
Interview Q’s
Procedural Teachers do not use manipulatives as a best
teaching practice
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s
Procedural Teachers do not know how to apply the
instructional strategies necessary to prepare the
students for the mathematics achievement
Document Analysis

Survey Results
The survey instrument in total included 19 items, out of which there were a total of three
knowledge items, which were comprised of one factual knowledge, one conceptual, and one
procedural knowledge question. For the factual and conceptual knowledge questions, the
teachers were asked to give a list of information. The second procedural assumed cause was
assessed using document analysis. As for the metacognitive knowledge, they were all assessed
using interview protocol. The answers to questions number 18 and 19 were acquired in Arabic
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

82
and then translated into English. The two next sections will describe these results in the areas of
factual, conceptual and metacognitive knowledge in more details.
Factual knowledge. The assumed cause that teachers do not know the basic knowledge
about TIMSS, was validated through the survey question: “What are some key facts about the
TIMSS such as the number of items tested, the test format and the time allocated for each
section?” Table 7 included the model answers to this question that were expected to be
mentioned, in part or in full, in the responses of the 15 teachers surveyed.

Table 7
TIMSS Key Facts
Category Facts
Number of items 175 assessment items
Test format Half of the questions are multiple choice and half are constructed
response items where students write their answers
Time allocated 102 minutes
Source: Mullis et al. (2012)

Out of the 15 teachers surveyed, only five (33%) partially answered the question while 10
(67%) of the teachers either did not know or gave a wrong answer. Therefore, the assumed cause
mentioned above was validated, confirming that the Al-Corniche Primary mathematics teachers
have a factual knowledge gap of not knowing the basic knowledge about TIMSS.
Conceptual knowledge. The assumed cause that teachers do not know the concepts
addressed by the different TIMSS mathematics parts and the overall structure, was validated
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

83
through the survey question: “What are some key math concepts included in TIMSS?” Table 8
included the model answers to this question that were expected to be mentioned, in part or in
full, in the responses of the 15 teachers surveyed.

Table 8
TIMSS Key Math Concepts
Category Key Math Concepts
Content dimension Specifying the domains or subject matter to be assessed within
mathematics. These are Number, Geometric shapes and measures and
Data display.
Cognitive dimension Specifying the domains or thinking processes expected of students as
they engage with the mathematics content. These processes are
Knowing, Applying and Reasoning.
Source: Mullis et al. (2012)

Out of the 15 teachers surveyed, only six (40%) partially answered the question while 9
(60%) of the teachers either did not know or gave a wrong answer. Therefore, the assumed cause
mentioned above was validated confirming that the Al-Corniche Primary School mathematics
teachers have a conceptual knowledge gap of not knowing the key math concepts included in
TIMSS.
Procedural knowledge. The assumed cause that teachers do not use manipulatives as a
best teaching practice was validated through asking the teachers if they agreed with the statement
“I currently use or have used manipulatives to teach math.” According to the survey results
presented in Figure 2, 11 (73%) of the teachers strongly agreed, three (20%) of the teachers
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

84
agreed, and one (7%) teacher only disagreed that they currently use or have used manipulatives
to teach math.

Figure 2. Responses to procedural knowledge statement: “I currently use or have used
manipulatives to teach math.”

The purpose of the above statement about using manipulatives was to assess the degree to
which teachers implement best practices in teaching math as identified via literature review
according to Johnson (2000) and Sabean and Bavaria (2005).
Based on the survey results, 93% of the teachers agreed to the statement relating to their
use of manipulatives. This high percentage strongly indicate that the assumed cause that the
teachers do not use manipulatives as a best teaching practice was not validated.
Interviews Findings
A total of 15 face-to-face interviews were conducted with the teachers. The interviews
were based on a semi-structured interview format with 18 open-ended questions to elicit
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

85
responses that were relevant to the study. Participants were probed so that they could clarify
information and provide more details. Out of 18 questions, eight of them pertain to knowledge-
related causes where seven of them referred to metacognitive knowledge and one referred to
procedural knowledge. All 15 teachers responded to the 18 questions in the interview. Every
interview was handwritten in Arabic then translated into English. The main themes of each
interview were identified and organized according to the categories that were relevant to the
study.
Metacognitive knowledge. The first assumed cause that teachers do not evaluate their
own strengths and challenges in teaching math in general as well as achievement tests specific
knowledge and skills was investigated during the teachers interviews. To validate the assumed
cause, respondents were asked four questions. The first question was, “What are your strengths
in teaching math in general?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 3, 11 (73%) of the teachers indicated
that they have good content and pedagogical knowledge and teaching strategies. For example
one teacher said, “I have great practical knowledge in teaching math, special style to deal with
students and variety of strategies I learned by myself and from my colleagues.” Another teacher
responded by saying “ My love for math, and when teaching I feel like I am playing a beautiful
symphony.” Three (20%) of the teachers pointed out that their strength in teaching math was
having good pedagogy and ability to communicate with students. One of these teachers
elaborated about her strength in pedagogy and communication by saying
I explain the concepts accurately and not only depend on the students’ previous
experience so that they will understand the concept deeply. I also move students from
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

86
concrete to abstract, repeat the explanation and communicate with the talented students to
widen their perceptions.

Figure 3. Responses to metacognitive knowledge interview question 1: “What are your strengths
in teaching math in general?”

The second question was, “What are some challenges you have in teaching math in
general?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 4, teachers’ responses were varied but
they mainly attributed their challenges to the organization (including Supreme Education
Council) and to the students. Organizational challenges such as class size, shortage of time, and
inappropriate curriculum were mentioned by eight teachers. To give an example, one of the
teachers said, “I need more time to communicate the math content to each student.” Another
teacher indicated, “The number of students in the class is large, there is lack of interest and
follow-up by parents, and the curriculum is long and not appropriate for the students level.” The
same number of teachers, eight, mentioned students’ related challenges. Such challenges
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

87
included differentiation, student lack of interest or ability, difficult content (multiplication
tables), and students’ lack of number sense. For example, a teacher said, “Students believe math
is an abstract subject, it’s not fun and difficult, it is a challenge for me to change this idea.”
Another teacher said “Students are weak when understanding some concepts or they are not able
to do so for example: the multiplication tables.” Three teachers referred to parents’ support as a
challenge where one of them said, “There is a lack of interest and support from the parents.” It
was worth noting that although the question asked was designed to assess themselves, none of
teachers indicated internal challenges but they all pointed out external challenges such as issues
related to the organization, students, and parents.

Figure 4. Responses to metacognitive knowledge interview question 2: “What are some
challenges you have in teaching math in general?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

88
The third question was, “How do you feel about your content knowledge of math?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 5, all teachers felt positive about their
content knowledge of math with six (40%) teachers descripting their content knowledge as
excellent, four (27%) as very good and five (33%) as good. One of the teachers said, “My math
content is excellent due to the variety of topics I learned and taught before.” Another responded
by saying “I think I have enough knowledge to teach my students, but if there is more to know I
don’t hesitate to learn.”

Figure 5. Responses to metacognitive knowledge interview question 3: “How do you feel about
your content knowledge of math?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

89
The fourth question was, “How do you feel about your pedagogical knowledge of math?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 6, 14 (93%) of the teachers responded
positively in describing their feelings about their pedagogical knowledge of math but less
emphatically than how they felt about the content knowledge. Only one (7%) teacher used
excellent, three (20%) used the words very good, nine (67%) used the word good and only one
(7%) teachers did not feel good about their pedagogical knowledge of math. One of those
positive respondent said, “My pedagogical knowledge of math is very good and always updated
due to the workshops and training provided by the school.” A second teacher described his
pedagogical knowledge by saying, “It’s excellent, I have a bachelor degree in math and
education.”

Figure 6. Responses to metacognitive knowledge interview question 4: “How do you feel about
your pedagogical knowledge of math?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

90
The summary of the teachers responses to the above five questions was: (a) 73% of the
teachers indicated that they have good content and pedagogical knowledge and teaching
strategies, (b) all teachers reported variety of challenges that they have in teaching math, (c) all
teachers felt positive about their content knowledge of math with 67% describing it as excellent
or very good, and (d) 93% of the teachers responded positively in describing their feelings about
their pedagogical knowledge.
Based on the above overwhelming positive responses of the teachers to the interview
questions and the survey results discussed earlier, the metacognitive knowledge first assume
cause that teachers do not evaluate their own strengths and challenges in teaching math in
general as well as achievement tests specific knowledge and skills was not validated. However, it
was worth noting that when called to be self-reflective through the above questions, the teachers
exhibited little reflection about their own knowledge and skills. Instead, they indicated external
causes as challenges, not their own lack of knowledge or skills to teach. Therefore, though
technically the cause was not validated, there were potential issues of lack of teachers’
metacognition.
The second assumed cause that teachers do not set goals for themselves to raise the
students’ performance in math was only investigated during the teachers’ interviews. To validate
the assumed cause, respondents were asked three questions. The first question was, “What are
your goals for increasing the math achievement for your students?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 7, 12 (80%) teachers responded to
this question by saying that their goals were to improve the students’ math knowledge and
performance, improve the students’ motivation, or educate themselves further to improve the
students’ math knowledge and performance. For example, one of the teachers said, “My goal is
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

91
to get every student to be knowledgeable in math, learn and understand what is even more than
their level, and be able to solve the problems in many ways, not just the way I taught them to.” A
second teacher revealed, “I would like to encourage students to develop a strong interest in math,
to think critically, increase their academic achievement, and to encourage brainstorming.” A
third teacher indicated that she wants to educate herself by “Learning more about the
international tests [standardized tests], and also to learn more about methods, ways, and
strategies to teach TIMSS.” Two (13%) of the teachers said that they have not thought about the
question before and one (7%) indicated that her goal is to enhance the school’s reputation.

Figure 7. Responses to metacognitive knowledge second assumed cause interview question 1:
“What are your goals for increasing the math achievement for your students?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

92
The second question was, “How do you determine your goal?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 8, 12 (80%) teachers indicated that
they determined their goals either based on students’ needs or upon the curriculum standards, or
upon both. For example, one of the teachers said, “I determine my goal by knowing what should
be learned, the concepts that the students need to know through the lesson and the following
lessons.” A second teacher indicated, “My academic goal is determined based on the curriculum
standards with the coordinator agreement.” A third teacher reported that she determined her goal
“Through knowing the curriculum and students’ levels.” Three (20%) of the teachers said that
they have not thought about the question before.

Figure 8. Responses to metacognitive knowledge second assumed cause interview question 2:
“How do you determine your goal?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

93
The third question was, “How do you convey this goal to your students?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 9, in reply to the question 13 (87%)
teachers indicated that they convey their goals to their students through building motivation such
as by increasing the students’ interest in math, instruction, and through building motivation. For
example one of the teachers said that she conveyed her goal by “Building good relations with my
students, stressing to them that their success and improvement is related to that of their
countries.” A second teacher indicated “I convey my goal by presenting as much as I can during
classes, supporting students with more worksheets, and implementing new teaching strategies to
know whether it is appropriate to their learning with continuous follow-up of progress.” Two
(13%) of the teachers said that they have not thought about the question before.

Figure 9. Responses to metacognitive knowledge second assumed cause interview question 3:
“How do you convey this goal to your students?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

94
The summary of the teachers responses to the above three questions was: (a) 80% of the
teachers said they have goals to improve the students’ math knowledge and performance,
improved the students’ motivation, and educate themselves further to improve the students’ math
knowledge and performance, (b) 80% of the teachers indicated that they determined their goals
either based on students’ needs or upon the curriculum standards, or upon both, and (c) 87% of
the teachers indicated that they convey their goals to their students through building
motivation/interest, instruction, or through both.
With 80% or above of the teachers responding to the interview questions by saying that
they set goals to raise students’ performance, the metacognitive knowledge second assumed
cause that teachers do not set goals for themselves to raise the students’ performance in math was
not validated. However, when reviewing the teachers’ goals, they appeared to be quite vague.
Based on existing literature (Locke & Latham, 1990), vague goals do not support performance
outcomes as effectively as specific and measurable goals such as, in the context of this study,
specific test scores to be achieved in any achievement tests such as TIMSS and PISA.
Procedural knowledge. The first assumed cause that teachers do not use manipulatives
as a best teaching practice was also investigated through interview protocol by asking the
teachers, “How do you feel about using objects or manipulatives in teaching math?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 10, all teachers were positive about
using manipulatives in teaching math. One of the teachers said “It is important to use
manipulative in teaching math especially for early childhood stage to deepen understanding and
to relate it to the students’ daily lives.” Another teacher indicated that using manipulatives is
“one of the best and easiest methods to communicate the math content to students.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

95

Figure 10. Responses to procedural knowledge interview question: “How do you feel about
using objects or manipulatives in teaching math?”

In responding to the interview question all teachers were positive about the use of
manipulatives in teaching. Those responses were similar to their responses to the survey results
discussed earlier. Hence, the procedural knowledge first assume cause that teachers do not use
manipulatives as a best teaching practice was not validated.
The second assumed cause that teachers do not know how to apply the instructional
strategies necessary to prepare the students for the mathematics achievement was validated
through document analysis. Teachers were asked to submit a sample lesson to show how they
specifically prepare students for mathematics achievements.
Document analysis findings. In total eight sample lessons were submitted. These sample
lessons were analyzed in the presence of Mr. Edwin Bywater, a math teacher with more than 10
years of experience teaching at the American School of Doha, which is one of the leading
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

96
schools in math achievement in Qatar based on TIMSS 2011 results. Also, the sample lessons
were assessed with the aid of the TIMSS Math Skills Preparation Checklist on Appendix C.
The sample lessons were clearly standardized by the Supreme Education Council with
some differences in content and style for each grade. Based on Mr. Bywater’s expert opinion,
the sample lessons looked good and included most of what was mentioned in TIMSS Math Skills
Preparation Checklist on Appendix C. However, a class observation was needed to assess how
much of what the sample lessons contained was delivered to the students and the quality with
which it was delivered. Because the Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls primary school is
an all-girls school the presence of a male in class is not possible due to cultural reasons.
Consequently, it was not possible to conclude whether the teachers did or did not know how to
apply the instructional strategies necessary to prepare the students for the mathematics
achievement. Therefore, the assumed cause was not validated.
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
Triangulation of survey results, interview findings, and document analysis has shown that
the teachers lacked the basic factual knowledge about TIMSS. Conceptually the teachers also
demonstrated a lack of knowledge about concepts addressed by the different TIMSS
mathematics parts and the overall structure. When the teachers’ metacognitive knowledge was
assessed, it was confirmed that they evaluated their own strengths and challenges in teaching
math and they felt positive about their content and pedagogical knowledge. While they were
metacognitively reflective of their strengths, their reflection on challenges was largely about
external, not internal barriers, such as lack of knowledge or skills due to lack of training or other
causes. It was also confirmed that the teachers set goals for themselves to raise the students’
performance in math.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

97
Procedurally, it was confirmed through both the survey and interviews that the teachers
used some best math practices such as manipulatives. Based on the document analysis of the
sample lessons submitted by eight teachers it was concluded that the sample lessons content was
sufficient. However, without a class observation to assess the teachers’ quality of delivery it was
not possible to validate the assumption that teachers do not know how to apply the instructional
strategies necessary to prepare the students for the mathematics achievement.
The results and findings from the various sources of data presented in Table 9 showed
that two of the five assumed causes were validated.

Table 9
Knowledge Assumed Causes Validated or Not Validated
Category Assumed Cause Validated
Not
Validated
Factual Teachers do not know the basic knowledge about
TIMSS.
√
Conceptual Teachers do not know the concepts addressed by
the different TIMSS mathematics parts and the
overall structure.
√
Metacognitive Teachers do not evaluate their own strengths and
challenges in teaching math in general as well as
achievement tests specific knowledge and skills.
X
Metacognitive Teachers do not set goals for themselves to raise
the students’ performance in math.
X
Procedural Teachers do not use manipulatives as a best
teaching practice.
X
Procedural Teachers do not know how to apply the
instructional strategies necessary to prepare the
students for the mathematics achievement.
X

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

98
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
According to Clark and Estes, motivation is what “gets us going, keeps us moving, and
tells us how much effort to spend on work tasks” (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 80). Three
components or “indices” of motivation impact how activity is sustained towards achieving a
goal, active choice, persistence and mental effort (Clark & Estes 2008). When action replaces the
intention to pursue a goal, this is active choice; continuing towards a goal despite distraction is
persistence; and mental effort is when people develop innovative solutions and work in cleverer
ways (Clark & Estes, 2008). According to Rueda (2011) goal attainment barriers can be
postulated using motivational principles such as values, self-efficacy, attribution, interests,
values, and outcome expectancy. For the case of Al-Corniche Primary School the motivational
principles were thought to be self-efficacy, attribution and value.
Table 10 shows a summary of the motivational principles, the assumed causes and
validation methods.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

99
Table 10
Motivation Assumed Causes and Validation Methods
Motivational
Principle Assumed Cause Validation Method
Self-efficacy Teachers are not confident in their ability to
prepare students to do well in achievement
tests with their current content and
pedagogical knowledge
Survey (four-point Likert
type)
Self-efficacy Teachers do not believe they are capable of
teaching mathematics test taken strategies
Interview Q’s
Attribution Teachers believe that students lack the ability
to do well in the math achievement tests
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s
Attribution Teachers see little chance of the students
succeeding in doing well in the achievement
tests
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s
Value Teachers don’t see the value of preparing the
students for the mathematics achievement
tests
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s
Attainment value Teachers don’t see it as their role to teach the
mathematics components that are featured in
achievement tests
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s

Survey Results
The survey instrument in total included 19 items, out of which there were a total of eight
motivation items. All items were in a four-point Likert type format. The next section will
describe these results based on the motivational principles of self-efficacy, attribution and value.
Self-efficacy. The assumed cause that teachers are not confident in their ability to prepare
students to do well in achievement tests with their current content and pedagogical knowledge
was validated through asking the teachers if they agreed with three statements. The first
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

100
statement was “I feel confident about my ability to prepare students to do well on tests that
measure math achievement.” According to the survey results presented in Figure 11, all 15
(100%) teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that they felt confident about their ability to
prepare students to do well on tests that measured math achievement. However, if the assumed
cause versus the validation statement submitted to the teachers’ agreement/disagreement were
examined closely one would realize that the teachers’ responses did not validate or invalidate the
assumed cause. The assumed cause was about the teachers not believing that they were capable
of teaching mathematics test taken strategies while the statement all teachers agreed to was about
their confidence in their ability to prepare students to do well on tests measuring math
achievement.

Figure 11. Responses to motivation self-efficacy statement: “I feel confident about my ability to
prepare students to do well on tests that measure math achievement.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

101
The second self-efficacy question teachers were asked if they agreed with the statement
“I am confident in my content knowledge related to math.” According to the survey results
presented in Figure 12, 10 (67%) of the teachers strongly agreed, four (27%) of the teachers
agreed, and one (7%) teacher only disagreed that they were confident in their content knowledge
related to math.

Figure 12. Responses to self-efficacy statement 2: “I am confident in my content knowledge
related to math.”

The third self-efficacy question teachers were asked if they agreed with the statement “I
am confident about my pedagogical knowledge related to math.” According to the survey results
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

102
presented in Figure 13, 8 (53%) of the teachers strongly agreed and seven (47%) of the teachers
agreed that they were confident about their pedagogical knowledge related to math.

Figure 13. Responses to self-efficacy statement 3: “I am confident about my pedagogical
knowledge related to math.”

The teachers’ responses to the above three survey statements were: 100% said that they
felt confident about their ability to prepare students to do well on tests that measured math
achievement, and 94% and 100% respectively said that they felt confident about their content
knowledge and pedagogical knowledge related to math. Hence, the assumed cause that teachers
are not confident in their ability to prepare students to do well in achievement tests with their
current content and pedagogical knowledge was not validated.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

103
Attribution. The assumed cause that teachers believe that students lack the ability to do
well in the math achievement tests was validated through asking the teachers if they agreed with
the statement “Student math achievement is strongly influenced by the amount of effort I put into
the math lessons.” According to the survey results presented in Figure 14, all 15 (100%) teachers
either agreed or strongly agreed that student math achievement is strongly influenced by the
amount of effort they put into their math lessons. Hence, based on the survey responses,
attribution was not a validated assumption because teachers’ responses attributed doing well in
math achievement tests mainly due to their own efforts in class.

Figure 14. Responses to motivation attribution statement: “Student math achievement is strongly
influenced by the amount of effort I put into the math lessons.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

104
The second attribution assumed cause that teachers saw little chance of the students
succeeding in doing well in the achievement tests was validated through asking the teachers if
they agreed with the statement “I expect to see better math scores if I try harder to stress to the
students the importance of doing well in the math achievement tests.” According to the survey
results presented in Figure 15, all 15 (100%) teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that they
expected to see better math scores if they tried harder to stress to the students the importance of
doing well in the math achievement tests. Hence, based on the survey responses attribution was
not a validated assumption because all teachers’ responses attributed the improvement in math
scores to their performance and not to that of the students.

Figure 15. Responses to motivation attribution statement: “I expect to see better math scores if I
try harder to stress to the students the importance of doing well in the math achievement tests.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

105
Value. The first assumed cause was that teachers did not see the value of preparing the
students for the mathematics achievement tests was validated through asking the teachers if they
agreed with the two statements. The first statement was, “It is important to prepare students for
math achievement tests.” According to the survey results 15 (100%) of the teachers strongly
agreed that it was important to prepare students for math achievement tests.
The second statement was, “I believe that what I am teaching in class will help students
prepare for math achievement tests.” According to the survey results presented in Figure 16, 14
(93%) of the teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that what they teach in class helped
students prepare for math achievement tests, only one (7%) teacher disagreed. Hence, based on
the survey responses to both statements value was not a validated assumption because teachers
overwhelmingly agreed to the value of preparing the students for the mathematics achievement
tests.

Figure 16. Responses to motivation value statement: “I believe that what I am teaching in class
will help students prepare for math achievement tests.”
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

106
The second assumed cause that teachers didn’t see the importance of teaching the
mathematics components that featured in the math achievement tests was validated through
asking the teachers if they agreed with the statement “It is important to me to teach all the
mathematics components that are featured in the math achievement tests.” According to the
survey results presented in Figure 17, all 15 (100%) teachers either agreed or strongly agreed that
it was important to them to teach all the mathematics components that featured in the math
achievement tests. Hence, based on the survey responses attainment value was not a validated
assumption because all teachers recognized the importance of teaching the mathematics
components that featured in the math achievement tests.

Figure 17. Responses to motivation attainment value statement: “It is important to me to teach
all the mathematics components that are featured in the math achievement tests.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

107
Interviews Findings
A total of 15 face-to-face interviews were conducted with the teachers. Out of 18
questions, five questions pertained to motivation-related causes and were based on the
motivational principles of self-efficacy, attribution, and value. All 15 teachers responded to the
18 questions in the interview. Every interview was handwritten in Arabic, then translated into
English. The main themes of each interview were identified and organized according to the
categories that were relevant to the study.
Self-efficacy. The assumed cause that teachers did not believe that they are capable of
teaching mathematics test taken strategies was investigated during the teachers’ interviews. The
teachers were asked the question, “How do you feel about your ability to teach math achievement
tests taking strategies?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 18, when asked about how they feel
about their ability to teach math achievement tests taking strategies, the teachers responses
indicated a split to two groups. A group of eight (54%) teachers thought that they needed training
in teaching math achievement tests taking strategies. The other group of seven (46%) teachers
either felt good or very good about their abilities to teach math achievement tests taking
strategies. For example one of the teachers said, “If I receive enough training I’ll be able to
perform in a better and more accurate way.” A second teacher indicated, “I did not teach such
skills before and so I need training.”
Based on the interview findings where the majority (54%) of the teachers indicated their
need for training to be able to teach math achievement tests taking strategies the self-efficacy
assumed cause was validated.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

108

Figure 18. Responses to motivation self-efficacy question: “How do you feel about your ability
to teach math achievement tests taking strategies?”

Attribution. The assumed cause that teachers believed that students lack the ability to do
well in the math achievement tests was also investigated during the teachers’ interviews. To
validate the assumed cause, respondents were asked the question, “What are some of the causes
for the students’ success or failure to do well in math achievement tests?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 19, 13 (87%) teachers related the
causes of the students’ success or failure to do well in math achievement tests to mainly
instructional issues followed by students’ motivation. For example one of the teachers said,
“Success is due to practicing the questions and covering the standards by the teacher before the
tests.” A second teacher indicated, “Students are not prepared very well, and some are not
interested in learning Math.” Other causes cited included lack of time and students’ lack of
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

109
ability and knowledge as mentioned by one teacher who said, “Causes for failure might be due to
weak abilities of the students and wrong information and understanding about the tests.”
In response to the interview question discussed above, an overwhelming percentage of
teachers (87%) attributed the students’ success or failure to do well in math achievement tests to
mainly instructional issues. Similarly when responding to the survey discussed earlier, teachers
attributed doing well in math achievement tests mainly due to their own efforts in class. Hence,
the attribution assumed cause that teachers believed that students lacked the ability to do well in
the math achievement tests was not validated.

Figure 19. Responses to motivation attribution question: “What are some of the causes for the
students’ success or failure to do well in math achievement tests?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

110
The second attribution assumed cause that teachers saw little chance of the students
succeeding in doing well in the achievement tests was also investigated during the teachers’
interviews. To validate the assumed cause, respondents were asked the question, “Do you expect
to see better math scores if you stress to the students the importance of doing well in math
achievement tests?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 20, 14 (93%) teachers replied yes
when asked if they expected to see better math scores if they stressed to the students the
importance of doing well in math achievement tests. For example one of the teachers said, “Yes,
very much so with a clear difference.” A second teacher indicated, “Yes, in addition to enticing
and convincing students that what they achieve would improve their academic level currently
and in the future.”

Figure 20. Responses to motivation attribution question: “Do you expect to see better math
scores if you stress to the students the importance of doing well in math achievement tests?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

111
The teachers responded with a 100% agreement to the survey statement “I expect to see
better math scores if I try harder to stress to the students the importance of doing well in the
math achievement tests.” That agreement was echoed with 93% of the teachers saying YES
when asked in the interview “Do you expect to see better math scores if you stress to the students
the importance of doing well in math achievement tests?” Hence, the attribution assumed cause
that teachers saw little chance of the students succeeding in doing well in the achievement tests
was not validated.
Value. The assumed cause that teachers did not see the value of preparing the students
for the mathematics achievement tests was also investigated during the teachers’ interviews. To
validate the assumed cause, respondents were asked the question, “How important is it for
students to be prepared for math achievement tests?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 21, when asked about the importance
of preparing students for math achievement tests, a total of 13 (87%) teachers thought it was
important or very important. For example, one of the teachers said “I think it’s important because
preparing students very well for the tests gives them self-confidence about their ability.” A
second teacher indicated, “Students should be prepared very well for the tests. The students
should be made aware of how important these tests are in improving them and their countries as
well.” Two (13%) teachers thought it was not important to prepare the students for achievement
test. One of them said, “I think measuring achievement doesn’t need preparation, it measures
previous knowledge.”
Based on the above overwhelming percentage of teachers (87%) who acknowledged the
importance of students preparation for achievement tests in response to the interview question
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

112
and the survey results discussed earlier, the lack of value assumed cause that teachers did not see
the value of preparing the students for the mathematics achievement tests was not validated.

Figure 21. Responses to motivation value question: “How important is it for students to be
prepared for math achievement test?”

Attainment value. The assumed cause that teachers did not see the importance of
teaching the mathematics components that feature in the achievement tests was also investigated
during the teachers’ interviews. To validate the assumed cause, respondents were asked the
question, “How important is it for you to teach all the math components in the math achievement
tests?”
According to the interview data as shown in Figure 22, 13 (87%) teachers thought that it
was either important or very important to teach all the math components in the math achievement
tests. For example one of the teachers said, “Student should know all math strands, basic
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

113
concepts, and math facts. This in turn will benefit them as the students become well rounded in
math.” A second teachers indicated that teaching all the math components “Helps in connecting
math strands together where students will reach a level to look at math as one connected subject
where each strand depends on the other and the other sciences depends on it too.” Two other
teachers responded by saying that they have not thought about the importance of teaching all the
math components that featured in the math achievement tests.
Teaching all math components in the math achievement tests was considered important or
very important by 87% of the teachers who responded to the interview question. Survey
responses results discussed earlier showed that the same consideration was reached by 100% of
the teachers. Hence, attainment value was not a validated assumption because the majority of
teachers recognized the importance of teaching the mathematics components that featured in the
math achievement tests.

Figure 22. Responses to motivation attainment value question: “How important is it for you to
teach all the math components in the math achievement tests?”
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

114
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
The results and findings from the surveys and interviews data were overwhelmingly
decisive in not validating five of the six assumed causes. The teachers responded in percentages
of 80% and above confirming that they: (1) That they were confident in their ability, and had the
content and pedagogical knowledge, to prepare students to do well in achievement tests; (2) Did
not attribute weak performance in the math achievement tests to the students abilities; (3)
Realized the attainment value and importance of teaching the mathematics components that
featured in the math achievement tests; (4) Appreciated the value of preparing the students for
the mathematics achievement tests; and (5) Realized the attainment value and importance of
teaching the mathematics components that featured in the math achievement tests. The only
assumed cause that was validated related to the teachers’ need to strengthen their self-efficacy
through receiving training in math achievement test taking strategies.
Table 11 shows a summary of the results and findings from the surveys and interviews
data for all six assumed causes.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

115

Table 11
Motivation Assumed Causes Validated or Not Validated
Motivational
Principle Assumed Cause Validated
Not
Validated
Self-efficacy Teachers are not confident in their ability to prepare
students to do well in achievement tests with their
current content and pedagogical knowledge
X
Self-efficacy Teachers do not believe they are capable of
teaching mathematics test taken strategies
√
Attribution Teachers believe that students lack the ability to do
well in the math achievement tests
X
Attribution Teachers see little chance of the students
succeeding in doing well in the achievement tests
X
Value Teachers don’t see the value of preparing the
students for the mathematics achievement tests
X
Attainment
value
Teachers don’t see it as their role to teach the
mathematics components that are featured in the
TIMSS test
X

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

116
Results and Findings for Organizational Assumed Causes
Organizational causes are the third cause of performance gaps. According to Rueda
(2011), there are things about the organization itself that impede their performance. They include
how the setting is structured and organized, the policies and practices that define it, and even
how people interact with each other within the setting, which is the organization culture. The
organization culture plays an important part in determining the performance and results of an
organization (Erez & Gati, 2004).
Table 12 shows a summary of the organizational issues, assumed causes, and validation
methods:

Table 12
Organization Assumed Causes and Validation Methods
Organizational
Issue Assumed Cause Validation Method
Goal setting The organization has not given the teachers a
clear goal for achieving a certain math score
Survey (four-point Likert
type)
Cultural model The culture of competition amongst fourth
grade math teachers is detrimental
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s
Cultural settings Teachers are not paid enough and pay is not
only based on performance
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s
Professional
Development
Teachers have insufficient professional
development on teaching achievement tests
taking strategies
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s
Resources Not enough teachers to teach math in Al-
Corniche Primary School
Survey (four-point Likert
type) and Interview Q’s

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

117
Survey Results
The survey instrument in total included 19 items, out of which there were a total of eight
organizational items. All items were in a four-point Likert type format. The next section will
describe these results based on the organizational issues of goal setting, cultural model, cultural
settings, professional development, and resources.
Goal setting. The organizational problem was about teachers not pushing the students
hard enough to do well in math achievement tests. The assumed cause was that the organization
has not given the teachers a clear goal for achieving a certain math score. It was validated
through asking the teachers if they agreed with the following two statements. The first statement
was “Al-Corniche has a set goal to increase the students’ math achievement.” According to the
survey results presented in Figure 23, all 15 (100%) teachers responded with either agree or
strongly agree that Al-Corniche has a set goal to increase the students’ math achievement.

Figure 23. Responses to organization goal setting statement 1: “Al-Corniche has a set goal to
increase the students’ math achievement.”
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

118
The second statement was “I think this goal is a reasonable one.” According to the
survey results presented in Figure 24, all 15 (100%) teachers responded with either agree or
strongly agree that they believed the Al-Corniche goal to increase the students’ math
achievement was a reasonable one.
Based on the teachers’ 100% agreement to both survey statements the goal setting
assumed cause that the organization did not give the teachers a clear goal for achieving a certain
math achievement test score was not validated.

Figure 24. Responses to organization goal setting statement 2: “I think this goal is a reasonable
one.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

119
Cultural model. The organizational problem was about the teachers spending more time
on impressing the management with their out of class activities than in class. The assumed cause
was that the culture of competition amongst the primary school math teachers was detrimental. It
was validated through asking the teachers if they agreed with the following two statements. The
first statement was “There is on-going cooperation and team work amongst all math teachers in
this school.” According to the survey results presented in Figure 25, all 15 (100%) teachers
responded with either agree or strongly agree that there was on-going cooperation and team work
amongst all math teachers in the school.

Figure 25. Responses to organization cultural model statement 1: “There is on-going cooperation
and team work amongst all math teachers in this school.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

120
The second statement was “I have a good working relationship with other math
teachers.” According to the survey results presented in Figure 26, all 15 (100%) teachers
responded with either agree or strongly agree that they have a good working relationship with
other math teachers.
Based on the teachers’ 100% agreement to both survey statements the cultural model
assumed cause that the culture of competition amongst the primary school math teachers is
detrimental was not validated.

Figure 26. Responses to organization cultural model statement 2: “I have a good working
relationship with other math teachers.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

121
Cultural settings. The organizational problem was about the teachers experiencing
unfair treatment. The assumed cause was that teachers are not paid enough and pay is not only
based on performance. This was validated through asking the teachers if they agreed with the
following two statements. The first statement was “I believe that I am compensated
fairly/adequately in this school.” According to the survey results presented in Figure 27, ten
(67%) teachers responded with either agree or strongly agree that they were compensated
fairly/adequately in the school. Five (33%) teachers disagreed and did not think that they were
compensated fairly.

Figure 27. Responses to organization cultural settings statement 1: “I believe that I am
compensated fairly/adequately in this school.”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

122
The second statement was “I believe the only factor that differentiates the teachers’ pay
in this school is performance level.” According to the survey results presented in Figure 28,
seven (47%) teachers responded with either agree or strongly agree that they believed
performance level was the only factor that differentiates the teachers’ pay in the school. Eight
(53%) teachers did not agree with the statement.

Figure 28. Responses to organization cultural settings statement 2: “I believe the only factor that
differentiates the teachers’ pay in this school is performance level.”

When reflecting upon the teachers responses to both statements two facts needed to be
disclosed: (1) None of the teachers were Qatari nationals, some were expatriates and some were
residents, and (2) Teachers who are nationals are paid at least twice what a non-national was paid
(The Peninsula, 2014). Those two facts help in explaining the teachers’ responses to both survey
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

123
statements. As a number of the teachers have come from outside the country, ten (67%) of them
agreed that what they were paid was adequate which made sense otherwise they would not have
come from their countries. Five (33%) teachers thought the pay was not adequate and those may
have been the residents. On the other hand when the teachers were asked in the second statement
if they believed performance level was the only factor that differentiated the teachers’ pay the
majority (53%) of them did not agree as some may have thought that it was not just performance
but nationality as well. Hence, based on the teachers’ responses the cultural settings assumed
cause that teachers were not paid enough and pay was not only based on performance was
partially validated and data from the interviews need to be considered in this specific assumed
cause validation.
Professional development. The organizational problem was about teachers lacking
training resources to become more effective at teaching mathematics. The assumed cause was
that teachers have insufficient professional development on teaching achievement tests taking
strategies. It was validated through asking the teachers if they agreed with the statement “I
believe that additional training is necessary to help me teach math achievement tests taking
strategies.” According to the survey results presented in Figure 29, 13 (87%) teachers responded
with either agree or strongly agree that they needed training to help them teach math
achievement tests taking strategies and only two (13%) teachers disagreed.
Based on the agreement of 13 (87%) teachers to the survey statement the professional
development assumed cause that teachers have insufficient professional development on teaching
achievement tests taking strategies was validated.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

124

Figure 29. Responses to organization professional development statement: “I believe that
additional training is necessary to help me teach math achievement tests taking strategies.”

Resources. The organizational problem was about teachers not able to spend enough
time with every student to help them with math issues. The assumed cause was that there were
not enough teachers to teach math in the Al-Corniche Primary School. It was validated through
asking the teachers if they agreed with the statement “I believe the number of teachers teaching
math at the primary school is adequate for all students to do well in math.” According to the
survey results presented in Figure 30, 14 (93%) teachers responded with either agree or strongly
agree that they believed the number of teachers at the primary school was adequate.
Based on the agreement of 14 (87%) teachers to the survey statement the resources
assumed cause that there were not enough teachers to teach math in the Al-Corniche Primary
School was not validated.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

125

Figure 30. Responses to organization resources statement: “I believe the number of teachers
teaching math at the primary school is adequate for all students to do well in math.”

Interviews Findings
A total of 15 face-to-face interviews were conducted with the teachers. Out of 18
questions, five questions pertained to organizational related causes identified as goal setting,
cultural model, cultural settings, professional development and resources. All 15 teachers
responded to the 18 questions in the interview. Every interview was handwritten in Arabic then
translated into English. The main themes of each interview were identified and organized
according to the categories that were relevant to the study.
Cultural model. The organizational problem was about the teachers spending more time
on impressing the management with their out of class activities than in class. The assumed cause
was that the culture of competition amongst the primary school math teachers was detrimental. It
was validated through asking the teachers the question “How do you feel about your working
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

126
relationship with other teachers? Discuss the degree to which you feel cooperation / teamwork is
present.” In there responses all teachers said that they had great working relationship with their
colleagues and excellent cooperation and teamwork. For example, one teacher said, “The
relationship is excellent featuring collaboration, affection, and we exchange expertise with each
other.” Another teacher indicated, “ We are working as cooperative team and we love and help
each other. No teacher keeps any information for herself; everyone shares information even if it
was their own artistic work.”
Based on the teachers’ 100% agreement to both survey statements and 100% positive
responses to the interview question the cultural model assumed cause that the culture of
competition amongst the primary school math teachers is detrimental was not validated.
Cultural settings. The organizational problem was about the teachers experiencing
unfair treatment. The assumed cause was that teachers are not paid enough and pay is not only
based on performance. It was validated through asking the teachers the question “Are you
satisfied with your compensation and benefits in this school?” According to the survey results
presented in Figure 31, eight (53%) teachers replied with a YES and seven (47%) said NO.
However, the majority of those teachers who said yes used with it the words “Thank God” which
in the Arabic culture can sometimes be used to indicate that regardless of how things are I am
thankful to God for having gotten what I got. I believe the teachers may have feared expressing
how they really felt about their satisfaction with their compensation and benefits. This fear made
some of them decide not to say emphatically that they were not happy.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

127

Figure 31. Responses to organization cultural settings question: “Are you satisfied with your
compensation and benefits in this school?”

When analyzing the survey results it was found that 33% of the teachers thought the pay
was not adequate and when they were asked if they believed performance was the only factor
that differentiated the teachers’ pay the majority (53%) said no. When asked in the interviews if
they were satisfied about the pay only 47% said no. Though 47% was not a majority, yet I
believe the teachers may have feared expressing how they really felt about their satisfaction with
their pay and did not tell how they really felt. Hence, based on the teachers’ responses and the
researcher insight into the issue of fair pay at the independent schools, the cultural settings
assumed cause that teachers were not paid enough and pay was not only based on performance
was validated.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

128
Professional development. The organizational problem was about teachers lacking
training resources to become more effective at teaching mathematics. The assumed cause was
that teachers have insufficient professional development on teaching achievement tests taking
strategies. It was validated through asking the teachers to respond to two questions. The first
question was “Have you received any training on teaching math achievement tests taking
strategies? If yes, how long ago?” According to the survey results presented in Figure 32, 12
(80%) teachers indicated that they have not received any training on teaching math achievement
tests taking strategies. One of those teachers elaborated by saying “ I only attended a workshop
about TIMSS four years ago where a camp was set to train students on TIMSS questions.
Otherwise, there was no training for math achievement tests taking strategies.” Three teachers
said yes they have received the training but two of them indicated that it was some years ago.

Figure 32. Responses to organization professional development question 1: “Have you received
any training on teaching math achievement tests taking strategies? If yes, how long ago?”
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

129
The second question was “Was the training sufficient to give you the skills and
knowledge you needed to do well in class? Why or why not?” According to the survey results
presented in Figure 33, though the answers to this question do not conform fully with those of
the previous question the overall picture was the same. Ten (67%) of the teachers indicated that
they did not receive any training and two (13%) thought that what they have received was not
sufficient. One of those two who said the training was not sufficient elaborated by saying “I
think that the science of educational psychology could be added to help teacher deal better with
the students.” Three (20%) teachers confirmed that the training they received was enough.

Figure 33. Responses to organization professional development question 2: “Was the training
sufficient to give you the skills and knowledge you needed to do well in class? Why or why
not?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

130
Based on the agreement of 87% and 80% of the teachers to the survey statement and to
both interview questions respectively the professional development assumed cause that teachers
have insufficient professional development on teaching achievement tests taking strategies was
validated.
Resources. The organizational problem was about teachers not able to spend enough
time with every student to help them with math issues. The assumed cause was that there were
not enough teachers to teach math in the Al-Corniche Primary School. It was validated through
asking the teachers the question “In your opinion, how many math teachers are needed for the
primary school to do well in mathematics in general and achieve higher scores in the math
achievement tests in particular?” According to the survey results presented in Figure 34, ten
(67%) teachers said they believed the number of math teachers needed for the primary school to
do well in mathematics was one math teacher per one class division. Four (27%) teachers said
one math teacher per two class divisions and only one (7%) teacher suggested one instructor for
every 25 students.
Reflecting back on the survey results where 87% of the teachers agreed with the survey
statement that the number of teachers teaching math at the Al-Corniche Primary School is
adequate for all students to do well in math the resources, it was concluded that the assumed
cause was not validated.
Upon contacting Al-Corniche Primary School, it was confirmed that there were 25 class
divisions where math was being taught. Hence, if we take into account the interview findings
where 67% of the teachers’ responded that one math teacher was needed per class division, one
would tend to validate the assumed cause since there were too few teachers or, in other words,
the student-teacher ratio was too high.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

131
Additionally, if we take into account that the teachers might have understood the
translation of the word “adequate” as just enough, that might explain the 87% agreement that the
school has just enough math teachers. And, knowing that based on the teachers’ interview
responses, 67% thought there was a need for 25 math teachers, that is, ten more than the school
currently has. The actual need might be somewhere more than 15 math teachers but not 25.
Therefore, the data point to the validation of the assumed cause.

Figure 34. Responses to organization resources question: “In your opinion, how many math
teachers are needed for the primary school to do well in mathematics in general and achieve
higher scores in the math achievement tests in particular?”

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

132
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Organization Causes
The results and findings from the surveys and interviews data were overwhelmingly
decisive in not validating two of the five assumed causes. The teachers responded in percentages
of 80% and above confirming that: (1) They were given a clear goal for achieving a certain math
score; and (2) They were not competing with each other but cooperating fully which resulted in a
non validation to the goal setting and cultural model assumed causes. On the other hand, three
assumed causes related to cultural settings, professional development, and resources were
validated. The cultural settings assumed cause was validated based on the fact that pay is
different depending on being national or non national. The professional development assumed
cause was validated based on responses of 87% and 80% of the teachers to the survey statement
and to both interview questions respectively that they received either none or insufficient
professional development on teaching achievement tests taking strategies. Finally, the resources
assumed cause was validated due the school’s need to improve its math performance and provide
support to every student which the current number of math teachers seemed to be unable to do.
Table 13 shows a summary of the results and findings from the surveys and interviews
data for all five assumed causes.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

133
Table 13
Organization Assumed Causes Validated or Not Validated
Organizational
Issue Assumed Cause Validated
Not
Validated
Goal setting The organization has not given the teachers a
clear goal for achieving a certain math score
X
Cultural model The culture of competition amongst fourth
grade math teachers is detrimental
X
Cultural
settings
Teachers are not paid enough and pay is not
only based on performance
√
Professional
Development
Teachers have insufficient professional
development on teaching achievement tests
taking strategies
√
Resources Not enough teachers to teach math in the Al-
Corniche Primary School
√

Summary
Using Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis framework, the assumed causes of knowledge
and skills, motivation and organization (KMO) were assessed. The validation was done based on
the data collected and triangulated from the survey instruments, interview protocol, and
document analysis. Out of the sixteen assumed causes, six were validated.
Table 14 shows a summary of the validated assumed causes.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

134
Table 14
Summary of Validated Knowledge and Skills, Motivation, and Organization Assumed Causes
KMO Type Assumed Cause
Knowledge Factual Teachers do not know the basic knowledge about
TIMSS
Knowledge Conceptual Teachers do not know the concepts addressed by the
different TIMSS mathematics parts and the overall
structure
Motivation Self-efficacy Teachers do not believe they are capable of teaching
mathematics test taken strategies
Organization Cultural settings Teachers are not paid enough and pay is not only
based on performance
Organization Professional
Development
Teachers have insufficient professional development
on teaching achievement tests taking strategies
Organization Resources Not enough teachers to teach math in the Al-Corniche
Primary School

Following this chapter, an in-depth literature review for recommend solutions will be
done to help address all six KMO validated barriers shown above.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

135
CHAPTER 5
SOLUTIONS, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
The purpose of this research was to conduct a gap analysis to examine the barriers
preventing Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls mathematics teachers from supporting
improved student achievement in math. This was done by focusing on causes for this problem
due to gaps in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation, and organizational issues. In the first
chapter, the reader was provided with the key concepts and terminology commonly found in a
discussion about students achievement in standardized tests and teachers performance. The
organization’s mission, goals and stakeholders as well as the initial concepts of gap analysis
were introduced. In the second chapter, a review of current literature surrounding the scope of
the study was provided. Chapter 3 detailed the assumed and validated causes for this study as
well as the gap analysis methodology when it came to choice of participants, data collection and
analysis. And in Chapter 4, the data and results were assessed and analyzed and validated causes
were listed. This chapter will begin with recommendations for solutions for the validated gaps
detailed in Table 15, based on empirical evidence. Included in this chapter is an implementation
plan that will describe how these solutions will be integrated for implementation and an
evaluation plan.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

136
Table 15
All Validated Knowledge and Skills, Motivation, and Organization Gaps
KMO Type Gap
Knowledge Factual Teachers do not know the basic knowledge about
TIMSS
Knowledge Conceptual Teachers do not know the concepts addressed by the
different TIMSS mathematics parts and the overall
structure
Motivation Self-efficacy Teachers do not believe they are capable of teaching
mathematics test taken strategies
Organization Cultural settings Teachers are not paid enough and pay is not only
based on performance
Organization Professional
Development
Teachers have insufficient professional development
on teaching achievement tests taking strategies
Organization Resources There are not enough teachers to teach math in the
Al-Corniche Primary School

Recommended Solutions for Validated Causes
The problem-solving framework for this gap analysis includes Gap Analysis
Methodology (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011), Pintrich’s (2003) motivation framework, the
Heer’s taxonomy for learning (2002), the principles of information processing, social cognitive,
cognitive load, and self-regulation research.
Knowledge and Skills Gaps Solutions
Heer (2002) classified knowledge into four different types: factual, conceptual,
procedural, and metacognitive. They also identified six categories of cognitive processes:
remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. These four types of
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

137
knowledge and six categories of cognitive processes will provide guidance for developing
solutions to the validated gaps.
Factual knowledge. Factual knowledge represents the basic information teachers should
know that pertain to a particular subject that they have to address in class. It is divided into two
types: knowledge of terminology and the knowledge of specific details and elements. According
to Heer (2002), knowledge of terminology includes technical vocabulary and symbols and the
knowledge of specific details and elements refers to the knowledge of events, locations, people,
dates, sources of information.
Factual knowledge gap: Lack of basic knowledge about TIMSS. Based on the results
and findings from the surveys and interviews, the validated gap is that teachers do not know the
basic knowledge about TIMSS. The importance of knowing all about the TIMSS comes from
the fact that TIMSS was chosen as the “yardstick” to measure the desired improvement as a
result of implementing the recommended solutions based on this study. Reasons for selecting the
TIMSS were discussed in earlier in Chapter 2. The survey and interviews have indicated that
over 60% of the teachers have little to no information about simple basic facts about the TIMSS
such as the number of items tested, the test format, and the time allocated for each section.
According to Heer (2001), the cognitive processes relating to the factual knowledge gap in this
case is understanding and remembering. In order for the teachers to help the students, they need
to be able explain such information not only about the TIMSS but also about The Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA) as Qatari students participate in both.
Solution to factual knowledge gap: Teachers will be offered TIMSS and PISA job aids
such as a brief overview of the tests format, time allocated and other aspects of the tests.
According to Clark and Estes (2008), job aids summarize key information for staff members and
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

138
provide opportunities to practice and be given immediate feedback. Basic facts will be presented
to the teachers in a clear and meaningful manner that is connected to what they already know
about math tests. In addition to helping the teachers learn, it is important to help them organize
the information by using various schemas and job aids (Clark & Estes, 2008). This will help in
the transfer and retrieval of knowledge in the long-term memory as proposed by the information
processing theory (Mayer & Moreno, 2003).
Conceptual knowledge. According to Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) conceptual
knowledge is the interactions among the basic pieces of knowledge within a larger structure that
enable them to function together as comprehensive body of knowledge. It is divided into
knowledge of categories and classifications, knowledge of principles and generalizations, and
knowledge of theories, models and structures.
Conceptual knowledge gap: Lack of knowledge about TIMSS concepts and structure.
Based on the results and findings from the surveys and interviews, the validated gap is that
teachers do not know the concepts addressed by the different TIMSS mathematics parts and the
overall structure. These concepts are divided into, (1) Content dimension which specifies the
domains or subject matter to be assessed within mathematics. These are number, geometric
shapes and measures and data display; and (2) Cognitive dimension which specifies the domains
or thinking processes expected of students as they engage with the mathematics content. These
processes are Knowing, Applying and Reasoning (Mullis et al., 2012).
In addition to the discussion above about the importance of the teachers having
knowledge about all achievement tests, there are other implications from the literature. Research
findings indicate that capable math teachers offer a way to guide their students to a structured
grasp of concepts, to learn thoughtfully, to think critically, and eventually to math achievement
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

139
(Saritas & Akdemir, 2009). Furthermore, it is argued that math achievement depends on a solid
understanding of the subject domain and the theory behind math education (Ball, 1993;
Grossman et al., 1989; Rosebery et al., 1992).
Solution to conceptual knowledge gap: Pre-training will be given with a document (i.e.,
a job aid) that outlines all concepts addressed by the different parts of the TIMSS mathematics
(Clark & Estes, 2008). The outlines of the concepts will help the learners organize the
knowledge by identifying the elements that make up the different parts of the TIMSS
mathematics test. This will help them to recognize how parts fit together into a coherent structure
influencing how the teachers learn and how they apply what they know and allowing them to
connect it to their prior knowledge (Mayer, 2011).
Motivation Gaps Solutions
Two widely accepted definitions on motivation by Pintrich (2003) and Clark and Estes
(2008) reflect how achieving a goal or performance target demands that both effort and
motivation are sustained. Pintrich explains that “motivation is the process whereby goal-directed
activity is instigated and sustained” (Schunk et al., 2002, p. 1). According to Clark and Estes,
motivation is what “gets us going, keeps us moving, and tells us how much effort to spend on
work tasks” (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 80).
For Clark and Estes, there are three components or indices of motivation that impact how
activity is sustained towards achieving a goal. These are active choice, persistence and mental
effort (Clark & Estes, 2008). Active choice is when action supersedes the intention to achieve a
goal; continuing towards a goal despite interruption is persistence; and mental effort is when
people develop innovative solutions and work in cleverer ways (Clark & Estes, 2008). Achieved
together, this results in increased performance, but equally under achievement occurs when there
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

140
is a lack of choice, effort or persistence. Pintrich (2003) explains motivational problems through
a series of design principles and motivational generalization that incorporate interest, goals,
attribution and self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy. Based on the results and findings from the surveys and interviews, the
validated gap is that teachers do not believe they are capable of teaching mathematics test taking
strategies. This represents a self-efficacy issue. Self-efficacy denotes people’s beliefs of their
own abilities to successfully accomplish a task (Bandura, 1997). Over time, it is believed that
self-efficacy beliefs effect active choice, mental effort and persistence when challenging
circumstances arises (Alderman, 1999; Bandura, 1994; Pajares, 1996) Some researchers have
indicated that they are finding that teachers’ self-efficacy influences their teaching behaviors and
their students’ motivation and achievement (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007; Tschannen-Moran &
Woolfolk Hoy, 2001). In the case of Al-Corniche Primary School teachers the lack of self-
efficacy towards teaching mathematics test taken strategies stemmed out of not knowing and/or
having not received needed training. This was confirmed when over 60% of the teachers
indicated in their responses to the survey and interviews that they have not been exposed or
trained on tests taking strategies. Studies have shown that teachers’ sense of self-efficacy is
impacted due to lack of professional development which correspondingly affects students’
achievement (McLaughlin & Berman, 1977; Scribner, 1998).
Solution to self-efficacy gap. It is recommended to offer the teachers training in test
taking strategies as part of a professional development package (more details in the next section)
that includes training on best mathematics teaching practices and familiarization with
achievement tests such as TIMSS and PISA. Before the start of the training the school leadership
should reaffirm the importance of teacher’s role in students’ achievement of the school goal to
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

141
improve the score. This is important based on Pintrich’s (2003) motivational design principle
that goals motivate and direct people. The teachers should be asked to develop their own plan of
what do they need to get out of this training, how will they do it, and how will they know if they
have improved, this allows the teachers to be more involved which strengthens their efficacy
(Bray-Clark & Bates, 2003). An expert will conduct the training as teachers show more openness
and acceptance to new training when delivered by experts (Gulamhussein, 2013). The material of
the training should include all evidence based math best practices and test taking strategies listed
in Chapter 2. As effectiveness of training is proportional to its duration (Blank et al., 2008), the
training should extend over 50 hours to generate lasting improvement in performance (Darling-
Hammond, Wei, Andree, Richardson, & Orphanos, 2009). Throughout the training, teachers
should be provided with frequent and specific, targeted and private, immediate and delayed
feedback that balances comments about strengths and challenges (Bandura, 1986).
Organization Gaps Solutions
According to Rueda (2011), there are things about an organization itself that impede its
performance. They include how the setting is structured and organized, the policies and practices
that define it, and even how people interact with each other within the setting, which is the
organization culture. Many performance gaps in an organization are caused by the lack of
efficient and effective organizational work processes and material resources (Clark & Estes,
2008). In this study, three organizational gaps were identified relating to cultural settings,
resources, and professional development.
Cultural settings. Cultural settings are defined as occurring “whenever two or more
people come together, over time, to accomplish something” (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001, p.
47). Cultural settings can also be referred to as the place where “organizational policies and
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

142
practices are enacted” (Rueda, 2011, p. 57). This concept of culture helps in explaining
irregularities and phenomena within any organization particularly in the context of
organizational performance gap (Schein, 2004).
The identified cultural settings gap based on survey results and interview findings was
about teachers not being paid enough and pay was not only based on performance. The issue was
related to the fact that Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls (following instructions from the
Supreme Education Council) maintained two kinds of employment contracts with different
compensation and benefits based on whether the teacher was Qatari or non-Qatari. Teachers who
were not Qataris received significantly (at least 50%) less than what their Qataris colleagues
received (The Peninsula, 2014). What makes matters worse is that the all 15 of the mathematics
teachers at this school are non-Qataris. This was a clear organizational gap as employee
motivation and job satisfaction is influenced primarily by equity and fairness (Lewis et al.,
1995). Furthermore, the research indicated that when joined with professional development and a
supportive administration system, financial incentives could positively influence teaching
practices and student outcomes (Coggshall, Ott, Behrstock, & Lasagna, 2010; Firestone, 1991;
Springer et al., 2010).
Solution recommendation for the pay disparity. Since the school is financed by the
Supreme Education Council (SEC) and must follow its teachers’ pay scheme the school will not
be able to do anything about the teachers pay without the SEC approval. It is, therefore,
recommended that the school submit a request to the SEC to change their non-Qatari teachers’
pay. The written request should detail the problem of its non-Qataris math teachers’ pay disparity
compared to their Qatari colleagues. It should be supplemented with research findings such as
those mentioned in Chapter 2 particularly those pertaining to influence of teacher quality on
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

143
student achievements. It should indicate that research findings have posited that teacher
engagement is enhanced through fair teacher pay and career progression (Heneman, Milanowski,
& Kimball, 2007). The request should also recommend an alternative just in case increasing non-
Qatari teachers’ salary is not at all possible. This alternative could be a suggestion to the SEC to
consider teaching mathematics a special skill rewarded with extra financial incentives as detailed
in Milanowski (2003).
Resources. Based on the survey results and interview findings, it was identified that there
were not enough teachers to teach math in the Al-Corniche Primary School. According to Rueda
(2011) adequate resources and working conditions promote motivation and engagement. In a
school where there was a dire need to improve students’ achievements such as Al Corniche
enough teachers are a must. Enough resources in any organization are very important and
schools are no exception. Research indicates that satisfaction with the job, in conjunction with
good working environment at a school, motivates teachers to prepare and teach their students
(Mullis et al., 2012). Other evidence indicated that in some countries, poor working conditions
might cause teacher shortages (Johnson, 2006). Al-Corniche Primary School has 25 classes with
30 students in each but only 15 teachers. In their responses to the interviews, 67% of the teachers
indicated that they believed there was a need for a math teacher per class. Research findings have
shown that the performance of employees who are asked to undertake more responsibilities (such
as Al Corniche math teachers) may in fact drop due to health, energy, and creativity drainage
(Hallowell, 2005).
Solution for the teachers’ shortage gap. Similar to the teachers’ pay disparity gap
discussed earlier, this is an issue that can only be solved by the Supreme Education Council
(SEC) as the school does not hire the teachers but are hired by the SEC. Consequently, it is
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

144
recommended that the school seek SEC approval to employ additional teachers. It is suggested
that the school submit a request detailing the problem supported with research-based evidence
referred to earlier. The school request should also include some references of recommended
standards for number of teachers versus class size and its effects on student achievements. For
example a number of researches have shown that smaller classes had a positive impact on math
achievement of students at earlier grade levels particularly when class size was less than 20
students (Ferguson, 1991; Pritshard, 1999; Wenglinsky, 1997).
Professional development. Based on the survey results and interview findings, it was
identified that teachers have insufficient professional development on teaching achievement tests
taking strategies. This is a problem because when teachers’ knowledge is inadequate or
misaligned with the curriculum goals, it can result in chaos and inefficiency (Clark & Estes,
2008). Furthermore, individuals’ commitment to the task and the amount of mental effort they
invest in their work is greatly affected by whether they have the required skills to do such work
(Clark & Estes, 2008). Learning about test taking strategies may not sound highly important but
according to Pressley (1986) understanding of basic facts is a strong foundation for math
achievement. And from the students’ point of view, research have shown that amongst other
factors insufficient preparation and absence of testing strategies have adverse consequences on
test performance (Chittooran & Miles, 2001; Miyasaka, 2000).
Solution for professional development gap. The teachers will be offered training,
modeling, coaching and opportunities for practice with accurate feedback (Pintrich, 2003).
Although the gap was related to lack of training on teaching achievement tests taking strategies it
is recommended that the training focuses first and foremost on best math practices. More details
about this solution will be presented in the next section.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

145
Solutions Integration
The solutions pertaining to cultural setting: teachers’ pay disparity and resources:
teachers’ shortage will be combined in one request to be sent from the Al-Corniche Primary
School For Girls to the Supreme Education Council. This combined request will ask for firstly:
an increase of the non-Qatari math teachers’ base salary or alternatively considering math
teaching a special skill that can be rewarded with extra financial incentives. Secondly: the school
will ask for an approval to hire extra teachers. Ample evidence based reasoning to how such
additional spending would help student achievements should accompany the request.
The other four solutions pertaining to: (1) Factual knowledge gap: Lack of basic
knowledge about TIMSS; (2) Conceptual knowledge gap: Lack of knowledge about TIMSS
concepts and structure; (3) Self-efficacy: Teachers do not believe they are capable of teaching
mathematics test taken strategies; and (4) Professional development: Teachers have insufficient
professional development on teaching achievement tests taking strategies, will be integrated into
a comprehensive professional development training.
Professional Development Training
All 15 mathematics teachers at Al-Corniche Primary School will be asked to participate
in professional development training. The short-term goal of the training will be to introduce the
teachers to achievement tests, train them on best math teaching practices and then test taking
strategies. The ultimate goal of the teachers’ training will be to help them support the
improvement of their students in math achievement. Researches have shown that teachers who
received training in math and science positively effected their students’ achievement (Blank &
de las Alas, 2009; Darling-Hammond, 2000; Wilson, Floden, & Ferrini-Mundy, 2002). In
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

146
particular when the teachers in a primary school were offered mathematics content knowledge
training students’ mathematics achievement improved (Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005).
The training is intended to be on-going and not in the form of one-time workshop or a
few days away from school as research has shown that neither the teachers nor the students gain
tangible improvements from such training (Loucks-Horsle & Matsumoto, 1999). For an
effective transfer of skills, the training will include the following components:
1. Exploration of only evidence based best math practices and test taking strategies that
can improve students’ achievement (Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2001). This will
include discussing the theory and rational behind the best practices during lectures
that prompt interactions and discussions.
2. Demonstration of each best practice during the lectures so that the teachers can see
the model in action and understand the underlying theories. According to Pintrich
(2003), interest is increased when interest is modeled and when tasks are personally
meaningful to learners.
3. Practice of what has been modeled shortly after seeing the demonstration. Feedback
to be provided by the lecturer. According to Mayer (2011), teachers must incorporate
worked examples, feedback, and guided discovery for a successful learning process.
Also, according to the learning principles of social cognitive theory, learning is
fostered through opportunities to practice and specific feedback.
4. Applying what has been learned in the classroom with coaching and feedback from
an experienced peer. This process is to ensure that teachers master the best practice
and use it in class (Archibald, Coggshall, Croft, & Goe, 2011; Cooper, n.d.; Darling-
Hammond et al., 2009; Joyce & Showers, 2002).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

147
An expert will conduct the training as teachers show more openness and acceptance to
new training when delivered by experts (Gulamhussein, 2013). The material of the training
should include all evidence based math best practices and test taking strategies listed in Chapter
2. As effectiveness of training is proportional to its duration (Blank et al., 2008), the training
should extend over 50 hours to generate lasting improvement in performance (Darling-
Hammond et al., 2009). According to cognitive load theory, learning is fostered when extraneous
cognitive load is decreased through effective instruction. In order to reduce cognitive load, when
professional development and training programs are implemented, it will take place no more than
one time per week to ensure that staff members have time to process learned information before
new information is presented.
Implementation Plan
The implementation of the integrated training solution will follow a structured program
that will be agreed upon by the head of Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls, the primary
school’s principal, and the expert lecturer. It is recommended that the program be structured as
follows:
• Training objective: To improve Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls’ student
achievement in math that will be measured by a mock TIMSS in 2017.
• How: Train all mathematics teachers on best math teaching practices and test taking
strategies
• Training period: 25 weeks, two hours per week, starting from October 2015 through
March 2016.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

148
• Training content highlights: Introduction to achievement tests TIMSS and PISA, 10
research based best math teaching practices, and 20 research based test taking
strategies.
• Training venue: At the school’s state of the art lecture hall equipped with the latest
needed technology.
• Schedule of lectures: It will follow the breakdown outlined in Table 16.
• Expert lecturer: There is a strong presence of mathematics professors currently
teaching in the well-known foreign universities branch campuses in Doha such as
Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon, and Weill Cornell Medical College. One of these
professors can be contacted to run this training or they can be asked to recommend an
alternative expert from outside Qatar. The principal investigator will be more than
happy to help in this matter.
• Cost: If the school is not able to pay for this from the sum allocated for the complex’s
operations, sponsorship will be sought from various companies in Doha particularly
in the energy and industry sector. Again the principal investigator will be more than
happy to help in this matter.
• Recognition: To strengthen the teachers’ motivation throughout the training the Al
Corniche schools complex head should award those teachers who learned and applied
well each of the best math practices based on the recommendation of the lecturer (and
may be the peers’).

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

149

Table 16
Professional Training Lectures’ Schedule
Week Who Lecture content
1
st
Head of Al
Corniche
schools
complex
Introduction to the training objective and the eventual goal of
the Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls to improve math
achievement by 2017 to at least 467 points as measured by a
mock TIMSS. The head of the complex should also explain the
importance of this achievement and how it ties to the Qatar
National Vision 2030.
Lecturer Introduce the teachers to course content with brief details
about each part.
2
nd
and 3
rd
Lecturer Introduction to achievement tests. In particular provide details
about TIMSS and PISA basic facts and the concepts addressed
by their different mathematics parts and the overall structure.
4
th
to 13
th
Lecturer Ten best math teaching practices. One best practice per week
for ten weeks.
14
th
to 18
th
Teachers /
Peers
Practice and peer coaching sessions. One hour per best
practice.
19
th
to 23
rd
Lecturer Feedback. One hour per best practice.
24
th
to 25
th
Lecturer 20 test taking strategies. Five strategies per hour.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

150
Evaluation Plan
To determine if the training was effective, a comprehensive evaluation plan is proposed
to assist the school with monitoring achieving the organizational goal of increased student
performance and the teachers’ role in that. The most widely used and most popular model for
evaluation of training programs that will be employed in this evaluation is the Kirkpatrick model.
Don Kirkpatrick created the ‘four level’ model for training course evaluation as the subject of his
Ph.D. dissertation in 1954 (Kirkpatrick Partners, 2014). The original Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels
of Evaluation are briefly described below:
• Level 1: Reaction, how positive were the teachers about the training.
• Level 2: Learning, how much did the teachers gain from the offered knowledge,
skills, and attitudes.
• Level 3: Behavior, are the teachers applying learned knowledge in class.
• Level 4: Results, what was the impact of the training on the organizational overall
goal.
This evaluation, however, will use the New World Kirkpatrick Model available from
Kirkpatrick Partners website as it offers further clarification at each level (Kirkpatrick Partners,
2014).
Level 1: Reaction
To evaluate the reaction, I will measure three expected outcomes:
1- Satisfaction: the degree to which the teachers were satisfied with the best math
practices’ and test taking strategies’ training.
2- Engagement: the degree to which they are actively involved in the training activities.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

151
3- Relevance: the degree to which the teachers perceive the training to be relevant and
valuable for their classroom practice.
If the training was effectively conducted, there will be overall excitement and positivity
amongst the teachers. They will volunteer to give feedback to improve the training and they will
be eager to transfer what they learned to the students.
To measure these outcomes, the survey recommended by Clark and Estes (2008, p. 130)
will be conducted. It will consist of three open-ended questions and four close-ended questions.
The teachers will be anonymously asked these questions before the training to determine
expectations for the training and pre-training level of performance, during the training so
changes can be made to achieve positive results, and at the end of the training to be subtracted
from the “before” data to get a measure of gain and summary judgment about the training
motivational impact on the teachers (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 129). The three open-ended
questions that will be used are:
1. What did you like/dislike about the training?
2. What aspects of the training did you enjoy or appreciated the most?
3. What would you like to improve in this training, and how would you do that to make
it more effective?
The four closed ended questions will start with: Please circle the number that best
represents your own reaction to this training:
Strongly disagree – 1, Disagree – 2, Neutral – 3, Agree – 4, Strongly agree – 5
1. Overall, I like this training better compared with other similar trainings?
1 2 3 4 5

2. I will be able to use what I gained in this training in class?
1 2 3 4 5

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

152
3. The activities in this training were engaging?
1 2 3 4 5

4. The goals of this training were valuable for my teaching?
1 2 3 4 5

For the analysis of the open-ended questions responses, Fink’s (2013) steps will be used.
Similar responses will be categorized, coded, and ranked where the most frequent response is
ranked first. The percentage of responses will then be calculated to find the number of teachers
who are satisfied, engaged, and found the training relevant and valuable. With regards to the
closed-ended questions, the results will be reported by employing a five-point Likert scale and an
acceptable standard such as a 4.0 on a X-X range for the desired reaction. If the reaction falls
below the desired 4.0 standard then a review of the results of the survey would help in defining
improvements to the training to increase the teachers’ satisfaction, engagement and belief in the
relevance and value of the training to their job.
Level 2: Learning
According to the New World Kirkpatrick Model, level 2 tests to what degree participants
attained the knowledge, skills, attitudes, confidence, and commitment while taking part in the
training (Kirkpatrick Partners, 2014). The focus here would be on whether the teachers are able,
for example, to teach best math teaching practices and test taking strategies. To determine if that
is the case, the teachers should be engaged in practice exercises during and towards the end of
training so they can apply what they learned. Those practice exercises are to gauge what was
learned so far and the degree to which teachers have attained the learning outcomes. This could
be done using trained observer employing a checklist containing key elements of the procedure
to assess the teachers’ proficiency. The scores of these progress checks can be used to diagnose
and correct learning problems (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 131).
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

153
A second assessment will employ a survey to measure the teachers’ knowledge, skills,
attitude, confidence and commitment. The questions will follow the New World Kirkpatrick
Model but tailored to the training program. Open ended questions will be used to assess
knowledge and skills and closed-ended questions will be used and measured using a five-point
Likert scale for attitude, confidence and commitment. Here are examples of such questions:
1. Knowledge: “What is your performance goal for increasing the math achievement for
your students?”
2. Skills: “If you had to teach problem solving, what are some strategies you could
use?”
3. Attitude: “I believe best math practices and achievement test taking strategies are
worthwhile to do in class.”
4. Confidence: “I believe that I can apply the new skills.”
5. Commitment: “I intend to do it in class.”
The trainer’s observation designed for this evaluation will be conducted prior to the
training, during the training, and after the training. It is a one-shot assessment at each stage of the
observation period. The surveys will be conducted after the training as a one-shot assessment.
Both observation and surveys can also be conducted periodically after the training to determine if
teachers are able to apply the new skills correctly over a period of time. Then, it will be
important to triangulate the data between the self-report data with the observational data.
Analysis will be based on the data collected from the trainer observations throughout the
training and the surveys. The trainer will be asked for a recommended benchmark to which all
teachers will be measured. The knowledge, skill, attitudes, confidence and commitment survey
will be scored against a five-point scale (Far Below Average –1, Below Average –2, Average –3,
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

154
Above Average –4, Far Above Average –5). Results will be calculated into percentages and
compared to an agreed standard for example 4. If the results are below the acceptable standard,
observation and surveys outcomes should be reviewed with the trainers to improve the training.
Level 3: Behavior
According to Clark and Estes (2008), this level of evaluation is to see whether gains
made during a program persisted after the program’s completion and transferred into the work
context. While the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick Partners, 2014) evaluates the
degree to which participants apply what they learned during training when they are back on the
job, it also evaluates processes and systems that reinforce, encourage and reward performance of
critical behaviors on the job. The later will help in the sustainability of the learning gained during
training since people tend to revert to previous patterns until new learning becomes stronger than
old habits (Clark & Estes, 2008, p. 135).
If the training was successful, the teachers will by now have set a goal for themselves for
example, having a goal to improve their students’ math achievement in the Qatar Comprehensive
Educational Assessment (QCEA). They would know the basic knowledge about the TIMSS and
the concepts addressed by the different TIMSS mathematics parts and the overall structure. Most
importantly, they would know best math teaching practices and how to apply the instructional
strategies necessary to prepare the students for the TIMSS mathematics test.
To evaluate if the transfer of new learning has taken place, an interview or survey will be
conducted with the teachers who have completed the training, their supervisors, their colleagues
or others who are affected by the new knowledge and skills. For example, evaluators can ask
teachers how to apply the new knowledge and skills learned during the training to explain a
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

155
typical best math teaching practice. Clark and Estes (2008) suggested the following questions for
interviews or surveys:
• Are you now doing anything different in class as a result of attending the training?
• If the answer is no, the teachers will be asked why. If the answer is yes, the teachers
will be ask to describe what they are doing differently and its impact on their
performance and achievement of the performance goal.
The evaluations of observers and those who collaborate with the trained teachers such as
principals and colleagues can be very valuable. This is true since they are able to judge
effectiveness of transfer because they see how often and how effectively new knowledge and
skills are being used. The observers can be asked questions such as those recommended by Clark
and Estes (2008, p. 136):
• How many of the teachers completed the training?
• Have you observed the application of new knowledge and skills by these teachers?
• Can you provide examples of how they have applied the new knowledge and skills?
These interviews and surveys can be given after the training and repeated over different
periods. They can be used to determine if teachers are able to apply the new knowledge and
skills correctly time and again.
Analysis will be based on the data collected from interviewing and surveying the teachers
and observers. Results will be calculated into percentages and compared to an agreed standard. If
the results are below the acceptable standard, observation and surveys outcomes should be
reviewed to improve on going trainings so the transfer of new knowledge and skills to the
classroom is realized. If the results are good theses interviews and surveys should be repeated
frequently to ensure that the learning gains are sustained.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

156
Level 4: Results
This is to measure to what degree the organizational performance goal is achieved as a
result of the training and subsequent reinforcements. At this level, it is expected that the teachers
are now very familiar with the achievement tests, math best practices and test taking strategies
and are able to teach all of them. They should be able to prepare the students to achieve their
2017 TIMSS math score of 467.
To measure this outcome, the school will be asked to conduct a mock TIMSS test for
fourth grade students of similar abilities that uses math questions with similar degree of
difficulties as those of the TIMSS, the same structure, times intervals, and same way of
correcting and scoring. This mock TIMSS test will be conducted before the training and after the
training plus the time of instruction of at least one term. If the teachers were successful in
mastering the knowledge and skills and were able to transfer it to their students then those
students who were instructed by these teachers should have a marked improvement in their
scores, with all other things being equal. Other measurements such as those developed in
previous levels should be used frequently to ensure that learning and behavior continues to be
improved and knowledge and skills are being transferred through the teachers in class.
If the students’ results are not improving, the training and evaluation programs should be
re-evaluated. Other factors not considered initially relating to all stakeholders should also be
taking into account. Finally, a review of the validated solutions that were used initially should
also be investigated for possible shortcomings. If these shortcomings are confirmed then
corrections should be made and another package of interventions should be offered to close the
performance gap.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

157
Limitations
There were a number of limitations to this study. First, the choice of the organization, a
girls’ school in the Qatari culture presented a challenge as the principal investigator was male
and needed to visit the classroom for an observation. If a male was to enter an all girls’
classroom, a number of things will have to be arranged or rearranged such as how the female
students are dressed in class and how they would act. None of those changes would be needed if
a woman observer was to come to class. This was the reason behind canceling the class
observation deemed necessary upon findings from the document analysis. Having said that, the
fact that it was an all female team of teachers did not impact the principal investigator’s access to
information or to meeting with the teachers themselves as the female teachers have regular
exposure to male visitors in school or during their training outside the school. Second, questions
such as “How do you feel about….” are not the most effective line of questioning to get
representative answers about participants’ knowledge, particularly when attempting to know
whether the respondents know or are able to do a particular task. Instead, the teachers can be
asked in a manner that more directly assesses knowledge such as “If you had to teach X, which
specific instructional strategies would you use?” This line of questioning can be designed to
assess teachers’ use of a number of math best teaching practices such as differentiation, problem
solving, and the use of instructional technology tools. Third, the math teachers were all non-
Qataris and seemed to answer some of the survey/interview questions more cautiously than if
they were Qataris out of concerns about job security despite ample assurances from the principal
investigator about the confidentiality of their contribution. Fourth, translating the questions from
English to Arabic and then translating the responses from Arabic into English have caused
certain terms and words to be understood slightly differently compared to how it was initially
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

158
written in English. Consequently, some of the teachers’ responses were not as accurate as they
might have been had the teachers spoken fluent English. Fifth, there was a significant gap in
local research pertaining to education in Qatar. Apart from what the RAND Corporation has
done between 2001 and 2007, there was hardly any research. Considering how the education
scene in Qatar has continued to rapidly unfold over the last 10 years, this was a significant
limitation. Sixth, there is a lack of recent data availability and unwillingness to give information
by some governmental agencies particularly financial data and data pertaining to Qatar
Foundation and Qatar University.
Having listed all of the above limitations, it is important to mention that the overall
trustworthiness of the findings in this research is highly accurate. The gaps related to knowledge
and motivation were overwhelmingly agreed to in some cases by over 90% of the teachers in
both the survey and interviews agreement. With regards to organizational gaps particularly the
gap related to teacher’s pay the survey answers may have indicated that teachers were
happy/satisfied about the pay but those were merely culturally influenced answers, where a
person generally has to respond in the positive when asked about income regardless of how bad
or good it was. However, when the question was asked more directly in the interview the
majority of the teachers indicated that they believed that pay was an issue.
Future Research
The teachers who were the primary stakeholders in this study can be the participants of a
future research but in a primary school for boys of a similar caliper to Al-Corniche Primary
School. This will allow for an interesting comparison in the context of less limitations than were
encountered in this study. A second suggestion for future research is to include more assessment
of best practices during the data collection as this study only asked teachers about two best
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

159
practices, and to ensure self-reported data are triangulated with observable data (such as via
observations). A third future research can focus on the other two stakeholders at Al-Corniche
Primary School identified in Chapter 1 as: students and administration. For example, a gap
analysis can be conducted to investigate the barriers preventing the students from achieving
better scores in math and science achievement tests. A fourth could be about what support is
needed from administration to improve the performance of both the teachers and students to
increase the school scores in math achievement tests. Finally, a fifth suggested research is to
conduct a study at one of the high performing international schools in Doha with a research
question such as “What factors influenced the high achievement of X school’s students in Y
achievement test?”
Conclusion
The Qatari students at primary schools have performed low in mathematics achievement
tests as measured by local and international tests. This is a cause for a major concern as this
generation of students is entrusted with helping the country realize its 2030 vision of creating a
knowledge-based economy. The goal of creating a knowledge-based economy in any country is
dependent on a workforce that has been equipped with a strong Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Hence, the importance of Qatari students’
success in STEM subjects particularly in mathematics. Therefore, the performance problem that
is the focus of this gap analysis is improving math achievement.
The purpose of this study consisted of conducting a gap analysis to examine the root
causes that have prevented Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls’ mathematics teachers from
supporting improved student’s math achievement. The analysis focused on causes for this
problem due to gaps in the areas of knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational issues.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

160
With aid of the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis problem-solving framework, an
extensive literature review coupled with general learning theories, a total of 17 knowledge,
motivation, and organization assumed causes were generated. Of the those 17 assumed causes,
only 6 were validated based upon an in-depth analysis and triangulation of the teachers responses
of survey and interview data conducted at Al-Corniche Primary School.
The validated gaps were related to: (1) Teachers’ knowledge about achievement tests’
basic facts, structures, and concepts; (2) Teachers’ motivation, in particular lack of self-efficacy
regarding teaching mathematics test taken strategies; and (3) Organizational issues including
teachers’ pay disparity, teachers’ shortage, and lack of professional development in best math
teaching practices and test taking strategies.
To address the issues relating to pay disparity and teachers’ shortage, the recommended
solution was to submit a combined request to the school governing authority , the Supreme
Education Council (SEC) supported with research based evidence to first, approve a teachers’
salary increase or to grant them some financial incentives, and secondly to allow the school to
hire additional teachers. For gaps relating to achievement tests, best math teaching practices, and
test taking strategies it was recommended to integrate all three into a comprehensive professional
development training that will be conducted at school by an expert lecturer for a period of 25
weeks. The training content will comprise a number of evidence based best math practices and
test taking strategies and will be conducted following the evidenced base and highly
recommended four steps training including: (1) Examination of theory; (2) Demonstration and
modeling; (3) Practice and feedback; and (4) Application, coaching, and feedback.

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

161
REFERENCES
Achieve, Inc. and National Governors Association (2005). An action agenda for improving
America’s high schools. Washington, D.C.: Authors. Retrieved from
http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/0502ACTIONAGENDA.pdf
Adelman, C. (2006). The toolbox revisited: Paths to degree completion from high school through
college. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
Al-Ali, J. (2008). Structural barriers to Emiratisation: Analysis and policy recommendations
(Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls. (2013). Alcorniche vision and mission. Retrieved from
http://www.alcorniche.edu.qa/english/Home.aspx
Alderman, M. K. (1999). Goals and goal setting. Motivation for achievement: Possibilities for
teaching and learning. New Jersey, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ali, R., & Jenkins, G. (2002). The high school diploma: Making it more than an empty promise.
Oakland, CA: Education Trust West.
Al-Sadaawi, A. S. (2009). Gulf states’ experiences with eighth grade science and mathematics
lessons from TIMSS-2007. Paper presented at the 35th Annual Conference of the
International Association for Educational Assessment, Brisbane, Australia.
Alton-Lee, A. (2003). Quality teaching for diverse students in schooling: Best evidence
synthesis. Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Education.
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.) (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and
assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York, NY:
Longman.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

162
Archibald, S., Coggshall, J. G., Croft, A., & Goe, L. (2011). High-quality professional
development for all teachers: Effectively allocating resources. Washington, D.C.:
National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality.
Armbruster, B. B., Lehr, F., & Osborn, J. (2001). Put reading first: The research building blocks
for teaching children to read. Jessup, MD: National Institute for Literacy.
Asia Society. (2013). Understanding the world through math. New York, NY: Author. Retrieved
from http://asiasociety.org/education/resources-schools/professional-
learning/understanding-world-through-math
Ball, D. L. (1993). With an eye on the mathematical horizon: Dilemmas of teaching elementary
school mathematics. Elementary School Journal, 9, 373-397.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human
behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York, NY: Academic Press.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: Freeman.
Barber, M., Mourshed, M., & Whelan, F. (2007). Improving education in the Gulf. The
McKinsey Quarterly, Special Edition: Reappraising the Gulf States, 39-47.
Battista, M. (1999). The mathematical miseducation of America’s youth. Phi Delta Kappan,
80(6), 424-433.
Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., & Taylor-Ferreira, J. C. (1999). Teaching study skills and test-
taking strategies to elementary school students: The Testbusters Program. Behavior
Modification, 23(4), 630-646.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

163
Bembry, K. L., Jordan, H. R., Gomez, E., Anderson, M., & Mendro, R. L. (1998, April). Policy
implications of long-term teacher effects on student achievement. Paper presented at
Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
Berliner, D. C. (1986). In pursuit of the expert pedagogue. Educational Researcher, 15(7), 5-13.
Bhanugopan, R., & Fish, A. (2007). Replacing expatriates with local managers: An exploratory
investigation into obstacles to ‘localization’ in a developing country. Human Resource
Development International, 10(4), 365-81.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (2010). Learning about teaching: Initial findings from the
Measures of Effective Teaching Project. Retrieved from
http://www.metproject.org/downloads/Preliminary_Finding-Policy_Brief.pdf
Bishay, A. (1996). Teacher motivation and job satisfaction: A study employing the experience
sampling method. Journal of Undergraduate Sciences, 3, 147-154.
Blank, R. K., & de las Alas, N. (2009). The effects of teacher professional development on gains
in student achievement: How meta analysis provides scientific evidence useful to
education leaders. Washington, D.C.: Council of Chief State School Officers.
Blank, R. K., de las Alas, N., & Smith, C. (2008). Does teacher professional development have
effects on teaching and learning? Analysis of evaluation findings from programs for
mathematics and science teachers in 14 states. Washington, D.C.: Council of Chief State
School Officers.
Boaler, J. (1998). Open and closed mathematics: Student experiences and understandings.
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 29(1), 41-62.
Botha, M. M. (2010). Compatibility between internationalizing and Africanizing higher
education in South Africa. Journal of Studies in International Education, 14(2), 200-213.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

164
Boyd, R. T. C. (1988). Improving your test-taking skills. Practical Assessment, Research &
Evaluation, 1(2), n.p. Retrieved from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=1&n=2
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind,
experience, and school (Expanded edition). Washington, D.C.: National Academies
Press.
Bray-Clark, N., & Bates, R. (2003). Self-efficacy beliefs and teacher effectiveness: Implications
for professional development. Professional Educator, 26(1), 13-22.
British Academy. (2012). Society counts: Quantitative skills in the social sciences and
humanities. London, UK: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.britac.ac.uk/policy/Society_Counts.cfm
Brown, C. A., Smith, M. S., & Stein, M. K. (1995). Linking teacher support to enhanced
classroom instruction. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Educational Research Association, New York, NY.
Cawelti, G. (Ed.). (2004). Handbook of research on improving student achievement (2nd ed.).
Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service.
Chaleff, C., & Toranzo, N. (2000). Helping our students meet the standards through test
preparation classes. American Annals of the Deaf, 145(1), 33-40.
Chittooran, M. M., & Miles, D. D. (2001). Test-taking skills for multiple-choice formats:
Implications for school psychologists. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
National Association of School Psychologists, Washington, D.C.
Clark, R. E., & Estes, F. (2008). Turning research into results: A guide to selecting the right
performance solutions. Atlanta GA: CEP Press.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

165
Clements, D. H., Agodini, R., & Harris, B. (2013, September). Instructional practices and
student math achievement: Correlations from a study of math curricula (NCEE 2013-
4020). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences,
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.
Cobb, P., Wood, T., Yackel, E., Nicholls, J., Wheatley, G., Trigatti, B., & Perlwitz, M. (1991).
Assessment of a problem-centered second-grade mathematics project. Journal for
Research in Mathematics Education, 22, 3-29.
Coggshall, J. G., Ott, A., Behrstock, E., & Lasagna, M. (2010). Retaining teacher talent: The
view from Generation Y. Naperville, IL and New York, NY: Learning Point Associates
and Public Agenda.
Cohen, D. K., & Hill, H. (1997). Instructional policy and classroom performance: The
mathematics reform in California. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
The College Board. (2012). Admission decisions: What counts. New York, NY: Author.
Retrieved from http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/applications/decisions
Cooper, J. D. (n.d.). Professional development: An effective research-based model. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Cooper, S. B., Bandelow, S., & Nevill, M. E. (2011). Breakfast consumption and cognitive
function in adolescent schoolchildren. Physiology & Behavior, 103(5), 431-439.
Creemers, B. P. M., & Kyriakides, L. (2012). Improving quality in education: Dynamic
approaches to school improvement. New York, NY: Routledge.
Darling-Hammond, L. (1997). Doing what matters most: Investing in quality teaching. New
York, NY: National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

166
Darling-Hammond, L. (1999). Reshaping teaching policy, preparation, and practice. Influences
of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Washington, D.C.: American
Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement. Education Policy
Analysis Archives, 8(1). Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/392/515
Darling-Hammond, L., Wei, R. C., Andree, A., Richardson, N., & Orphanos, S. (2009).
Professional learning in the learning profession: A status report on teacher development
in the United States and abroad. Palo Alto, CA: National Staff Development Council.
Daro, P. (2006, February 15). Math warriors, lay down your weapons. Education Week, 25(23),
33, 35.
Dixon, R., Carnine, D., Lee, D., Wallin, J., & Chard, D. (1998). Report to the California State
Board of Education and addendum to principal report review of high quality
experimental mathematics research. Eugene, OR: National Center to Improve the Tools
of Educators.
Duke, N., & Ritchhart, R. (1997). No-pain, high-gain standardized test preparation. Instructor,
107(3), 89-92 & 119.
Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (1995). In the mind of the actor: The structure of adolescents’
achievement task values and expectancy-related beliefs. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, 21, 215-225.
The Education Alliance. (2006). Closing the achievement gap: Best practices in teaching
Mathematics. Charleston, WV: Author.
The EIU ViewsWire. (2010, June 10). Qatar: Profile structure. New York, NY: Author.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

167
Erez, M., & Gati, E. (2004). A dynamic, multi-level model of culture: From the micro level of
the individual to the macro level of a global culture. Applied Psychology, 53(4), 583-598.
Fahmy, H. (2015, July 5). SEC tries to quell anger among Qatar parents, students over exam
scores. Doha News. Retrieved from http://dohanews.co/sec-tries-to-quell-anger-among-
qatar-parents-students-over-exam-scores/
Ferguson, R. F. (1991). Paying for public education: New evidence on how and why money
matters. Harvard Journal on Legislation, 28(2), 465-498.
Ferguson, R. F., & Ladd, H. F. (1996). How and why money matters: An analysis of Alabama
schools. In H. F. Ladd (Ed.), Holding schools accountable: Performance based reform in
education (pp. 265-298). Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.
Fink, A. (2013). How to conduct surveys (5
th
ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Firestone, W. A. (1991). Merit pay and job enlargement as reforms: Incentives, implementation,
and teacher response. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 13(3), 269-288.
Forstenlechner, I. (2010). Workforce ‘localization’ in emerging Gulf economies: The need to
fine-tune HRM. Personnel Review, 39(10), 135-52.
Fosnot, C. T. (2005). Constructivism revisited: Implications and reflections. The Constructivist,
16(1), 1-17.
Furner, J. M., Yahya, N., & Duffy, M. L. (2005). Strategies to reach all students. Intervention in
School and Clinic, 41(1), 16-23.
Gallimore, R., & Goldenberg, C. (2001). Analyzing cultural models and settings to connect
minority achievement and school improvement research. Educational Psychologist,
36(1), 45-56. doi:10.1207/S15326985EP3601_5
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

168
General Secretariat for Development Planning. (2008). Qatar national vision 2030. Doha, Qatar:
Author.
General Secretariat for Development Planning [was Ministry of Development Planning and
Statistics]. (2011, March). Qatar national development strategy, 2011-2016. Doha, Qatar:
Author. Retrieved from
http://www.gsdp.gov.qa/portal/page/portal/gsdp_en/knowledge_center/Tab/Qatar_NDS_r
eprint_complete_lowres_16May.pdf
General Secretariat for Development Planning. (2012). Qatar’s third national human
development report: Expanding the capacities of Qatari youth. Doha, Qatar: Author.
Goddard, Y. L., Goddard, R. D., & Tschannen-Moran, M. (2007). A theoretical and empirical
investigation of teacher collaboration for school improvement and student achievement in
public elementary schools. Teachers College Record, 109(4), 877-896.
Godwin, S. (2006). Globalization, education and Emiratization: A study of the United Arab
Emirates. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries,
27(1), 1-14.
Goldhaber, D. D., & Brewer, D. J. (1996). Evaluating the effect of teacher degree level on
educational performance. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics.
Gonzales, P., Williams, T., Jocelyn, L., Roey, S., Kastberg, D., and Brenwald, S. (2008).
Highlights From TIMSS 2007:Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Fourth- and
Eighth-Grade Students in an International Context (NCES 2009–001 Revised). National
Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of
Education. Washington, DC.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

169
Goodwin, B. (2000, May). Raising the achievement of low-performing students. Aurora, CO:
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.state.la.us/LDE/uploads/3437.pdf
Gray, D. L. (1999). Improving your school’s test scores. Principal, 78(3), 47-48.
Grossman, P. L., Wilson, S. M., & Shulman, L. S. (1989). Teachers of substance: Subject matter
for teaching. In M. C. Reynolds (Ed.), Knowledge base for the beginning teacher (pp. 23-
36). New York, NY: Pergamon Press.
Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development in an era of
high stakes accountability. Alexandria, VA: Center for Public Education. Retrieved from
http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Staffingstudents/Teaching-the-
Teachers-Effective-Professional-Development-in-an-Era-of-High-Stakes-
Accountability/Teaching-the-Teachers-Full-Report.pdf
Gulek, C. (2003). Preparing for high-stakes testing. Theory into Practice, 42(1), 42-50.
Hall, J. M., & Ponton, M. K. (2005). Mathematics self-efficacy of college freshmen. Journal of
Developmental Education, 28(3), 26-33.
Hallowell, E. M. (2005, January). Overloaded circuits: Why smart people underperform.
Harvard Business Review, 83(1), 54-62.
Hancock, D. R. (2001). Effects of test anxiety and evaluative threat on students’ achievement
and motivation. The Journal of Educational Research, 94(5), 284-290.
Hattie, J. A. C. (2003). Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence? Keynote
presentation at the 2003 ACER Research Conference, Carlton Crest Hotel, Melbourne,
19-21 October 2003. Retrieved from
http://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference_2003/4/
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

170
Heer, R. (2002). A model of learning objectives, based on “A taxonomy for learning, teaching,
and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives.” Ames: Iowa
State University. Retrieved from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/pdfs-
docs/teaching/RevisedBloomsHandout.pdf
Heneman III, H. G., Milanowski, A., & Kimball, S. (2007). Teacher performance pay: Synthesis
of plans, research, and guidelines for practice (Policy Brief RB-46). Philadelphia, PA:
Consortium for Policy Research in Education.
Hill, H. C., Rowan, B., & Ball, D. L. (2005). Effects of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for
teaching on student achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 42(2), 371-
406.
Hills, F. S., Madigan, R. M., Scott, K. D., & Markam, S. E. (1987). Tracking the merit of merit
pay. Personnel Administrator, 32, 50-57.
Huebner, T. A., & Corbett, G. C. (2008). Rethinking high school: Supporting all students to be
college-ready in math. Seattle, WA: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved from
http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/GF-08-01.pdf
Janzen, H. (2006). Using the Japanese lesson study in mathematics. Retrieved from
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/japanese_lesson_study.phtml
Johnson, J. (2000). Teaching and learning mathematics. Olympia, WA: State of Washington,
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Johnson, S. M. (2006). The workplace matters: Teacher quality, retention, and effectiveness.
Washington, D.C.: National Education Association.
Jordan, D. (1986). A correlational analysis of school leadership and organizational climate with
students’ classroom achievement. Beaumont, TX: Lamar University Press.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

171
Jordan, N. C., Glutting, J., & Ramineni, C. (2010). The importance of number sense to
mathematics achievement in first and third grades. Learning and Individual Differences,
20(2), 82-88.
Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.).
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Kamrava, M. (2009). Royal factionalism and political liberalization in Qatar. The Middle Eastern
Journal, 63(3), 401-42.
Keeves, J. P. (1976). Curriculum factors influencing school learning. Studies in Educational
Evaluation, 2, 167-184.
Kirkpatrick Partners. (2014). The New World Kirkpatrick Model. Retrieved from
http://kirkpatrickpartners.com/OurPhilosophy/TheNewWorldKirkpatrickModel/tabid/303
/Default.aspx
Lamb, S., & Fullarton, S. (2002). Classroom and school factors affecting mathematics
achievement: A comparative study of Australia and the United States using TIMSS.
Australian Journal of Education, 46(2), 154-171.
Lavy, V. (2010). Do differences in schools’ instruction time explain international achievement
gaps in math, science, and reading? Evidence from developed and developing countries
(NBER Working Paper No. 16227). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic
Research.
Lewis, P. S., Goodman, S. H., & Fandt, P. M. (1995). Management: Challenges in the 21st
century. New York, NY: West Publishing.
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

172
Loucks‐Horsley, S., & Matsumoto, C. (1999). Research on professional development for
teachers of mathematics and science: The state of the scene. School science and
mathematics, 99(5), 258-271.
Markovits, Z., & Sowder, J. (1994). Developing number sense: An intervention study in grade 7.
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 25(1), 4-29.
Marzano, R. J., Kendall, J. S., & Gaddy, B. B. (1999). Essential knowledge: The debate over
what American students should know. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education
and Learning.
Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology,
52(1), 397-422.
Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning.
Educational Psychologist, 38, 43-53.
Mayer, R. E. (2011). Applying the science of learning. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
McBay, S. M. (1989). Improving education for minorities. Issues in Science and Technology,
5(4), 41-47.
McBer, H. (2000). Research into teacher effectiveness: A model of teacher effectiveness
(Research Report #216). London, UK: Department for Education and Employment.
McClaskey, J. (2001). Who’s afraid of the big, bad TAAS? Rethinking our response to
standardized testing. English Journal, 91(1), 88-96.
McCormick, N., & Lucas, M. (2011). Exploring mathematics college readiness in the United
States. Current Issues in Education, 14(1). Retrieved from
http://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/680
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

173
McLaughlin, M., & Berman, P. (1977). Retooling staff development in a period of retrenchment.
Educational Leadership, 35(3), 191-194.
McLaughlin, M., McGrath, D. J., Burian-Fitzgerald, M. A., Lanahan, L., Scotchmer, M.,
Enyeart, C., & Salganik, C. (2005). Student content engagement as a construct for the
measurement of effective classroom instruction and teacher knowledge. Washington,
D.C.: American Institutes for Research.
Milanowski, A. (2003). Varieties of knowledge and skill-based pay design. Education Policy
Analysis Archives, 11(4), n.p. doi:10.14507/epaa.v11n4.2003
Minbaeva, D. B., Hutchings, K., & Thomson, S. B. (2007). Examining human resource
management in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Melbourne, Australia: Monash University
Faculty of Business and Economics.
Ministry of Energy and Industry. (2013). Sustainability in the Qatar energy and industry sector:
2013 report. Doha, Qatar: Author. Retrieved from http://www.hse-reg-
dg.com/qeisr2013/WWW/workforce/
Mirra, A. (2009). Focus in grades 6-8: Teaching with curriculum focal points. Reston, VA:
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Miyasaka, J. R. (2000). A framework for evaluating the validity of test preparation practices.
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research
Association, New Orleans, LA.
Morris, M. J. (2005). Organisation, social change and the United Arab Emirates. Brisbane,
Australia: Queensland University of Technology.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

174
Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Foy, P., & Arora, A. (2012). TIMSS 2011 International Results in
Mathematics. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston
College. Retrieved from http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2011/international-results-
mathematics.html
National Center for Education Statistics. (2012a). Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study (TIMSS). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of
Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from
http://nces.ed.gov/TIMSS/faq.asp?FAQType=5
National Center for Education Statistics. (2012b). What subject areas are assessed in PISA?
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences,
National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from
http://nces.ed.gov/TIMSS/faq.asp?FAQType=7
National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. (1996). What matters most: Teaching
for America’s future. Report of the National Commission on Teaching & America’s
Future. Woodbridge, VA: Author.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school
mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.
National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Foundations for success: The Final Report of the
National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.
Nazzal, N. (2013, December 5). 15-year-olds in UAE improve in math, science and reading. Gulf
News. Retrieved from http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/15-year-olds-in-uae-
improve-in-math-science-and-reading-1.1263592
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

175
Norton, S. M., & Park, H. S. (1996). Relationships between test preparation and academic
performance on statewide high school exit examination. Paper presented at the Annual
Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association, Tuscaloosa, AL.
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted). (2012, May).
Mathematics: Made to measure. Manchester, UK: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/mathematics-made-measure
Olson, L. (2006). Skills for work, college readiness are found comparable. Education Week,
25(36), 1-19.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2007). PISA 2006: Science
competencies for tomorrow’s world (Vol. 1). Paris, France: Author.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2010). PISA 2009 results: What
students know and can do — Student performance in reading, mathematics and science
(Vol. 1). Paris, France: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/48852548.pdf
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2013). PISA 2012 results in focus:
What 15-year-olds know and what they can do with what they know. Paris, France:
Author. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-results-
overview.pdf
Pajares, F. (1996). Self-efficacy beliefs in academic settings. Review of Educational Research,
66, 543-578.
The Peninsula. (2014, May 12). SEC plan to hire foreign teachers draws criticism. The
Peninsula. Retrieved from http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/news/qatar/283357/sec-plan-to-
hire-foreign-teachers-draws-criticism
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

176
Pintrich, P. R. (2003). A motivational science perspective on the role of student motivation in
learning and teaching contexts. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 667-686.
Pivik, R. T., Tennal, K. B., Chapman, S. D., & Gu, Y. (2012). Eating breakfast enhances the
efficiency of neural networks engaged during mental arithmetic in school-aged children.
Physiology & Behavior, 106(4), 548-555.
Porkess, R. (2012). The future of statistics in schools and colleges. London, UK: Royal
Statistical Society. Retrieved from http://www.rss.org.uk/Images/PDF/publications/rss-
reports-future-statistics-schools-colleges-roger-porkess-2012.pdf
Pressley, M. (1986). The relevance of the good strategy user model to the teaching of
mathematics. Educational Psychologist, 21(1-2), 139-161.
Priestley, M. (2000). 10 tips for higher test scores. Instructor, 110(3), 30-31.
Pritshard, I. (1999). Reducing class size: What do we know? Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department
of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Qatar Statistics Authority. (2009). Private universities, colleges, students in Qatar, 2007/2008
[Excel document]. Retrieved from
http://www.qsa.gov.qa/Eng/publication/annabs/2009/demographics_social_2009/educatio
n_2008.xls
Qatar University. (2006). Curriculum standards for the State of Qatar: Mathematics: Grades K
to 12. Doha, Qatar: Author. Retrieved from http://faculty.qu.edu.qa/falmuhannadi/td-
committee/p001-022_maforeword25july.pdf
Qatar University. (2013). Performance indicators, Fall 2013. Doha, Qatar: Author. Retrieved
from http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/oipd/documents/performance_indicators_fall_2013/
files/assets/common/downloads/QU%20Performance%20Indicators.pdf
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

177
Randeree, K. (2009). Strategy, policy and practice in the nationalisation of human capital:
‘Project Emiratisation.’ Research and Practice in Human Resource Management, 17(1),
71-91.
Rees, C. J., Mamman, A., & Bin Braik, A. (2007). Emiratization as a strategic HRM change
initiative: Case study evidence from UAE petroleum company. International Journal of
Human Resource Management, 18(1), 33-53.
Reinhart, S. (2000). Never say anything a kid can say! Mathematics Teaching in the Middle
School, 5(8), 478-483.
Robinson, V. M., Lloyd, C. A., & Rowe, K. J. (2008). The impact of leadership on student
outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership types. Educational
administration quarterly.
Romanowski, M. H., Cherif, M., Al Ammari, B., & Al Attiyah, A. (2013). Qatar’s educational
reform: The experiences and perceptions of principals, teachers and parents. International
Journal of Education, 5(3), 108-135.
Rosebery, A. S., Warren, B., & Conant, F. R. (1992). Appropriating scientific discourse:
Findings from language minority classrooms. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2(1), 61-
94.
Rosenshine, B. (2010). Principles of instruction. Brussels, Belgium: International Academy of
Education.
Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of instruction: Research-based strategies that all teachers
should know. American Educator, 36(1), 12-39.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

178
Rowe, K. (2003). The importance of teacher quality as a key determinant of students’ experience
and outcomes of schooling. Paper presented at the 2003 ACER Research Conference,
Carlton Crest Hotel, Melbourne, 19-21 October 2003. Retrieved from
http://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference_2003/3/
Royal Society. (2011, February 15). State of the nation: Preparing for the transfer to STEM
higher education. London, UK: Author. Retrieved from
https://royalsociety.org/education/policy/state-of-nation/higher-education/
Rueda, R. (2011). The 3 dimensions of improving student performance: Finding the right
solutions to the right problems. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Sabean, M. P., & Bavaria, R. (2005). Sylvan Learning Center math research. Baltimore, MD:
Sylvan Learning.
Sadi, M. A. (2013). The implementation process of nationalization of workforce in Saudi
Arabian private sector: A review of “Nitaqat Scheme.” American Journal of Business and
Management, 2(1), 37-45.
Sahlberg, P. (2011). PISA in Finland: An education miracle or an obstacle to change? CEPS
Journal, 1(3), 119-140.
Said, Z., & Friesen, H. L. (2013). TOPIC ARTICLE THE IMPACT OF EDUCATIONAL
REFORM ON SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN QATAR. European
Scientific Journal, 9(19).
Salih, A. (2010). Localizing the private sector workforce in the Gulf Cooperation Council
countries: A study of Kuwait. International Journal of Public Administration, 33(4), 169-
181.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

179
Sarama, J., & Clements, D. H. (2010). The mathematical lives of young children. In V.
Washington & J. Andrews (Eds.), Children of 2010: Creating a better tomorrow (pp. 81-
84). Washington, D.C.: Council for Professional Recognition/National Association for
the Education of Young Children.
Saritas, T., & Akdemir, O. (2009). Identifying factors affecting the mathematics achievement of
students for better instructional design. International Journal of Instructional Technology
and Distance Learning, 6(12), 21-36.
Scheerens, J. (1993). Basic school effectiveness research: Items for a research agenda. School
Effectiveness and School Improvement, 4(1), 17-36.
Scheerens, J., Vermeulen, C. J. A. J., & Pelgrum, W. J. (1989). Generalizability of instructional
and school effectiveness indicators across nations. International Journal of Educational
Research, 13(7), 789-799.
Schein, E. H. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership: A dynamic view (2nd ed.). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schein, E. M. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership. (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA:
Jossy-Bass.
Schunk, D., Pintrich, P., & Meece, J. (2002). Motivation in education: Theory, research and
applications (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Merrill.
Scribner, J. P. (1998). Teacher efficacy and teacher professional learning: What school leaders
should know. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the University Council for
Educational Administration, St. Louis, MO.
Scruggs, T. E., & Mastropieri, M. A. (2009). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective
instruction (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

180
Sedghi, A., Arnett, G., & Chalabi, M. (2013, December 3). PISA 2012 results: Which country
does best at reading, maths and science? The Guardian. Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/dec/03/pisa-results-country-best-
reading-maths-science
Simmons, B. J. (1998). The importance of being tested. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 34(4), 129-131.
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2007). Dimensions of teacher self-efficacy and relations with
strain factors, perceived collective teacher efficacy, and teacher burnout. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 99, 611-625.
Slavin, R. E. (1990). Student team learning in mathematics. In N. Davidson (Ed.), Cooperative
learning in math: A handbook for teachers (pp. 69-102). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Slavin, R. E., & Fashola, O. (1998). Show me the evidence! Proven and promising programs for
America’s schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Small, M. (2009). Good questions: Great ways to differentiate mathematics instruction. New
York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Spiezia, V. (2011). Does computer use increase educational achievements? Student-level
evidence from PISA. OECD Journal: Economic Studies, 2010(1), 1-22.
Springer, M. G., Ballou, D., Hamilton, L., Le, V-N., Lockwood, J. R., McCaffrey, D. F., . . .
Stecher, B. M. (2010). Teacher pay for performance: Experimental evidence from the
Project on Incentives in Teaching. Nashville, TN: National Center on Performance
Incentives, Vanderbilt University.
Steen, L. A. (1989). Teaching mathematics for tomorrow’s world. Educational Leadership,
47(1), 18-22.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

181
Stevens, R., & White. W. (1987). Impact of teacher’s morale on the classroom. Perceptual and
Motor Skills, 65, 787-90.
Stigler, J. W., Gallimore, R., & Hiebert, J. (2000). Using video surveys to compare classrooms
and teaching across cultures: Examples and lessons from the TIMSS video studies.
Educational Psychologist, 35(2), 87-100.
Suarez, T. M., Torlone, D. J., McGrath, S. T., & Clark, D. L. (1991). Enhancing effective
instructional time: A review of research. Policy Brief, 1(2). Chapel Hill, NC: North
Carolina Educational Policy Research Center.
Supreme Education Council. (2010). New evaluation system for independent schools by mid-
June 2011. Doha, Qatar: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/Media/News/Pages/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=3030
Supreme Education Council. (2011, January). TIMSS: Definition and objectives of study. Doha,
Qatar: Author. Retrieved from http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/SECInstitutes/
EvaluationInstitute/SEO/Assessments_Tests/Pages/International_Tests/timss.aspx

Supreme Education Council. (2012a). Glossary. Doha, Qatar: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/pages/Glossary.aspx
Supreme Education Council. (2012b). Training workshops in early preparation for international
assessments. Doha, Qatar: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/Media/News/Pages/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=3234
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

182
Supreme Education Council. (2013a). Schools and schooling in Qatar 2011-2012. Doha, Qatar:
Author. Retrieved from
http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/Media/News/Documents/SchoolsReport2011-2012.pdf
Supreme Education Council. (2013b). SEC honors successful Qatari schools in TIMSS and
PIRLS 2011. Doha, Qatar: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/Media/News/Documents/TIMSSPIRLS2011.pdf
Swailes, S., Al Said, L. G., & Al Fahdi, S. (2012). Localisation policy in Oman: A psychological
contracting interpretation. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 25(5),
357-372.
Tamim, R. M., Bernard, R. M., Borokhovski, E., Abrami, P. C., & Schmid, R. F. (2011). What
forty years of research says about the impact of technology on learning: A second-order
meta-analysis and validation study. Review of Educational Research, 81(1), 4-28.
Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an elusive
construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17, 783-805.
UNESCO. (2015). Conference report: UNESCO Doha Research Conference on “Enhancing
Students Performance in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the
Gulf Cooperation Council States (GCC) for Improved Learning Outcomes,” March 4-5,
Qatar. Paris, France: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Doha/pdf/FINALCONFE
RENCEREPORTPISA.pdf
Van Horn, R. (1997). Improving standardized test scores. Phi Delta Kappan, 78(7), 584-585.
Vorderman, C., Porkess, R., Budd, C., Dunne, R., & Rahman-Hart, P. (2011). A world-class
mathematics education for all our young people. London, UK: The Conservative Party.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

183
Weiner, B. (1986). An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. New York, NY: Springer
Verlag.
Wenglinsky, H. (1997). When money matters: How educational expenditures improve student
performance and how they don’t. Princeton, NJ: The Educational Testing Service, Policy
Information Center. Retrieved from
http://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/PICWMM.pdf
Werang, B. R. (2014). Teachers’ socioeconomic status and its relationship with teachers’ work
morale and teachers’ job performance at state senior high schools in Merauke regency,
Indonesia. International Journal of Science and Research, 3(8), 436-440.
Wesnes, K. A., Pincock, C., Richardson, D., Helm, G., & Hails, S. (2003). Breakfast reduces
declines in attention and memory over the morning in schoolchildren. Appetite, 41(3),
329-331.
Widenhorn-Müller, K., Hille, K., Klenk, J., & Weiland, U. (2008). Influence of having breakfast
on cognitive performance and mood in 13- to 20-year-old high school students: Results
of a crossover trial. Pediatrics, 122(2), 279-284.
Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. S. (1992). The development of achievement task value: A theoretical
analysis. Development Review, 12(3), 265-310.
Wiley, D., & Yoon, B. (1995). Teacher reports of opportunity to learn: Analyses of the 1993
California Learning Assessment System. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis,
17(3), 355-370.
Williams, J., Bhanugopan, R., & Fish, A. (2011). Localization of human resources in the State of
Qatar: Emerging issues and research agenda. Education, Business and Society:
Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 4(3), 193-206.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

184
Wilson, A. M., Floden, R. E., & Ferrini-Mundy, J. (2002). Teacher preparation research: An
insider’s view from the outside. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(3), 190-204.
World Bank. (2009). Labour market strategy for the state of Qatar — Phase II. Doha, Qatar:
General Secretariat for Development Planning.
Wright, P., Horn, S., & Sanders, W. (1997). Teacher and classroom context effects on student
achievement: Implications for teacher evaluation. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in
Education, 11, 57-67.
Zeidner, M. (1998). Test anxiety: The state of the art. New York, NY: Plenum Press.
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

185
APPENDIX A
SURVEY INSTRUMENT FOR TEACHERS
Instructions: Please circle the number that best represents your own opinion of this statement:
Strongly Disagree – 1, Disagree – 2, Agree – 3, Strongly Agree – 4
K refers to assumed knowledge causes
M refers to assumed motivation causes
O refers to assumed organizational causes

Goal and Coal Content
1. Al-Corniche Schools Complex For Girls has a set goal to increase the students’ math
achievement. (M,O)
1 2 3 4

2. I think this goal is a reasonable one. (M,O)
1 2 3 4

Value of Math Achievement on Tests
3. It is important to prepare students for math achievement tests. (Mv)
1 2 3 4

4. I believe that what I am teaching in class will help students prepare for math achievement
tests. (Mv)
1 2 3 4

Teacher Effectiveness
5. I feel confident about my ability to prepare students to do well on tests that measure math
achievement. (Mse)
1 2 3 4

6. Student math achievement is strongly influenced by the amount of effort I put into the
math lessons. (Mat)
1 2 3 4

7. It is important to me to teach all the mathematics components that are featured in the
math achievement tests. (Mv)
1 2 3 4

8. I expect to see better math scores if I try harder to stress to the students the importance of
doing well in the math achievement tests. (Mat)
1 2 3 4
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

186
9. I believe that additional training is necessary to help me teach math achievement tests
taking strategies. (Opd)
1 2 3 4

10. I believe the number of teachers teaching math at the primary school is adequate for all
students to do well in math. (Or)
1 2 3 4

11. I currently use or have used manipulatives to teach math. (Kp)
1 2 3 4

12. I am confident in my content knowledge related to math. (Mse)
1 2 3 4

13. I am confident about my pedagogical knowledge related to math. (Mse)
1 2 3 4

Teachers Collaboration
14. There is on-going cooperation and team work amongst all math teachers in this school.
(Ocm)
1 2 3 4

15. I have a good working relationship with other math? teachers. (Ocm)
1 2 3 4

Pay
16. I believe that I am compensated fairly/adequately in this school. (Ocs)
1 2 3 4

17. I believe the only factor that differentiates the teachers’ pay in this school is performance
level. (Ocs)
1 2 3 4

TIMSS Knowledge and Preparations
18. What are some key facts about the TIMSS such as the number of items tested, the test
format and the time allocated for each section? (Kf)

a. ------------------
b. ------------------
c. ------------------
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

187
d. ------------------
e. ------------------
f. ------------------
19. What are some key math concepts included in TIMSS? (Kc)
a. ------------------
b. ------------------
c. ------------------
d. ------------------
e. ------------------

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

188
APPENDIX B
SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW PROTOCOL FOR TEACHERS
K refers to assumed knowledge causes
M refers to assumed motivation causes
O refers to assumed organizational causes

Teacher Effectiveness
1. What are your strengths in teaching math in general? (Kmc)

2. What are some challenges you have in teaching math in general? (Kmc)

3. Have you received any training on teaching math achievement tests taking strategies? If
yes, how long ago? (Opd)

4. Was the training sufficient to give you the skills and knowledge you needed to do well in
class? Why or why not? (Opd)

5. How do you feel about using objects or manipulatives in teaching math? (Kp)

6. How do you feel about your content knowledge of math? (Kmc)

7. How do you feel about your pedagogical knowledge of math? (Kmc)

8. How do you feel about your ability to teach math achievement tests taking strategies?
(Mse)

Goal And Coal Content
4. What are your goals for increasing the math achievement for your students? (Kmc)
5. How do you determine your goal? (Kmc)
6. How do you convey this goal to your students? (Kmc)
Math Achievement Tests Knowledge and Preparations
7. How important is it for you to teach all the math components in the math achievement
tests? (Mv)

8. How important is it for students to be prepared for math achievement tests? (Mv)

9. What are some of the causes for the students’ success or failure to do well in math
achievement tests? (Mat)
IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

189
10. Do you expect to see better math scores if you stress to the students the importance of
doing well in math achievement tests? (Mat)

Teachers Collaboration
11. In your opinion, how many math teachers are needed for the primary school to do well in
mathematics in general and achieve higher scores in the math achievement tests in
particular? (Or)

12. How do you feel about your working relationship with other teachers? Discuss the degree
to which you feel cooperation / teamwork is present. (Ocm)

Pay
13. Are you satisfied with your compensation and benefits in this school? (Ocs)

IMPROVING MATH ACHIEVEMENT AT AL-CORNICHE

190
APPENDIX C
MATH ACHIEVEMENT SKILLS PREPARATION CHECKLIST

Teacher Name:____________ Grade Level: ____________
Date: __________________________

How preparations takes place
Math Achievement Skills
Time spent
per school
year
Demonstration/
modeling
Hands
on
Group
Work
Practice
from the
test
Manipulating whole numbers
and place values
Performing addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division
Using fractions and decimals
Geometric shapes and measures
Data Display

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This dissertation addressed the barriers preventing Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls mathematics teachers from supporting improved students’ math achievement. The barriers were examined in the context of the school aiming to achieve an average score of 467 in the TIMSS mathematics testing by 2017. The stakeholder group of focus for this research were all the math teachers at Al-Corniche Primary School For Girls. The Gap analysis problem-solving framework was utilized. It was used to identify the root causes of knowledge and skills, motivational, and organizational issues that explained the gap between the current and desired student math achievement. Data were collected from surveys, interviews, and a document analysis and were transcribed and analyzed. These data were used to validate assumed causes in knowledge and skills, motivational and organizational issues. Solutions and strategies were developed to help the teachers achieve their goal of proficiently implementing math instructional strategies needed to improve the students’ math achievement. An implementation of the solutions and an evaluation of the implementation plan were provided to conclude the dissertation.

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

Creating "excellent" learning experiences: a gap analysis of a university extension program

PDF

Increasing partnerships between education and industry in the United Arab Emirates: a gap analysis

PDF

Increasing international student enrollment at an East Asian university: a gap analysis

PDF

The impact of elementary school leadership on student achievement: a gap analysis

PDF

Moving from great to greater: Math growth in high achieving elementary schools - A gap analysis

PDF

Primary completion and achievement for 8th grade girls in rural Ethiopia: a gap analysis for gender inequities

PDF

Increasing English performance in Chinese schools: a gap analysis

PDF

An innovation study: designing a social entrepreneurship coaching model for entrepreneurs

PDF

High school reform to improve mathematics achievement

PDF

An examination of tri-level collaboration around student achievement using the gap analysis approach: teacher factors

PDF

Improving educational attainment at a bridge program in Saudi Arabia: a gap analysis

PDF

Service provider compliance with regional center service agreement: a gap analysis

PDF

An examination of teachers' proficiency in incorporating soft skills into instructions to culinary students at Kai Ping Culinary School: a gap analysis

PDF

Addressing the challenges for teachers of English learners in a California elementary school using the gap analysis approach

PDF

Minority Reserve Officer Training Corps officer candidate recruitment and retention: a gap analysis

PDF

Increasing the number of petroleum engineering students in the United Arab Emirates: an improvement model

PDF

Improving early grade reading instruction in Ghana: a discrepancy gap analysis

PDF

Girls in STEM: the underrepresented trajectory in Tennessee: an innovation study

PDF

The role of divisional principals in teacher retention in East African international schools

PDF

Attracting and retaining talent: improving the impact of workplace mentorship

Asset Metadata

Creator Al-Ajji, Fawzi Ali (author)

Core Title Improving math achievement among fourth graders at Al-Corniche Primary For Girls: a gap analysis

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Global Executive

Publication Date 08/08/2017

Defense Date 07/16/2015

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag achievements,Mathematics,OAI-PMH Harvest,primary school,TIMSS

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Seli, Helena (committee chair), Filback, Robert (committee member), Tambascia, Tracy Poon (committee member)

Creator Email alajji2000@yahoo.com,alialajj@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-630881

Unique identifier UC11306004

Identifier etd-AlAjjiFawz-3819.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-630881 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-AlAjjiFawz-3819.pdf

Dmrecord 630881

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Al-Ajji, Fawzi Ali

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA