Published In
Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2016
Subjects
Universities and colleges, Students -- Qatar -- Attitudes, Faculty advisors, Students -- Qatar -- Social conditions, Student adjustment
Abstract
This study attempts to address the challenges of students in higher education in Qatar. The study draws on student perceptions, beliefs, outlook, and context; we approach the study through grounded means by posing leading interview questions with the aim of exploring and probing. The approach is grounded in that no specific theory drives the questions; rather, the responses from the interview often require interpretation through theory to justify the findings. The sample comprised 35 students who were interviewed through probing and questioning techniques. The questions led to converging responses, which were segregated into themes. A large majority of students felt advising was absent or mismanaged, while some also were of the view that schools did not prepare them to enjoy the benefits of extracurricular activities; many students further viewed English or the Foundation Program (preparatory year’s program) a barrier to their continuation in higher education. The most striking result was the apparent relationship between advising and student preparation in secondary school. Schools in Qatar and particularly independent schools (public schools) assign only a small role to advising and inducing strategies that reflect independence and any future anticipatory approaches to link expectations of higher education with support and guidance systems in secondary school.
Locate the Document
DOI
10.5339/nmejre.2016.2
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/26917
Citation Details
Khalifa B, Nasser R, Ikhlef A, Walker JS, Amali S. A qualitative study of student attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, outlook and context in Qatar: Persistence in higher education, Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education 2016:2 http://dx.doi.org/10.5339/nmejre.2016.2
Description
Copyright 2016 Khalifa, Nasser, Ikhlef, Walker, Amali, licensee HBKU Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.