Afshan Ahmed
Young Emiratis enrolled in teacher education programmes must be taught to cope with stress to continue in the profession, according to the findings of a federal university study.
The study, conducted by three professors of the Bachelors in Education programme at the Fujairah Women’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology, gathered data based on interviews with 38 graduate teachers from the 2005 and 2007 batches.
The teachers, currently employed in primary and preparatory public schools in Fujairah, spoke of challenges they faced beyond the college classroom and in schools.
Martha Banfa, course leader at the college, said the research prompted the faculty to think of motivational strategies. “We noticed that the teachers were dealing with a lot of stress and we did not know it was a major problem,” she said.
More than half the respondents said they were not given dedicated classrooms and expressed frustration at having to relocate equipment and materials. They also spoke of difficulties in classroom management.
In another study, Dr Janet Y. Thomas, Assistant Professor in the College of Education at the Zayed University, analysed the needs of first generation of Emirati women in schools to find several pressing issues.
It was found crowded classrooms, lack of resources, administrative demands and unattractive compensation were roadblocks to successful Emiratization of teachers.
About 77 per cent of the 60 students surveyed said they were motivated to be a part of the education landscape. “Neither of their parents had received college education, so they were very concerned about the state of education in the country,” Thomas said. “We can attract them, but the problem is that we cannot retain them”.
At the National Education Research Forum in the Sharjah Women’s College, where she presented her paper on Tuesday, Thomas recommended that education leaders should consider pedagogic and curricular reforms relevant to the culture of the country.
Shafaa Al Menhali, a student of the Bachelors of Education programme at the Abu Dhabi Women’s College, said: “We need more Emirati teachers, who can (introduce) both a progressive and cultural model in education”.
Khaleej Times
