Technical and Vocational Education in Kuwait

ABSTRACT

One of the prerequisites for the development and modernisation of a country is technical‐vocational education and training. If carefully planned and appropriately financed, an efficient and effective capability may be produced. Kuwait, despite having vast economic resources, has been suffering from an obvious lack of skilled and semi‐skilled manpower in almost all the sectors of the economy. In order to fulfil this deficiency, technical‐vocational education and training was initiated to meet the urgent needs of the country. However, despite the realisation of the need for such institutions, their role has not lived up to their full potential. In most cases, low student aptitude, lack of managerial and academic facilities, and weak industrial linkages have thwarted the high prior expectations of such institutions. This study assesses the role of Kuwait's technical and vocational institutions in providing the country with skilled scientific and technical manpower. In addition, it examines the effect of the Gulf Crisis on such institutions and the challenge confronting them in providing the country with the manpower required, since many of the country's nationals, who previously occupied managerial scientific positions, have left the country. Finally, the paper argues that, unless such schemes are given serious attention, the country will be heavily dependent on expatriates for years to come.     

Colouring in the Blanks: Memory Drawings of the 1990 Kuwait Invasion

This study used drawing tasks to examine the similarities and differences between females and males who shared a collective traumatic event in early childhood. Could these childhood memories be recorded, measured, and compared for gender differences in drawings by young adults who had shared a similar experience as children? Exploration of this question drove this qualitative research project to examine drawings by young Kuwaiti men and women, who were residents in Kuwait during the 1990 Saddam‐Hussein‐led Iraqi invasion of their country. Visual results from this study show colour, image and symbol (CIS) patterns, and differences in gender images in drawings which represent a select population's response to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.     

Kuwait University and its evaluation program

As the only institution of higher education in Kuwait offering a four-year degree program, Kuwait University is expected to provide its society and its rapidly changing labor market with professionally trained Kuwaiti nationals in fields requiring up-to-date scientific and technical knowledge. Its location in the Arabian Gulf region requires KU to honor and preserve the Arab and Islamic tradition. Thus, the success of KU graduates in the job market and in society will depend on a combination of scientific knowledge and appreciation for local and regional values. With the introduction of the graduate studies program, KU is on the threshold of becoming a major institution of research and scholarship. With this step forward, KU increases its responsibility to offer a diversified academic program designed to meet the specialized manpower requirements of Kuwait as a major commercial center in the Middle East. To evaluate its programs, KU established the Center for Evaluation and Measurement in 1977 which introduced the Course and Instructor Evaluation project, and later expanded its activities through the KU Academic Evaluation Committee, to include program evaluation. The office of the Vice-Rector for Research was established in 1981 to encourage, support, and develop scientific research activities at Kuwait University. At present, KU has fully realized the importance of educational reform. A few of the issues, identified in this paper, can be outlined as follows:

1. The need for an admission policy to recruit more students competent in general subject matter knowledge as well as in English proficiency, and to assign them fairly to the subject areas of choice.
2. The need to design a research oriented curriculum with stronger emphasis on general education as required of an undergraduate studies program rather than stressing professionalism.
3. The need for an instructional program that deemphasizes students' total reliance on memorization and examinations for completing course requirements.
4. The need to improve instructional and research facilities, as well as make them available to students and to train students in their proper use.
5. The need to reappraise employment conditions for non-Kuwaiti teaching staff providing them with job security and career certainty.
6. The need for an administratively and financially independent KU, and long-range plan for a campus to accommodate the increasing number of students, faculty, and support staff.

fa]This report is based on studies conducted at the Center for Evaluation and Measurement and on the status reports of several foreign consultants, members of the KUAE Committee, who evaluated various departments. The author has highlighted those issues and added his interpretations in various areas of the academic program dealing with admission and recruitment of students and their career preparation, as well as curriculum, instruction, faculty, research, facilities, and introduction of graduate studies at Kuwait University.     

The Use of Projective Drawings to Determine Visual Themes in Young Kuwaiti Women Impacted by the Iraqi Invasion

This study is part of a larger qualitative research project which examines visual imagery created through projective art tasks undertaken by young Kuwaiti women who were resident in Kuwait during the 1990 Saddam‐Hussein‐led Iraqi invasion of their country. The purpose of this article is to present evidence from the study as it is evolving. This study uses projective drawing tasks to elicit and examine the mental schema (i.e. colours, images and symbols [CIS]) of women between the ages of 20 and 22, who lived in Kuwait during the invasion. Piaget's model of the preoperational stage of childhood development is referred to when connecting nonverbal cognitive structures associated with the projective drawing tasks. The focus of this study was to determine if CIS themes could be generated through projective drawing tasks by individuals who had experienced a similar traumatic event. Visual data collected during research sessions bore this out. While thematic CIS did occur, further interpretation of the visual data was not a goal of the study.     

Distributed leadership applications in high schools in the State of Kuwait from teachers’ viewpoints

ABSTRACT

This study aims to identify different applications of distributed leadership at high schools in the State of Kuwait from teachers’ perspectives. These applications include the supervision process, delegation of authority, school development, decision making and community partnership. A quantitative design has been employed, and data has been collected through questionnaires that included five main dimensions. The study sample consisted of 1210 high school teachers at six educational areas in Kuwait. The degree of practicing distributed leadership in Kuwaiti schools was low. The degrees of application related to distributed leadership in the supervision process and delegation of authority were medium. However, the degrees of application related to distributed leadership in the development of school, decision making and community partnership were also low. The study has concluded that training programs are needed for school leaders in Kuwait.     

Addressing computational estimation in the Kuwaiti curriculum: teachers’ views

Computational estimation has not yet established a place in the Kuwaiti national curriculum. An attempt was made to include it during the early 1990s, but it was dropped by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education because of the difficulties teachers had teaching it. In an effort to provide guidance for reintroducing the concept into the curriculum, this study reports on mathematics teachers’ understanding of the meaning of computational estimation and their views about its significance in the elementary and middle school curricula in Kuwait. Data gathered from 59 elementary and middle schools teachers in Kuwait revealed that more than 60% of teachers equate computational estimation with rounding. While two-thirds of the teachers viewed computational estimation to be an important skill for daily life; only one-fifth (20%) saw it as important in mathematics education. More than half of the teachers either disagreed with the idea of teaching computational estimation or only wanted to teach it in limited situations. Most were concerned about the difficulty of learning computational estimation or feared that teaching computational estimation would cause problems with students’ development of standard algorithms for determining an exact answer. These findings reveal the challenge that mathematics educators face in introducing computational estimation into the mathematics curriculum. In order for computational estimation to be taught in elementary and middle school classrooms, teachers need to understand the concept and its value in education. Teacher education needs to focus on helping teachers better understand the concept of computational estimation and appreciate its value for instruction.     

Tapping into the ‘standing-reserve’: a comparative analysis of workers’ training programmes in Kolkata and Toronto

This paper examines employment-related training programmes offered by state funded agencies and multinational corporations in Toronto (Canada) and Kolkata (India). In recent years both cities have witnessed a rise in the service sector industries aligned with global regimes of flexible work and the consequent reinvention of a worker subject that is no longer disciplined according to the needs of industrial production. A worker must now be self-regulated, competitive, flexible, with an ability to convey an urbane, English-speaking deportment within the workplace. Training of employees, especially soft skill training becomes crucial in this connection as a form of technology for achieving this end. Based on Martin Heidegger’s conceptualisation of ‘standing-reserve’, we suggest that what training programmes do in the context of neoliberal capitalist production is the creation of an essential quality of human-ness that has to be harnessed, its potentialities tapped and amplified through training. We further suggest that such programmes often remain heavily influenced by race/class/gender hierarchies as well as stereotypical assumptions of desirable/undesirable bodies, forms of socialisation and modes of habitation that often are naturalised in the course of training.     

Structured On-The-Job Training (SOJT) as Perceived by HRD Professionals

On-the-job training(OJT) is defined as training that occurs on or near the work site. It is typically structured or unstructured. Surprisingly little research has been conducted on structured on-the-job training (SOJT), even though the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) estimates that employers spend between three and six times more on OJT each year than they spend on planned in-house training. This article reviews available research on SOJT and summarizes the results of an exploratory study of training and development professionals about SOJT issues and practices in their organizations.     

社区教育专职工作者岗位培训动力提升研究

培训动力,对于培训效果有着重要影响。本文基于社区教育专职工作者的岗位特点,在调研基础上,运用相关成人学习以及动机理论,对社区教育专职工作者岗位培训动力提升进行了较深入的研究,并提出了若干策略。     

Assessment of emotional intelligence in a sample of prospective Secondary Education Teachers

In the past few years, skills related to emotional intelligence (EI) have acquired special relevance in the educational domain. This study assesses EI in a sample of 155 students of 5 different specialities of a Master’s degree in Teacher Training for Secondary Education. Data collection was conducted through the administration of the Trait Meta Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24) and the Mayer, Salovey & Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Results show adequate levels of EI, especially in the strategic area, as well as some speciality-based differences among students. There is a need to develop specific training geared towards the development of emotional skills in the Master’s in Secondary Education capacitation programmes according to the trainee’s background.     

全科医师岗位培训中的儿科学教学现状及对策

全科医师岗位培训在我国起步较晚，但发展迅猛。现阶段在全科医师岗位培训过程中尚存在一定的困难，只有采用全新的教育理念、现代化的教学手段、形式多样的教学方法才能培养出高起点、高水平、高素质的全科医师。     

How do elementary textbooks address fractions? A review of mathematics textbooks in the USA, Japan, and Kuwait

Textbooks play an important part in the design of instruction. This study analyzed the presentation of fractions in textbooks designed for the elementary grades in Kuwait, Japan, and the USA. The analysis focused on the physical characteristics of the books, the structure of the lessons, and the nature of the mathematical problems presented. Findings showed USA and Kuwaiti mathematics textbooks are larger than Japanese textbooks; this larger size is consistent with a great deal of repetition. The Japanese texts do not address fractions until the third grade; they use linear models and connect fractions with measurement. In the USA and Kuwait, fractions are introduced in the first grade. The Harcourt text uses concrete material to help students learn fraction procedures. For the Kuwaiti series, the lessons depend on using some pictorial representation of the area model to illustrate fraction ideas. All these textbooks focus on standard algorithms as the main computational methods.     

The impact of dual apprenticeship programmes on early labour market outcomes: A dynamic approach

This study examines the impact of enrolling into dual apprenticeship programmes during secondary education on six early employment outcomes. Our contribution to the literature is threefold. First, we apply a method that has rarely been used in this literature to control for potential selection biases. Second, this method allows us to distinguish between the programmes’ direct effect (conditional on educational achievement) and indirect effect (via educational achievement) on labour market outcomes. Third, we examine the impact of two distinct dual apprenticeship programmes in a novel setting: Flanders (Belgium). We find evidence for short-term labour market advantages only for the programme with the most days of on-the-job training, which fade out quickly over time.     

对我国教师在职培训现存问题的思考

我国教师在职培训存在的问题：一是由原有一元双轨的体制带来的，有显现于外的诸如与职前教育办学层次水平的倒挂等问题，更有不易于外显和引起人们重视的，职前思维定势的问题；二是在改革及体制转换中出现的，即由于职前思维定势的影响，以及历史原因造成的职后培训理论及实践模式的空白，使之教师教育调整中出现职后教育的被弱化状况。这两大方面的问题，是我国教师教育改革必须要走出的误区之所在。     

Kuwaiti Science Teachers’ Beliefs and Intentions Regarding the Use of Inquiry-Based Instruction

To improve the quality of education, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education has encouraged schools to implement inquiry-based instruction. This study identifies psychosocial factors that predict teachers’ intention to use inquiry-based instruction in their science classrooms. An adapted model of Ajzen’s (1985) theory of planned behaviour—the Science Adoption Model—was used to study Kuwaiti science teachers’ beliefs. Four hundred and ninety-six teachers from all the government primary schools in Kuwait completed a questionnaire. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to statistically examine the relationships among the constructs of the model. It was found that teachers’ attitudes towards using inquiry-based instruction significantly predicted their capacity to create and deliver inquiry-based lessons. Although Kuwaiti science teachers held positive beliefs about the implementation of inquiry-based instruction, many factors limited their use of this approach in their science classroom. One clear implication from this study is that educators need to overtly consider teachers’ beliefs as inquiry-based instruction reform is implemented.     

Reasonable and Reasonableness of Answers: Kuwaiti Middle School Teachers’ Perspectives

This study described mathematics teachers’ views on the significance of reasonable answers and how they address this concept in their classrooms. Data were gathered from thirteen eighth-grade Kuwaiti mathematics teachers in two middle schools. All teachers in Kuwait use the national textbook and follow the accompanying instructional plans provided by the Ministry of Education. The results revealed that the overwhelming majority of Kuwaiti teachers reported that an answer needed to be exact to be reasonable. Only three teachers reported discussing reasonable answers and their discussions were in response to student mistakes. None of the teachers addressed the concept proactively, considering reasonableness when planning their lessons or preparing activities or exercises. They defended their lack of attention to this concept by noting that the notion of reasonableness is not included in the Kuwaiti national curriculum.     

日本在职教师教育实践模式——“授業研究”探析

教师教育的形式和有效性是教师教育研究与实践中倍受关注的问题。近年来日本许多中小学在教师校本研修基础上构建了在职教师教育实践模式———“授業研究”,其特点与实践过程,对我国在职教师教育具有借鉴和启示作用。     

中学化学教师影响学生科学素养形成问题的解决策略研究

针对目前我国中学化学教师科学素养亟待提高的现状,首先要提高教师在职培训的针对性和实效性;其次要建立有效的教师科学素养培训制度;三是教育行政部门应加快推进考试制度的改革.如此进行化学教师在职培训,才能使化学教师的科学素养得到提高,并适应当前课程改革的需要.     

Pediatricians' knowledge, attitudes and experience regarding child maltreatment in Kuwait

OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the awareness and actual professional experience of pediatricians in Kuwait regarding child maltreatment, a topic rarely explored in this part of the world. METHODS: Data were obtained from all pediatricians in public hospitals with pediatric emergency services using a structured detailed self-completed questionnaire. RESULTS: The experience of child neglect was more common than that of child abuse in the clinical practice of surveyed pediatricians. Fifty percent of 117 pediatricians (69% of all eligible) reported having encountered at least 1 case of abuse and up to 3 cases of neglect in the past year. Women and younger doctors more commonly recognized hypothetical situations as maltreatment, and believed child abuse and neglect as being common or very common in Kuwait. Other demographic or professional variables did not affect recognition of maltreatment. Participants would most likely alert social workers about suspected maltreatment cases. More than 80% did not know whether there is a legal obligation to report or which legal authorities should receive reports of suspected cases. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: National ethical guidelines regarding reporting suspected cases of maltreatment must be established. Laws protecting maltreated children and reporting physicians must be immediately enacted. Additional training is required to help pediatricians, especially expatriates from other cultures, to diagnose with certainty cases of child maltreatment in their practice in Kuwait.     

Management Development: The State of the ArtAs Perceived by HRD Professionals

This article briefly reviews the literature on Management Development (MD) and summarizes key results of an exploratory survey of HRD professionals' perceptions about MD practices. Based on the survey's results, the authors conclude that organizations sponsoring planned MD programs: (1) Make an effort to base MD on Strategic Business Plans and individual development plans more than on succession plans; (2) Cite in-house classroom courses tailor-made for management employees as the single most frequently used MD method; (3) Cite planned on-the-job training as the single most effective MD method; and (4) Rely heavily on written individual development plans for assessing the learning needs of management employees.