Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/37569
Title: Teacher education in Palestine : understanding teachers' realities and development through action research
Other Titles: Teacher education in the Euro Mediterranean region
Authors: Khaldi, Musa
Wahbeh, Nader
Keywords: Arab-Israeli conflict
Comparative education
Teachers -- Training of -- Gaza Strip
Teachers -- Training of -- West Bank
Education -- Gaza Strip
Education -- West Bank
Issue Date: 2002
Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.
Citation: Khaldi, M., & Wahbeh, N. (2002). Teacher education in Palestine : understanding teachers' realities and development through action research. In R. G. Sultana (Ed.), Teacher education in the Euro Mediterranean region (pp. 193-211). New York: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.
Abstract: This chapter examines the changing role of teachers in Palestinian schools. The political, economical, and administrative conditions drastically affect the teachers' conception of their role. Despite the efforts of the Palestinian Ministry of Education and UNRW A for educational reform through teacher education and training programs, the latter remain relatively ineffective. Today's teachers face the challenges of an irrelevant curriculum, overcrowded classrooms, a flawed supervisory system and financial constraints. The Ministry of Education's centralized approach to educational reform has failed to facilitate teacher professional development. Collaborative action research predicated on a school based development approach and collaborative reflection can facilitate professional change. Through its action research project with UNRW A, the AI-Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development (QCERD) hopes to raise the quality of teacher education in Palestine through cooperative teams of pre-service and in-service teachers and the researchers from the centre. To utilize the available human resources, teachers need to re-conceptualize teachers' perception of their role as constructive participants in both their schools and in Palestinian society. A case study of a 9th grade science teacher illustrates the feasibility of improving teacher education and the successful practical application of pedagogical theory through collaborative action research and reflection. Collaborative action research created an environment of trust designed to encourage dialogue between the science teacher, the researchers and the pre-service teachers. A joint project using the STS approach to a unit on 'water in Palestine' enriched the teachers' and students' understanding of the lesson and highlighted the relevance of the lesson to their daily lives. The QCERD researchers continue their collaborative work with teachers, students, parents, administrators, and the Ministry of Education to improve the quality of education through action research and a school based plan of development.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/37569
ISBN: 0820462160
Appears in Collections:Teacher education in the Euro-Mediterranean region

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