Several senior representatives from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, QU and Teach For Qatar (TFQ) attended the event.
The academy was established in 2012 by ExxonMobil Qatar and QU’s National Centre for Education Development (NCED), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, for math and science teachers from Qatar’s government schools.
Over the course of five days, teachers went through an intensive professional development programme to enhance their teaching skills and introduce them to strategies and activities that help young people develop an enjoyment of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
Six Doha-based educators and three instructors from the US worked with this year’s participating teachers to develop the skills necessary to integrate STEM successfully into their lessons and enhance learning among students.
Fifty third- to sixth-grade teachers from Qatar’s government schools, TFQ fellows and education specialists from the ministry participated in the eighth academy.
The luncheon recognised and honoured their work and the efforts of the faculty who participated in this year’s programme.
A total of 380 teachers have taken part in the eight academies ExxonMobil Qatar and QU have organised since 2012, a press statement notes.
Experts from the academy, QU and the ministry have calculated that these teachers are expected to reach more than 18,000 students, “generating substantial waves in Qatar’s education system”.
“The Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is a programme I take great pride in,” Alistair Routledge, president and general manager for ExxonMobil Qatar remarked, adding: “It is the successful outcome of a vision we share with our partners, Qatar University and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, that by working together, we can help every child in Qatar’s school system learn critical skills and every school succeed.”
Dr Abdullah Abu Tineh, director of NCED at Qatar University, said: “Over the past eight years, we have achieved remarkable results thanks to our partner, ExxonMobil Qatar.”
“We now have a cohort of teachers who are confident to teach STEM subjects, who have deepened and increased their subject and pedagogical knowledge, and even reinvigorated their passion for teaching,” he said. “As a result, they’re motivating young people to consider STEM careers that are critical for Qatar’s future.”
“We are extremely pleased at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to support another edition of the Qatar University ExxonMobil Academy,” said Hissa al-Aali, director of the Training and Educational Development Centre at the ministry. “By nurturing high-quality teachers who can help establish a long-term passion for STEM in their students, the academy is helping us build Qatar’s sustainable future through our nation’s STEM industries.”
The Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy highlights ExxonMobil’s “long-term commitment to supporting the Qatar’s vision to build a modern, world-class education system that can develop in students the knowledge, skills and values needed for a sustainable future”, the statement adds.
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