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Partnering for Sustainability: Parent-Teacher-School (PTS) Interactions in the Qatar Education System

Author

Listed:
  • Maryam A. Al-Hail

    (Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha 34110, Qatar)

  • Luluwah Al-Fagih

    (Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha 34110, Qatar
    School of Computer Science & Mathematics, Kingston University London, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK)

  • Muammer Koç

    (Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Doha 34110, Qatar)

Abstract

The interaction avenues, levels, and impacts between parents, schools and teachers have changed drastically due to the ever-increasing responsibilities, frequent and rapid changes in the curriculum, the invasive dominance of the internet and digital media in the lives of all stakeholders, and the digitization of learning materials, to name a few. This pilot study follows a design-thinking approach to investigate the current practices, needs, and challenges of parental involvement in public schools in Qatar to improve student achievements towards sustainable living and habits by identifying problems, developing solutions, and improving student achievement in conjunction with all local and relevant stakeholders. To this end, building on extensive and comparative studies on theories, models, and best practices within and outside the selected domain, a qualitative study is conducted to obtain insight from local teachers and parents in preparatory public schools. The grounded theory method is employed to analyze the data via the qualitative coding technique. The results indicate that parental involvement practices in Qatar public schools occur in different forms, including home-based and school-based learning. Furthermore, while almost all parents recognize the significance of parental involvement and show a high level of interest in being on the ‘Board of Trustees’, in reality, very few participate or volunteer in school activities, and they rarely visit classrooms or interact with teachers or schools, mainly due to their increasing job-related commitments. In addition, the majority of parents indicate the need for additional flexibility in communication with the school to increase their involvement. Meanwhile, the teachers highlight the significant lack of parental involvement in understanding, overcoming and improving student achievement in both academic subjects and sustainable living habits and actions. The study outlines a few key suggestions to overcome these challenges and improve the parent-teacher-school (PTS) partnership, including offering mandatory parenting classes, developing and implementing effective communication mechanisms to facilitate parent-school interactions, and involving parents in decision-making process relating to their children and other school-related activities. Despite the sampling limitation, this study’s findings represent a starting point for understanding the needs of PTS partnerships, current practices of parental involvement, and mechanisms to improve their contribution to Qatar’s schools.

Suggested Citation

  • Maryam A. Al-Hail & Luluwah Al-Fagih & Muammer Koç, 2021. "Partnering for Sustainability: Parent-Teacher-School (PTS) Interactions in the Qatar Education System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-25, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:12:p:6639-:d:572827
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Barnard, Wendy Miedel, 2004. "Parent involvement in elementary school and educational attainment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 39-62, January.
    2. Mona M. Al-Kuwari & Luluwah Al-Fagih & Muammer Koç, 2021. "Asking the Right Questions for Sustainable Development Goals: Performance Assessment Approaches for the Qatar Education System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-28, April.
    3. Vasiliki Kioupi & Nikolaos Voulvoulis, 2019. "Education for Sustainable Development: A Systemic Framework for Connecting the SDGs to Educational Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-18, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Btool H. Mohamed & Mustafa Disli & Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada & Muammer Koç, 2022. "Investigation on Human Development Needs, Challenges, and Drivers for Transition to Sustainable Development: The Case of Qatar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, March.
    2. Arielle Kaim & Shahar Lev-Ari & Bruria Adini, 2023. "Distress following the COVID-19 Pandemic among Schools’ Stakeholders: Psychosocial Aspects and Communication," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Wadha A Al-Thani & Ibrahim Ari & Muammer Koç, 2021. "Education as a Critical Factor of Sustainability: Case Study in Qatar from the Teachers’ Development Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-32, October.

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