Problems facing schools participating in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify The Problems facing schools participating in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in the Sultanate of Oman, study used a qualitative method, also used the The focus group to collect data and information and was applied to a sample of (30) school principals, teachers, educational supervisors, students and their parents in three governorates. They are: North Al Sharqiyah, Al Dakhiliyah, and Muscat. The results of the study revealed that there are many problems facing schools participating in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in the Sultanate of Oman, such as: Technical problems; the weakness of the Internet and the lack of computers. And problems related to teachers; this is such as: their excessive job duties, their lack of training, and some of them’ lack of competencies and competencies related to TIMSS tests. And problems related to the curriculum; this includes: the lack of a handbook or experimental evidence to train students on questions, and the density of the curriculum. And problems related to students; this includes: their lack of interest and motivation, and their weak computer skills. And problems related to parents; this is such as the lack of interest in encouraging their children, the lack of awareness of the guardian and his weak awareness of studying and its importance. Problems related to organizational and material aspects; these include: the lack of reinforcement and motivation that encourages the student to answer credibly, the exclusion of educational supervisors from participating in international study, problems in taking the test, the length of the test questions, and the difficulty of some of them. The study recommended providing high-speed Internet to all schools, as well as providing them with modern computers, increasing interest in training teachers and students for tests, providing financial incentives for them, defining roles for educational supervisors, and educating parents to encourage their children to integrate into trends in the international study of mathematics and science