Future Functions of the College of Education at the University of Bahrain as Perceived by its Faculty Members

Abstract

The study sheds light on the importance of improving the strategies and means of preparing public school teachers in the Arab States in general, and the Gulf States in particular. It is essential for the colleges of education to determine their future priorities and find effective means of attaining those priorities. Thirty seven staff members of the College of Education at the University of Bahrain were asked to rank seven (future) functions and six means of fulfilling them. The functions and means were predetermined through a pilot study during the first semester 1999/2000 on a sub-group of the same sample of the study. The function of “Preparing public school teacher” was rated first. “Training public school teachers who were graduated from colleges other than education, “and that of” providing graduate programs in the field of education” as second and third consecutively. Regarding the means, the candidates have rated “improving the quality of academic programs” first, then “emphasizing field research to improve learning environment”, then “recruiting qualified staff members”.