A Cross-National Comparison of Ict Resources and Science Teachers’ Professional Development in and Use of Ict in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Abstract

The development and spread of technology in schools as an educational innovation is well-documented worldwide, but the more recent and unique development of science instruction based on information and communication technology (ICT) has not been empirically examined in the Arabian Gulf, specifically. Using 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data, lower secondary science teachers' ICT professional development and use is investigated in this chapter to provide empirical evidence of a relationship between teachers' use of ICT for instruction, the spread of ICT resources in educational systems across the GCC, and the impact of these teacher and school-level characteristics on student achievement. Evidence from TIMSS 2007 suggests that teachers' use of ICT for instruction and engagement in ICT-related professional development in GCC educational systems is similar to the international mean, but having increased access to ICT in classroom instruction does not necessarily improve student achievement in science.