1 Investigation of the Learning Environment in Higher and Lower Performing Education for a New Era Schools Stephanie L. Knight, Penn State University Atman Ikhlef, Qatar University Abstract Recently, Qatar established key elements of educational reform including curriculum standards; emphasis on student-centered teaching; charter school establishment; standards-based assessment; English as the language of instruction, and extensive teacher professional development. While study of organizational structures/outcomes of this reform is ongoing (Rand, 2007), little attention has been placed on the study of classroom processes. Since the reform focuses on learning environments that foster attainment of curriculum standards, research on teaching and learning environments in schools targeted for reform is needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in math/science classroom environment in higher- and lower-performing Qatari elementary schools operating for three years. Results suggest a mismatch between teacher perceptions and objective observations of learning environment in both high- and low-performing schools. Introduction In late 2002, Qatar Law Decree No.37 established key elements of educational reform in Qatar schools including national curriculum standards; an emphasis on critical thinking through student-centered teaching; establishment of independent (charter) schools; standards-based assessment; use of English as the language of instruction in math and science, and extensive professional development for teachers. In the classroom, the reform provides “an emphasis on encouraging a spirit of inquiry and hands-on learning” (www.education.gov.qa) that is often referred to as student-centered teaching because students are involved in activities and discussions that promote students’ deep conceptual learning, knowledge construction, and autonomy. In math, the standards incorporate a reasoning and problem solving strand that is different from the previous focus on drill, while in science the incorporation of an inquiry strand differentiates the curriculum from the previous one (Education Institute, 2002). This emphasis requires a change in the traditional classroom learning environment described in the analysis of the Qatar educational system prior to implementation of the reform (Brewer, Goldman, Augustine, Zellman, Ryan, Stasz, & Constant, 2006). For example, Standard 4, from the recently published National Professional Standards for Teachers and School Leaders (Education Institute, 2007), highlights the skills and dispositions that teachers need in order to be able to implement the new standards in independent schools and establishes the type of learning environments that “engage all students in purposeful and intellectually challenging learning experiences, encourage constructive interactions among teachers and students, and enable students to manage their own learning and behaviour” (p.25). The reform incorporates many aspects of current reform movements in other nations (Calderhead, 2001), and represents an important accomplishment for a small country that did not institute public schooling until 1951. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Denver, USA, April, 2010.