The MoE has taken strides to improve the quality of education in Jordan, with the most recent being reforms to the national curricula and textbooks across various grade levels (2014-2015). This has partly been done in response to the concerning results of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and the Early Grade Math Assessment (EGMA).
Jordan was one of the region’s pioneering countries in the administering a national standardized assessment that certifies students at the secondary education level (Tawjihi). Over the years Jordan has expanded its participation in regional and international assessments at various levels of the education system e.g. EGRA and EGMA and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) respectively. This allows for data obtained from these assessments to inform policy and educational intervention.
With the speed that our world is changing, periodical reforms to curricula are necessary to ensure that they effectively relay and instill values and skills required for a productive and prosperous life in the 21st century. Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure that data collected from assessments is carefully analyzed and effectively used to support evidence-based improvements to the education system and meeting the needs of students.
QRF’s areas of interest include reviewing aspects of the national curriculum, including curriculum development, textbooks, teaching practices, and assessment frameworks as well as the analysis of assessment results. Current research focuses on civics education, Arabic teaching and learning, national standards and assessment frameworks.