An Eye on Brevet: Lay the Needed Cards on the Table


I feel this year is very different ... too much studying.
Everyday seems like a year! …
N. Sfeir

I hate myself. I am never done with my studies this
year….
M. Akl

Too much pressure this year ... I don't understand
why ?? We have the same teachers and we are still in
the same school….
T. Bou Mikhael

My parents made me stop all my extra activities. I
spend the week days and the week-ends studying
especially History, Geography and Civics….
S. Asmar
Department of English, Translation & Education
Faculty of Humanities, Notre Dame University,
Under the patronage of
Mr. Fadi Yarak, Director General
Ministry of Education
March 31, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Abou Khater Auditorium, NDU
Welcome on behalf of
 Notre Dame University
 Faculty of Humanities
 Department of English, Translation & Education

Education Major Promotion Ad Hoc Committee

Note: language – English & Arabic
Welcome to all educators interested in minimizing
the pressure on the Brevet student
Thank you Mr. Fadi Yarak, Director General
 For supporting An Eye on Brevet
 For supporting the Brevet student
 For supporting our endeavor to bring about
healthy dialog
 For supporting our purpose: To address cyclical
pressure felt by the players, especially the
students, involved in the Brevet exam preparation
in the hope to develop practical solutions to
promote favorable outcomes in preparing the
students for the Brevet exam

Dr. C. Kfouri, Dean, Faculty of Humanities



To inform audience of government's present
official position on Brevet exam
To inform audience of the school’s reaction,
position, & preparation of students for Brevet
exam
To initiate a government & school
commitment to work together to enhance
teaching, learning, student preparation, &
assessment practices




Part 1: The Cards: Ministry of Education &
Center for Educational Research and
Development (CERD)
Part 2: The Players: Education Community
Part 3: Trump it: Tying up the loose ends School Principals
The Final Eye on Brevet: Ministry of Education
Q/A


Mr. Jean Hayek, Director of Counseling &
Guidance, Ministry of Education
Ms. Samia AbuHamad, Director of English,
Center for Educational Research &
Development








What is rationale for having a Brevet exam?
What is relationship between Ministry & CERD & how does
this relate to Brevet exam?
What is focus of curriculum? What instructional
methodologies are expected to be used to teach
curriculum? What approach to learning do books use? What
guidance do teachers have to prepare for
teaching/learning endeavor?
How does teaching / learning approach relate to questions
created for assessing content learnt in curriculum?
How are questions created? Procedure?
How are questions assessed for curriculum reflection in
content & in instructional approach?
How do you ensure answers are assessed to measure
learning outcomes set in curriculum?
What kind of relationship does Ministry & CERD have with
schools – private & public- to help prepare teachers &
students for Brevet exam?

Oral presentation
CERD's Role:





Curricula design for both private and public
schools.
National textbooks (student's book, workbook
and teacher's guide) from KG-3rd Secondary
Teacher in-service training for public school
teachers.
Coordinator training for private sector once
major national educational changes are
launched.
Heads of Departments participate in Brevet and
Baccalaureate exams.
11
The new framework for Education in Lebanon
states "Adopting diversification in teaching
methods and choosing the modern ones in the
light of student situations, the schools'
capabilities and the nature of the subject, while
providing the opportunities to perform
experimental educational activities.
12
The English Language curriculum states the use of
English for three major purposes: social interaction,
academic achievement, and cultural enrichment
through a thematic, integrated, content-based
approach to teaching and learning.
Three levels of English language proficiency:
a)English for social interaction,
b)English for academic purposes,
c)English for socio-cultural development.
The appropriate framework of classroom interaction
is Cooperative Learning (CL).
13



6 sample questions for each subject
Answer key + correction tips
Sample correction guidelines from Arabic
language.
14
‫القسم السؤال‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫أ‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫المعايير‬
‫•ػٍٍّ انشّاوي (تاالستُاد إنى انحىاشً)‬
‫ل ػهى حضىس انشّاوي يٍ ان ُّصّ‪:‬‬
‫•استذ ّ‬
‫ضًٍش انًتكهّى‬
‫•حذّد َىع انُّصّ‪ :‬سٍشج راتٍّح‬
‫•أػاد كتاتح انفقشج األونى يسُذاً فٍها انفؼم إنى‬
‫جًاػح انغائثٍٍ‬
‫•حذّد أثش انتّحىٌم فً انُّىع األدتًّ نهفقشج (نى‬
‫العالمة‬
‫مالحظة‬
‫½‪1‬‬
‫½‪1‬‬
‫المجموع‬
‫½‪4‬‬
‫½‪1‬‬
‫½‪3‬‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪ 7‬كهًاخ نهتّحىٌم؛ نكمّ‬
‫كهًح َصف ػاليح‬
‫½‪4‬‬
‫تؼذ سٍشج راتٍّح)‬
‫‪3‬‬
‫‪4‬‬
‫•ػٍٍّ َىع انىصف (انزّاتًّ االَطثاػًّ)‬
‫•ركش انطّثاق‬
‫•ركش االستؼاساخ‬
‫•تٍٍّ دوس انطّثاق واالستؼاساخ فً انىصف‬
‫االَطثاػًّ‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪3‬‬
‫أ‪ -‬استخشج ثالثح أسًاء يشتقّح‬
‫•ركش َىع كمّ يُها ووصَه‬
‫•تٍٍّ وظٍفتها فً انىصف‬
‫½‬
‫½‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪6‬‬
‫ٌكتفً تاثٍٍُ‬
‫‪4‬‬
‫‪15‬‬
‫المعايير‬
‫القسم السؤال‬
‫ب‪ -‬استخشج األفؼال‬
‫•ركش صٍغتها ووصَها‬
‫أ‬
‫العالمة‬
‫•تٍٍّ دوسها فً انىصف‬
‫½‬
‫½‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪5‬‬
‫•ركش َىػً انًىائذ‬
‫•تٍٍّ سأي انكاتة فً انًىائذ انجثهٍّح يغ انتّؼهٍم‬
‫•تٍٍّ سأي انكاتة فً انًىائذ انًتضيّتح يغ انتّؼهٍم‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫‪6‬‬
‫• أػاد كتاتح انجًم يحشّكاً أواخش انكهًاخ فٍها تانحشكاخ‬
‫انًُاسثح‬
‫‪4‬‬
‫‪7‬‬
‫•استخشج انجًم االستفهايٍّح‬
‫•استخشج جًهح انتًًُّّ‬
‫•تٍٍّ انغشض يٍ االستفهاو‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫½‪1‬‬
‫½‪1‬‬
‫•وضغ ػُىاَاً يُاسثاً نهُّصّ‬
‫•ػهّم وضؼه‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫•تٍٍّ انغشض يٍ انتًًُّّ‬
‫‪8‬‬
‫مالحظة‬
‫المجموع‬
‫ٌكتفً تأستؼح‬
‫‪5‬‬
‫ٌحسى َصف انؼاليح‬
‫ػهى كم خطأ‬
‫االستخشاج ½ ‪،‬‬
‫تحذٌذ انُّىع ½‬
‫االستخشاج ½ ‪،‬‬
‫تحذٌذ انُّىع ½‬
‫‪4‬‬
‫‪5‬‬
‫‪3‬‬
‫‪16‬‬
‫القسم السؤال‬
‫ب‬
‫المعايير‬
‫•يهّذ تًقذّيح يىجضج ويُاسثح‬
‫•وصف يجًىػح انشّثّاٌ وانشّاتّاخ وهى ٌغشسىٌ‬
‫•تٍٍّ ثالث فىائذ نألشجاس ػهى اإلَساٌ‬
‫•ػثّش ػٍ اَطثاػاته‬
‫•ختى انًىضىع تخاتًح يُاسثح‬
‫•وظّف قىاػذ انهّغح تىظٍفاً سهًٍاً‪:‬‬
‫ضثط كتاتته صشفاً وَحىاً وإيالء‬‫استؼًم أدواخ انشّتط استؼًاالً صحٍحاً‬‫وضغ ػالياخ انىقف فً أياكُها انًُاسثح‬‫تشك فشاغاً فً تذاٌح كمّ فقشج‬‫•كتة تخطّ واضح يشتّة وَظٍف‬
‫العالمة‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫½‪3‬‬
‫½‪4‬‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫مالحظة‬
‫المجموع‬
‫نكم قائذج ½ ‪1‬‬
‫‪24‬‬
‫‪4‬‬
‫½‪1‬‬
‫½‪1‬‬
‫‪1‬‬
‫‪2‬‬
‫‪17‬‬
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Official guidelines of tests and their relations to
official examinations.
Form and type of questions posed in official
examinations and their relation to curricula.
Relevance of questions to curricula in all
subjects.
Correction as concerns prescribed answer keys,
participation in correction, gaps and obstacles.
Results, subject coefficients, the extent of
relation between the rate of success and the
level of students.
18


1- Distribution of nationwide Questionnaires:
- number of responses from teachers/coordinators
from public and private sectors: 1200
2- Data gathering, processing, analysis and
statistical indices:
- Intermediate Cycle Statistics:
- 64.8% students who succeeded in the 2009 Brevet
Exam.
- 95% of teachers have a preview of the specifications of
official examination questions.
- 78% of teachers consider the specifications adequate.
- 84% of teachers abide by these specifications in
preparing school examination questions and 96% of
them invariably view the official examinations.
19
-
-
-
-
-
73% of teachers do not see ambiguity in the phrasing of official
examination questions, whereas 27% do.
89% of teachers agree that the official examination questions
fall within the official program whereas 11% consider them to
fall outside the program.
56% of teachers feel that the official examination questions
have affected (positively or negatively) the implementation of
their course as prescribed in the curriculum, while 44% think
that the questions have had no effect.
66% of teachers attend meetings wherein the rules for
correcting examination answers are set, while 62% do no take
part in correcting examination papers.
94% of those taking part in school exam corrections rely on the
provided detailed answer key.
36% of teachers find some lapses in the correction process
whereas 64% do not find any lapses.
51% of teachers consider the success rate at official
examination actually reflect students level of achievement,
versus 49% who do not share this assessment.
69% of teachers believe that their participation in correction
raises the rates of success at their schools, versus 31% who do
not think so.
20


Workshop participants: teachers /
coordinators, school representative guidance
and counseling staff, heads of departments at
CERD and public school educational
inspectors.
Each workshop included 3 sessions:
Session 1: an overview of statistics over 5
years
a- Statistics and indicators
b- Brevet results from exam sessions
2004-2009 and detailed feedback on
2009.
Over the last 5 years for English:
30% of students had a grade of 4/8
20% a grade between 0 -1/8
50% a grade between 1- 4/8
21
Session 2: a- Problematic issues raised in
questionnaire responses relating mainly to:
-guidelines ,exam questions and curricula.
-answer key, rubrics, discrepancies in
corrections
b- 4 groups analyzed exam samples from
Brevet sessions 2004-2009 exams.
Session 3: Recommendations and final reports.

26 workshops for 23 academic subjects for
exam management:

3 logistics (proctoring, results)
recommendation, correction (guidelines,
criteria for accepting corrector, bank of
questions)
22




Mrs. Mona Nasr Doueiry, Principal, Middle Sc
Ms. Nada Sawaya, Maths/Science Teacher
Ms. Rita Abdelnour, English Teacher
Mrs. Roula Khoury, Social Studies Teacher

Ms. Natasha Salloum, Gr. 9 Student
Mr. Rachad Abi Haidar, Gr. 9 Student

Mrs. Lamia Labaki, Parent Gr. 9 Student



Ms. Chaden Mdawar, Grade 10 Student
Mr. Elie el Rahi, Grade 10 Student
Administrator
 What is the Ministry/CERD doing for the school?
 What is the school doing to prepare the students for
the Brevet?
All Players
 What pressure do you as a… feel? Why?
 What is it that you are doing to alleviate pressure?
 How are you preparing student/self for brevet?
 How are you alleviating pressure for student?
Grade 10
Reflect back – was it what it needed to be…?
Ms. Mona Nasr Doueiry:
Administrators’
Perspective
NDU
March 31, 2011
Objectives of Grade 9 Level
Compounded Goals
1. Pass the official exams
2. Grade 9 is the last year of basic education.
Hence two main goals:
a. make sure the learner acquired all the
basic education requirements
b. ensure that the learner is ready to meet
the challenges of the secondary school
Middle School Division
Grades 7, 8 and 9
Continuity & Limitations
• Grades 7 & 8: prepare students for grade 9 in
terms of the basic concepts.
• Grade 9 provides a higher level of application,
problem solving, critical thinking & creativity that
cannot be covered except within the short time
span of grade 9.
Grade 9 Curriculum: Holistic Learner
Official Exams' and Schools'
Curriculum Requirements
Grade 9 Official Exams
Curriculum Requirements
Schools' Own Curriculum
Requirements
(Maintained at grade 9)
(vary between schools)
Schools' Own
Curriculum
Requirements that
alleviate pressure
(Stopped at grade 9)
(vary between schools)
Subject to testing and
home load
Not subject to
testing nor home load
Cultural and educational
outings
Arabic
Art
Religious rituals
Participation in school
life activities
Foreign Language
Religious Education
Spiritual outings
Participation in
competitions
Math/Phy/Chem/Bio
Computer
His/Geo/Civ
French
Nb. of hours: 28
Nb. of hours: 6
1 to 4 days yearly
Recruitment Policy and Teacher Development
Meet the Continuous Demands of Innovation
• Choosing qualified teachers in their domain with years of
experience with middle school students
• Continuous training sessions at the level of teaching methodology
and evaluation techniques, class management, cooperative learning,
technology integration, learner psychology, etc
• Maintaining self-development
• In-house training turning the school into a learning
center
• Participation in official exams (question bank, answer key
discussion and correction)
Planning & Instruction
•Organizing time table to minimize daily pressure and study
load at home
oExample:
Distribution of the same subject over different days
Distribution of social studies over different days
•Guiding teachers to monitor the homework load and interference
of admin in case of any conflict
•Account for teachers' need to innovate and engage learners in
active learning and learner-centered approaches
Exams, Tests & Remedial
• During the year
o Formative assessment
o Guarantee acquisition
o Conduct the necessary remedial
o Vary instruction and repeat concepts
o Objective-based tests to train them to transfer the knowledge
• End of year and midyear summative exams reflect the official exams
at all levels: schedule, content, form and geographic location
• All exams meet the requirements of the official exams and the standards
of the school, & thus result in more pressure on both students & teachers
Resources and Guides
• Limited availability of resources and guides both at the level of
evaluation (objective-based) and methodology (learner-centered
learning)
• Administrations make available any resource which might assist
teachers, taking into consideration that most of the time, teachers
have to adapt and modify these resources to meet the Lebanese
curriculum.
• These materials are not readily made available to students and
surely add pressure on teachers.
Coordination
• Coordination among the different departments to avoid the
unneeded repetition of skills
• Coordination with parents to provide the necessary atmosphere
and support at home
• Coordination of administration with all concerned partners
Sources of Pressure
• CURRICULUM:
o Compounded goals: at the level of basic education (school & official
standards) & at the level of preparation for grade 10
o All the extracurricular activities that alleviate pressure and release
stress are stopped in grade 9.
• INSTRUCTION: need to innovate vs. time pressure
• TESTING: all exams meet both the requirements of the official exams and
the standards of the school
• REMEDIAL: average students and underachievers
• TRAINING: continuous teachers' training sessions
• RESOURCES: Limited availability of resources and guides for both
teachers and students => teachers have to adapt and modify foreign
resources
• Organizing time table to minimize daily pressure and study load at home
• Monitor the homework load
• Account for teachers' need to innovate
• Coordination between the different departments to limit repetition
• Expose learners to objective-based tests to train them to transfer the knowledge
• End of year and midyear summative exams reflect the official exams at all levels
• Participation in official exams (question bank, answer key discussion and correction)
and the resulting implementation of the necessary changes in class
• Choosing qualified teachers in their domain with years of experience with middle
school students
• Coordination with parents to provide the necessary atmosphere and support at home

Ms. Rita spoke on behalf of the Gr. 9 teachers
Educators’ Perspective
Ms. Nada Sawaya, Maths/Science
Ms. Rita Abdelnour, English
Mrs. Roula Khoury, Social Studies
Curriculum & Instruction: Time Pressure

Mismatch between school hours and
objectives
Grade 9 curriculum is
more challenging
Curriculum & Instruction: Time Pressure
o
o
o
English: grammar; process writing
Sciences: more challenging activities in
grades 7 & 8
Social studies: guiding students
to manage the load; the challenges
Curriculum & Instruction: Time Pressure
 The challenge of maintaining interactivity
& innovation:
Communicative, learner-centered approach
is challenged by time limitations
& the requirements of the
official exams
Result: Traditional approach
where students are guided to
focus on material likely
to be in official tests
Curriculum & Instruction: Time Pressure
 Effect of shifting methodology on students:
Learners between
training on interactivity and creativity
to
relying on one set of exercises and
sticking to one set of answers
Testing and the Learning Process
"What is tested does count, but much of what
counts cannot be tested."




Training students to build up strategies and
skills to evaluate their own knowledge and
proficiency
Focusing on individual learners
Accounting for different learning styles
Taking into consideration
affective factors such as motivation
and self-confidence
Testing
 Official exams’ answer keys limit students’
creativity
o English
o Social studies
o Math

Clash between alternative
assessment, task-based learning,
and standardized testing
Testing

Preparing students for official exams
Tests are more difficult so that
students feel relieved
when exposed to
official exams samples
Resulting pressure
 On Students:
- Home load: consistent studying for an
average of 24 hours per week without
taking into consideration preparation for
tests and quizzes
- Whenever there is a test, students
prioritize accordingly and
find themselves forced to
let go of their daily chores
only to prepare for the test
Resulting pressure
 On Students:
-
-
The need to take extra periods
Students’ exclusion from
extracurricular activities
Resulting pressure
 On Teachers:
- Preparing lesson plans that bridge the gap
between instruction & assessment
- Giving individual attention and conducting
well-planned remedial work
- Giving extra periods
- Supplying students with worksheets
o social studies
o physics
Official Exam Pressure
I can’t
memorize
this History
chapter
You are
running out
of time. Hurry
up!
Anxiety
Alleviation
Preparation of Pressure
By
Natasha Salloum & Rachad Abi Haidar
Antonine Sisters School - Ghazir




Lots of studies
Study on daily basis
Memorizing vs. understanding
Learning = understanding then memorizing
Following instructions and directives
Stick to Do’s and Don’ts
Being continuously at school
Dedicate time to studying, not to distractions



Parents compare us to siblings and cousins
Convince parents of who we are
Parents control our activities
Try to persuade them of our need to breathe
Teachers expect very good grades
Appreciate their hard work



Fear of forgetting
Take teachers’ advice seriously
Allotted time worries
Not being affected by stereotypes
Proctoring: strict vs. lenient
All must be treated equally



Continuous reminder of official exams
Family gathering is a burden
Parents and relatives take it very seriously
Shouldn’t be different from any other test
Strangers have their own role
Pressure is in the air




Being in a completely different environment
Different location, teachers, and students
Sitting with ―strangers‖ in the same classroom
Have to accept them as friends
Trying to remember important instructions
Focus, focus, focus …
Waiting anxiously to get the result
We’ll worry about it later
On behalf of gr. 9 students,
THANK YOU
for giving us the opportunity to express our
fears and pressures regarding the Brevet
Exam.

. Pressure === Expectations === Performance

Performance === Results === Success / Failure

Subject Materials (knowledge)

Parents Expectations

Social Circle (friends & relatives)

Peer Pressure to be part of successful group

The individual (from within) “self fulfillment”

Reason: Lack of Experience
First Hurdle in The Academic Ladder

Forming An Important Juncture In The Life of The Student

Completion for One Academic Stage
(fundamental information)

Beginning for New Academic Stage
(specialization)

Result:
Change === Uncertainty

What Pressure Parents Feel ?

The End Results & It’s Consequences

Why ?

Feeling of being Responsible for the End Results
Planning – Engaging – Supporting
Areas Of Operation:

Home Environment

School Environment

Academic Materials

Friends/Social Circle

Personal Level

Try to Create Stable and Enriching Environment

For Living and Studying

Emphasis on Planned Daily Activities

Focus on Productive Time

Allow Time for Free Activities

In Academic Activities

By Attending to Teacher/Parent Meetings

Review Academic Performance Card

Follow-up on Progress in Low Performing Topics

Make Sure Changes Were Adopted

Provide Needed Elements (material, morale)

For improved Results

Create Communication Channels for Mutual trust level

Make Time To Provide Moral Support

If All Tries Did Not Work, At Then
PRAY !!!
Thank You
March 31, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Abou Khater Auditorium, Zouk Mosbeh Campus


What pressure did you feel? Why?
What did the school, educators and parents
do to help prepare you/ help alleviate your
pressure?

What did you do to alleviate the pressure?

How did you prepare for the brevet?




-Delay in announcement of test dates which put
students and teachers under a lot of pressure
especially that the dates were 1 month earlier
than previous years.
-Pressure of quantity of material. (9 different
subjects)
-Pressure of time, it was limited so we were
afraid we won’t have enough time to finish the
given program.
-Pressure of fear, fear of failing or repeating.



-It was something we never faced before, it
was a new experience.
-Sudden shift in program (focus on exam),
we felt teachers were teaching us only to pass
the test and not to actually study and
understand the lessons. They were rushing in
teaching.
-Inconsistent test supervision which differs
from one center to another.



-Educators: 2 categories: → Supportive (mostly
language teachers) They gave us morals.
→ Not supportive (mostly science teachers) They
put us under pressure involuntarily by telling us
that not studying enough will lead us to failure.
Pressure was good in a way and bad in another, it
helped us study, but it also made us nervous.



-Parents: -They were supportive, since they
had already experienced the brevet exam, so
they encouraged us and talked about their
own experience, thus lowering the pressure
we were going through.
-They made it sound a very easy task.
-Extra tutor in afternoon when needed.



-School: -Gave us exams
up to the standard in order
for us to find the brevet
exams easy compared to
them and feel comfortable
solving them.
-They supplied us with a
daily planner that organized
our time.
-A set of rules to follow, ex:
the food we’re supposed to
eat and the food we’re not
supposed to eat, practicing
some sports in order to
relieve the stress and
alleviate the pressure.



-They organized question
days where we had to
come to school and ask
questions.
-Shift in schedule to be
able to finish the program
on time.
-Organized extra sessions
on afternoons and
Saturdays.




-Asked older students
about their experience
in brevet and their
feelings about it.
-Skipped school a day
before an exam in
order to be able to
study for it.
-Took some breaks
during the study retreat
for stress relief and
went out with our
friends to change our
moods.
-Cried sometimes.


-We made teachers
sometimes cancel an
exam for another exam.
-Bachotage, skipping
some chapters that we
thought wouldn’t be on
the test.

-Sports

-Prayed




-We studied in groups
sometimes.

-We hired teachers when
needed for private
lessons.
-We studied on a daily
basis and organized our
time in order to keep it
in control and keep up
with the given program.
-We attended all the
extra sessions in school.


-We set up an
organized program of
the subjects to study
during each day and
followed it till the end
of the study retreat.
-We solved all previous
exams from the Annal
(Al-Shamel).
-We bought the brevet
Annal and extra annals
for specific subjects.
Chaden Mdawar
Elie Rahi
Tying up the loose ends
 Father Joseph Tannous, Private School
Rector
 Ms. Sabah Moujaes, Public School
Principal
The Final Eye on Brevet
 Mr. Fadi Yarek, Ministry of Education
Realistically, what is it that the school
needs from the Ministry?
 Positively, suggest what Ministry can
do or promise to look into to help
school prepare students for Brevet.

1. Main Purpose
2. A Collaborative Challenge
3. Psychological Vulnerability
4. Suggestions
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Brevet
Exam
Successful
Challenge
Frightening
Threat
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Ministry of
Education
School
Family
Student
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Physical
changes
Adolescent
period
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Parents
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Chapters
Memory
Practice +
Grammar
26
25%
75%
Literature
7
25%
75%
25%
75%
25%
75%
‫انؼشوض‬
3
‫ػهى انثٍاٌ و ػهى‬
‫انثذٌغ‬
TOTAL
36
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Analysis+ Interpretation
Chapters
Memory
Practice
Grammar
10
10%
90%
Reading
Comprehension
20
10%
Writing
Total
7
70%
37
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Analysis
Interpre
tation
45%
45%
20%
10%
Chapters
Memory
Algebra
6
Statistics
1
Geometry
6
Analytic
Geometry
3
TOTAL
16
Practice
Analysis
Interpretation
30%
40%
30%
30%
40%
30%
30%
40%
30%
30%
40%
30%
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Chapters
Memory
Practice +
Biology
5
25%
75%
Chemistry
8
25%
75%
Physics
11
25%
75%
TOTAL
24
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Analysis+ Interpretation
Chapters
Memory
Analysis +
Interpretation
Geography
27
65%
25%
10%
History
12
100%
Civics
22
60%
TOTAL
61
4 0%
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
1. Is the quantity of rote learning adequate?
2. Is the number of chapters i.e.174 reasonable?
3. How interrelated are these chapters?
4. How much knowledge will students retain?
5. How appropriate is this knowledge to their age?
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Ministry of
Education
School
Family
Student
Prepared by Fr. Tannous
Prepared by Fr. Tannous

Oral presentation
Mr. Fadi Yarak, Director General, Ministry of
Education
 Oral presentation

Questions from audience

Wrap up:
Dr. Christine Sabieh, Panel Chair
Grade 9 curriculum is more challenging?
More knowledge acquisition – should it not be a natural process?  growth in
learning new material to meet future challenges of secondary school and life
 Is this where the challenge lies?



Curriculum – told is learner centered
Assessment - told incorporates creativity and expects students to think
outside the box
Keep on hearing
… Challenging activities
… Manage load
… Short period of time – academic year
… Organizing the program to try and minimize pressure on students
… No time for learner centering – construct knowledge, use of curiosity,
thinking outside the box, creativity, integration, internalizing, & applying
… Resort to traditional approach to learning – guide sts in what they need to
know, how they need to think  knowledge acquisition is for the exam…
… Provide remedial work to ensure mastery met
… Scheduling extra periods
… Cancelling activities






Pressure to swallow the material
Pressure to remember the material
Pressure to remember the cues to remember the
material
Pressure to provide the material in a way that the key
is formed for assessment purposes
Pressure to finish within the needed time frame
NOTE: Ave day = 7 + 4 .5 = 11.5 hrs w/out
devoting time to studying for continuous exams test,
quizzes on a weekly bases
Is this fair?

Solution given  model ―brevet‖ environment, exam,etc
 Familiarity  less stressful
Is this what learning is?
 Model
 Stimulate – Respond in expected way

Conform to the expected
Use language to comprehend  to form the
expected answer
Survival?
 Pressure to survive  exercise in preparation
Learning?
Learning to become thinkers? Citizens of Lebanon?
This is the call made by the curriculum – is this happening?
Solution to the pressure?
Curriculum?
Assessment procedure?
Preparation at school, home, etc…  coping efforts
aimed at regulation of the problem
That is not addressing the problem…
What needs to be done…= curriculum and
assessment link & revision!


Word of Thanks & Presenting department
programs
Dr. Sami Samra, DETE Chair
Reception

BA in Education
◦ Early Childhood
◦ Learning Disabilities
◦ Education of the Gifted
NEW: BA + TD in Basic Education

BA in Physical Education and Sports

Teaching Certificate
◦ Elementary Education
◦ Arabic Language and Literature

Teaching Diploma
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
English
Math
Sciences (Physics, Biology, Chemistry)
Computer
Arabic language and literature
Basic Education

MA in Education
Concentration Areas:
◦ Special Education
◦ School Management and Educational Leadership
◦ Educational Technology

Doctor of Education (Ed D)
In collaboration with Saint Louis University—
USA
Our website: www.ndu.edu.lb
Our email:
Department: [email protected]
Chair: [email protected]
09-218950 Ext. 2425/2426