Societal Implications on Education: What Universities Tell Us About Religiosity in Qatar

Abstract

In 2001 Qatar completely reformed its educational landscape and adopted the Western education system for its schools, albeit there arose some concerns regarding the potential effects on core religious and cultural values within the local society. The educational reforms also influenced the procurement of many Western institutions, creating a dialectic relationship with the more traditional framework, especially regarding religiosity, national identities, and gender segregation in schools. In this context, this study seeks to investigate if a relationship exists between the choice of educational institutions (i.e., schools and universities) and the students' religiosity. This research delineates the societal discernment of universities' influence on students’ identities and religiosity. The study uses mixed methods research by combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Through oral history and interviews, the study explores the relationship between institutions and religiosity and how education has changed over the years. In addition, the study employs Sahin’s, Hoge’s, and Abdel-Khalek’s survey of self-measurements to reflect the Qatari students’ perspective and understandings of their own religiosity compared with what is culturally presumed. Analysis of the data emphasized the noticeable effects of the rapid education reforms and the different contexts between the two institutions regarding religious and cultural perception. Moreover, gender segregation represents one of the key variables influencing the societal perception of religiosity in Qatar.

Date of Award	2023
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Islamic Studies