Assessment of the program for preparing Islamic education teachers in Jordanian public universities

The purpose for this study was to assess the program for preparing Islamic education teachers at the Jordanian public universities. The importance of this study arises from assessing the program which assumes the entire responsibility for preparing Islamic education teachers. It also provided a documentation of the Jordanian government\u27s efforts to reform and develop education in Jordan. Moreover, the results of this research may provide the planners and the designers of Islamic education programs in Jordanian public universities with specific information about the status of the program for preparing Islamic education teachers. This study addressed questions about the efforts that the Jordanian government has put forth to reform education, and the differences between the current situation in the program for preparing Islamic education teachers and the ideal situation, as perceived by senior students, regarding both curriculum content and methods of teaching. The study sample was composed of the entire population (160) of senior students. The instrument used for the study was a 40-item needs assessment survey. The researcher translated the questionnaire into the Arabic language, and conducted a pilot study for reliability. Data were analyzed by using both descriptive statistics (the means of is , the means of should be , and the mean discrepancy scores) and analysis of differences (t-test) between the current situation and the desired situation. By reviewing the documentation of the educational reform in Jordan, the following aspects of innovation and reform have been implemented into the Jordanian educational system: educational administration, educational policy, programs of the Educational Training Center, educational computing, teaching training, educational technologies, curricula and textbooks, vocational education, educational research, and financing education. The main findings of the study: significant differences in improving the program were found between the current ( is ) and desired ( should be ) situations regarding curriculum content, teaching methodology, and both curriculum content and teaching methodology taken together in favor of the desired situation. Some areas were in need of improvement, such as reciting the Quran with Tajweed, studying different Islamic subjects, society\u27s needs, and the social system of Islam. There was also found a need for improvement in methods of teaching, especially in some areas such as appropriate use of technology and educational films, students\u27 skills in problem solving, organization of cooperative learning activities, and use of different activities in teaching Islamic education