Ali Al Matari

Ali Al Matari is a mathematics teacher in Al Mutanabi Primary School in Oman. He has been a teacher for 16 years. He is also a PhD student in sociology, and has contributed to various studies on teaching mathematics with the aim of finding evidence-based teaching methods that will allow his students and others to progress faster and hit higher levels of academic achievement. He has used the SPSS framework to teach statistics to his students with a measured increase in success and efficiency. He has also pioneered the use of using WhatsApp in mathematics teaching, and the use of the ACADOX system, which deploys other multimedia and e-learning platforms to enrich academic material. In conjunction with other projects, results have steadily increased over time.

These innovations and others have resulted in Ali winning the Outstanding Teacher Award in his school, along with recognition from various educational conferences and forums, and acknowledgement from the Department of Education Technology in the Ministry of Education. He is an Intel® Education trainer and has given Intel training courses for around 200 teachers. He has also delivered an Active Learning program for 30 teachers in his area.

If awarded the prize, Ali would develop an Educational Centre for the Development of Mental Abilities, in order to ease the burden of private tutoring and provide free courses for orphans and those in financial difficulties. Such a venue would require a great deal of new equipment, and Ali would also provide free transportation and meals for needy students.