Open AccessEducational Change in Saudi Arabia: Insights from One USA/KSA Teacher Professional Development Collaborative
Author(s) -
Adil Bentahar,
Kathleen Copeland,
Scott G. Stevens,
Carol Vukelich
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international education studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1913-9039
pISSN - 1913-9020
DOI - 10.5539/ies.v14n10p77
Subject(s) - mindset , professional development , faculty development , pedagogy , medical education , christian ministry , sociocultural evolution , culture change , psychology , teacher education , multimethodology , sociology , political science , medicine , social science , philosophy , epistemology , anthropology , law
Teacher professional development (PD) programs ideally evaluate how professional learning experiences empower teachers to be effective change agents in their disciplines and communities. The Khbrat [“experiences” in Arabic] program is a year-long, global teacher PD initiative launched by the Saudi Ministry of Education. The goal is to change the mindset of Saudi teachers through immersive experiences in the U.S. K-12 schools and university academic culture so that they can participate as effective “change agents” in the transformation of Saudi schools. Our mixed-methods study examined the impact of the Khbrat program on Saudi teachers’ leadership, classroom experiences, and sociocultural levels; the findings inspire new directions for program design with key insights into teacher PD program evaluation.