Tatweer Company for Educational Services (T4EDU) the exclusive executer of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s Project for Development of Public Education, Saudi Arabia’s strategic education services company, has announced that a leading learning company, Pearson, will deliver a flagship project to provide Saudi Arabian teachers with professional development training aimed at improving learning outcomes in the Kingdom.
The Math and Science Teacher Development Program is a ground-breaking initiative of the Tatweer Company for Educational Services (T4EDU).
The project forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader education reforms, which are seeking to raise the standard of teaching across the entire spectrum of Saudi’s education system, and increase the country’s standing in international educational comparison tables.
Pearson is working with Tatweer to roll out professional development programs for the Kingdom’s mathematics and science teachers, with the aim of enhancing student achievement in these disciplines.
The program, which can take up to two years to complete, will provide participants with an advanced level of content knowledge and pedagogy in math and science instruction.
The program will promote instructional excellence and innovation through the professional development courses based on internationally recognized, research based principals of professional learning.
The program incorporates online, face to face and self-study training, giving participants maximum flexibility and personalization in their learning.
Professional Development Director at Pearson in the Middle East, Amanda Collins says at the center of this program is a train-the-trainer initiative, which will see 500 Saudi-based educators undergo an intensive program to form an active community of math and science educators who can deliver the programs throughout the country in the future.
“Pearson will train a core team of staff from the Ministry of Education who will be be accredited to deliver the Math and Science Teacher Development Program to primary and secondary math and science teachers throughout Saudi Arabia.
This capacity-building focus of Pearson’s agreement with Tatweer will ensure this new math and science pedagogy is firmly embedded in schools across the Kingdom, and help develop an on-going culture of professional development and learning amongst Saudi teachers – something that will inevitably benefit local learners”.
The Kingdom’s government has made student achievement in the fields of English language, science, technology, engineering and math a priority in its recent education initiatives, given the importance of these subjects to the future economic development of the country. It is hoped that the introduction of the Math and Science program will aid in the implementation of the new Saudi Math and Science Curriculum and increase student interest and engagement in these areas. Encouraging student success in these fields will also help to alleviate some of the demand the region is experiencing for school and university graduates with strong math and science skills.
Sherry Preiss, Pearson’s senior vice president for professional development, says international research consistently shows the importance of teacher education to improving student outcomes across all subject areas:
“The Math and Science Teacher Development Program recognizes the research-based evidence that the biggest single impact on student achievement is teacher quality. Therefore, in order to improve the level of math and science success amongst Saudi school students, there is a strong need to build both teachers’ subject area knowledge and subject-specific pedagogy skills. These programs will do that by developing teachers’ abilities to implement practical, interactive, teaching strategies for leading students in inquiry based learning”.
The program is intended to empower the Kingdom’s educators by combining Saudi cultural values with international best practices. Designed with the experience of Saudi educators in mind, local content and pedagogy experts will help ensure all resources meet the needs of Saudi teachers.
Mohammed Asiri, Pearson’s country manager for Saudi Arabia, says that creating culturally specific programs was a priority for both Pearson and Tatweer:
“Pearson has worked with millions of learners and educators in more than 85 countries around the world. If there is one thing this international experience has shown us, it is that learning is at its most successful when it is tailored and relevant to those undertaking it. That is why with these programs we have been sure to adapt the language, content, examples and case studies used throughout the course so they are contextualized for the Saudi learner. Great care has been taken to ensure the entire program is in keeping with local values.”