The Perceived Purpose of Professional Development Programs from the Science Teachers’ Perspective in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Government has made a substantial investment in reforming the science curriculum in Saudi Arabia. Creating sustainable education is a top priority of Saudi Arabian policy makers (BenDehash, 2005). The level of education received by students must prepare them for fieldwork in their area of expertise and, ultimately, help them to contribute to improving the economic position of the country. Studies have shown that reforms to the science curriculum that consider developments in local contexts increase the quality of students’ outcomes. For this reason, the government has developed a new curriculum in 2008 to target key learning areas of students and, ultimately, increase their academic performance. As BenDehash (2005) rightly asserts, radical development of the old curriculum addressed the rapid changes in local and international environments and assisted Saudi students to gain appropriate and relevant skills that will allow them to contribute both locally and internationally. This study will seek to address the discrepancies in PD programs in Saudi Arabia as well as provide insight for other countries in implementing successful PD programs for teachers.