The future for education in Saudi Arabia – Social Reconstructionist Philosophy?

Abstract

The Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made it a priority to improve the quality of Saudi education. Research has shown that the prevailing philosophy of education in Saudi Arabia places the teacher at the center of the learning process, not the student. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-participant case study was to examine the teaching philosophy of Saudi teachers in the Educational Diploma Program (EDP) to determine if Social Reconstructionist Philosophy (SRP) was viable for teaching and learning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five teachers in the EDP to illustrate the teaching philosophy’s influence on the participants’ teaching methods and how those methods impacted students’ learning. Analysis of the information collected revealed that the majority of the participants followed a teacher-centered philosophy of education because that was the only philosophy to which they had been exposed. As a result, most of the participants utilized traditional teaching methods. However, based on the goals the KSA has set for cultural and educational growth in the country, traditional teaching methods based on teacher-centered philosophies will not help to build a society ready to rise up and enact the change outlined in the KSA’s Vision 2030. Consequently, explanation is given for why SRP would be a viable option for the KSA.