Date of Graduation

2004

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The purposes of this quantitative, descriptive study were to investigate Saudi science teachers' beliefs about science and science teaching, and to determine how do Saudi science teachers view educational reform in science and how do they view change in education. In addition, the study sought to establish whether Saudi science teachers would be able to participate in implementing science education reform in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was used to collect data, addressing personal characteristics of the participant, teachers' beliefs about science and nature, about school science, about teacher - student relations in the classroom, and environmental factors affecting teaching science. Finally, the questionnaire ended with three open-ended questions about teacher's belief regarding: science and nature, teaching science, and reforming science curriculum. The sample was 329, consisting of 298 science teachers and 31 supervisors. The data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Studies). The data are analyzed and reported in percentages, means, standard deviations, and frequencies. The responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using the qualitative method. The responses were categorized in subsets using the coding method. Based on the review of the literature and the findings of this research, it was apparent that differences exist between teachers' beliefs about science and teaching and their teaching methods. Although Saudi science teachers presented inquiry-based views about science, nature, and teaching science, they do not practice these views in science class. The findings of the study imply that educational reform in science education must simultaneously address all the components of an educational system and the concept of systemic reform, as will as the need for a standards-based learning system and establishing Benchmarks for science in Saudi education. The conclusions of the study indicated that a curriculum reform project needs to set Benchmarks for science curriculum in Saudi, and the structure of the reform should apply to a network base instead of to the hierarchy system. School-based ongoing workshops for teachers, and reshaping students and teachers' evaluation procedures, are also suggested.

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