PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

IN SAUDI ARABIA

Abdullah Albalawi, Ph.DRadman Ghaleb , Ph.D

The Excellence Research Center of Science and Mathematics Education, King Saud University, Saudi

Arabia

Introduction

Guskey [2000] ensures that two of the best ways of improving teachers competency is through well designed and highly qualified professional development programs, and through spreading the culture and the belief of continuing learning among teachers.

Introduction

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education "NCATE" (2006) supports the vision that "view teacher preparation and development as a continuum, moving from pre-service preparation to supervised beginning practice to continuing professional development" P4. Moreover, Educators ensure that professional development of teachers should be in the center consideration of any educational system reform because teachers are the heart of education.

The purpose of the study

The purpose of the study was to discover the needs for professional development of mathematics teacher in Saudi Arabia in two domains of professional development: content knowledge in mathematics, and pedagogical content knowledge.

The importance of the Study

The importance of this study stems from many consideration. According to the priorities of research in mathematics education in Saudi Arabia listed by (Albalawi, 2010), identifying that the professional development needs of mathematics teachers was at the second research priority in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, this study coincides with a project to develop mathematics and science education in Saudi Arabia. Thus, there is a need to identify the needed PD programs for teachers in order to enhance education in Saudi Arabia.

The importance of the Study

The study goes in line with the interest of the Excellence Center of Science and Mathematics Education at King Saudi University and the ministry of Education.

In 2007, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS (2007) reported that the Saudi students in the eighth grade (middle school) scored among the lowest on the mathematics achievement test. It was 152 points below the international average. This weakness in achievement may be attributed to many factors; one of them is likely the quality of teacher education programs.

Then, In Saudi Arabia, there is a movement toward quality of education and teacher education programs as a response of public demand to improve education. So this study coincides with this movement.

Methodology

Participants: The population of this study was all

mathematics teachers in ten educational districts in Saudi Arabia; the total number of the population was 5420 teachers; however, the participants who replied to the survey were 643 teachers and 39 supervisors.

Methodology

Instrument : The researchers developed a questionnaire which

encompasses two domains representing 42 items; The instrument validity was assured through review of peers and eighteen experts, the reliability according to Alpha Chronbac's factor was (0.983).

Methodology

Instrument :

DomainN of ItemsReliability

the developed of mathematics topics210.973

the developed pedagogy210.973

Over All420.983

Results

In accordance with the scale used in many studies, the current study accepted the following scale to interpret the

participants' responses to the survey’s items in terms of the extent of mathematics teachers need for professional

development. In other words, means less than (1.80) were considered “very low”, means ranging from 1.81 to 2.60

were recognized as 'low', means ranging from 2.61 to 3.39 were recognized as a medium need, means ranging from

3.40-4.19 were considered “High”, while means above 4.19 were considered “very high” and urgent needs.

Results

Answer to Question# 1: Which professional development needs, especially in the content area,

are identified by mathematics teachers and their supervisors in Saudi Arabia?

Results

Means and Standard deviation of the first ten Teachers’ Professional

Development needed in the Content Area

 #Content AreaNMeanSTDOrder

21Topological concepts and its applications6423.441.2341

16Spherical Geometry and its applications6403.341.2572

17Mathematical Problems Solving6503.321.2493

18Mathematical logic, reasoning, and proof6433.291.2614

12Limits and Continuity; its applications6503.281.2445

Results

Means and Standard deviation of the first ten Teachers’ Professional

Development needed in the Content Area

 #Content AreaNMeanSTDOrder

19The nature of mathematics6363.271.2096

14Calculus and its applications6453.261.2687

5Probabilities and its applications6543.251.1968

15Conic sections and its applications6423.221.2289

11Exponents, algorithms and their applications.6463.221.26210

Results

Means and Standard deviation of the last ten Teachers’ Professional

Development (least needed) needed in the Content Area

Content AreaNMeanSTDOrder

10Trigonometry and its applications6473.151.27216

3Measurement and its applications6593.151.18315

4Geometry Concepts6583.161.18614

7Patterns and Relations6663.181.17313

6Statistics and Data Analysis6573.21.1812

Results

Means and Standard deviation of first ten Teachers’ Professional

Development needed in the Pedagogy Area

#Pedagogy skillsNMeanSTDOrder

17Mathematical teaching for Students of special needs

6573.721.2021

16Mathematical teaching for Gifted Students6453.711.1612

4Using Labs in mathematics Teaching6613.661.2133

14Developing thinking and Creativity for Students

6623.631.2124

13Teaching Mathematics Through journeys and ( Informal Teaching)

6573.61.1795

Results

Means and Standard deviation of first ten Teachers’ Professional

Development needed in the Pedagogy Area

#Pedagogy skillsNMeanSTDOrder

19Mathematics Education using the Learning Cycle Strategy

6553.571.1076

3Integrating Technology to Education6593.541.187

15Mathematical Concepts Development Among Students

6573.51.1038

10Using Concept Maps6513.431.1099

1Instructional theories (such as: Constructivism, Behavioral, etc.)

6563.411.16310

Results

Means and Standard deviation of last ten Teachers’ Professional

Development needed in the Pedagogy Area (the least needed)

 Pedagogy skillsNMeanSTDOrder

2Classroom Management Skills6603.061.2821

6Planning for Teaching6533.191.21520

12Asking Questions in Classroom and Discussion Skills

6663.21.27119

11How to teach a specific Topic of Mathematics (such as: Algebraic Equations and Inequalities or Calculus and Integration

6523.21.21618

5Student Learning Assessment6573.251.22617

Results

Means and Standard deviation of last ten Teachers’ Professional

Development needed in the Pedagogy Area (the least needed)

 Pedagogy skillsNMeanSTDOrder

21Connecting Mathematical Topics with each other

6603.281.21216

7connecting Mathematics to Students' everyday life

6643.341.23915

20Mathematical integration with other Curricula6583.361.13514

8Inquiry- based Teaching6633.371.16113

18Content Analysis6563.391.15212

Conclusion

The aim of this study was to determine the professional development needs of mathematics teachers in Saudi Arabia into two domains of professional development:  content knowledge in mathematics, and pedagogical content knowledge. The study revealed that, in the domain of content knowledge for professional development, the most needed topics across twenty one items were included the following: Topological concepts and their applications, Spherical Geometry and its applications; Mathematical Problems Solving; Mathematical logic, reasoning, and proof; and, Limits and Continuity and their applications.  

Conclusion

In the domain of pedagogical content knowledge, Mathematical teaching for students of special needs, Mathematical teaching for gifted students, Lab use in teaching mathematics, and, Encouraging creative thinking skills in students, and teaching mathematics through field trips were the most needed skills for professional development of teachers.   

Conclusion

The results also showed that there were differences in favor of supervisors when compared to mathematics teachers in their responses to the surveys in determining the degree of teacher needs for professional development content knowledge of mathematics and in the pedagogical knowledge, while there were no significant differences in determining the degree of needs for professional development for mathematics teachers related to their teaching grade level (elementary, intermediate, secondary, and other), or to the interaction between jobs (teaching, supervisory) and grade level in both domains. Those results are consistent with the results of the study of (Alturk, 2009; Alghamdi, 2008; Abdulkader, 2005; and Yarkandy and Guneem, 1997).

Recomendation

In lights of the study’s results, researchers offer the following recommendations:

1) Using this study results to plan and design the needed professional developments programs for teachers through the training centers at educational departments and through the continuing educational centers at the Saudi universities in cooperation with the ministry of education.

2) Align the professional development programs designed by the specialized centers to the real needs for teaching at school levels in which the target teachers teach.

3) Designing and preparing special programs for mathematics teachers to teach the students of special needs.

4) Holding workshops in cooperation between universities and departments of education in each city.

Thank you