THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Research has identified a number of factors that determine the success of the educational process, these include national policies, the nature of the educational system in the country, social and cultural norms and the quality of teachers. Many researchers believe that the quality of teachers is the most important factor amongst these factors. Teachers‟ continuous professional development is a proven means to develop and maintain the quality of teachers in order to secure the success of the educational process. This study examines the teachers‟ professional development process in the context of Saudi Araba (KSA). This study reviews how teachers‟ continuous professional development can improve their sense of self-efficacy and has a positive impact on their professional practices. After reviewing the impact of teacher‟s professional development on the delivery of content, use of teaching resources, classroom and time management and students‟ learning outcomes, the study investigates the issues that hinder teachers‟ participation in these programmes. It highlights different types of teachers‟ professional development and the current situation in the KSA in relation to teachers‟ professional development. The study investigates the views of teachers and teacher educators through a questionnaire and interview on how these programmes can be improved and how Saudi teachers can be motivated to participate in these programmes. Recommendations for related authorities and future researchers are identified, such as for authorities provision of adequate professional development programmes and facilities and perks to motivate the teachers to participate in these programmes and for researchers area specific research, research on effectivity of different types of professional development programmes including online or distance education dissertation is an effort to investigate the existing conditions regarding teachers‟ continuous professional development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The population of this study comprises 20 school primary teachers and 4 university lecturers who are working in the field of teachers‟ professional education and training. I conducted a thorough literature review that enabled me to examine current practices in the area of professional development. This dissertation revealed that besides being useful for the career development of teachers, continuous professional development programmes also increase teachers‟ confidence and sense of self-efficacy which improves their performance in classroom settings and in different aspects of the educational process. It is observed that the teachers, who have had the opportunity to attend different types of professional development programmes, usually show improved performance in delivery of content, use of teaching resources and classroom management that results in improved educational outcomes for their students, this is one of the most important indicators of the effectiveness and success of such programmes. This all is aligned with various studies conducted by scholars such as Bandura (2001), Bachtiar (2016), Coburn (2016) and Gabriel et al. (2011) that present the same point of view.