SACM - United States of America
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/9668
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Item Restricted INTEGRATING LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING PRACTICES WITH SAUDI ARABIA’S NATIONAL CURRICULUM IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A MIXED METHODS STUDY(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-06-26) Alibrahim, Alae; GRACE JEPKEMBOI, COMMITTEE CHAIR JULIE PAUL FLANNERY, COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR JENIFFER PONDER KELLY HILL MARIAH WEBERThis study explores how early childhood educators in Northern Saudi Arabia implement learner-centered teaching (LCT) within the framework of the National Curriculum. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the research first collected quantitative data via a survey of 260 teachers, followed by qualitative data through interviews with eight participants. The integrated findings offer a comprehensive understanding of how LCT is practiced in early childhood education. The findings reveal that educators generally recognize the benefits of LCT, particularly in fostering independent learning, critical thinking, and active student participation. Teachers reported using strategies such as open-ended questioning, collaborative learning, and activity-based instruction to support diverse learning needs. However, several barriers hindered full implementation, including large class sizes, limited resources, insufficient professional development, and inconsistent administrative support. Qualitative insights highlighted teachers’ efforts to adapt the National Curriculum in ways that align with student interests and inquiry-based approaches. Many educators view the curriculum as flexible and capable of accommodating child-centered methods. Despite the availability of training opportunities, professional development was often voluntary, leaving gaps in teachers’ preparedness for effective LCT integration. Support mechanisms such as peer collaboration, both online and in-person training, and administrative facilitation of experiential learning activities were also noted. Nevertheless, the inconsistency in access to these supports points to the need for more structured and mandatory professional development programs. Overall, the study underscores both the promise and challenges of implementing learner-centered teaching in early childhood education in the region. While teachers are conceptually aligned with LCT principles, practical constraints and limited institutional backing hinder their ability to apply these methods consistently. These findings suggest a need for policy enhancements that prioritize resource allocation, compulsory teacher training, and structural support to promote meaningful adoption of LCT across early childhood settings.16 0Item Restricted An Examination of Early Childhood Leadership in Public Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study(East Tennessee State University, 2024-05-28) Alshahrani, Wesam; Evanshen, PamelaAs state-funded Pre-K programs in elementary schools continue to grow, elementary principals are increasingly responsible for supporting, supervising, and leading these programs. Therefore, examining elementary principals' early childhood leadership competencies and the factors influencing them may help understand and improve their experiences as early childhood education (ECE) leaders. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the ECE leadership of Tennessee public elementary school principals in two phases. In the quantitative phase, statewide surveys were used to collect data from 67 principals. The survey comprised 51 items assessing nine ECE leadership competencies, synthesized from statements of leading ECE and elementary education organizations. The survey's face and content validity were established, and its construct validity was confirmed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Items within each subscale were highly correlated, with coefficients ranging from 0.6 to 0.9. Besides, reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α, which ranged from .815 to .939. The quantitative findings revealed that public elementary principals may lack ECE backgrounds. Moreover, most public elementary principals were responsible for state-funded Pre-K programs, but their responsibilities differed widely. Furthermore, public elementary principals may need varying levels of support and development in ECE leadership competencies. The inferential analysis found that receiving ECE content or experience during principal training may not significantly influence their perceived need for these competencies. However, receiving professional development opportunities focused on leading ECE programs may impact certain aspects of their perceived need. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants from the first phase. The qualitative findings identified two themes. The first theme consisted of factors that support ECE leadership competencies and experiences. The second theme included factors needed to enhance principals' ECE leadership competencies and experiences. Both quantitative and qualitative results were integrated to explain the quantitative results. The study implications, limitations, and future research areas were then discussed. This study adds to the ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between ECE and elementary education. It highlights the significance of supporting elementary principals in becoming competent ECE leaders who can enhance the quality of state-funded Pre-K programs and sustain their positive impacts through the following grades.15 0Item Restricted Saudi Arabian Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives of the Need for Social Emotional Learning Curriculum(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-07) Kaifi, Alaa; Wellen, Lauren; Kackar-Cam, HayalEarly childhood education is essential in helping children achieve academic and cognitive preparedness. To improve the students' literacy and reading skills, teachers must help children learn how to manage their emotions and handle social interactions effectively. However, the absence of a formal SEL curriculum, the Saudi Arabia Early Learning Standards (SAELS) ambiguity, resulting in an increased emphasis on academic and cognitive preparedness, ignoring social emotional skills. The purpose of this study was to explore Saudi Arabian preschool teachers' perceptions and experiences of the need for teaching SEL. I sought to understand the need for teaching SEL, the knowledge and skills they believe are part of SEL, the challenges in teaching SEL, and the support they need to positively impact young children's social emotional development. Qualitative methodology with a phenomenological design was used. Erikson's psychosocial developmental theory and Bandura's social learning theory provided theoretical foundations. Twelve preschool teachers from public preschools in Saudi Arabia were purposefully sampled. Thematic analysis was conducted from the interview and focus group transcripts. Four themes emerged in answering the central research question: 1) teaching SEL is essential in early childhood, 2) the need for SEL curriculum, 3) teachers need more training to improve knowledge and awareness of how to teach SEL, and 4) does not see SEL as a formal curriculum. The findings of this study highlight the need for a formal SEL curriculum to improve SEL in Saudi Arabia.66 0