College Readiness in Saudi Arabia Based on High Schools Principals’ Perceptions

Abstract

The results of thematic analysis generated six themes with fifty-two supportive codes. Each theme was mentioned by at least six principals. Each supportive code was mentioned by at least four different principals. The themes were: high school objectives, college readiness activities, celebrating success, creativity activities, private schools' advantage, and barriers to college success. Within each of themes, at least one code indicated that the school prepared students in key cognitive strategies like critical thinking and creativity. By the same token, each theme included at least one code that indicated that schools prepare students in key academic behaviors like self-monitoring and time management. Private schools seemed to provide more frequent and quality college readiness services compared to public schools. Remote rural schools tended to exhibit lower levels of college readiness practice and suffer from more barriers compared to urban schools. The current study noted to the potential expansion of college readiness to incorporate twenty first century skills, as well as peculiar cultural values relevant to societies of research interest. Further, implications for practice note to the opportunity of activating virtual resources to bridge gaps in college readiness preparation among schools in Saudi Arabia. Last but not the least, quantitative surveys of college readiness practices establishing baseline levels are recommended to be performed by education policymakers in the country. This research contributes to the growing research body on college readiness outside of The United States.