Arabic language teacher training in the Arabian peninsula: Great teachers don't grow on trees

Author First name, Last name, Institution

Hanada Taha Thomure, Zayed UniversityFollow

Document Type

Book Chapter

Source of Publication

Plurilingual Pedagogy in the Arabian Peninsula: Transforming and Empowering Students and Teachers

Publication Date

12-30-2022

Abstract

Although teacher training has been described as the most important factor influencing students’ achievement, it, however, has not been a priority for Arabic teachers in many Arab countries. With the race for knowledge economy and modernization, many Arab countries invested in the English language to the detriment of Arabic. Rather than introducing national policies that adopt and celebrate Arabic as the language of a civilization that boasted a rich body of literature, scientific writings, and magnificent verse, what is witnessed nowadays is a shunning en masse of Arabic and adoption of English language as a misguided form of modernity. Student results on Arabic literacy standardized tests in the region have consistently been below the world average despite many educational reforms initiated over the last two decades. Those reforms focused mainly on curriculum reform and digitization of content rather than teacher training reform. Few schools around the region invest in their Arabic language teachers. This chapter will focus on a success story in terms of Arabic language teacher training in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), telling the narrative and the many stories of what effective schools do in order to upskill their teachers and how quality, consistent, and focused teacher training and follow-up can have an impact on students’ literacy. A school in KSA whose students consistently rank highly on international and regional standardized tests of Arabic literacy will be highlighted as a case study to showcase success stories from the region in terms of teacher training. This might possibly help start the conversation that leads to the construction of a teacher training framework that could work for schools in the region.

ISBN

9781000822403,9781032326467

Publisher

Routledge

First Page

39

Last Page

54

Disciplines

Education | Linguistics

Scopus ID

85143667737

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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