Challenges in Teaching English in High Schools in Saudi Arabia - Case Study Example

Introduction Learning and change is inherent in any society and it is imperative to institute and conceptualise strategies to ensure the society keeps developing. In Saudi Arabia, the commonly learned language is Arabic because of cultural and religion reasons. However, the society understands and appreciates the importance of English, and the government and other stakeholders have championed teaching English in the schools. Teaching English in Saudi Arabia high schools has its challenges and requirements whereby, in this case, the perspective of the instructor is viewed. The purpose of his essay is to analyse and discuss the pressures faced by an instructor in teaching English in Saudi Arabia such as lack of experience in dealing with learning technologies e.g. language lab, projector, professional institutes to help the students to practice the English language. In addition, the essay discusses the strategies that the teachers have to follow to overcome these pressures. Specifically, the essay aims to address these questions: what are the pressures faced by the teacher in teaching English in Saudi Arabia such as lack of experience in dealing with learning technologies? and what are the strategies that the teachers have to follow to overcome these pressures?In fulfilling these requirements, the essay employs Kalantzis & Cope (2012) eight dimensions under ‘New Learning’ in analysing teaching English at the Saudi Arabia High Schools. Therefore, the context and the case study is premised on High School in Public School in Saudi Arabia. The paper employs four dimensions from the eight dimensions identified by Kalantzis & Cope (2012). These dimensions are the institutional locations of learning, the tools of learning, the outcomes of learning and the professional role of the teacher. Moreover, the paper analyses the three stages of change, which are initiation, implementation and institutionalisation. The paper starts with explanation of the analytical framework, application of the analytical framework on the case study and critically reviewing the appropriateness of the analytical framework on the high schools in Saudi Arabia. The appropriate strategies to address challenges in utilisation of learning techniques is training and developing the teachers to understand how to use learning technologies. In addition, the teachers should continuously attend refresher courses to understand and appreciate changing educational requirements. Hence, the paper answers the questions on pressures faced by English teachers in utilising technologies in Saudi Arabia high schools and strategies that should be employed to overcome these pressures. Explanation of the Analytical Framework Learning and education is changing at a faster rate and the teacher’s role, management of classroom, the job instructional design, assessment of the learner outcomes and organisation of schools keeps changing. The requirements, demands of students, the society keeps changing, and therefore numerous authors have proposed models and frameworks that guide these unique requirements. Kalantzis & Cope (2012) proposes a model that has eight dimensions in explaining the changing requirements of learners and advancement in technology. The four dimensions are the institutional locations of learning, the tools of learning, the outcomes of learning and the professional role of the teacher. The institutional location of learning is an important aspect because it brings into consideration traditional paradigm of learning and the evolving world. To ensure the institutions develop at the same pace as the world, it is paramount to understand subject configurations and modes of content dispensation (Limmiou and Smith, 2009). Moreover, it is crucial to integrate what is learned within the classroom and what is learn outside the classroom enabling exploring a world that is limited to institutional habits. Learning is changing and technology is crucial in ensuring the learning process is effective. Information and technology communication is an entrant that aims to change the context and content of learning. This technology has allowed learners to learn from different locations, eliminating challenges associated with traditional learning methods. It is possible for an individual to learn from work, learn from distance and allow integrated learning especially at community level. Moreover, teachers have additional tools and equipments that are based on technology that they can rely in ensuring the learning process is effective and efficient. The outcomes of learning is another aspect that is promoted by the new learning approach (Newton and Ellis, 2012). In the new method, learning process is enshrined on thinking and doing in championing productive institutions and the world at large. Traditional methods championed cognitive and individualised learning while the new learning process adds to it collaborative social learning and practical capability. It is attributed to the different aspects, which are exposed to a learner. Lastly, the role of a professional teacher has changed according to this paradigm. Traditionally, a teacher was viewed a public servant who followed directives and orders but the new teacher is autonomous, responsible, highly skilled, and a manager in the learning process. However, the new teacher is a corporate player, a collaborator and all these activities are grounded in the community. The new teacher is a learner and aims to design the learning environment to suit the modern learning requirements in ensuring both been a researcher and been effective in ensuring development of their own intellectual capacities and also the intellectual capacities of their students. Therefore, Kalantzis & Cope (2012) eight dimensions are important in learning situations but the four highlighted factors are important in the current analysis. The pressing factors on the high school environment in Saudi Arabia are dictated by such factors and employing of the four dimensions allows understanding and appreciating the challenges and position of the Saudi Arabian teachers. Moreover, the dimensions are important in understanding and appreciating the three stages of change: initiation, implementation and institutionalisation. Application of the Framework to the Case Study Teaching English in high schools in Saudi Arabia is faced by numerous challenges. These challenges differ between different environmental and societal requirements. One of the major that faces a high school teacher teaching English in Saudi Arabia is lack of experience or weakness in dealing with learning technologies such as projector, language lab, smart board and online techniques (Dunleavy, Dede and Mitchell, 2009). Changing learning requirements requires the Saudi Arabia English teacher to overcome these challenges to ensure the learners can develop cognitively through ensuring collaboration, positive interaction and championing the community requirements. High schools have utilised these new technologies in their learning process and it is appropriate to utilise such techniques in teaching English. Since learning takes place anywhere, it is important for the teachers to understand this requirement and to appreciate the locations to ensure the learners gains from their experience. Saudi Arabia is a country that has used Arabic has the major language but because of experience of English, it is crucial for these teachers to understand this uniqueness and understand the benefits associated with learning information technology based techniques in ensuring these learners benefits. Therefore, the teachers should understand institutional locations of learning in ensuring the learners could utilise their own capabilities e.g. online learning in achieving their specified goals. Information technology and communication has become a major component in the learning institutions. The use of white boards and online techniques provides both benefits to the learners and the teachers. It means the teachers should understand these components and utilise such technologies to advance the learning process. Therefore, the tools of learning are important because technology comes with numerous benefits, improves the efficient and effectiveness of learning process. Hence, the teachers should overcome these challenges through learning and understanding how to utilise such technologies towards achieving the learning requirements. In utilising such learning technologies, the learner’s benefits from numerous learning outcomes such as been advantageous in job market. After learning, each of the learner aim to gain specific outcomes that may include getting a better job, being proficient in English and utilising English in their daily activities. The use of learning technologies allows achievement of such goals because it encourages collaborative and practical learning enabling an individual to become effective when it comes to teamwork or group work activities (Lim, Chai and Churchill, 2011). The outcomes of utilisatiuon of such tools supersede the difficulties and challenges that are faced by the teachers. It means it is important for the teachers to devise strategies to counter their weaknesses in utilising the learning technologies to ensure they overcome such challenges into ensuring the learners benefit with learning technologies (Martin-Blas and Serrano-Fernandez, 2009). This shows that the role of a teacher has changed from traditional approach of following instructions to a one that ensures creativity and championing innovations. In addition, a professional teacher should understand the teaching fraternity requires advancement and introduction of new strategies to push the learning process to achieve the desired goals (Saljo, 2010). Professionalism is crucial and therefore it is important for the Saudi Arabia teachers to understand the relationship between advancing their teaching techniques through utilisation of technology to ensure they continue becoming more professional (Ellis et al., 2009). This can be achieved through attending workshops and advancement training to facilitate and update their skills towards fulfilling the requirements of educational fraternity and the speed at which society changes towards embracing new technologies and strategies. These four dimensions play a role in advancing the stages of change in a teacher to improve both professionally and technically. The three stages are initiation, implementation and institutionalisation. Initiation aims to embark a teacher towards understanding the use of learning technologies in teaching. This stage also brings into consideration the society and the tools (Annemieke, Annegret and Jenine, 2012). The second stage is implementation wherein the teachers attend refresher courses and other methods on be informed on how to utilise these learning techniques towards teaching the high school students. The third stage is institutionalisation whereby the teachers are informed on how keep updating their techniques and capabilities through attending frequent courses to ensure the teachers understands the societal and technological changes. The institutionalisation would ensure the teachers become more professional and hence achieving their different goals requirements. Discussion and Conclusion Teachers in high schools in Saudi Arabia are facing challenges in utilisation of learning technologies. These challenges inhibit teaching of English and it is crucial to develop and implement measures to ensure the teaching process is effective. Numerous frameworks exist that can address the issues and one of them is the eight dimension model and in the case of the Saudi Arabia teachers, from the eight dimensions, the most applicable dimensions are four. These are the institutional locations of learning, the tools of learning, the outcomes of learning and the professional role of the teacher. Utilisation of these four dimensions are important in understanding the position of the teachers and also understanding how the situation of the teachers can be addressed to becoming professional teachers. Moreover, it is evident the four dimensions fulfils the requirements of the stages of change in which the changes moves from not knowing utilisation of learning technologies to a situation whereby the teachers become proficient in utilisation of the learning technologies. Therefore, the teachers learning on the learning technologies ensures the teachers can provide quality educational services and champion English teaching towards fulfilling their specific learning requirements. The eight dimensional learning model is important in encouraging and developing change. The model is applicable especially the four highlighted dimensions into fulfilling the requirements of acquiring the learning technologies techniques. It means the dimensions are important because it addresses the different requirements and aspirations of both the teachers and also the learners in developing their competencies. References Annemieke, C., Jo, C., Annegret, C., and Jenine, B. 2012. A review of e-learning technologies – opportunities for teaching and learning, in CSEDU 2012 – 4th International Conference on Computer Supported Education, [INSTICC], [Porto, Portugal], pp. 29-41. Dunleavy, M., Dede, C., and Mitchell, R. 2009. Affordances and limitations of immersive participatory augmented reality simulations for teaching and learning. Journal of Science and Educational Technology, vol. 18, pp. 7-22 Ellis, R., Hughes, J., Weyers, M., and Riding, P. 2009. University teacher approaches to design and teaching and concepts of learning technologies. Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 109-117 Lim, C., Chai, C., and Churchill, D. 2011. A framework for developing pre‐service teachers’ competencies in using technologies to enhance teaching and learning. Educational Media International, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 69-83 Limmiou, M., and Smith, M. 2009. Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on teaching and learning through virtual learning environments. European Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 645-653 Martin-Blas, T., and Serrano-Fernandez, A. 2009. The role of new technologies in the learning process: Moodle as a teaching tool in Physics. Computers and Technology, vol. 52, no, 1, pp. 35-44 Newton, D., and Ellis, A. 2012. Understanding Australian First Year University Students’ Experiences of Teaching and Learning Technologies. International Journal on E-Learning, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 267-279 Saljo, R. 2010. Digital tools and challenges to institutional traditions of learning: technologies, social memory and the performative nature of learning. 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