International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
issue with the mixing of genders. This may be because most interns attended universities outside of Saudi so
already had experience with mixed gender environments.
Interns talk about how much they have to work in the TDP. After the first year, most interns go through a
“transformation” where their language changes from talking about school as “work” to talking about school as
their “passion.”
CONCLUSION
“Evidence suggests that Saudi Arabia’s economy is in danger and will decline unless cognitive skills
improve. Saudi educators have the potential to reverse the trends” (Wiseman, 2010). It is critical, for the future
of Saudi Arabia, to have highly qualified teachers. The TDP at TKS is a model for effective teacher preparation.
Data indicate the effectiveness of the TDP for Saudi interns. Sharing the effectiveness of the TDP for Saudi
interns, in an international school in Saudi Arabia, contributes to the advancement of practice, not only for Saudi
Arabia, but, for all international teacher preparation programs. The TDP is a model for best practice in teacher
education in a unique environment. If it works here, it can work anywhere.
REFERENCES
Wiseman, A. (2010). The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in Saudi Arabia. Lehigh University.
Slideshare.
Phillips, J. (2013). Teacher Development Program Manual, TKS, Unpublished Manuscript, Saudi Arabia.
Jenkins, S. (2008). Student Motivation: The Key to Educational and Economic Reform in Saudi Arabia.
International House Journal of Education and Development, Issue 25.
Gabriel, R. (2011). A Practice-based Theory of Professional Education: Teach for America’s Professional
Development Model. Urban Education, 46(5).
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