Features of the Development of Standards for the Pre-service Social Studies Teacher Preparation Program at the Primary Stage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Light of Beneft from Australian Experience: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The current study aimed to propose a vision for developing social studies pre-service teachers' standards for the primary school in the KSA besed on the Australian experience. The study followed the comparative analytical method )Bereday Approach(, where the standards for social studies pre-service teachers for the primary school have been examined in the relevant institutions in the KSA, and their counterpart in Australia )Melbourne University(. The study results showed many similarities and differences between the standards of social studies pre-service teachers for primary school preparation programs in both Australia and Saudi Arabia. Among the most important similarities were the cultural, academic, and professional preparation felds, regardless of the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the previous preparations. Among the most important differences was the granting of a teaching profession license in Australia after the awarding of the teacher's professional master's degree (two academic years); however, in the KSA the license is granted after the educational diploma. The results also revealed the low attention given to the standards of preparing pre-service teachers’ programs in some branches of education, social studies, such as citizenship, economics, business administration, law, and sociology, compared to Australia. In addition, the multiplicity of authorities responsible for teacher preparation leads to weak accountability. The standards and regulations for accepting pre-service teachers in preparation institutions in KSA are characterized by low accuracy. This is clearly noticed in preparing these standards and regulations and arbitrating them by experts to approve their implementation. A proposed vision has been presented in light of the previous results