شبكة المعلومات العربية التربوية

This study explores Saudi English language teachers’ English as a Foreign Language (EFL) professional knowledge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study’s main objective was to investigate and compare the different knowledge domains of pre-service and in-service EFL teachers, while also exploring the relationship between EFL professional knowledge and a number of demographic variables, such as gender, educational training, educational level, academic discipline, school type, school stage, and teaching experience. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was adopted using such data collection tools as an online self-assessment questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and the Teacher Knowledge Test. A total of 556 in-service teachers self-assessed their EFL professional knowledge via online questionnaires; 30 in-service teachers participated in the semi-structured interviews; and 1,916 preservice teachers completed the Teacher Knowledge Test. The analysis showed that both pre-service and in-service teachers possessed low levels of EFL professional knowledge and were especially limited in their knowledge of language proficiency, pedagogy, students, technology, content, curriculum, and context. The study also identified statistically significant differences in teachers’ professional EFL knowledge based on gender, educational training, educational level, school type, and teaching experience. However, no statistically significant differences were found based on academic discipline and school stage. The study’s findings will make an important contribution to enhancing the understanding of EFL professional knowledge and will be of great value to language teachers, language teacher educators, and policymakers in supporting EFL teachers, including Saudi EFL teachers, in their pre-service education and professional development. (Author’s abstract)