Teachers’ Perceptions of Science Curriculum Reform in UAE: A Study in an American Private School in Dubai

Abstract

Remarkable science curriculum reform is coming about in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reflecting a remarkable shifting from the previous science curricula. This type of reform has significant suggestions for teachers. There are limited research studies on teachers‘ perception regarding these reforms. This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact of the Next Generation Science Standard, being the latest science education reform in the UAE, on teachers who are involved in implementing reform. The study was carried out in a US curriculum school in Dubai. Semi-structured interviews with 14 science teachers who teach different grade levels (K-12) were conducted along with 6 class observations. The other source of data collection was the NGSS curriculum documents. The findings showed that the obstacles faced by the teachers with the NGSS curriculum reform were that the curriculum involves big innovative ideas within short timelines, teachers‘ inability to shift the classroom towards the desirable outcome, and the shortage of organization and coherence between the school‘s stakeholders. These finding could be utilized to plan for professional development sessions to support the teachers with more ideas and strategies to convey the implementation of the three-dimensional science curriculum. Moreover, this study could help the leaders and policymakers to ensure the readiness of the teachers and the school before any reform implementation. Keywords: curriculum reform, three-dimensional science curriculum, next-generation science standards, instructional practice