The research described and reported on in this article focuses on an analysis of the Saudi Arabian National Transformation Program 2020 and Saudi Vision 2030. The investigation involved a document analysis of these documents in order to identify the associated curriculum orientations within these documents to determine what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is seeking to achieve and how it envisages achieving these aspirations through education development. The analysis revealed that the goals and aspirations of the Kingdom have increasingly become more clearly defined with attention to alignment between national education goals and economic development whilst ensuring that practices are consistent with Islamic beliefs. In brief, as evidenced in the documents, the analysis reveals that the imperative of the National Transformation Program 2020 and Saudi Vision 2030 is to establish a ‘Saudized’ knowledge-based economy; and education is seen to be a means by which this imperative is to be fostered.

realized the introduction of a comprehensive English language teaching curriculum, the English Language Curriculum for Elementary, Intermediate and Secondary Schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Grades 4 -12, 2014 -2020

Abstract

The bioaccumulation of environmental toxins as possible risk factors in the etiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS/PDC) is studied in three foci of the Western Pacific: Guam, the Kii Peninsula, and West Papua New Guinea. The objective of this study was to evaluate the best evidence on the exogenous causes of ALS/ PDC, with emphasis on the role of cycads, iron, and manganese in the Western Pacific foci, by performing a systematic review of major electronic databases using predefined criteria, 68 of which met the selection criteria . Two major environmental hypotheses are associated with this enigmatic disease: the vegetal hypothesis, which focuses on the neurotoxic and genotoxic properties of the cycad, and the mineral hypothesis, which focuses on the neurotoxic properties of metals . Although typically studied independently, environmental data suggests these two hypotheses may, in fact, converge . Epidemiologic research investigating the association between exposure to environmental toxins and ALS/PDC has proven inconclusive . Nevertheless, possible causal links indicate a need for more holistic research to not only better understand ALS/PDC, but also glean new insights regarding the associated neurodegenerative diseases .

The research described and reported on in this article focuses on an analysis of the current English language curriculum in Saudi Arabia and the documents and underlying influences on its construction. The investigation involved a document analysis in order to identify associated curriculum orientations (Eisner, 1985) to determine what Saudi Arabia is seeking to achieve in the current English language curriculum. The analysis revealed that the current curriculum is clearly defined with attention to alignment between national education goals and economic development whilst ensuring that educational practices are consistent with Islamic beliefs. In brief, as evidenced in the documents, the analysis reveals that the imperative of education in Saudi Arabia is to establish a ‘Saudized’ knowledge-based economy; and English language acquisition is seen to be a means by which this imperative is to be fostered.