تقييم احتياجات التطوير المهني لمعلمات الفيزياء بالمرحلة الثانوية في ضوء الكفايات التدريسية التخصصية

Abstract
Contemporary education is witnessing rapid developments that require teachers to continuously update their professional and specialized competencies, particularly in physics, given its essential role in fostering scientific thinking and enabling students to interpret natural phenomena. In light of recent changes in the teaching profession standards in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the issuance of specialized standards for physics teachers by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, there is a clear need to assess the professional development requirements of secondary-school physics teachers to enhance their instructional performance.
This study aimed to prepare a list of specialized competencies required for physics teachers, identify their professional needs based on these competencies, and examine differences in needs according to academic qualification, years of experience, and the number of relevant training courses. The study employed a descriptive survey method and administered a questionnaire to a population of 82 physics teachers in public schools in the Makkah region, with 58 responses (70.7% response rate). The instrument included three domains: pedagogical competencies, specialized competencies, and continuous professional development needs, and its validity and reliability were confirmed through appropriate statistical procedures.
The results indicated that professional development needs were moderate overall. The highest needs were in pedagogical competencies, followed by continuous professional development, and then specialized competencies. Statistically significant differences were found according to years of experience and the number of training courses, favoring less experienced and less trained teachers, while no significant differences were observed based on academic qualification. These findings emphasize the importance of aligning professional development programs for physics teachers with modern specialized standards and addressing actual instructional gaps.
The study recommends designing sustainable training programs based on practical application and collaborative learning, with a focus on enhancing specialized competencies and digital skills, thereby improving teaching quality and meeting professional licensing requirements
 
Keywords:
 
 Physics teachers; Specialized teaching competencies; Professional standards; Secondary education; Training needs.