Breaking the Silence: Revealing the limits of Preschool Teachers' Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) in Saudi Arabia

Background: Within the framework of the new Saudi Vision 2030, the education system is keen on developing Early Childhood (EC) curricula to meet the needs of children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, in addition to preparing teachers to be the main driving forces in this field. To achieve these strategic goals, the professional development of teachers has taken the lead in terms of their continuous professional achievements. Purpose: The recent study tended to explore the promotion of Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) of teachers in preschool institutions in different sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) include public, private and international. Method: In the current study, (n=300) of preschool female teachers, who had experience teaching children from diverse language and cultural backgrounds, participated voluntarily by filling out the exploratory questionnaire. It was designed on a five-point Likert scale. The credibility of the scale and the validity of the questionnaire were ascertained, and the content for which it was designed verified in terms of the purposes of the current investigation. Results: The results revealed that preschool female teachers in the private preschool settings have a higher level of CLC compared to those who were teaching in public and international preschools in KSA. In the private sector, preschool female teachers showed create abilities to provide culturally responsive environments for diverse students, applying various communication styles, and showing proper attitudes and values toward diversity. Implication: The current study provided key implications for policy makers regarding the promotion of CLC for all teachers, particularly preschool in government settings in KSA. It contributed to revealing the cultural awareness of preschool teachers' values and attitudes toward diversity.