Teacher Professional Development as English Language-in-Education Planning in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Teacher professional development (TPD) is commonly framed as an instructional improvement strategy; however, in contexts of rapid English expansion it also functions as a central policy instrument through which language-in-education planning is enacted. This systematic review reconceptualizes Saudi English-as-a-foreign-language TPD as acquisition planning and synthesizes 22 studies published between 2015 and 2025. Guided by PRISMA 2020 procedures and thematic narrative analysis, the review compares dominant PD models, teacher-identified needs, and implementation conditions across K–12 and tertiary sectors. Findings reveal a persistent policy–practice misalignment: ambitious English reform agendas are not consistently supported by sustained, context-responsive professional learning infrastructures. Provision remains dominated by short, centrally mandated workshops that teachers frequently perceive as decontextualized and evaluative rather than developmental. Concurrently, teachers construct compensatory ecologies of self-directed and collegial learning, while online and blended PD has expanded following COVID-19. Constraints cluster around governance, capacity, and equity, whereas enabling conditions emphasize sustained, collaborative, and job-embedded learning aligned with curriculum and assessment. Positioning TPD as acquisition planning clarifies its pivotal role in mediating English policy enactment and highlights the need for implementation-focused, outcome-oriented research on English language-in-education planning capacity.