Challenges facing early childhood educators in implementing the inquiry strategy within the developed national curriculum

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the challenges faced by early childhood educators in implementing the inquiry strategy within the developed national curriculum. This research used the descriptive method. The study presents findings from collecting data from a representative sample of 50 early childhood educators in Jubail. The data were collected through interviews with ten early childhood educators and a questionnaire titled "Challenges Faced by Early Childhood Educators in Implementing the Inquiry Strategy within the Developed National Curriculum," administered to a sample of 40 educators. The results revealed a moderate level of challenges faced by the educators; the key challenges included limited time available for implementing activities, difficulty in managing individual differences among children, lack of necessary resources and capabilities, and difficulty in encouraging children to participate and express their ideas. The study also revealed statistically significant differences in the degree of challenges related to educational content based on academic qualification. The study recommends developing comprehensive training programs by establishing specialized professional development courses on inquiry-based learning methodologies for early childhood educators, with particular emphasis on applied and practical pedagogical components, and conducting regular workshops to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and collaborative learning among practitioners in the field.