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In Saudi Arabia, men, and women study in separate classrooms. Equal opportunities are afforded for men and women in the educational process, but there is gender segregation at Saudi universities. If there is a shortage of female instructors, a man teaches the women’s course; he is in a different location and utilizes computer equipment which enables the women to see him while keeping them from his view (Aljohani & Alajlan, 2020). The education system in Saudi Arabia includes about 30 public universities, 12 private universities, and many private colleges and institutes. The Saudi government provides free education in four stages: primary, intermediate, secondary, and university education. Students are given textbooks and transportation; there is also a stipend for university students and people enrolled at vocational institutes. The Saudi Arabian government has undertaken extensive educational policy reforms related to curricula, assessment, and professional development for teachers, with a continuous focus on learning outcomes at all levels. The government is also committed to the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) through the fourth goal of sustainable development in education (Saudi Vision 2030, 2015).
The Saudi government attaches great importance to the promotion of education in order to shape a generation with diverse cultures and a strong education. Accordingly, the country launched Saudi Vision 2030 to be the curriculum and a roadmap; this project focuses on an integrated package of programs in order to develop the educational environment through its various stages as well as its numerous approaches and methods. For example, one of the vision’s aims is to prepare the teachers with professional development in order to meet the requirements of a 21st-century teacher and to develop the instructors’ skills as a way of keeping pace with the intellectual, knowledge, technological, and industrial developments (Saudi Vision 2030, 2015). Establishing the advanced diploma program in education came with Taif University’s initiatives for the programmatic transformation project, an endeavor which coincides with Saudi Arabia’s vision. The educational diploma program was based on a set of principles, the most prominent of which is the university’s desire to be a pioneer to enhance the professionalism of teacher preparation with a vision that stems from studying and analyzing reality as well as anticipating the future (Taif University, 2018).