Saudi Mothers’ Perspectives on the English Programs Taught in their Children’s International Schools

This study aimed at investigating the perceptions of Saudi mothers who enroled their children in international schools about the English curriculum used there, the factors that influenced their decision in choosing international schools rather than other private schools, and the benefits as well as the drawbacks of those schools as viewed by mothers. To achieve those aims, the research adopted a mixed method design using questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires were sent to ninety-three mothers. After that, semi-structured interviews based on the responses from questionnaires were carried out with a total of five mothers chosen from those who participated in the questionnaires. The data collected was analysed using the mean, standard deviation, and thematic analysis. The results showed that mothers place great importance on the English language and believe it is truly significant for their children’s future. It also revealed that English had a quite major effect on mothers’ decision for choosing international schools over other schools alongside with their overall satisfaction with the programs used, pointing to the wide variety of teaching methods employed as well as the school’s effort in developing their children’s personality.