Schools In Oman Research Articles

Emotional and behavioural difficulties among middle school students in Oman: an examination of prevalence rate and gender differences

ABSTRACTChildren with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBDs) began to receive considerable attention in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa region including Oman. In the Omani context, there is lack of valid assessment instruments which can be used to obtain information on EBDs in schools. The current study used the Arabic self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (A-SDQ) to examine EBDs in a sample of middle school students. 816 middle school students from both genders, who were randomly selected from different schools in two big cities in Oman, filled out the A-SDQ. Results provided initial evidence of good psychometric properties of the A-SDQ reflecting that it can be a valid tool for use in schools in Oman. Further, the participants reported moderate to high rates of EBDs as measured by the different subscales of the A-SDQ. Significant gender differences were found in students self-report of EBDs. Compared to boys, girls reported more emotional symptoms, less conduct and peer problems. Implications of the study findings for the identification of students with EBDs in schools in Oman are presented.

Can mission predict school performance? The case of basic education in Oman

ABSTRACTThis article reports on a study that examined the relationship between the mission statements and performance of Basic Education Schools in Oman. The process of mission statement framing was also investigated. A sample of 161 school mission statements was randomly collected from the Ministry of Education school mission portal database representing 19% of the total population. A sequential mixed method of analysis was chosen. The mission statements being classified with respect to 12 themes of which the most frequently of them appearing Academic Achievement (74.5%) and the least frequent Scientific Research Methods (26.1%).Results show that Learning Outcomes Excellence significantly correlated with a theme around Reconstructing School Environment (r = 0.243). Also, Islamic Values and Ethics significantly correlated with Scientific Research Methods (r = 0.221). It was also appeared that school principals spent great efforts on designing school mission statements that directed schools towards achieving their purpose and improving their performance.

Identification of Children at Risk for Reading Disabilities in Elementary Schools in Oman: The Role of Phoneme Segmentation and Phoneme Blending in Learning Arabic

 Abstract—Reading skills have begun to be strongly considered by researchers and practitioners for the identification of students who have or at risk for reading disabilities (RDs). The current study investigated role of phoneme segmentation and phoneme blending in identifying children at risk for RDs. 240 students from the second and fourth grade and who were either referred for the learning disabilities unit or who were normally achieving responded to tests on phoneme segmentation (PS) and phoneme blending (PB). A three way MANOVA showed that female students attained higher scores on PS and PB than did female students; fourth grade students attained higher scores on PS but not on PB than did second grade students; and finally normally achieving students attained higher scores on PS and PB than did students referred for RDs. No interaction effects of the three variables were significant. Results are discussed in relation to the component model of reading.

Teachers’ perceptions of the concomitance of emotional behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities in children referred for learning disabilities in Oman

Research has documented overlapping and coexisting characteristics of learning disabilities (LD) and emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). Such concomitance may impact teacher referrals of children at risk for LD which in turn may influence service delivery. Using the Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory (LDDI) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), we examined teachers’ ratings of EBD and LD symptoms in 439 students referred for LD in elementary schools in Oman. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that there were no gender differences in LD symptoms, whereas there were significant gender differences in teachers’ ratings of hyperactivity and conduct problems in referred children. There was an association between teachers’ ratings on the LDDI and SDQ dimensions, reflecting children’s concurrent display of LD and EBD symptoms. Implications are discussed within an Omani context in which there is a need to increase teachers’ awareness of the behavioural and emotional profile of children at risk for LD.

Variations in Arabic Reading Skills between Normally Achieving and at Risk for Reading Disability Students in Second and Fourth Grades

The study investigated variations in Arabic reading skills between normally achieving students and students at risk for reading disability in second and fourth grades. Using a cross-sectional design the study tested the effect of gender, grade level, and student condition on the variation of Arabic reading skills. Participants were 381 Arabic speaking children from second and fourth grades. Participants included both normally achieving students and students who were referred to the Learning Disabilities Unit in elementary schools in Oman. Dependent measures of the study included letter sound identification (LSI), word decoding (WD), phonological awareness (PA) through blending and segmentation, word recognition (WR), reading comprehension (RC), and listening comprehension (LC) in Arabic. Multivariate analysis indicated that gender, grade level and student condition had an effect on variation of reading skills. Additionally, the interaction effect of grade level and student condition as well as the combination of the three independent variables showed similar effects. Significant reading skills varied according to gender, grade level and student condition in addition to the interaction effects. WD, LSI and LC were significant as a result of the interaction effects. The results are discussed in relation to the characteristics of the Arabic language orthography.

Classroom Assessment: Teacher Practices, Student Perceptions, and Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs

We examined the effects of teachers' classroom assessment practices and students' perceptions of assessment tasks on students' academic self-efficacy beliefs as 1 dimension of student academic motivation. Participants (N = 1,457) were students sourced from 99 classrooms of public secondary schools in Oman. Results of multilevel analysis showed that student academic self-efficacy beliefs were significantly and positively influenced by students' perceptions of the assessment tasks. Specifically, congruence with planned learning, authenticity, transparency, and diversity all had significant positive influences on self-efficacy beliefs, as did frequent communication by the teacher about the assessment with students and teachers' frequent use of nonachievement grading factors. Implications are discussed for classroom practices and research related to classroom assessment.

Periodontal Diseases in an Omani Adult Population: A Preliminary Study

Data on the periodontal status of the adult population in the Arab world are scarce. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the prevalence, extent, and severity of periodontal diseases in an adult group from Oman. This is a cross-sectional study of 319 teachers who were randomly sampled from the list of teachers from the Muscat region schools in Oman. Dental caries, tooth loss, and periodontal attachment loss (AL) were recorded for each of the participants. A questionnaire collected data on participants' sociodemographic characteristics, dental-care characteristics, self-rated periodontal status, and self-rated well-being. A total of 99% of participants had at least one site with probing depth (PD) or clinical AL of ≥ 3 mm. More than one third (36%) of participants had at least one site with AL ≥ 5 mm, and 12% had at least one site with AL ≥ 6 mm; for PD, the prevalence estimates were 26% and 8%, respectively, and a gradient by age group was evident across the different thresholds. Regarding the extent of disease, 17.6% of sites had PD ≥ 3 mm, and 21% of sites had AL ≥ 3 mm. The prevalence, extent, and severity of periodontitis were higher than estimates reported from industrialized countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. This is of concern, especially when considering the relatively young age of the study population. Because of this high prevalence, investigation of periodontitis in a national sample of Omanis is desirable to confirm the findings of this study.

Core Values Matrix of the Philosophy of basic Education in Oman (PBEO)

The aim of this study is to analyze the core values embedded in the philosophy of Basic Education in Oman. Those values are used to develop a standard to guide the administrative work and performance related to teaching and learning in secondary schools in Oman. 449 school administrators (principals, their assistants, educational supervisors and senior teachers) were randomly sampled for the study. To collect data, a questionnaire including 85 items was used. It was developed by transforming core values to practicing-type statements. The reliability of the study tool Cronbach-Alpha was (0.98). The results of the study show that the highest frequency of practiced values is related to community partnership (79.8%), followed by administrative decision making (77.6%), administrative accountability (76.8%), professional development values (76.4%), comprehensive school experience (74.8%), and finally school vision and mission (73.8%). The study also revealed there is a set of 44 values embedded in the administrative practices of the basic education administers such as sharing, creativity, teamwork, diversity, knowledge-production, selfdevelopment, empowerment, harmony and coexistence. The school principals seek to establish a school environment based on the values of learning organization by turning the school into a training unit through forming training teams. In conclusion, many recommendations and suggestions are provided. 1

The State of Social Studies in Basic Education Schools in Oman

This study explored the state of social studies in basic education schools in the current reform. Particularly, it explored teachers’ preferred rationales for teaching social studies, content areas emphasized in the social studies curriculum, instructional methods used by teachers, and the importance of social studies and other school subjects. Data were gathered by surveys from 451 social studies teachers from all Omani governorates. Findings showed that teachers supported all rationales for teaching social studies in schools. The most emphasized topics were Omani history, geography of Oman, rights and duties of citizens, population education, geography of the Arab world, and environmental education. There was a significant progress in implementing student-centered instructional methods. Unfortunately, social studies was not regarded as an important school subject. Implications of the study were discussed.

Public schools’ characteristics and teacher turnover in Oman

Teachers are the backbone of the educational systems and their turnover may threaten the whole educational system in any country. In Oman, teacher turnover is a neglected area of study and this article may help in shedding some light on teacher turnover phenomenon in Oman. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of school characteristics (e.g., school size, gender, time-shift, education type, and school location) on the turnover intentions of teachers in public schools in Oman. Survey questionnaires were used to collect data from 214 public schools in Oman. 142 schools from all educational regions in Oman were participated in this study. Data analyses tools for this study were descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, in addition to independents t-test and analysis of variance. The study revealed that teacher intentions to transfer to other schools are influenced by almost all the studied school characteristics. Policy makers and human resource recruiters in Ministry of Education should be aware of teachers’ preferences for certain schools to avoid teachers’ shortage in non-preferred schools. Further studies about the influence of school time-shift and teachers’ intentions to quit or transfer are needed to affirm the results in this study. This is the first study about the influence of school characteristics on teacher turnover in public schools in Oman. Thus, the value of this study stems from the uniqueness of this study which may serve as an eye opening indicator about teacher turnover in Oman.

Organizational-level study of the impact of past turnover on future turnover in the Sultanate of Oman

Turnover phenomena attracted researchers from all over the world for generations. Most of this research was directed towards turnover antecedents with a few scattered conceptual and empirical studies related to turnover consequences. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of past turnover on future turnover in public organizations, in addition to test the mediation role of organizational climate in this relationship. Public schools as separate identities were the best choice as the study sample. Data were collected through questionnaires from 142 public schools in all educational regions in Oman. Two-step structural equation modeling approach, and nested model comparison were used for data analysis. The results revealed that: (1) past turnover predicts future turnover, significantly; (2) organizational climate fails to mediate this relationship. The study added to the body of knowledge by confirming Staw’s hypothesis relating past turnover to future turnover in the Omani context. Human resource professionals and educational administration practitioners may play an important role in decreasing future turnover by tackling and decreasing past turnover, in addition to improving the relationship climate in schools. The study is limited to public schools in Oman and further studies about turnover consequences in the Arabic context are needed to affirm the results.

Modeling the Relationship Between Perceptions of Assessment Tasks and Classroom Assessment Environment as a Function of Gender

A substantial proportion of the classroom time involves exposing students to a variety of assessment tasks. As students process these tasks, they develop beliefs about the importance, utility, value, and difficulty of the tasks. This study aimed at deriving a model describing the multivariate relationship between students’ perceptions of the assessment tasks and classroom assessment environment as a function of gender. Using a clustering sampling procedure, participants were 411 students selected from the second cycle of the basic education grades at Muscat public schools in Oman. As defined by McMillan (Educational research: Fundamentals of the consumer, 2012, pp. 176–177), the research design employed in this study was descriptive in nature that includes correlational and comparative aspects. Results revealed statistically significant gender differences with respect to the perceptions of the assessment tasks and classroom assessment environment favoring female students. Also, results showed that for both males and females, a learning-oriented assessment environment tended to be associated with high degrees of congruence with instruction, authenticity, student consultation, and diversity. However, the relationship between performance-oriented assessment environment and perceptions of the assessment tasks differed in male and female classrooms. Implications for instruction and assessment as well as recommendations for future research were discussed.

Perception of Physical Self-efficacy and Body Image among Omani Basic School Children

The purpose of the present study was to examine the perception of physical self-efficacy and body image amongst children in basic schools in Oman. Gender and grade level differences in perceptions of these two variables were also investigated. The sample comprised 359, children in the age range 12-18 years, M=15.01, SD=1.77), drawn randomly from two basic schools in Muscat Educational District in Muscat. The number of boys being 169 and the number of girls 190. Two questionnaires were administered: one on body image and the other on the perceived self-efficacy. These questionnaires have adequate reliability and validity. The results indicate significant correlation between perceived physical self-efficacy and body image for the whole sample and for boys and girls separately. No gender differences in the body image were found, but there was a difference in the perceived physical efficacy favoring boys. The results also indicate that for boys, age is positively correlated with body image and perceived physical self-efficacy; while for girls there was no significant correlation. The significance of the results was discussed in terms of objective of the study. Recommendation for future research was put forward.

Perception of Physical Self-efficacy and Body Image among Omani Basic School Children

The purpose of the present study was to examine the perception of physical self-efficacy and body image amongst children in basic schools in Oman. Gender and grade level differences in perceptions of these two variables were also investigated. The sample comprised 359, children in the age range 12-18 years, M=15.01, SD=1.77), drawn randomly from two basic schools in Muscat Educational District in Muscat. The number of boys being 169 and the number of girls 190. Two questionnaires were administered: one on body image and the other on the perceived self-efficacy. These questionnaires have adequate reliability and validity. The results indicate significant correlation between perceived physical self-efficacy and body image for the whole sample and for boys and girls separately. No gender differences in the body image were found, but there was a difference in the perceived physical efficacy favoring boys. The results also indicate that for boys, age is positively correlated with body image and perceived physical self-efficacy; while for girls there was no significant correlation. The significance of the results was discussed in terms of objective of the study. Recommendation for future research was put forward.

An effective teaching model for public school teachers in the Sultanate of Oman

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate what is the most important characteristic that leads to effective teaching in the general education schools in Oman, as perceived by the students.Design/methodology/approach – Methodologically, this research is a survey in nature, using questionnaires for data collection. The sample size consists of 2,628 students from the General Education Schools in most of the regions in Oman. To ensure the reliability and construct validity, this research has applied the principal component analysis (PCA) to determine whether the relevant items have been accordingly loaded on their respective construct. For data analysis, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) or the measurement model was employed to determine the indictors and factors as well as the predictor that can positively lead to effective teaching and teachers.Findings – In terms of the findings, this research discovered that, the “community relationships” factor is the most important factor that leads to ...

OMANI SCIENCE TEACHERS USE OF COOPERATIVE WORK IN BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS

The aim of this study is to explore the use of cooperative work by science teachers. Quasi-experimental research design was used. This study was carried out in academic year of 2010-2011 at Basic Education schools in Oman. The sample consisted of 25, male (N=12) and female (N=13) science teachers working in 5 Basic Education schools. A 4-point of 39 statement scale observation checklist was developed to find out the extent to which teachers were applying collaborative work effectively. Findings reveal that teachers either followed the traditional seating arrangements, or just placing students in groups without any cooperative learning strategies. Findings also indicated no statistically significant difference due to the teacher’s gender in the way collaborative work is applied in co-schools.

How Do Instructional Leaders Understand Teacher Performance Evaluation?

Although the teacher performance evaluation is a widely used concept in many countries, instructional leaders might understand it differently in various contexts. Therefore, this paper will address the process of teacher performance evaluation as perceived by the instructional leaders in selected schools in Oman. The research design adopted for the purpose of this paper is the case study design and the data were collected through interviews, observations and document analysis. Cases were selected based on certain criteria and the data was analysed qualitatively by using constant comparative method. Finding showed that the instructional leaders were viewing the process of teacher performance evaluation as something important for all of them, and the analysis revealed the conception is that the performance evaluation is a useful tool that help the leaders to assess their teachers’ performance and beneficial for the professional development in the future.

Principal's practices in the performance appraisal for teachers in Al-Sharqiah South Zone's Schools in Oman

This study explores school principals’ practices in carrying out the performance appraisal of teachers in Omani Basic Education schools. Selection of participants is critical in qualitative research; therefore, the researcher used purposeful sampling to identify the three Omani public school levels. Standardized open-ended interview approach is used as the primary source of data, direct observations and document analysis. The themes that presented in this article are, setting performance goals through the school plan, monitoring teachers’ performance through class observations, giving instructions and advice as feedback and developing teacher's performance through workshops and paper presentation.

Effects of Classroom Assessment Practices on Students' Achievement Goals

This study examined the effects of classroom assessment practices on students' achievement goals. The study included 1,636 ninth grade students and 83 science teachers from Muscat public schools in Oman. Results from hierarchical linear modeling techniques showed that class contextual features and teachers' teaching experiences and assessment practices interacted significantly with students' characteristics in influencing students' achievement goals. Recommendations, implications, and suggestions for practice and future research are discussed.

Use of School Libraries by Teachers: the Case of Oman

This study, which was conducted in the first half of 2005, investigated the nature and extent of use of school libraries by teachers in preparatory and secondary schools in Oman. It evaluated in detail the types of material and the range of services used. It also assessed the extent of teachers' satisfaction with provision. The results of the survey revealed a low use of school libraries by teachers. School libraries held poor collections, especially of audiovisual materials, journals and electronic resources, and access to the Internet. Teachers expressed their dissatisfaction with library services which appeared poorly developed and tended to be traditional in character.