Perceptions and Implementation of Online English Programmes in Higher Education in Oman
Date
2024-01
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Publisher
The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
The current study investigates the teachers’ and students’ perceptions and implementations of online English Programs in Higher Education in Oman. The study attempts to answer the following research questions: 1-What are the EFL teachers’ perceptions of online practices in Higher Education in Oman?, 2-Are there any differences between EFL teachers’ perceptions of English online practices attributed to the gender?, 3-Are there any differences between EFL teachers’ perceptions of online education attributed to their online experiences?, 4-What are the students’ perceptions of their online practices in Higher Education in Oman? , 5-Are there any differences between students’ perceptions of English online practices related to the gender? ,6-Are there any differences between students’ perceptions of English online practices attributed to their online experiences? 7-What challenges are there -if any- that are encountered in the implementation of online English Language programs in Higher Education? The study adopts the explanatory sequential mixed methods approach in which the first phase is the quantitative part that involves administrating questionnaires to the participants to identify their perceptions and implementations of their online experiences. After completing the first phase and analyzing the obtained data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 EFL teachers to get in -depth understanding of the quantitative data. The results revealed that teachers’ perceptions of online practices are very positive. The study also revealed that there weren’t any significant differences in the teachers’ online experience that are attributed to their gender or online experience. Furthermore, the results revealed that students were neutral-uncertain- about their online experience. Also, the results showed that male students perceived the online experience more positive than the female students and there were no significant differences between the participants that could be attributed to their previous online experience. Regarding the challenges the participants faced, the study identified some social, technological, and pedagogical challenges. Further results, pedagogical implications and recommendations were outlined and hold insightful indications to policy makers and teachers in the context of higher education in Oman.
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Keywords
online English programmes, Oman, higher education,