Redesigning Teacher Education Programs In Oman Using National Performance Indicators, International Standards, and Exemplary Models

SUMMARY: There is empirical evidence from international research which suggests that teacher quality is a significant factor in predicting student achievement (Borman and Kimball, 2005; Rivkin, Hanushek, Kain, 2005); however, constructing measures of teacher quality is a challenging task because of the lack of consensus on what constitutes a qualified teacher. Therefore, evaluating the quality of teachers in Oman can contribute to redefining teacher education programs in Oman. The current research project aims to examine the effectiveness of the current teacher educating programs in Oman based on significant outcome measures and evidence-based data. Additionally, the project aims to provide a an optimal framework and model for redesigning teacher education programs using data from national Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by the Ministry of Education, review of international standards of teacher education, and exemplary model programs of preparing quality teachers. The current research project provides insights into the quality of the content and structure of teacher education programs in Oman by mapping out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of teacher preparation. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used to collect data from different stakeholders, including teachers, experts, school principals, and students. Results, then, will be used to redesign the practices of teacher education programs in Oman by developing and validating a new model informed by the assessment and evidence based data. The model could be later implemented and its outcomes could be tested and compared to the currently adopted program content, structure, and outcomes. Improving teacher education through evidence based research and tangible performance indicators has become a priority goal of multiple stakeholders worldwide. In the popular media in most societies, teacher education programs are touted as the most powerful force to transform education, improve schools, increase their effectiveness, and the way to break cycles of low attainment levels of students in schools. However, there is growing awareness of low attainment levels in developing countries due to new data on learning outcomes as well as data coming from international comparative assessments (Center for Universal Education, 2011; Pritchett, 2013). In addition, experts increasingly question the andlsquo;andlsquo;relevance of prevalent educational approaches to teacher preparation programs and to what extent the structure and content of such programs contribute to improved learning outcomes and have an impact on student learning in schools. In general, improving teacher quality has been the major focus of educational reforms during the past 50 years in For Office Use Appl. No: Date: 2 both advanced and developing countries. In Oman, in particular, teacher education has witnessed several initiatives to reshape the organization and deliver the content in order to provide schools with high quality teachers. Recently, the teacher education program at the College of Education in Sultan Qaboos University has been accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in 2016, bringing to the forefront the necessity of judging the quality of teacher education programs in the light international standards and exemplary models. In Oman there is a focus on teacher quality as being the crucial driving force for improving student achievement and thus promoting the country's economic competitiveness in the global society. However, the dominant assumption in Oman national education policy circles as well as that of the layperson is that the country s teaching workforce needs improvement and that raising certification standards will improve teaching quality, national achievement, and economic competitiveness. More specifically, there is considerable evidence that mathematics and science instruction in the Oman, as in elsewhere in the Arab region is problematic. The performance by Omani students on international assessments including Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) has been reported to be below the international benchmarks (UNESCO Doha Research Report, 2015).