| dc.description.abstract | Literature in the field of teacher professionalism suggests that neo-liberal educational reforms and the managerialism that frequently accompanies such reforms may compromise and distort teacher professionalism. Specifically, concerns have been raised that such reforms seek to make dramatic changes to teachers’ practices while ignoring the importance of their effect upon teachers’ professional identities (Al-Hinai, 2007, Day and Smethem, 2009). In recent years higher education institutions in Oman have been subject to repeated reform efforts and associated policy changes frequently focused upon the ostensible aim of improving the quality of education. This study explores English language teachers’ professionalism at the Colleges of Technology in Oman (CoTs). Specifically, teachers’ interpretations of teacher professionalism, the tensions the teachers experienced as the result of reform efforts, as well as the teachers’ responses to threats to their sense of professionalism. The main data collection method in this qualitative study was semi-structured interviews with thirty English language teachers from three colleges of technology in Oman. The study was divided into two phases with Phase 1 data analysis being used to help develop interviews for Phase 2. It was found in this study that the teachers had a very clear idea of what constitutes professionalism and believe that professionalism encompasses both the way teachers act and the way they are perceived and treated. At the same time, they raised concerns that their sense of professionalism was being compromised by a number of practices in their institutions. Furthermore, it was found that this affected their sense of professionalism that, in turn, had an influence on their professional identities, motivation, work performance and personal life. These factors were further found to hinder their capacity to act in a way which they, themselves, believed to be characteristic of professionalism. The study highlights the importance of considering teachers’ perceptions, sense of professionalism and professional identity when developing educational reform policies. | en_GB |
