Omani Teachers' Professional Identity and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Opportunities

Abstract

The overall aim of this study is to investigate the nature of Omani teachers’ professional identity. Of particular interest, was teachers’ conceptualisations of their sense of professional identity, the evolution process of this sense and the role of CPD opportunities provided by the Human Resources Development (HRD) Directorate in the Ministry of Education in the development of this identity. The ultimate aim of these investigations is to develop a better understanding of the implications the findings may have for our understanding of teacher professional identity and development and how this affects teaching and learning. To address this issue, an interpretive study of fourteen teachers at varying stages in their career, working within a variety of school contexts was undertaken. Three data collection tools were utilised during the study. First, the participants completed ‘drawing and text’ sheets followed by individual semi-structured interviews to obtain teachers’ perceptions of themselves in relation to their work. Second, a combination of ‘graphic story-line’ and follow-up semi-structured interviews were utilised to elicit teachers’ experiences in relation to the evolution process of their professional identity. Lastly, semi-structured interviews were the tool used to examine teachers’ perspectives and experiences pertinent to the CPD opportunities provided in order to unpack their role in the development of these teachers’ sense of professional identity. The findings reveal four different professional self-images of teachers: their care for their students’ well-being, concerns about their own well-being, a willingness to learn and develop professionally and their value of subject matter knowledge. This study also shows that becoming and being a teacher in Oman is affected by culture, the nature of the education system and the political environment within which teachers work. In addition, teachers’ career stories reveal two key dynamic aspects, which teachers perceived as evolving in their sense of professional identity: professional self-efficacy and job-satisfaction. Moreover, this study indicates that the potential success of INSET offerings in the development of teacher professional identity was blocked due to tradition, culture and structure. Based on these findings, implications for policy-makers and practitioners in both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education are drawn.