top of page
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute

Education Quarterly Reviews

ISSN 2621-5799

asia institute of research, journal of education, education journal, education quarterly reviews, education publication, education call for papers
asia institute of research, journal of education, education journal, education quarterly reviews, education publication, education call for papers
asia institute of research, journal of education, education journal, education quarterly reviews, education publication, education call for papers
asia institute of research, journal of education, education journal, education quarterly reviews, education publication, education call for papers
crossref
doi
open access

Published: 20 September 2019

Exploring Teachers' Perceptions on Schools' Openness to Change in Omani & Saudi Public Schools

Mohamed M. Ghoneim Sywelem, Dr. Yasser F. Hendawy Al-Mahdy

Suez University, Sultan Qaboos University

asia institute of research, journal of education, education journal, education quarterly reviews, education publication, education call for papers
pdf download

Download Full-Text Pdf

doi

10.31014/aior.1993.02.03.91

Pages: 597-607

Keywords: Teachers' Perceptions, Schools' Openness to Change, Oman, KSA

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine schools' openness to change (SOC) in the Sultanate of Oman & Saudi Arabia based on the views of public school teachers. The study implements a quantitative approach using the Faculty Change Orientation Scale (FCOS) developed by Smith & Hoy (2007). A sample of (719) subjects is selected during 2018-2019 school years. The data is analyzed through descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA. The research concluded that Saudi and Omani teachers showed high positive perceptions regarding the degree of principal openness to change (POC) and Teacher openness to change (TOC); nevertheless there were no significant differences between Saudi and Omani teachers in SOC; in addition there were significant differences between male and female teachers in favor of female teachers, finally there were significant differences among elementary, middle, and high schools in favor of elementary schools. The current study contributes to the field of school change management in the Arab Gulf States culture, especially in providing insights of teachers from two different Arab Gulf States.

References

  1. Al-Ani, W. & Ismail, O. (2015). Can mission predict school performance? The case of basic education in Oman, School Leadership & Management, 35(5), 459-476.
  2. Al-Jarf, R. (2005). Connecting students across universities in Saudi Arabia, in the 4thAsia call conference, Sorabol College, Geongju, South Korea.
  3. Al-Mahdy, F. & Sywelem, M. (2016). Teachers’ perspectives on professional learning communities in some Arab countries, International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 5(4), 45-57.
  4. Al-Mahdy, F.; Emam, M. & Hallinger, P. (2018). Assessing the contribution of principal instructional leadership and collective teacher efficacy to teacher commitment in Oman, Teaching and Teacher Education, 69 (2018) 191-201.
  5. ALNabhani, M. (2007). Developing the Education System in the Sultanate of Oman through Implementing Total Quality Management: the Ministry of Education Central Headquarters - a case study, Unpublished PhD, University of Glasgow.
  6. Alnahdi, G. (2014). Educational Change in Saudi Arabia, Journal of International Education Research, 10(1), 1-6.
  7. Al-Taneiji, S., & McLeod, L. (2008). Towards decentralized management in United Arab Emirate (UAE) schools, School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 19(3), 275-291.
  8. Altrichter, H. (2000). Introduction, Images of educational change. (Eds: Altrichter, H. ve Elliot, J.). Buckingham: Open University Press.
  9. Bareil, C., Savoie, A., & Meunier, S. (2007). Patterns of discomfort with organizational change, Journal of Change Management, 7(1), 13-24.
  10. Beycioglu, K. & Aslan, M. (2010). Change and innovation as main dynamics in school development: administrators and teachers’ roles, Yuziincu Ytl University Journal o f the Faculty o f Education, 7 (1), 153-173.
  11. Blackman, D., O’Flynn, J. & Ugyel, L. (2013). A Diagnostic Tool for Assessing Organizational Readiness for Complex Change, paper presented to the Australian & New Zealand Academy of Management conference, Hobart, 4-6 December.
  12. Coetzee, M. & Chetty, P. (2015). Job stress and attitudes toward change: the mediating effect of psychological attachment, Journal of Psychology in Africa, 25(6), 528-536.
  13. Cooner, D., Quinn, R., Dickmann, E. (2008). Becoming a School Leader: Voices of Transformation from Principal Interns, Int. Elect. J. Leadership Learning. 12(7):1-11.
  14. Dearing, R. (2001). The Idea of the University in 21st Century, Paper Presented at the University of the 21st Century: An International Conference, Muscat, 17-19 March, 29-42.
  15. Demirtas, H. (2012). Primary schools' openness to change. Elementary Educ. Online. 77(1):18-34.
  16. Devos, G., Buelens, M., & Bouckenooghe, D. (2007). The contribution of content, context, and process in understanding openness to organizational change: Two experimental simulation studies, Journal of Social Psychology, 147(6), 607-629.
  17. Elmore, R. (2004). School Reform from the Inside Out: Policy, Practice, and Performance, Cambridge, Mass: Harvard Education Press.
  18. Fullan, M. & Suzanne, S. (1992). The new meaning of educational change, London: Casell Education Ltd.
  19. Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  20. Fullan, M., & Hargreaves, A. (1996). What's worth fighting for in your school? NY: Teachers College Press.
  21. Geisinger, K. (2003). Testing and assessment in cross-cultural psychology, In J. R. Graham, & J. A. Naglieri (Eds.), Handbook of psychology (Vol. 10, pp. 95–117). Hobken, NJ: Wiley.
  22. Ghavifekr, S., Afshari, M., Saedah, S., & Ahmad, Z. (2013). Vision- Driven Strategies and Policies for Managing Educational Systemic Change: A Qualitative Analysis, Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 7(4), 333-341.
  23. Griffith, S. (2010). Transformational leadership and change readiness using assessments for near–term prescriptive organizational intervention, Unpublished PhD dissertation,  Indiana Wesleyan University, UMI No: 3434003
  24. Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B. & Anderson, R. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis: A Global Perspective, 7th Edition, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River.
  25. Hallinger, P. (2004). Meeting the challenges of cultural leadership: The changing role of principals in Thailand, Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 25(1), 61-73.
  26. Hamad, O., & Al-Ani,W. (2016). School improvement in Oman: Perceptions and practices. Journal of Educational Research and Review, 4(1), 1-5.
  27. Hamzah, D., Ibrahim, M.; Ghavifekr, S. (2018). Change orientation and organizational climate: experience from Malaysian primary schools, Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 6(2),83-109.
  28. Hargreaves, A. (2000). Editor-in-chief's introduction representing educational change, Journal of Educational Change, 1(1), 1-3.
  29. Hargreaves, A. (2002). Sustainability of educational change: The role of social geographies. Journal of Educational Change, 3(3), 189-214.
  30. Hargreaves, A. (2004). Inclusive and exclusive educational change: Emotional responses of teachers and implications for leadership, School Leadership and Management, 24(2), 287-309.
  31. Hargreaves, A. (2005). Educational change take ages: life, career and generational factors in teachers’ emotional response to educational change, Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(8), 967-983.
  32. Harris, A. (2001). Building capacity for school improvement, School Leadership and Management, 21(3), 261-270.
  33. Harris, A. (2006). Leading change in schools in difficulty, Journal of Educational Change, 7(1-2), 9-18.
  34. Hayes, J. (2014). The Theory and Practice of Change Management (4th Edition), Basingstoke: New York.
  35. Hoşgörür, V. (2016). Views of primary school administrators on change in schools and change management practices, Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 16, 2029–2055.
  36. Ibrahim, A., Al-Kaabi, A., & El-Zaatari, W. (2013). Teacher resistance to educational change in the United Arab Emirates, International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 2(3), 25-36.
  37. Jamil, A. (2001). Culture of Change Among Teachers in Schools: An Evaluation, unpublished PhD thesis. National University of Malaysia.
  38. Kareem, O. A., & Kin, T. M. (2018). Attitudes toward Change: A Comparison Between Senior Assistants and Teachers in Malaysian Secondary Schools, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(1), 249–265.
  39. Konakli, T. (2014). Schools' Openness to Change According to Teachers' Views: A Sample of Turkey/Kocaeli, Education, 135(1), 69-78.
  40. Kotter, J. ( 2012). Leading change, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
  41. Küçüksüleymanoğlu and Terzioğlu (2017). Secondary school teachers’ perceptions on their school's openness to change, Educational Research and Reviews, 12(15), 732-743.
  42. Liu, Y. (2010).When change leadership impacts commitment to change and when it doesn’t: A multi-dimensional investigation, Doctoral Dissertation, George Institute of Technology, USA.
  43. Ministry of Education (2002). The Annual Report for Professional Development, Oman: MOE.
  44. Ministry of Education (2008, November). National report on education development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Report submitted to 48th Session Education International Conference, Geneva.
  45. Mitchell, A. & Shoho, A. (2017). High School Teachers Perceptions of School Change and Its Implications for Student Achievement, Leadership and Policy in Schools, 16(3), 431-454.
  46. Oreg, S. (2003). Resistance to change: Developing an individual differences measure, Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), 680-693.
  47. Portin, B., Alejano, C., Knapp, M., & Marzolf, E. (2006). Redefining roles, responsibilities, and authority of school leaders, Master's thesis, Seattle, WA: University of Washington.
  48. Smith, P. & Hoy, W. (2007). Faculty Change Orientation Scale. Unpublished Manuscript. Retrieved from: https://www.waynekhoy.com/change-scale/
  49. Sywelem, M. & Witte, J. (2013). Continuing Professional Development: Perceptions of Elementary School Teachers in Saudi Arabia, Journal of Modern Education Review, 3(12), 881–898.
  50. Tang, S., Lu, J., & Hallinger, P. (2014). Leading school change in China: a review of related literature and preliminary investigation, International Journal of Educational Management, 28(6), 655-675.
  51. Tasdan, M. (2013). Developing personal and professional openness to change scales for primary school teachers: An application, Akademik Bakış Dergisi. 35:1-20.
  52. Thomas, B. (2003). Innovation support networks and SMEs in industrial South Wales, International Journal of Applied Management Studies, 1(2), 15-27.
  53. Vakola, M. & Nikolaou, I. (2006). Attitudes toward organizational change: What is the role of employees, stress and commitment? Employee Relations, 27(2), 160-174.
  54. Vrabcová, D. (2015). Teachers´ and Teacher Educators 'Attitudes to Educational Changes: an Insight to the Czech Educational System, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 171 ( 2015 ) 472 – 481.
  55. Wallace, M. (2004). Orchestrating the complex educational change: Local reorganization of schools in England, Journal of Educational Change, 5(1), 57-78.
  56. Yilmaz, D. (2010). Investigating the relationship between teachers' sense of efficacy and perceived openness to change at primary and secondary level public schools, Master's Thesis, Middle East Technical University, Ankara: Turkey.
  57. Zimmerman, J. (2006). Why some teachers resist change and what principals can do about it, NASSP Bulletin, 90(3), 238-249.
bottom of page