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Title: Reflective Practice for Elevating Higher Education: Voices from Oman

Reflective Practice for Elevating Higher Education: Voices from Oman

by Peter Mitchell (Volume editor) Saleh Al-Busaidi (Volume editor)
©2026 Edited Collection 248 Pages
Education
Series: Higher Education Research and Policy, Volume 12

Summary

This edited volume explores reflective practice in higher education from multiple perspectives in a common context: Oman's national higher education system. The authors of the chapters address how higher education institutions can create opportunities for academic staff to engage in reflective practice, leading to gradual shifts in their pedagogical awareness and behavior in class; how reflective practice supports professional development; how teaching observation practices can create a culture of improvement and excellence in teaching and learning; how reflective practitioners can effect institutional change; promotion of reflective practice among students and the resulting benefits; enhancement of student academic support; and the promising intersection between reflective practice and AI tools for professional development. The case studies detailed by the authors show how reflective practice can be successfully implemented for the benefit of diverse stakeholders across higher education.
"Reflective Practice for Elevating Higher Education: Voices from Oman offers a rare and deeply insightful exploration of reflective practice grounded in the unique context of Oman's higher education system. What makes this volume especially valuable is its rich combination of personal narratives, empirical studies, and practical frameworks that address not only teacher education but also professional development, quality assurance, and the emerging challenges of AI in higher education. The inclusion of the voices of administrators, policymakers, and educators creates a multifaceted perspective that will resonate well beyond Oman's borders."
Hayo Reinders, Senior Professor of TESOL and Director of Research, Anaheim University

Table Of Contents

  • Cover
  • Title Page
  • Copyright Page
  • Table of Contents
  • List of Figures
  • List of Tables
  • Foreword (Her Excellency Prof. Rahma Al Mahrooqi)
  • Editors’ Introduction (Peter Mitchell and Saleh Al-Busaidi)
  • PART I Reflective Practice Through the Lens of Teacher Education
  • Reflections on Reflective Practice for Teacher Education (Peter Mitchell)
  • Introduction
  • Issues in Practice
  • Teacher Beliefs
  • Teacher Knowledge
  • Teacher Education
  • Reflection in Teacher Education
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Reflective Practices in the InTASC Standards (Sharifa S. Al-Rawahi and Sulaiman M. Al-Balushi)
  • Introduction
  • Reflective Practices and Teacher Education Programs
  • The Importance of Standards in Teacher Education Programs
  • International Accreditation of the Teacher Education Program at SQU
  • InTASC Standards in the Teacher Education Program at SQU
  • InTASC Standards Document
  • Analysis of Reflective Practices in the InTASC Document
  • Methodology
  • Analysis Procedures
  • Findings
  • Theme One: The Concept of Reflection
  • Analysis
  • Improvement and Development
  • Deep Understanding
  • Theme Two: The Importance of Reflection
  • Theme Three: Reflection as a Practice
  • Characteristics of Reflection as a Practice
  • Problem-Solving
  • Active Participation
  • Individual and Group Reflective Practice
  • Self-assessment
  • Decision Making
  • Types of Reflection
  • Technical Reflection
  • Practical Reflection
  • First: The Procedural Aspect of Practical Reflection
  • Second: The Cognitive Aspect of Practical Reflection
  • Critical Reflection
  • Theme Four: Employing Reflection in Teaching as a Concept and Practice
  • Characteristics of the Reflective Teacher
  • Continuous Analysis and Evaluation of Her Practices
  • Open-mindedness
  • Self-directed and Independent
  • Responsibility
  • Feedback
  • Theme Five: Evaluative Reflective Practices
  • Conclusions, Recommendations and Limitations
  • References
  • Reflective Teaching Practices of Omani Pre-service Teachers: The Status Quo and Enhancement Mechanisms (Mohamed Abdelraouf Attia Elsayed)
  • Introduction
  • Literature Review
  • Methodology
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • PART II Reflective Practice for Continuing Professional Development and Quality Assurance
  • Reshaping Teacher Beliefs (Brian Poole)
  • Introduction
  • Context
  • Selective Literature Review
  • Methods
  • Findings
  • Possible Ways Forward
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Appendix: Categorization of the Data
  • Observation of Teaching and Reflective Practices for Sustainable Enhancement of Teaching Quality in Higher Education (Sulaiman Al Hasani)
  • Introduction
  • Definition and Significance of Teaching Observation
  • Peer Observation of Teaching and Reflective Practices in Education
  • Methodologies of Peer Observation of Teaching
  • Best Practices for Implementing Effective Teaching Observations
  • GCET: An Example of Teaching Observation and Reflective Practice
  • Essential Policy Frameworks for Teaching Observations
  • Engaging Stakeholders in Teaching Observations
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • A Reflective Journey to Professional Development: Advance HE Fellowship Experience (Mohammed Siddique)
  • Introduction
  • Reflective and Professional Practices
  • UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF)
  • Account of Professional Practices
  • Leadership, Management and Organizational Roles
  • Evaluation of Academic Practices
  • Case Study 1: Monitoring and Structured Deployment of Periodic Review of Existing and New Academic Programs/Pathways
  • Context
  • Initiatives and Approach
  • Achievements and Implications
  • Case Study 2: Integration of IoT Functionalities and Simulations with Cisco® Packet Tracer into a Networking Program
  • Context
  • Initiatives and Approach
  • Achievements and Implications
  • Characteristics of a Reflective Practitioner
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • PART III Reflective Practice in the Context of New Challenges and Opportunities Connected with Artificial Intelligence
  • Human Minds, AI Hands: Reflections on Using AI in Academic Research (Mohamed Salah El Din)
  • Introduction
  • Barriers, Challenges and Limitations of Using AI in Academic Research
  • Ethical and Legal Concerns
  • Technological Constraints
  • Cognitive and Socio-cultural Impacts
  • Socio-economic Effects
  • Access and Representation
  • Ethical use in Academic Research
  • Brainstorming
  • Conducting a Literature Review
  • Writing a Research Methodology Section
  • Conducting Data Analysis
  • Conducting a Peer Review
  • Support in Academic Writing
  • Future Prospects of using GAI in Academic Research
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • The Impact of a Reflective Professional Development Program on Omani Teachers’ Utilisation and Attitude Towards Artificial Intelligence Tools (Shams Salim Al Zakwani)
  • Introduction
  • Literature Review
  • Methodology
  • Research Design
  • Analysis and Identification of the Research Problem
  • Design and Development of the Professional Development Program
  • Evaluation and Refinement
  • Questionnaire
  • Semi-structured Interviews
  • Findings
  • The Impact of Reflective Professional Development Intervention on Omani Teachers’ Utilization of AI Tools
  • The Impact of Reflective Professional Development Intervention on Omani Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Utilization of AI Tools
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • PART IV Reflective Practice for Student Support
  • Integrating Technology in English Language Teaching: Challenges and Opportunities (Ahmed Al Rahbi, Iman Al-Khalidi, Salwa Al Anqoodi and Iman Al Hajri)
  • Introduction
  • Literature Review
  • Introduction
  • Theories of Technology Adoption in Education
  • Opportunities in Technology Integration in ELT
  • Benefits of Integrating Technology in Classrooms
  • Challenges of Integrating Technology in Classrooms
  • Strategies for Effective Technology Integration
  • Research Design
  • Methods of Data Collection
  • Sample
  • Data Analysis
  • Findings
  • Quantitative Findings
  • Technological Tools Used for Student Academic Support in the FP at UoN
  • Qualitative Findings
  • The Challenges of Implementing Technology-based Support Systems in the FP at UoN
  • Recommendations for Improving Technology Employment in EFL Teaching
  • Discussion of Findings
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Enhancing L2 Learners’ Awareness of Teacher’s Corrective Feedback in Language Classrooms through Reflective Journal Writing (Ehsan Rassaei)
  • Introduction
  • CF and L2 Development
  • Journal Writing and Learners’ Reflection
  • The Study
  • Participants
  • Target Forms
  • Data Collection Procedure
  • Learners’ Reflection
  • Measuring Learners’ Perceptions of Recasts
  • Analysis
  • Results
  • Discussion and Conclusion
  • References
  • Afterword: Reflective Practice and Beyond (Peter I. De Costa)
  • References
  • Contributors

Table of Contents

Foreword

Her Excellency Prof. Rahma Al Mahrooqi

Editors’ Introduction

Peter Mitchell and Saleh Al-Busaidi

PART I Reflective Practice Through the Lens of Teacher Education

Reflections on Reflective Practice for Teacher Education

Peter Mitchell

Reflective Practices in the InTASC Standards

Sharifa S. Al-Rawahi and Sulaiman M. Al-Balushi

Reflective Teaching Practices of Omani Pre-service Teachers: The Status Quo and Enhancement Mechanisms

Mohamed Abdelraouf Attia Elsayed

PART II Reflective Practice for Continuing Professional Development and Quality Assurance

Reshaping Teacher Beliefs

Brian Poole

Observation of Teaching and Reflective Practices for Sustainable Enhancement of Teaching Quality in Higher Education

Sulaiman Al Hasani

A Reflective Journey to Professional Development: Advance HE Fellowship Experience

Mohammed Siddique

PART III Reflective Practice in the Context of New Challenges and Opportunities Connected with Artificial Intelligence

Human Minds, AI Hands: Reflections on Using AI in Academic Research

Mohamed Salah El Din

The Impact of a Reflective Professional Development Program on Omani Teachers’ Utilisation and Attitude Towards Artificial Intelligence Tools

Shams Salim Al Zakwani

PART IV Reflective Practice for Student Support

Integrating Technology in English Language Teaching: Challenges and Opportunities

Ahmed Al Rahbi, Iman Al-Khalidi, Salwa Al Anqoodi and Iman Al Hajri

Enhancing L2 Learners’ Awareness of Teacher’s Corrective Feedback in Language Classrooms through Reflective Journal Writing

Ehsan Rassaei

Afterword: Reflective Practice and Beyond

Peter I. De Costa

Contributors

List of Figures

Figure 2.1: Summary of Reflective Practices in the InTASC Standards Document

Figure 3.1: The Level of RTPs Questionnaire Dimensions

Figure 5.1: The Process of Peer Observation of Teaching (POT)

Figure 6.1: UK Professional Standards Framework

Figure 6.2: Characteristics of a Reflective Practitioner

Figure 7.1: Barriers, Challenges and Limitations of AI in Academic Research

List of Tables

Table 3.1: Characteristics of the Questionnaire Respondents

Table 3.2: Pearson Correlation and Cronbach’s Alpha

Table 3.3: The Extent of Means and Percentages of the Likert Scale

Table 3.4: Means, Standard Deviations, and Percentages of the Sample Responses

Table 3.5: The Statistical Differences on the RTPs Questionnaire

Table 8.1: Descriptive Statistics for the Questionnaire Dimensions

Table 9.1: Technological Tools Used for Student Academic Support in the FP at UoN

Table 9.2: Video Conferencing Tools Used Among Teachers

Table 9.3: Social Media Platform Usage Distribution

Table 9.4: Benefits of Implementing Technology-Based Support Systems in the FP at UoN

Table 9.5: Cambridge One Activities Usage

Table 9.6: Teachers’ Awareness of Cambridge One Usage

Table 9.7: Effectiveness of Cambridge One

Table 9.8: The Use of Presentation Plus

Table 9.9: Effectiveness of Presentation Plus

Table 9.10: The Usefulness of Presentation Plus in enhancing English language instruction

Table 9.11: The Usage of Moodle

Table 9.12: The Effectiveness of Moodle in Enhancing English Language Proficiency

Table 9.13: The Role of Moodle in Student Engagement

Table 10.1: Learners’ Perceptions of Recasts

Foreword

Her Excellency Prof. Rahma Al Mahrooqi

Minister of Higher Education, Research & Innovation, Sultanate of Oman

Details

Pages
248
Publication Year
2026
ISBN (PDF)
9783631926420
ISBN (ePUB)
9783631943106
ISBN (Hardcover)
9783631926413
DOI
10.3726/b23183
Language
English
Publication date
2026 (January)
Keywords
Higher education Reflective practice Teacher education Professional development
Published
Berlin, Bruxelles, Chennai, Lausanne, New York, Oxford, 2026. 248 pp., 6 fig. b/w, 21 tables.
Product Safety
Peter Lang Group AG

Biographical notes

Peter Mitchell (Volume editor) Saleh Al-Busaidi (Volume editor)

Peter Mitchell is Head of the Faculty of English Language Studies and Associate Professor at Majan University College. He earned his BA in liberal arts from Durham University, MSc in teacher education from the University of Oxford, and doctorate in education from the University of Derby. His research focuses on teacher education and institutional development. Saleh Al-Busaidi is Dean and Professor of TEFL at the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University. He received a BA in TEFL at SQU, MA at the University of Exeter, and PhD in curriculum studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on learner autonomy, materials development, study skills, and language acquisition.

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Title: Reflective Practice for Elevating Higher Education: Voices from Oman