Making a Case for New Directions in English Language Teaching Research at an Omani University: A Critical Qualitative Content Analysis Report

Authors

Ali S. M. Al-Issa, Sultan Qaboos UniversityFollow

Abstract

Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has been the sole English Language Teaching (ELT) research enterprise in the Sultanate of Oman through the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Methods of Teaching English degree program it launched in the early 1990s. Eighty-two theses have been completed so far about topics pertinent to ELT in the Sultanate of Oman. However, a review of those theses has shown that the discussion of these topics lacks a critical dimension that can advance Omani ELT at the micro and macro levels. This critical qualitative study, therefore, sets out to make a case for new directions in ELT research at the M.Ed. in ELT program at SQU. The discussion should lead to better understanding of the multiple ELT problems in the Sultanate of Oman and have implications for other similar contexts.

Keywords

Sultan Qaboos University, English Language Teaching, Master of Education, Research, Theses, Critical Discourse Analysis, Qualitative Content Analysis

Author Bio(s)

Ali Al-Issa is an Associate Professor of TESOL. He obtained his Master of Arts in Education (TESOL) from University of London, UK, and his Ph.D. from University of Queensland, Australia. Ali has teaching experience for over 30 years in general and higher education. He also worked as a teacher trainer for several years in Oman. Ali is a recipient of 2008 International Alumnus of the Year Award Highly Commended Nominee from University of Queensland in 2008. He also received the Distinguished Researcher Award in 2009 and 2015 and the Best Teacher Award in 2012 from Sultan Qaboos University. Ali has published and presented widely about ELT in Oman. Ali is currently the most widely cited Omani TESOL researcher. His research interests include language education, teacher education, and ELT research. He is a member of the editorial, advisory, and review board of several international peer-reviewed journals. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: Dr. Ali Al-Issa at, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, P.O. Box 3058, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman; E-mail: ali2465@squ.edu.om or dralialissa@yahoo.com; Phone: (+968) 99320225.

Publication Date

5-11-2015

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2131

Recommended APA Citation

Al-Issa, A. S. (2015). Making a Case for New Directions in English Language Teaching Research at an Omani University: A Critical Qualitative Content Analysis Report. The Qualitative Report, 20(5), 560-595. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2131