Readiness for e-learning at private schools weak: Students

A research project titled ‘E-learning in Private Schools in the Sultanate of Oman During COVID-19 Pandemic: Readiness and Development Requirements’, which was conducted by a team from Sultan Qaboos University and the Ministry of Education investigated the readiness and development requirements of e-learning at private schools in Oman.

Using a sample of 2,292 individuals from 43 private schools from most of the governorates in Oman, including 43 school principals, 438 teachers, 963 students, and 848 parents, the project’s main findings revolved around the readiness and development requirements of the elearning system.

In terms of readiness, school principals believe that the level of readiness is very good (ready), teachers see it as good (needs support), while students and parents see it as weak (not ready).

Indicators of readiness when it comes to infrastructure include owning appropriate smart devices that support e-learning (a personal computer or tablet), obtaining technical support when needed, having a clear school plan to implement elearning, availability of training workshops for educational purposes at schools, as well as schools’ commitment to the rules and regulations governing e-learning that are issued by the Ministry of Education.

“As for the most prominent requirements of e-learning skills, school professionals have been trained on using e-learning platforms and managing electronic chat rooms, using computers and their applications, managing e-learning content, and a mechanism for protecting children from Internet risks, especially cyberblackmailing and information security,” Prof Ali Mahdi Kazem, principal investigator of the research project, said.

The main objectives of the study are to monitor the challenges that hinder the transformation of education from the traditional mode to e-learning from the perspective of the school administration, teachers, students and their parents; identify the requirements for developing e-learning in the current crisis; develop plans in accordance to the current conditions by educational institutions to switch to e-learning, and know the extent of the beneficiaries' satisfaction with the e-learning service provided by private schools in Oman.