Teacher Professionalism in Omani Schools: Qualitative Insights from the ELT Context

Abstract

The present study sought to examine teachers’ perceptions of professionalism in the context of English language teaching (ELT) in Oman, using a model of professionalism as a guiding framework. Adopting a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers working in Cycle 2 (grades 5–10) and Post-Basic (grades 11–12) schools situated in two governorates in Oman. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted to identify the themes emerging in relation to the study’s objective. The findings showed that teachers’ perceptions of professionalism extend across three domains: the individual, the interpersonal, and the institutional/societal domains. Additionally, three intertwined primary themes were identified: teacher holistic mastery as an educator, teacher agency for change, and teacher empowerment. Specifically, teacher holistic mastery entails teacher pedagogical competence and effective professional relationships; teacher agency for change entails the improvement of one’s self and others; and teacher empowerment entails societal and institutional empowerment. In light of these findings, this study provides implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.