الملخص الإنجليزي
E-training is one of the achievements of the Information Society in our modern age, an
achievement that has increased with changes in the information and communication technologies
in different fields of life. E-training witnessed a boom in use during the spread of the COVID-19
pandemic, as a result of imposing physical distancing measures on individuals and resorting to the
use of modern technical devices and multiple communication networks in providing services to all
institutions and sectors as a sole means until the health crisis finally faded.
E-training in social work is a new trend that is compatible with the requirements of the modern
age. It requires bridging the digital gap for social workers in practicing their profession in various
fields, including the field of education that requires the social workers to be constantly aware of,
and to update the professional and technical knowledge, skills and values, so that they manage to
deal with different educational formats in their work environments. From this point of view, this
study sought to identify the reality of distance training in developing the professional performance
of social workers who are working in public schools, by acknowledging the justifications,
requirements and challenges of using distance training in developing the professional performance
of social workers. Building upon the above, the present study sought to learn about the reality of
e-training in the professional development of public school social workers in the Governorate of
Muscat, beside the justifications, requirements and challenges in its use.
This is a descriptive analytical study. It followed a total social survey approach in dealing
with the public school social workers in the Governorate of Muscat Governorate and the social
counselling supervisors in the Directorate General of Education in Muscat. In collecting the
required primary data, it used an electronic questionnaire for social workers and an interview guide
for social counselling supervisors.
The study reached a set of findings related to the justification for using e-training in the
professional development of the social workers, most notably: the appointment of large numbers
of trainees, seeking help from local and international experts and specialists in the profession of
social work, and the low effort, cost and time consumed in the programs. As for the requirements
for the use of e-training for the social workers, the findings that there are knowledge-related
requirements (75%), value-related requirements (86%), skill-related requirements (76%), and
technology-related requirements (75%). The main challenges hindering the participation of social
workers in e-training programs were as follows: the difficulty of enrolling in these courses during
the working hours, the heavy job burdens, the poor quality of the available communication
services, and the lack of material and moral incentives for trainees and trainers.
To activate the e-training in the professional development of social workers, the study
provided a number of suggestions. The most important of which are: to reduce job burdens on the
social workers, to create an electronic platform for training in social work, to increase material and
moral incentives for trainees and trainers, and to seek help from local and international experts and
specialists in the social work profession. The study presented a proposal of an electronic platform
for the training of social workers, which is compatible with the new trends, targeting the
dissemination of a digital professional culture and the overcoming of challenges that the social
workers face in the field of school education.
