English abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate Omani EFL teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of participating in a community of practice (COP) in technology integration. The study aimed to identify teachers' perceptions regarding their experience in the COP. A mixed method approach was utilized in the study to collect data from a group of 11 female teachers from Al-Sharqyia North Governorate. Quantitative data was collected using a pre- and post -technology integration survey and a self-assessment checklist and analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Qualitative data was collected using reflective journals and a focus group interview and analyzed by Framework Analysis.
The data analysis revealed that teachers' participation in the technology integration COP helped promote their effective technology integration. It positively affected their attitudes, skills and practice regarding the use of technology, and helped them overcome the problems they face when integrating technology. Regarding their perceptions of the experience, participant teachers showed excitement and enthusiasm. They admitted the vital role of CoPs as a means to their effective professional development. Additionally, the participants indicated the promising future for incorporating CoPs in the Omani educational system and offered some suggestions to improve them. Despite their positive views of Cops, teachers faced some challenges related to time constraints and measurement of the CoP activities. The study recommends joint efforts from the policymakers and teachers to effectively incorporate CoPs in the professional development of Omani EFL teachers. It also recommends conducting a wide needs analysis for Omani EFL teachers and designing a clear vision for their professional development that is based on top-down and bottom-up approaches. Teachers have to take the lead in their professional learning to improve themselves and their students. The study suggested some further research to be conducted to study the effectiveness of CoPs among different groups of teachers. Studies should cover various CoPs with various domains that are relevant to the Omani ELT context like teaching strategies and students' learning difficulties.
