English abstract
The present study is a descriptive analytic study which employed a mixed methods research design. The study aimed at assessing the extent to which exit-level FPEL students have achieved the study skills learning outcomes stated in the Omani Authority for Academic Accreditation (OAAA) General Foundation Program Standards Document (2008). Besides, the study aimed at investigating whether there were any significant differences in the achievement of these learning outcomes between humanities colleges and science colleges. It also intended to compare students' self-assessment of their study skills and the foundation teachers' and college faculty members' assessment of these skills.
The population of the study included all students at the exit-level in the Foundation Programme English Language (FPEL), all the exit-level FPEL teachers and all faculty members teaching courses that required students to pass level six of the FPEL during Spring 2017. The foundation students sample consisted of 301 students: 158 students from science colleges and 143 students from humanities colleges. The sample also included 55 foundation teachers and 157 faculty members. In addition, the study sample involved a content analysis of students' work. For that, two FPEL exit-level sections were selected using volunteer sampling.
Two instruments were used to collect the data to answer the research questions. The first instrument was a three-version study skills questionnaire that targeted the three groups of participants (foundation students, foundation teachers and college faculty members). The second instrument was three sets of rubrics that were used for the content analysis of students' portfolios, writing projects and presentations. The data collected from these instruments were analyzed using SPSS. The analysis included descriptive statistics to answer the first research question, independent t-tests to compare between humanities and science colleges and one-way ANOVA tests to compare between the perceptions of the foundation students, foundation teachers and faculty members.
Findings revealed that the foundation students perceived themselves to have highly achieved the study skills learning outcomes related to time management skills and presentation skills. As for note taking skills and research skills, data from students' questionnaire revealed a moderate achievement of the learning outcomes within these two categories. On the other hand, both the foundation teachers and faculty members reported that students have moderately achieved the learning outcomes that are connected to time management skills, note taking skills and research skills. A high achievement of presentation skills learning outcomes was reported by these two groups of participants.
In addition, both the foundation teachers and students reported no significant differences between humanities and science colleges with regards to study skills across all four categories. However, significant differences between the humanities and science colleges across all study skills categories were reported from the faculty members' questionnaires. In addition, the data from the content analysis revealed significant differences between humanities and science colleges with respect to research skills and presentation skills.
Moreover, one way ANOVA tests revealed no significant differences between the perceptions of the students, foundation teachers and faculty members with regards to presentation skills. Nevertheless, significant differences were reported between the perceptions of the foundation students and foundation teachers, and between the perceptions of the foundation students and faculty members with respect to time management, note taking and research skills. Findings also revealed no significant differences between the perceptions of foundation teachers and the faculty members
In the light of the findings, the researcher suggested that more attention should be given to the development of time management and accepting responsibility skills, research skills and note-taking skills among SQU students during the foundation program. Additionally, it was suggested that some forms of study skills training should be introduced.
ool level. For further research, the researcher recommended investigating the reasons behind foundation students' moderate achievement in the time management and accepting responsibility skills, research skills and note-taking skills. Besides, the reasons for the differences in the level of study skills between science colleges students and humanities colleges students can be investigated.
