English abstract
The aim of the study is to research the practices of educational supervisors related to the dimensions of Professional Learning Communities, and to unveil the challenges they face in building and leading said communities, leading up to placing a concept proposal for the development of educational supervisors' practices in Oman, in light of the dimensions of Professional Learning Communities.
To achieve the goals of this study, a descriptive, qualitative method was used, through the deployment of two data collection and analysis tools, so as to reach more in-depth results. Indicators of the availability of the four dimensions of the professional learning communities identified by the study were revealed, namely: A Common Vision, Focusing on Learning, a Culture of Synergy, and Focusing on Results through the design of a Content Analysis Card, which included the analyses of 20 annual plans - selected at random - for the educational supervisors. Furthermore, collective interviews were conducted for 23 of the educational supervisors who partook in the implementation of Professional Learning Communities in Omani public schools, in the South Al-Batinah and Ad-Dhahira governorates.
The results of the study showed low indicators for the practices of educational supervisors related to the Common Vision dimension, while dimensions related to Focusing on Learning a Culture of Synergy and Focusing on Results scored medium indicators. The study was able to pinpoint a number of challenges which educational supervisors encounter in building Professional Learning Communities, whereas Changing Convictions and Lack of Awareness to the importance of Professional Learning Communities seemed to be the most common challenges, according to the participants in the study.
Based on these results, the study presented a concept proposal for the development of educational supervisors' practices in light of the dimensions of Professional Learning Communities. It also gave a number of recommendations which will hopefully contribute to the development of the practices of education supervisors, such as the need to adopt a clear philosophy to develop the practices of educational supervisors in light of the dimensions of Professional Learning Communities, and to publish an instructional guide to implement Professional Learning Communities. The study concluded with the proposal of a number of subsequent studies that could be undertook by researchers in the future.
