Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Holi Ibrahim Holi Ali; Zulaikha Al-Saadi; Sergio Saleem Scatolini

doi:10.1177/21582440221113831

Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ali, Holi Ibrahim Holi; Al-Saadi, Zulaikha; Scatolini, Sergio Saleem 2022-07-25 00:00:00 This study seeks to contribute to the incipient pool of research on graduate attributes (GAs) by reporting on a study of the GAs of Omani English language teacher (ELT) education programs and the role being played in this area by the Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education (OAAAQA), formerly known as Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA). The study was qualitative and examined stakeholders’ perspectives and aspirations concerning the graduate attributes used in English language teacher education programs in Oman during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data for the study was generated by (1) reviewing the pertinent literature, including OAAA’s documents and reports, and (2) interviewing online seven experts and practitioners from ELT programs in Oman. The findings reveal that the participants have diverse views of the GAs. Additionally, higher education institutions (or HEIs) encountered several common challenges with the mapping, actualizing, teaching, and assessing of GAs. Moreover, the existing GAs still need to be reviewed to fit the dynamic requirements of the labor market. The findings of the study have the potential to guide and support English teacher education providers in Oman in developing, reviewing, aligning, and mapping their GAs more effectively and impactfully. Keywords conceptualizing, COVID-19, English language teacher education Graduates attributes, Oman, QA perspective, programs in their programs (Al Hinai et al., 2020; Belwal et al., 2017; Introduction Bitzer & Withering, 2020; Gurukkal, 2019; Hill et al., 2016; The focus on education policies and curriculum studies has Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). This develop- shifted from the content of education to its outcome; as a ment has given rise to several issues concerning the conceptu- result, the students have become a college’s product alization, teaching, and assessment of GAs, for instance, (El-Saharty et al., 2020; Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Matu & questions about the efficiency of GAs to accommodate global Paik, 2021; Scott & Willison, 2021). Consequently, institu- changes. It has also transpired that HEIs have at times been tions are now practically mandated by quality assurance rather “casual” about GAs, not only in Oman, where the cur- authorities to fine-tune their processes and operations (the rent study took place, but also elsewhere as if GAs were a means) in light of their desired output (the end), which is none mere administrative matter rather than an academic one poten- other than their graduates (Scott & Willison, 2021). tially bearing upon the very design, implementation and evalu- Consequently, “graduate attributes” (GAs) can no longer be ation of the curriculum, the resources allocated to it, and the left out of the planning. Graduates must now be able to dem- needs of the pertinent stakeholders (Matu & Paik, 2021; Scott onstrate that they have acquired attributes such as a life-long & Willison, 2021). learning attitude and aptitude, an innovative thrust, and employment skills. No doubt including GAs as an integral part University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Rustaq College of of Higher Education (HE) has the potential to prepare gradu- Education, Oman ates to acquire the necessary personal and professional skills Corresponding Author: needed for employment. Higher education institutions (HEIs) Zulaikha Al-Saadi, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Rustaq have accepted and responded to this expectation both by defin- College of Education, P.O Box: 10 PC: 329, Oman. Email: zulaikha_alsaadi.rus@cas.edu.om ing a list of desired GAs and requiring that these be embedded Creative Commons CC BY: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). 2 SAGE Open The overall goal of the higher education system is to offer attributed the high unemployment rate among individuals the nation qualified graduates who are ready to enter the under the age of 30 to the graduates’ skills gap (Al Hinai workforce with the necessary skills and competencies that et al., 2020; Al-Mahrooqi & Denman, 2018; Belwal et al., meet the needs of the 21st century. However, employers’ 2017). For instance, several researchers reported that Omani concerns about the current HEIs’ ability to adequately pre- graduates’ ability to obtain suitable jobs was impeded by pare their students to cope with today’s rapidly changing their limited English language abilities (Al-Issa, 2007, 2014; world are widely reported in the literature. For example, Al-Lamki, 2009; Al-Mahrooqi & Denman, 2016; Alrawas, Mansingh and Reddy (2021), in their systematic review 2014). Belwal et al. (2017) suggested that HEIs in Oman are study that provided literature about GAs for job employabil- unable to develop their graduates’ attributes. Their study ity, indicated that there is a mismatch between workplace concluded that the insufficient communication between needs and higher education output in South African higher HEIs, alumni, and employers in Oman had hampered the education settings. The authors encouraged HEIs to consider development of the needed attributes among graduates. preparing students for a competitive South African job mar- Therefore, it is highly important for the HEIs to effectively ket as well as making them employable internationally as develop and implement their academic programs to match the organizations are adopting modern technological tools for world’s widely recognized vocational requirements for the their recruitment and selection procedures (Mansingh & future job prospects of their graduates. They need to raise Reddy, 2021). Similarly, research on GAs reveals that, while their students’ knowledge and awareness of such require- universities in Australia and the United Kingdom excel at ments, encouraging them to develop their abilities and teaching content-related knowledge, their graduates lack the become increasingly open and aware of the labor market’s practical skills required by the industry (Jackson, 2012). needs and trends (Al Hinai et al., 2020; Al-Mahrooqi & Since 1970, the higher education system has grown sig- Denman, 2018; Belwal et al., 2017). Holmes et al. (2018) in nificantly in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of both student their study of GAs among engineering students concluded and institution numbers. As a result, significant efforts have that graduates’ employability skills improve considerably been made and resources invested in creating high-quality when effective approaches integrate academic programs with HEIs that can produce graduates that meet the labor market’s technical industry skills (Holmes et al., 2018). This implies expectations. Belwal et al. (2017), in their study about gradu- that to eliminate the skills gap between the HEIs’ educational ate attributes, reported that according to students’ percep- output (graduates) and the labor market’s expectations, tions of employers’ selection criteria, the five most important research should be conducted into how stakeholders from employability skills in Oman are computing abilities, the both sides (higher education and the labor market) conceptu- capacity to work in groups, English language competency, alize GAs and the challenges HEIs encounter while seeking prior training, and the graduate’s identity. However, research to establish and implement them. Furthermore, given the has shown that there is a mismatch between the competen- global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges must cies that graduates develop and achieve throughout their aca- play an effective role in assisting graduates in acquiring the demic study and the capabilities that the labor market expects new professional requirements and adapting the curricula to and demands in Oman and the Gulf regional states (Al Hinai better prepare their graduates for the challenges of changing et al., 2020; Belwal et al., 2017; Matu & Paik, 2021; Rizwan industries accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic (Mansingh et al., 2021). Universities and colleges across the Sultanate & Reddy, 2021; Memon et al., 2021; Miani et al., 2021) have been accused of failing to provide students with the Taking into account these research gaps, this study adequate English language proficiency, communication, and explores the perspectives of stakeholders from higher edu- other skills required by employers (see Al-Mahrooqi, 2012a, cation and the workplace on GAs and their alignment with 2012b; Al-Mahrooqi & Denman, 2018). For instance, offi- the current workplace’s needs and expectations. The paper cials from the Ministry of Education in Oman described the will discuss employers’ concerns about the quality and English language teaching (ELT) preparation programs in readiness of Oman’s HEI’s ELT (English language Oman as insufficient and unsatisfactory as they do not ade- Teaching) graduates, and the current efforts in higher edu- quately prepare student teachers to make decisions and cation to develop programs that respond better to the reflect on their teaching and learning practices (Al-Issa, demands of the labor market. 2005, 2008). Furthermore, many researchers have consis- The following are the primary objectives to be addressed tently reported on the lack of adequate English language pro- in this paper: (1) to identify the current GAs in ELT prepara- ficiency among Omani graduates (e.g., Al-Issa, 2007, 2014; tion programs in Oman and understand how they are devel- AL-Lamki, 2009; Al-Mahrooqi & Denman, 2016; Alrawas, oped and implemented, (2) to identify the main challenges in 2014). The literature suggests that one of the key challenges establishing, promoting, and implementing GAs, and (3) to impacting graduates’ employment in Oman and other Gulf determine how responsive the existing GAs in ELT programs regional nations is the skills gap between graduates and are to trendsetting changes such as the COVID-19, job mar- occupational requirements (Al Hinai et al., 2020; El-Saharty ket dynamic needs, other international GAs, and the et al., 2020; Matu & Paik, 2021). In Oman, researchers have OAAAQA’s accreditation standards. Ali et al. 3 This paper primarily answers the following questions: (1) competencies. Bowden et al. (2000) identified three princi- What are the existing GAs in the ELT programs in Oman, pal arguments for why GAs should be considered and given and how are they developed, conceptualized, and understood priority in the academic programs offered by universities. by EFL teachers in the Omani ELT programs under the First, GAs ensure that educated citizens are well equipped study? (2) What are the main challenges encountered by and prepared to function and contribute effectively to their English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in ELT pro- communities and not only in possession of disciplinary grams for the promotion, teaching, assessment, and review knowledge and technical skills. Second, GAs prepare the of GAs? (3) To what extent are the current GAs in ELT pro- graduates to successfully cope with the changing nature of grams responsive to trendsetting changes such as the their societies and the world. Third, GAs meet the demands COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic needs, other of the labor market, which is dynamic and requires not only international equivalents GAs, and the OAAAQA’s accredi- disciplinary knowledge and expertise but also other sets of tation principles? skills and qualities that determine whether individuals will be successful candidates for the jobs. For Hill et al. (2016), GAs are “orientation frameworks” Conceptualizing and Defining Graduate that state the ideal educational outcomes that graduates have Attributes to attain by the time they complete their undergraduate stud- ies. Consequently, curriculum design, teaching, and assess- In the literature about higher education, different terms have ment practices must be driven and informed by GAs or, said been used to describe the skills that graduates are expected to otherwise, must reflect the HEI’s core outcomes. GAs repre- have developed and acquired upon the completion of their sent the purpose of higher education and the contribution of undergraduate studies. The most commonly used terms are HEIs to society (Albalooshi, 2013). They are the product of graduate or generic attributes; soft, transferable, or employ- a mutual consensus between HEIs, a diverse variety of stake- ability skills; and core capabilities, competencies, qualities, holders, and international good practices (Albalooshi, 2013; or outcomes. Some of these attributes have become ubiqui- Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016). tous, such as critical thinking, leadership and teamwork, Many HEIs, for example in Austria, Great Britain, the communication, research, an inquiring mind, information USA, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), mandate and digital literacy, and personal skills. their academics to include GAs in their curriculum docu- Words such as skills and attributes have been used inter- mentation such as course descriptions. Accreditation bodies changeably in the literature and discourse on GAs. However, normally ask that GAs be mapped to learning outcomes and Nagarajan and Edwards (2014) argued that they are not syn- assessments. However, this does not mean that HEIs are onymous. Skills are usually more practical and refer to quali- always successful in achieving these GAs because, despite ties related to communication, time management, and the existence of GAs, the whole process and the necessary teamwork. By contrast, attributes are broader than skills and mechanisms remain uncertain (Albalooshi, 2013). As a include more abstract qualities, such as loyalty, honesty, result, doubts may be cast about the existing GAs’ impact on commitment, and integrity. These attributes are considered instruction. Students often focus only on getting the desir- desirable by employers (Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Smith able marks and grades while remaining unaware of the GAs & Do, 2018; Wong et al., 2021). and their social significance (Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014). The most commonly used definition of GAs is the one Consequently, the process of conceptualizing, developing, proposed by Bowden et al. (2000): designing, and implementing GAs within, across, and beyond the curriculum is an important issue that has been discussed “[GAs are] the qualities, skills, and understandings [that] include in the literature on higher education. but go beyond the disciplinary expertise or technical knowledge that has traditionally formed the core of most university courses. They are qualities that also prepare graduates as agents of social The Importance of Graduate Attributes good in an unknown future.” (p. 3). The higher education market has contributed to the estab- lishment of graduate attributes. Employers’ increasing Bowden et al. (2000) also described GAs as: demands for highly trained labor and the shift to a knowl- edge-based economy have prompted governments and “the qualities, skills, and understandings a university community higher education institutions worldwide to assign universi- agree its students would desirably develop during their time at the institution and, consequently, shape the contribution they ties with producing an employable graduate workforce. can make to their profession and as a citizen” (p. 3). (Hill et al., 2016; Wong et al., 2021). As a result of the higher education market, universities have been prompted to jus- Their definition implies that GAs are more comprehensive tify their worth and relevance, particularly to students. GAs than merely “employability” since HEIs would need to are increasingly being used by universities in Australia, develop their graduates’ academic, citizenship, and career New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to market their 4 SAGE Open vision to potential students, highlighting the sets of skills work-ready graduates, employers’ concerns about the and competencies that their graduates will gain throughout a quality and readiness of higher education graduates to degree (Hill et al., 2016; Wong et al., 2021). For students, enter the workforce is still a key issue in the region (Belwal GAs represent the set of skills and qualities that they should et al., 2017; Gupta et al., 2020; Matu & Paik, 2021). As a possess by completing their academic program (Hill et al., result, the GCC countries have prioritized the establish- 2016; Scott & Willison, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). A degree ment of GAs on their agenda to ensure the development of is no longer sufficient for employers to hire graduates basic technical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and other (Gupta et al., 2020; Scott & Willison, 2021). Employers’ work-related skills. (Belwal et al., 2017; Gupta et al., 2020; decisions to hire graduates are not only based on the knowl- Matu & Paik, 2021). edge they possess but also on their practical competencies. In the Sultanate, the Oman Authority for Academic Employers prefer graduates with practical and 21st-century Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and com- (OAAAQA) is in charge of establishing the overall quality munication (Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Scott & Willison, framework for Oman’s higher education institutions, as well 2021). Furthermore, Atef and Al Balushi (2017) in their as monitoring and evaluating their performance. OAAAQA study found that establishing GAs is important for students stipulates in the institutional standards assessment manual in boosting their awareness and understanding of the wide (ISAM) that HEIs should ensure that academic standards are range of potential job opportunities. Their study also indi- set at an appropriate level for the award. They should clearly cated the value of GAs in generating new career paths that define the GAs and learning outcomes that all students have not been considered previously (Atef & Al Balushi, should attain upon completion of their degree programs. 2017). Moreover, research has connected these skills to These GAs should be benchmarked internally and externally advantages that transcend beyond academic contexts and in consultation with stakeholders and the labor market. There outcomes, such as enhanced professional success, positive should be a clear mechanism for assessing and reporting stu- interpersonal interactions, and improved mental health and dents’ achievement of these attributes. Moreover, GAs overall well-being (Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Matu & Paik, should be embedded within the degree programs and 2021; Scott & Willison, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). reviewed regularly based on the feedback received from the labor market and other stakeholders so that their effective- ness may be realistically measured. Contextual Background In response to calls for accountability and quality assur- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which consists of ance processes, great efforts have been made by HEIs to six member countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, develop GAs that articulate and reflect their institutional Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), purposes. Since it is believed that there is a correlation has made significant progress in shifting its economy away between GAs and quality assurance measures (Yorke & from oil and gas dependence toward an environment that Harvey, 2005), both are used to evaluate the effectiveness and promotes the growth of a knowledge-based economy based success of academic programs and redefine curriculums to on investments of human capital. As a result of this transi- integrate GAs. tion, the GCC has entrusted higher education with the mis- In the Omani case, the OAAA has clearly stated that aca- sion of providing employable citizens for the workplace demic standards need to be maintained through the effective (Gross & Ghafar, 2019; Matu & Paik, 2021). Due to this implementation of HEIs’ well-managed plans for the shift and the increasing demand from employers for highly- “design, delivery and assessment of all students learning by skilled labor, the GCC countries have prioritized training coursework program” (OAAA, 2016, p. 33). In other words, and education. It is worth mentioning that the GCC coun- HEIs have to adopt effective policies and procedures to tries were among the first to join the World Bank’s Human develop their programs and, thus, meet the national accredi- Capital Project, which aims to promote human capital tation requirements. GAs have been identified by the OAAA investments through education, training, and health, all of in its accreditation standard 2 (Students learning by course- which are critical components for successful individuals, work programs) as an important indicator of good practice employment, and society (El-Saharty et al., 2020; Matu & deserving of academic accreditation. HEIs in Oman have Paik, 2021). The need to strengthen HEIs’ roles in promot- responded to this expectation by establishing and identify- ing the development of skills that are relevant to today’s ing lists of the intended generic graduate attributes for each labor market and social situations to meet the labor market academic program in terms of knowledge and understand- expectations is a consistent theme in GCC higher educa- ing skills, intellectual skills (e.g., analytic and thinking tion literature (Al Hinai et al., 2020; Al-Mahrooqi & skills), practical skills, subject-specific skills, and life-long Denman, 2018; Belwal et al., 2017; El-Saharty et al., 2020; learning skills. Students from all academic levels are, there- Matu & Paik, 2021). Although the GCC region has experi- fore, expected to have attained these attributes or skills by enced significant growth in higher education, particularly the end of their programs. Furthermore, the OAAAQA in terms of providing the labor market with competent and maintains that the process for assessing the extent to which Ali et al. 5 the students have attained these qualities need to be clearly in Oman, this study seeks to fill a gap in the GCC higher identified and effectively implemented. education literature regarding GAs development. These attributes reflect the Omani qualification frame- work as well as the institutions’ vision and mission and the The Challenges stakeholders’ expectations including the students themselves and the labor markets. According to OAAAQA, the develop- Despite the growing importance of GAs, research has ment of GAs should be informed not only by the Oman qual- highlighted that their development and implementation ification framework but also by using internal and external can often be challenging (Bitzer & Withering, 2020; Green benchmarks and labor market’ feedback and expectations. It et al., 2009; Ipperciel & ElAtia, 2014; Mansingh & Reddy, is important to emphasize here that employers and profes- 2021; Matu & Paik, 2021; Scott & Willison, 2021; Wong sionals are important stakeholders in any academic pro- et al., 2021). Although HEIs seem to have accepted their gram’s design and development; therefore, their feedback new vocational role, there is a great deal of uncertainty should be highly considered to ensure that the program is about how these GAs should be identified, described, and relevant to the current labor market’s needs (Oman Academic integrated into their curricula (Matu & Paik, 2021; Scott & Accreditation Authority, 2016). Willison, 2021). As a result, GAs have become an impor- GAs are communicated to the stakeholders, particularly tant issue in quality assurance and curriculum planning in students and staff, and effectively incorporated into the aca- HEIs (Belwal et al., 2017; Matu & Paik, 2021; Scott & demic programs. Most of the HEIs in Oman specify lists of Willison, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). HEIs think differently GAs that are informed by OAAAQA’s guidelines and suit the about GAs, and this affects their teaching and assessments. expectations of students and labor markets’ needs. Therefore, This lack of conceptual clarity negatively impacts the most of the GAs identified and listed by HIEs in Oman have effective implementation of GAs. How can GAs be effec- addressed, to some extent, similar skills which are related to tively and impactfully integrated into the curricula if the knowledge, critical thinking, and practical and lifelong learn- HEIs are unsure about what GAs are meant to be and do as ing. Having said that, however, there is a varying degree of a whole and across disciplines (Green et al., 2009; Hill difference between HEIs. This is because GAs are also et al., 2016; Ho et al., 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012). Although informed by the HEIs’ mission and vision which vary from it is widely accepted that students’ development of GAs one HEI to another and from one program to another. The should be embedded into the curriculum, teachers have GAs are available on some of the HEIs’ websites and some reportedly struggled to integrate them due to a lack of are embedded within the HEIs’ mission and vision. To ensure time, resources, and confidence (Hill et al., 2016; Wong the effectiveness of GAs, they need to be regularly reviewed et al., 2021). Research has also shown that teachers do within the program. The feedback of the graduates, staff, not know how to develop learning outcomes and teaching employers and other stakeholders should be taken into and assessment practices that are aligned with the expected account in the GAs’ reviewing process. The OAAAQA con- GAs (Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Ho et al., 2014; siders identifying and assessing GAs, which are in line with Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Wong et al., 2021). Further- Oman’s qualification framework, an important indicator for more, if it is not clear what GAs are meant to be and do, the any HEIs’ to be successfully accredited. educational system will logically fail to raise students’ Although GAs is an important aspect of any program’s awareness about the importance of GAs. Lack of aware- design and development, as shown in the above overview, ness can easily lead to a lack of motivation to acquire the there is, generally, an apparent paucity of research on GAs at intended GAs (Bitzer & Withering, 2020). Wong et al. the national level in Oman. Furthermore, there are very lim- (2021) emphasized the relevance of students’ motivation ited guidelines regulating their development, particularly in developing graduate attributes, rather than considering regarding the ELT programs, except for the general guide- it as a separate component from their degree programs. lines issued by the OAAAQA. In other words, although the Moreover, in some cases where the GAs had been inte- OAAAQA has maintained that higher education providers grated and listed in the courses, students still found that the need to establish well-defined GAs that are in alignment with courses had not supported them well enough to turn the international good practices and the expectations of students GAs into personal learning targets (Carew & Therese, and the labor market, the regulations and the process through 2007). For example, Griffin and Coelhoso (2019) assessed which these attributes are established have not been dis- the perceptions of female university business students in cussed and clarified. Similar issues were also reported in the UAE about employability skills. Their study indicated other GCC states. For example, “In Bahrain an attempt to that areas such as critical thinking, self-management, inter- discuss and debate GAs at the national level has so far not cultural skills, and taking initiative are not sufficiently taken place, nor are there any guidelines or regulations gov- addressed in the curriculum and this impedes students’ erning their establishment” (Albalooshi, 2013, p. 27). By awareness and acquisition of these skills. identifying the factors and the challenges that contribute to Although GAs are generic and so can be used in any dis- the GAs establishment and implementation in ELT programs cipline, research has revealed that the teaching and learning 6 SAGE Open of GAs are discipline-specific (Jones, 2009a, 2009b; Wong Methodology and Study Design et al., 2021). For example, Jones (2009a, 2009b) found that This study adopted a qualitative methodology with a case the interpretations for the same attributes (e.g., critical study approach because this provides opportunities to gain a thinking and problem solving) varied across the five disci- thorough understanding of real-life situations that enhances plines (economics, history, law, medicine, and physics) that the validity and reliability of the research and its findings were included in her study. Her findings imply that the dis- (Denscombe, 2010). Additionally, qualitative methods can ciplinary culture in which GAs are introduced and taught provide an in-depth understanding of the researched topic and has a significant impact on GAs’ conceptualization. This can offer rich data to answer the questions raised by the study. implies that graduate attribute development and implemen- The chosen approach befits the nature of the current study as tation should be considered and contextualized within spe- it focuses on the research questions and helps to explore the cific disciplines. Besides teachers, students and employers topics in greater depth (Dornyei & Taguchi, 2010) have different perceptions of GAs, too (Green et al., 2009; The study seeks to contribute to the incipient pool of Hill et al., 2016). Research has indicated the importance of research on GAs by reporting on a study of the GAs in Omani involving different stakeholders in the development of GAs, English language teacher (ELT) education programs and including teachers, employers, alumni, and students (Belwal OAAAQA’s role in this area. In answering these questions, et al., 2017; Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Matu & Paik, 2021; the study will interpret some Omani decision-makers per- Wong et al., 2021). Although curricula and graduate attri- spectives on graduate attributes (GAs) in the five English lan- butes are commonly assumed to be developed in collabora- guage teacher preparation programs in Oman and inventory tion with alumni and industry to bridge the gap between their views and perspectives. HEIs’ outcomes and industry needs, research findings sug- The main methods employed for generating the data are gest that this gap continues to exist due to the limited inter- semi-structured interviews and the analysis of the relevant action between these parties (Belwal et al., 2017; Mansingh institutional and OAAAQA documents to complement the & Reddy, 2021; Matu & Paik, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). data gained through the interviews. Interviews were employed This collaboration is also important for the students to because they are recognized as “a very good way of accessing acquire the necessary graduate attributes required for people’s perceptions, meanings, and definitions of situations employment (Mansingh & Reddy, 2021). and construction of reality. They are considered as one of the This collaboration was further reinforced following the most powerful ways we have of understanding others” outbreak of COVID-19 when transitioning to an online mode ((Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009, p. 168). of delivery was the best option left for students to continue This study utilized a purposive sampling procedure studying due to social isolation and lockdown policies (Hammersley, 2008). Sampling is usually done to study a (Mansingh & Reddy, 2021). The pandemic has caused sig- representative sub-group of a precisely defined population to nificant disruption to the global education system, particu- make inferences and draw a conclusion about the whole pop- larly in higher education. Shifting to an online education ulation. There are no rules for sample size in qualitative mode has significantly limited face-to-face social interaction. research as the sample size usually depends on what the This could have an impact on the development and acquisi- researcher wants to know and the purpose of the inquiry and tion of relevant required skills such as teamwork, emotional whether the sampling strategy supports the purpose and intelligence, interpersonal skills, and communication among rationale of the study (Patton, 2002, p. 244). Purposive sam- students. The post-covid industry has had new expectations pling entails studying information-rich cases and yields about graduates. Technological literacy and the ability to insights and in-depth understanding rather than empirical work remotely are the emerging skills required by the post- covid industry(Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Memon et al., generalizations (Patton, 2002, p. 230). The used sampling 2021; Miani et al., 2021; Zakaria et al., 2020). Miani et al. aimed at capturing and describing the central themes across (2021) investigated the perspectives of Australian undergrad- the case being studied (Patton, 2002, p. 235). uate tertiary aviation students about the aviation sector and Seven participants were interviewed, all of them Omanis the abilities needed to succeed in the post-COVID-19 period. with substantial experience in the field of English language The students indicated the need for additional educational teacher education programs. The participants were chosen support and opportunity from the institution to improve their based on the following criteria. Five were full-time profes- skills and knowledge, particularly in the areas of operational sors from EFL teacher preparation programs in Oman and pandemic and outbreak management (Miani et al., 2021). two were English language experts from the Ministry of Therefore, it’s important to understand how labor-market and Education Oman, which is the main recruiter for ELT/ higher education institutions view the pandemic’s impact on TESOL graduates. They had all obtained their doctorate the development of GAs. This understanding will enhance the degrees from overseas universities. Their participation in this development of GAs in a way that responds to the changes study was voluntary (Table 1) and challenges brought by the pandemic, as well as ensure For this study, the researchers arranged the interviews in that employers have confided in the competencies and abili- advance at agreed-upon times outside the participants’ work- ties of graduates. ing duties during the academic year 2020 to 2021. Ali et al. 7 Table 1. Profile of the Interviewees. Sex Degree Affiliation Academic rank and position F PhD Ministry of Education, Oman ELT Expert and Teacher Educator F PhD Ministry of Education, Oman ELT Expert and Teacher Educator M PhD Dhofar University, Oman Assistant Professor and Head of the Education Department M PhD Sohar University, Oman Assistant Professor and Teacher Educator M PhD Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Oman Associate Professor and Dean of the College of Education M PhD University of Nizwa, Oman Assistant Professor and Teacher Educator M PhD University of Tech and Applied Sciences Assistant Professor and Teacher Educator (UTAS), Rustaq, Oman Note. The order of items in this table does not correspond to the ordinal codes assigned to the participants in this article, namely P1, P2, P3, etc. The interviews were conducted virtually and audio- namely: (1) how GAs are conceptualized and developed in recorded after obtaining the participants’ permission to do the Omani ELT preparation programs, (2) the challenges so. All the participants signed a consent form and were prom- encountered by EFL teachers in ELT programs in promoting, ised confidentiality and anonymity (see Appendix A). teaching, assessing, and reviewing GAs, and (3) the extent to Consequently, no person or HEI is named in this paper. The which the current GAs in ELT programs are borne in mind collection of institutional documents included the study plan responsive to the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market and a list of GAs in each program. These documents sup- dynamic needs, international equivalents, and the OAAAQA’s ported and supplemented the interview data. The review of accreditation principles these documents enabled us to compare and contrast the five In qualitative research, trustworthiness criteria can be teacher preparation programs in terms of GAs and objec- operationalized through different strategies and techniques. tives. All ethical aspects were taken into account and appro- To decrease threats to trustworthiness, the researchers priate measures were taken to ensure compliance with ethical employed a variety of strategies that assisted them to describe principles. The interviewees were given absolute control research findings in a way that authentically represented the over the recording process. All interviews were conducted in meanings as described by the study participants. Further, the English and subsequently transcribed and coded, and the researchers utilized member-checking techniques to sustain same was done with the information in the documents pro- data and research credibility and trustworthiness. Member vided by the interviewees (see Appendix B). checks, sometimes known as respondent validation, are con- The data analysis started with the transcription of the sidered the most important step that can be taken to foster the interviews. We read the written transcriptions several times credibility of a study (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) as they improve in order to familiarize ourselves with the data, get an overall the accuracy of the data by checking whether or not the partici- picture and understanding of each participant’s views, and pants consider that their words match what they intended to identify the main themes, codes, and sub-codes. All the say (Shenton, 2004). This study has benefitted from the con- words and utterances related to the study questions were structive feedback and comments offered by and/or actively considered. sought from two academics (Ph.D. holders) at UTAS, Rustaq, The data analysis was done manually and undertaken who had the relevant experience of ELT education to provide through the identification of themes and codes following insights or specific expertise. Additionally, the levels of Braun and Clarke’s (2006) five phases of thematic analysis: trustworthiness were enhanced by giving the research par- “familiarising myself with my data,” “generating initial ticipants opportunities to refuse to participate in the study, to themes,” “searching for themes,” “reviewing themes,” and ensure that the sessions of data collection involved only “defining and naming themes”. The interviews were all those who were willing to take part in the study (Shenton, conducted at times chosen by the interviewees to avoid 2004, p. 66). inconveniencing them. The patterns and themes that The codes were defined, reviewed, described, and rewrit- emerged from the analysis were related to the research ten to assure their relevance. Table 2 below shows some questions. The findings are not necessarily generalizable examples of codes. for the whole population, but they do provide an account After preparing the list of codes of participants’ inter- relevant beyond this study, for instance, to other similar views, typical and representative interview transcripts along contexts and circumstances. with the two lists of codes were sent to a second coder/rater The codes were rewritten and refined to assure their relat- with the request to try out the codes on these two transcripts. edness and appropriateness. Once the data were categorized Then, a meeting was conducted with the second coder to and coded, the researchers moved systematically on to the calculate the percentage of inter-rater reliability and to dis- analysis process guided by the three main refined themes, cuss and resolve our coding disagreements. A mathematical 8 SAGE Open Table 2. Examples of Codes. Another participant expressed a similar view. Conceptualization of GAs “(. . .) the graduate attributes should be based on what you Development of GAs expect the teachers to be. What do you expect them to be after Graduate attributes-related challenges graduation? What qualities they should have and what Teaching and assessing GAs competencies they should have? So in other words, graduate GAs and the COVID-19 pandemic attributes should be based on what makes a good teacher or an Challenges in developing, assessing, and reviewing GAs excellent teacher, right? So what are the characteristics of a Challenges in aligning and mapping GAs successful or good teacher at school there? And based on that, GAs and the OQF, and OAAAQA principles we can think of the graduate attributes and outline them somewhere and ask the teaching staff members to follow them or to base their teaching on them (P2).” equation was used for calculating the inter-rater reliability percentages and the precise. The percentages of the agree- Another interviewee mentioned work ethics, which was also ment and disagreement set at 75% between the two coders a personal target. were considered. Subsequently, the above final codes were “In general, the most obvious thing we notice is work ethics. refined, revised, and modified accordingly. Exactly. From generation to generation, we see that there should be more emphasis on ethics in the preparation programs. I don’t Findings know. I’m not sure if this happens. Because this is important. The ethics and the attitudes these graduates come out with is This part undertakes the analysis of the study findings very important (P1).” according to the emerging themes and the research ques- tions, namely: This second pedagogical approach focuses on the graduates’ being and not merely on their doing. The former approach 1. What are the existing GAs in the ELT programs in might lead to a view of the graduates predominantly as the Oman, and how are they developed, conceptualized, workforce, while the latter might evoke more personalist and understood by EFL teachers in the Omani ELT perspectives. Different angles would, of course, have conse- programs under the study? quences not only for the items to be included on a list of GAs 2. What are the main challenges encountered by EFL but also for instruction and assessment. teachers in ELT programs in promoting, teaching, Another interviewee highlighted the need for GAs to be assessing, and reviewing GAs? responsive to sudden changes in the labor market and to be 3. To what extent are the current GAs in ELT programs representative of all the stakeholders’ needs. responsive to trendsetting changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic “The pandemic brought so many things that we have to re-think needs, other international equivalents GAs, and the for our graduates. What is the labor market expecting from our OAAAQA’s accreditation principles? English teachers? What is the labor market expecting from a maths teacher and so on, blah, blah, blah? The good thing about, I mean what I noticed working closely with SQU, they are very Conceptualization and Development of GAs in good with working with the labor market. It’s not only the labor market I believe, and I told them this, it should be all of them. the Omani ELT Programs Students should, I mean, participate in the process, what they The data revealed that in one of the colleges, GAs are seen as believe about such graduate attributes and what they think might competencies or abilities: be difficult for them to learn in terms of the knowledge and skills we are expecting from them to achieve as graduates by the end “This is my understanding of graduate attributes. There are, let’s of the program (P7).” say, competencies. What they can do. Either in knowledge, for example, domain or in skills or even in values as well. And Another interviewee reinforced the view that the conceptual- attitudes come into that, for me, when you talk about attributes ization process should involve as many stakeholders as (P3).” possible. An interviewee from another college described their way of “Right, yes. Of course, those are staff members, I would say, conceptualizing GAs as a more holistic pedagogical project: students, or even students, the graduate students there, alumni. Those students who have graduated have started working at “(. . .) we think about what we want our graduates to be after school there. And the teachers at school, even the teachers at their graduation. This is quite obvious, linked to the mission and school there. Plus, we should not ignore teachers and senior vision of the HEI and the program (P5).” teachers at schools there. And even the administrators at schools Ali et al. 9 there, because a graduate, it’s a complete picture, right. It’s not and output must all be in sync. Consequently, GAs concern only the English language. Okay, yes, it’s the English language, not only the graduates but the whole HEI. teaching it, etc., but also how do you deal with others, this and All of the interviewees agreed that insofar as GAs are that, how to interact with others at school. Yes, you know it, goals, the HEIs have to be able to gauge whether or not these okay? (P4).” targets are being reached. Therefore, GAs have to be spe- cific, clear, and concise enough to be measurable. They also In short, GAs should be a product of consensus between have to neatly match the learning outcomes of the program, HEIs and their stakeholders (Albalooshi, 2013; Green et al., that is, be fit for purpose. There must be a manifest and 2009; Hill et al., 2016). defensible link between the learning outcomes and the GAs. Another important criterion for contextualizing GAs was During the interviews, it was also mentioned that GAs autonomy and lifelong learning. Given that these character- need to remain up today or, in other words, contextually rel- istics imply a way of being, not only doing, they could be evant and meaningful. classified as personalist GAs. “Yes, very important. Setting graduate GAs it’s not enough. You “I think we should build independence in our students. We need to update them from time to time and visit or revisit them should prepare them to be knowledge seekers, so we give them from time to time because we have to keep updated with what’s this thing that they have to search for knowledge. They’re going on. Also, you have to update what’s going on in the knowledge seekers, so they’re not recipients of the knowledge, country’s development. Oman, for example, if the graduates- if but they have to be open to being knowledge seekers. If you give they’re going to work in Oman, Oman, in this year, it’s not like them these skills, it will be very marvelous that they have this 10, 20 years ago, so we need to update. (P7).” skill to be knowledge seekers, knowledge builders, skill seekers, and so forth. You are giving them the skills to be independent The same participant elaborated on his/her answer by posit- (P5).” ing the government’s long-term plans and visions as objec- tive points of reference to gauge to what extent GAs are Another aspect of GAs is that they must be envisaged glob- relevant and meaningful for the Sultanate’s development. ally, and curriculum-wide. As one of the interviewees under- Another interviewee pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic lined, helping students attain the GAs is the task of the whole as a clear example of programs failing to prepare graduates curriculum, not of every single component. that are up to the new realities. “The challenges were maybe it wasn’t that straightforward to “Also – this is my belief – you need to map them with also the match a learning outcome to a graduate attribute. (. . .) And of market needs so you will have graduates who can work or fit course, some learning outcomes or some undergraduate very well in the markets. I’ll give you an example, whether attributes cannot be matched to the learning outcomes of a English teachers graduating, teacher graduates. For example, for particular course, because at the end of the day the graduate this time, the coronavirus pandemic, we came to realize that attributes are the complete picture (P2).” there’s the need for using technology (P7).” The idea of GAs as overarching targets has repercussions for Finally, a participant considered future needs as an essential curriculum design since components such as courses, mod- criterion for the articulation of GAs. ules, seminars, etc. become intertwining pieces of a mosaic- like learning-and-teaching project. “What you need, we need to consider that also for the future. Another interviewee brought up the institutional dimen- Technology is very important now as something to describe the sion of GAs as they have to be fitting within the being and graduates. They need to be familiar with technologies and use doing of the HEI as concretized in its vision, mission, and technologies in their teaching and also in the students’ learning. Very important to update this with the new technology, especially programs. now (P1).” “When designing the graduate attributes, first of all, we need to Technological and digital literacy will be a vital attribute of look at the vision, mission, learning, general objectives of the program and the learning outcomes of the program, and to state good English teachers in the years to come, for example, our learning, to state them in a way that they should be familiarity with teaching and learning platforms, software, observable, teachable. P6). and learning management systems. Additionally, GAs should be articulated in a way that makes Challenges it possible to teach, learn, and assess them as constitutive This part undertakes the challenges encountered by EFL elements of the various components of the degree plan. Each teachers in ELT programs in promoting, teaching, assessing, program should be a unified whole facilitating the attainment and reviewing GAs. of the desired results. In other words, the input, throughput, 10 SAGE Open One of the participants spoke of difficulties with articulat- should be stated in a way that all should be involved, the stakeholders, the market, the industry, the students themselves ing GAs that are in sync with the program and, conversely, even as actual, you could say, practitioners in this process, the the design of programs that help attain the GAs. faculty before the students, all should be part of this process (P5).” “There is a real problem with the graduate attributes, yes and with the learning outcome of the program or with the aim of the The same participant elaborated further on this idea. program. If these were stated properly, I mean taught properly through the program and assessed properly I believe that we would not need all these millions of hours we are putting into “We need to bridge this gap between the Ministry of Education in-service education and training of teachers, because anyway, and the administration of higher education where you need to sit we are expecting those teachers to be at least 70% ready (P2).” together, and you need to ask them. Now, for example, according to the pandemic, we changed our curriculum in the Ministry of Education. Are you aware of the changes? No. Assessment. Are The main challenge concerns the need to find ways of infus- you aware of those things? No. What do you expect from the ing the GAs into the learning outcomes and properly assess Ministry of Education from our graduates? What do you want them. our graduates to be equipped with, as skills, knowledge, context- Responding to the changing nature of the labor market specific values, and context specific-requirements according to was another one of the challenges for HEIs trying to articu- the pandemic? (P5)” late meaningful GAs. The gap between the English teaching programs and the “Graduate attributes are dynamic and the teaching profession Ministry of Education (the main employer) ought to be seen itself is dynamic. So, the attributes should be dynamic as well. as worrying. No country can turn into a knowledge econ- They are dynamic, of course, because it’s not only the shift, let’s omy, which is Oman’s 2040 target, without smooth, flexi- say, to online teaching and stuff, but also every day there are ble, decentralized, and effective mechanisms for cooperation new things in the teaching profession. So, these attributes need between the HEIs and the labor market. Their mutual col- also to work along with these updates in the teaching profession (P5).” laboration is necessary for bridging the gaps and develop- ing labor-market-responsive GAs (Belwal et al., 2017; Another participant made the same point. Bridgstock, 2009; Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Ho et al., 2014; Ipperciel & ElAtia, 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012; “And, for example, at a time if you discover that the weight is on Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Rowe, 2016). knowledge more than the values, or the skills, or you have tried Another challenge is the lack of effective, critical, and to strike a balance between these things. But frankly speaking, systematic reflection on and evaluation of the GAs on the as far as I know, I have been here for two years, the program part of the faculty. An interviewee worded this idea as coordinator at the university. During that time, for three years follows. we haven’t touched the graduate attributes, even the learning outcomes, or the program outcomes, but sometimes we change “Critical reflection on practice. (. . .) We see that teachers are the learning outcomes without changing the program outcomes. struggling either in the way of thinking reflectively or thinking Of course, there is a kind of alignment (P3).” critically. And also in the way of documenting this thinking. They don’t have the skills of documenting such critical reflection When this continual updating of GAs does not happen, the or critical thinking. How to do it? They always ask how to do it. graduates run the risk of not being sufficiently ready to join What to write (P4).” the changing labor market (Green et al., 2009; Ho et al., 2014; Ipperciel & ElAtia, 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012). The Subsequently, another participant expressed his/her concerns teaching profession is dynamic, and HEIs need to review and as follows. align their GAs accordingly to fit the changing needs of the labor market. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this more “One I think very important is the evaluation of the current difficult, and newly graduated teachers need to be up to the graduate attributes, because you can’t come up with a new one challenges. unless you assist with what’s going on. All program Mission, Another interviewee stated, after summarizing most of Vision, and Values need to be reviewed before reviewing its the ideas set out above, that one of the challenges for concep- graduate attributes. One of the challenges is maybe to assess the market needs. We need to look at the market needs. By market tualizing GAs is the lack of collaboration across levels and needs, I mean we need what is the trend of education in Oman institutions. now. Are we going only face to face or are we going on blended learning and maybe sometimes online learning or e-learning? (P2) “You mean that when even starting from the very beginning the graduate attributes that should be matching the learning outcomes, objectives of the program, vision and mission of the How can the faculty enact their program in the spirit of the program itself and then its execution, those graduate attributes GAs and empower the students to become the right kind of Ali et al. 11 graduates while they are unable to reflect on the GAs and the them with these skills that we do believe, and we know from our observation of those teachers that they are making them (P2).” process and come to a useful evaluation? Such a review of the GAs should be reflective, comprehensive, and effective. Finally, a participant pointed to international practices as It ought to be carried out in light of the program’s mission, another one of the criteria being used in the field for articu- vision, and values and response to the changing needs not lating GAs. only of the labor market (the vocational thrust) but also of the students and their societies (the pedagogical thrust). “I mean looking at international practices, they have very close relationships between schools and higher education institutions. Graduate Attributes, the OQF, and OAAAQA The graduates, the student graduates, I mean one of the very good things about practices in the UK and the States is those Principles teachers who graduate from an institution like Rustaq or SQU or This section looks at the extent to which the current GAs in Nizwa or whatever, when he or she goes to a school he is ELT programs are thought to be responsive to trendsetting followed up by the institution, not only left there (P4).” changes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic needs, and other international equivalents GAs, and Discussion the OAAAQA’s accreditation principles. The study was significant as it provided data about the per- A participant stated that their GAs were being reviewed in spectives and perceptions of the stakeholders of English as a light of Oman’s 2040 Vision and other national documents. foreign language in the Omani context which is considered the “Yes. We have started this year. We are in the process of first study to investigate such an important topic. Based on the reviewing and developing our programs. And we are considering interviews, the documents presented by the interviewees, and Oman Vision 2020 to 2040. We are considering an educational the available literature on GAs in teacher preparation pro- strategy, I think. The national education strategy and the national grams, the following observations can be made. This research education philosophy. So, we are trying to review our training contributes in several ways. Most importantly, it looks at GAs programs in light of these three documents. So, yes, Oman and examines experts’ perspectives on them that might help Vision 2040 is there. We are aware of its components and its improve their development, provision, and assessment. criteria regarding education, yes (P1).” Conceptualization of GAs in the Omani ELT Another participant indicated that quality assurance docu- ments constituted an important criterion for GAs. Programs Under the Study Examining the participating stakeholders’ views about the “We have a quality assurance handbook, which contains details existing graduate attributes in the English language teacher of graduate attributes for different levels, for postgraduate education programs, evidence from the data suggests that students and also for undergraduate students. Develop these HEIS and their staff have different views about what GAs attributes, then from that, we have the objectives out of those. should encapsulate and how they are to be developed, We call them COL. Learning outcomes are related to the graduate attributes. From these learning outcomes, we start to mapped, aligned, and assessed. There seem to be two differ- develop our courses by having course objectives, the content, ent perspectives, which we have termed “vocational” and and then assessment (P3).” “pedagogical.” Combining both of them, GAs ought to be cascaded from the personal and professional qualities of a This point was underlined by another participant: good teacher, which include but are not limited to competen- cies, knowledge, and skills. The HEIs could also focus on “I believe we’ve covered the majority of the things, but again I qualities that will presumably help the graduates live up to would say as a final comment or advice before you review your emerging challenges in the teaching profession, such as digi- programs go back to the OAAAQA’s Oman qualification tal literacy and information literacy skills (Nagarajan & framework and see what is expected from, let’s say you are an Edwards, 2014), in society at large (such as artificial intelli- English teacher, what is expected from an English language gence and fake information), and their sphere. Additionally, teacher holding such a qualification, a degree education in the findings of this study are similar to those of other studies English? (P6)” which suggest that the development of the GAs should be generated and articulated in a dialogue with other stakehold- Another interviewee referred to Oman’s qualifications ers (Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Ho et al., 2014; framework, especially in programs with a mixed intake. Moalosi et al., 2012). This suggests that developing, map- ping out, aligning, and assessing graduate attributes is not an “I believe in graduate attributes and according to my later work easy task as it requires collective efforts from both internal with the OAAA, it’s mainly related to the Oman Qualification Framework. In the in-service programs, we receive those and external stakeholders to operationalize and materialize teachers who already have their degrees. We just try to equip them more effectively and purposefully. The majority of the 12 SAGE Open participants in the sample of this study have recognized and English language teacher education programs in Oman and acknowledged the importance of graduate attributes, but two from the Ministry of Education (MoE), the main they conceptualize them differently. These views are in line employer of English language teachers in the country. The with (Albalooshi, 2013; Bowden et al., 2000; Green et al., data was gathered via semi-structured interviews. 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Wong The first research question addressed how GAs are con- et al., 2021) ceptualized in the five Omani ELT programs under study. The findings indicated that the participants hold different views on the GAs and how they should be developed, The Main Challenges Among EFL Teachers in aligned, mapped, and assessed. Nevertheless, all the partici- ELT Programs Regarding GAs pants recognized the importance and value of having ade- Arguably, the graduate attributes issue is complex and multi- quate GAs. It transpired that the GAs did not always result faceted as one of its essential aspects is involved as stakehold- from a consultation process involving stakeholders such as ers when developing these attributes which is not an easy task the students, alumni, and employers. we believe. Our findings revealed a range of challenges The second research question addressed the challenges in related to teaching, assessing, mapping, reviewing, and developing, mapping, aligning, teaching, and assessing GAs. adjusting GAs within ELT programs. These difficulties are A range of challenges and difficulties were reported concern- not only about execution but also planning, background ing teaching and assessment, balancing knowledge, skills, knowledge, motivation, and mechanisms. These findings cor- and attitudes, combining vocational and pedagogical targets, roborate other studies (e,g., Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., aligning GAs to learning outcomes and the vision, mission, 2016; Ho et al., 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012; Nagarajan & and objectives of the program, meeting the labor market Edwards, 2014; Smith & Do, 2018). Another challenge is that dynamic needs, and bridging the gap between the English GAs run the risk of not being sufficiently updated to meet the teacher education providers and the employers, in particular changing labor market. It was remarkable the majority of the the Ministry of Education. participants in this study acknowledged the challenges related Finally, the outcomes of the third research question show to developing, teaching, assessing, mapping, and reviewing the extent is the current GAs in ELT programs are responsive graduate attributes. to trendsetting changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic needs, and other international equiva- lents GAs, and the OAAAQA’s accreditation principles. The Extent of the Current GAs’ Responsiveness The conclusions which can be drawn from this study are to Trendsetting Changes (e.g., COVID-19) several. The findings from this qualitative study might help The COVID-19 pandemic had a global damaging impact on in the development of graduate attributes and their impact on the global economy and education in general. It has tectonic the graduates’ future employability and lifelong education. changes in the lives of people and also in the higher education The potential solutions to the GAs issues would be address- landscape in particular. Evidence from the data showed that ing the reported challenges and prioritizing them in teaching the ELT programs in question still need to work hard to tailor and assessment. their GAs and learning outcomes to meet the OAAAQA prin- The approach used in this study could be extended to ciples, the Omani qualifications framework, Oman’s Vision cover the views and practices of other teacher education pro- for 2020 to 2040, and the COVID-19’s realities. These find- grams in Oman and the region. This could be of great value ings are supported by others such as (Belwal et al., 2017; and add insights to the development of the English language Bridgstock, 2009; Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Ho teacher education programs and quality assurance practices. et al., 2014; Ipperciel & ElAtia, 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012; Based on the study findings, the study suggests future Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Rowe, 2016). The OAAAQA research and directions in the graduate attributes in the highlighted the importance of reviewing and revising graduate teacher education programs with wider scope and focus. This attributes in each program to meet the requirements and the study has some limitations which need to be acknowledged. changing needs of the students and the dynamic labor market. The first is that the findings are not claimed to be representa- It was evident from the data that involving all stakeholders in tive of the experiences of all higher education stakeholders in the process would help in developing graduate attributes that Oman or other contexts. Therefore, the findings of this study are more responsive to the uncertain future of the workplace. are specific to a relatively small number of participants in the context in question. However, the findings can be transferred to other similar contexts. The findings can illuminate and Conclusions, Implications, and help in generally understanding graduate attributes in teacher Recommendations education programs of study in various EFL educational con- The qualitative approach employed facilitated the thematic texts. Second, the study relied exclusively on interviews to analysis used to gauge and synthesize the perspectives of collect data. Finally, the study looked into graduate attributes seven stakeholders on GAs. Five were from the existing in teacher education programs only rather than in Ali et al. 13 other disciplines. Based on the study findings, this study VTL in Oman during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you wish highlighted many possible further directions. The current that a summary of the results be emailed to you later on, study focused on some stakeholders’ views on graduate attri- please check this box (o). butes in teacher education programs in Oman. Further research in GCC might be undertaken to confirm the results Name: Signature: and extend knowledge of the topic under investigation. The study also suggests there is a need for employing mixed Email: Date: methods as such would offer helpful insights for academics and decision-makers regarding the GAs. Appendix B Interview Schedule Appendix A Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Participants’ Consent Form Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman during the COVID-19 Outbreak: QA Perspective Title: Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman during the COVID-19 Outbreak: QA Perspective Interview Schedule for Internal and External Stakeholders Researchers: *************** *************** *************** *************** Below are the main interview questions but a lot of probes *************** *************** and follow-up questions will also be asked? The schedule is indeed informed by the study research questions. Contact address: *************** *************** 1. Background What is the purpose of the project? This study investigates Let us start with some background questions? the Graduate Attributes (GAs) of Omani English language teacher (ELT) education programs and the role being played a. What is your area of specialty in Linguistics and/ by the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) in or English-language-related studies? this area. The study focuses on the existing GAs in the ELT b. How long have you been teaching at the tertiary programs in Oman, and how are they developed, conceptual- level? ized, and understood by EFL teachers in the Omani ELT pro- 2. Experiences in developing, mapping, teaching, and grams. It also explores the main challenges encountered by assessing GAs EFL teachers in ELT programs in promoting, teaching, a. Have you ever mapped graduate attributes assessing, and reviewing GAs. The extent to which the cur- against your courses’ learning outcomes? rent GAs in ELT programs are responsive to trendsetting b. Tell me about your overall experience with prac- changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the jobs mar- tices being currently followed by you and your ket dynamic needs and other international equivalents GAs colleagues relating to graduate attributes (e.g., and the OAAA’s accreditation principles will also be consid- developing, aligning, mapping, teaching, assess- ered in the study. ing, and reviewing). Why have I been chosen? Because of your role and expe- c. What do you think of the existing or current rience in English language teaching at the University graduate attributes in your teacher education *************** can provide valuable insights and con- program in Oman? tribute efficiently to better understanding and development d. To what extent do you think the existing gradu- of GAs of ELT programs. ate attributes in your teacher education program Do I have to take part? No. Your participation is entirely are responsive to trendsetting changes (like the your decision. You may also withdraw from the research at COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic, any time, without having to give a reason for it, by sending other international equivalents GAs, or the an email to us. OAAA’s accreditation principles, to name but a Will my name be revealed? No, it will not. Your responses few important ones)? will be regarded as confidential and will be used only for 3. Challenges relating to the development, alignment, research purposes. teaching, and assessment of GAs What will happen with the results of the research paper? a. What challenges and problems have you or The results of this study will be used for publishing about your colleagues experienced while working 14 SAGE Open with graduate attributes (e.g., while develop- Al-Issa, A. (2014). A critical examination of motivation in the Omani English language education system. Journal of ing, aligning, mapping, teaching, assessing, or Language Teaching and Research, 5(2), 406–418. https://doi. reviewing them)? org/10.4304/jltr.5.2.406-418 b. How did you and your colleagues respond to AL-Lamki, N. (2009). The beliefs and practices related to continu- those challenges? ous professional development of teachers of English in Oman 4. Opportunities for improving the current GAs [Unpublished PhD thesis]. University of Leeds. a. In your opinion, what makes good graduate Al-Mahrooqi, R. (2012a). A student perspective on low English attributes? proficiency in Oman. International Education Studies, 5(6), b. Can you tell me about the best ideas or ways, 263–271. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v5n6p263 which you have come across, for developing grad- Al-Mahrooqi, R. (2012b). English communication skills: How are they uate attributes for teacher education programs? taught at schools and universities in Oman? English Language 5. Recommendations for improving the current GAs Teaching, 5(4), 124–130. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n4p124 Al-Mahrooqi, R, & Denman, C. (2018). English language profi- a. What would you recommend to HEIs in Oman so ciency and communicative competence in Oman: Implications their current graduate attributes in teacher educa- for employability and sustainable development. In R tion programs can meet their current challenges? Al-Mahrooqi & C. Denman (Eds.), English education in Oman b. What could be done to get students and stake- (pp. 181–193). Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981- holders involved in the development of graduate 13-0265-7_11 attributes for your and other teacher education Al-Mahrooqi, R., & Denman, C. J. (2016). Omani graduates’ programs? English-language communication skills in the workforce: 6. A closing open question Employees’ perspectives. International Journal of Applied a. Would you like to add any final comment to Linguistics and English Literature, 5(4), 172–182. https://doi. what we’ve already talked about throughout this org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.5n.4p.172 interview? Alrawas, A. (2014). Challenges of Omani university students in English language learning in the region [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Capella University. Declaration of Conflicting Interests Atef, T., & Al Balushi, M. (2017). Omani tourism and hospital- The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect ity students’ employment intentions and job preferences: to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Ramifications on Omanization plans. Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective, 25(4), 440–461. Belwal, R., Priyadarshi, P., & Al Fazari, M. H. (2017). Graduate Funding attributes and employability skills: Graduates’ perspectives The author(s) received no financial support for the research, author- on employers’ expectations in Oman. International Journal ship, and/or publication of this article. of Educational Management, 31(6), 814–827. https://doi. org/10.1108/IJEM-05-2016-0122 ORCID iD Bitzer, E., & Withering, M. (2020). Graduate attributes: How some university students experience and learn them. South African Zulaikha Al-Saadi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3896-4708 Journal of Higher Education, 3(34), 13–31. http://dx.doi. org/10.20853/34-3-3504 References Bowden, J., Hart, G., King, B., Trigwell, K., & Watts, O. (2000). Albalooshi, F. A. (2013). Graduate attributes for higher education Generic capabilities of ATN university graduates. Australian and their development in Bahrain. International Education Government Department of Education, Training and Youth Studies,6(9), 23–30. Affairs. 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Publisher: SAGE
Copyright: © The Author(s) 2022
ISSN: 2158-2440
eISSN: 2158-2440
DOI: 10.1177/21582440221113831
Publisher site: See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This study seeks to contribute to the incipient pool of research on graduate attributes (GAs) by reporting on a study of the GAs of Omani English language teacher (ELT) education programs and the role being played in this area by the Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education (OAAAQA), formerly known as Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA). The study was qualitative and examined stakeholders’ perspectives and aspirations concerning the graduate attributes used in English language teacher education programs in Oman during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data for the study was generated by (1) reviewing the pertinent literature, including OAAA’s documents and reports, and (2) interviewing online seven experts and practitioners from ELT programs in Oman. The findings reveal that the participants have diverse views of the GAs. Additionally, higher education institutions (or HEIs) encountered several common challenges with the mapping, actualizing, teaching, and assessing of GAs. Moreover, the existing GAs still need to be reviewed to fit the dynamic requirements of the labor market. The findings of the study have the potential to guide and support English teacher education providers in Oman in developing, reviewing, aligning, and mapping their GAs more effectively and impactfully. Keywords conceptualizing, COVID-19, English language teacher education Graduates attributes, Oman, QA perspective, programs in their programs (Al Hinai et al., 2020; Belwal et al., 2017; Introduction Bitzer & Withering, 2020; Gurukkal, 2019; Hill et al., 2016; The focus on education policies and curriculum studies has Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). This develop- shifted from the content of education to its outcome; as a ment has given rise to several issues concerning the conceptu- result, the students have become a college’s product alization, teaching, and assessment of GAs, for instance, (El-Saharty et al., 2020; Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Matu & questions about the efficiency of GAs to accommodate global Paik, 2021; Scott & Willison, 2021). Consequently, institu- changes. It has also transpired that HEIs have at times been tions are now practically mandated by quality assurance rather “casual” about GAs, not only in Oman, where the cur- authorities to fine-tune their processes and operations (the rent study took place, but also elsewhere as if GAs were a means) in light of their desired output (the end), which is none mere administrative matter rather than an academic one poten- other than their graduates (Scott & Willison, 2021). tially bearing upon the very design, implementation and evalu- Consequently, “graduate attributes” (GAs) can no longer be ation of the curriculum, the resources allocated to it, and the left out of the planning. Graduates must now be able to dem- needs of the pertinent stakeholders (Matu & Paik, 2021; Scott onstrate that they have acquired attributes such as a life-long & Willison, 2021). learning attitude and aptitude, an innovative thrust, and employment skills. No doubt including GAs as an integral part University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Rustaq College of of Higher Education (HE) has the potential to prepare gradu- Education, Oman ates to acquire the necessary personal and professional skills Corresponding Author: needed for employment. Higher education institutions (HEIs) Zulaikha Al-Saadi, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Rustaq have accepted and responded to this expectation both by defin- College of Education, P.O Box: 10 PC: 329, Oman. Email: zulaikha_alsaadi.rus@cas.edu.om ing a list of desired GAs and requiring that these be embedded Creative Commons CC BY: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). 2 SAGE Open The overall goal of the higher education system is to offer attributed the high unemployment rate among individuals the nation qualified graduates who are ready to enter the under the age of 30 to the graduates’ skills gap (Al Hinai workforce with the necessary skills and competencies that et al., 2020; Al-Mahrooqi & Denman, 2018; Belwal et al., meet the needs of the 21st century. However, employers’ 2017). For instance, several researchers reported that Omani concerns about the current HEIs’ ability to adequately pre- graduates’ ability to obtain suitable jobs was impeded by pare their students to cope with today’s rapidly changing their limited English language abilities (Al-Issa, 2007, 2014; world are widely reported in the literature. For example, Al-Lamki, 2009; Al-Mahrooqi & Denman, 2016; Alrawas, Mansingh and Reddy (2021), in their systematic review 2014). Belwal et al. (2017) suggested that HEIs in Oman are study that provided literature about GAs for job employabil- unable to develop their graduates’ attributes. Their study ity, indicated that there is a mismatch between workplace concluded that the insufficient communication between needs and higher education output in South African higher HEIs, alumni, and employers in Oman had hampered the education settings. The authors encouraged HEIs to consider development of the needed attributes among graduates. preparing students for a competitive South African job mar- Therefore, it is highly important for the HEIs to effectively ket as well as making them employable internationally as develop and implement their academic programs to match the organizations are adopting modern technological tools for world’s widely recognized vocational requirements for the their recruitment and selection procedures (Mansingh & future job prospects of their graduates. They need to raise Reddy, 2021). Similarly, research on GAs reveals that, while their students’ knowledge and awareness of such require- universities in Australia and the United Kingdom excel at ments, encouraging them to develop their abilities and teaching content-related knowledge, their graduates lack the become increasingly open and aware of the labor market’s practical skills required by the industry (Jackson, 2012). needs and trends (Al Hinai et al., 2020; Al-Mahrooqi & Since 1970, the higher education system has grown sig- Denman, 2018; Belwal et al., 2017). Holmes et al. (2018) in nificantly in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of both student their study of GAs among engineering students concluded and institution numbers. As a result, significant efforts have that graduates’ employability skills improve considerably been made and resources invested in creating high-quality when effective approaches integrate academic programs with HEIs that can produce graduates that meet the labor market’s technical industry skills (Holmes et al., 2018). This implies expectations. Belwal et al. (2017), in their study about gradu- that to eliminate the skills gap between the HEIs’ educational ate attributes, reported that according to students’ percep- output (graduates) and the labor market’s expectations, tions of employers’ selection criteria, the five most important research should be conducted into how stakeholders from employability skills in Oman are computing abilities, the both sides (higher education and the labor market) conceptu- capacity to work in groups, English language competency, alize GAs and the challenges HEIs encounter while seeking prior training, and the graduate’s identity. However, research to establish and implement them. Furthermore, given the has shown that there is a mismatch between the competen- global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges must cies that graduates develop and achieve throughout their aca- play an effective role in assisting graduates in acquiring the demic study and the capabilities that the labor market expects new professional requirements and adapting the curricula to and demands in Oman and the Gulf regional states (Al Hinai better prepare their graduates for the challenges of changing et al., 2020; Belwal et al., 2017; Matu & Paik, 2021; Rizwan industries accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic (Mansingh et al., 2021). Universities and colleges across the Sultanate & Reddy, 2021; Memon et al., 2021; Miani et al., 2021) have been accused of failing to provide students with the Taking into account these research gaps, this study adequate English language proficiency, communication, and explores the perspectives of stakeholders from higher edu- other skills required by employers (see Al-Mahrooqi, 2012a, cation and the workplace on GAs and their alignment with 2012b; Al-Mahrooqi & Denman, 2018). For instance, offi- the current workplace’s needs and expectations. The paper cials from the Ministry of Education in Oman described the will discuss employers’ concerns about the quality and English language teaching (ELT) preparation programs in readiness of Oman’s HEI’s ELT (English language Oman as insufficient and unsatisfactory as they do not ade- Teaching) graduates, and the current efforts in higher edu- quately prepare student teachers to make decisions and cation to develop programs that respond better to the reflect on their teaching and learning practices (Al-Issa, demands of the labor market. 2005, 2008). Furthermore, many researchers have consis- The following are the primary objectives to be addressed tently reported on the lack of adequate English language pro- in this paper: (1) to identify the current GAs in ELT prepara- ficiency among Omani graduates (e.g., Al-Issa, 2007, 2014; tion programs in Oman and understand how they are devel- AL-Lamki, 2009; Al-Mahrooqi & Denman, 2016; Alrawas, oped and implemented, (2) to identify the main challenges in 2014). The literature suggests that one of the key challenges establishing, promoting, and implementing GAs, and (3) to impacting graduates’ employment in Oman and other Gulf determine how responsive the existing GAs in ELT programs regional nations is the skills gap between graduates and are to trendsetting changes such as the COVID-19, job mar- occupational requirements (Al Hinai et al., 2020; El-Saharty ket dynamic needs, other international GAs, and the et al., 2020; Matu & Paik, 2021). In Oman, researchers have OAAAQA’s accreditation standards. Ali et al. 3 This paper primarily answers the following questions: (1) competencies. Bowden et al. (2000) identified three princi- What are the existing GAs in the ELT programs in Oman, pal arguments for why GAs should be considered and given and how are they developed, conceptualized, and understood priority in the academic programs offered by universities. by EFL teachers in the Omani ELT programs under the First, GAs ensure that educated citizens are well equipped study? (2) What are the main challenges encountered by and prepared to function and contribute effectively to their English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in ELT pro- communities and not only in possession of disciplinary grams for the promotion, teaching, assessment, and review knowledge and technical skills. Second, GAs prepare the of GAs? (3) To what extent are the current GAs in ELT pro- graduates to successfully cope with the changing nature of grams responsive to trendsetting changes such as the their societies and the world. Third, GAs meet the demands COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic needs, other of the labor market, which is dynamic and requires not only international equivalents GAs, and the OAAAQA’s accredi- disciplinary knowledge and expertise but also other sets of tation principles? skills and qualities that determine whether individuals will be successful candidates for the jobs. For Hill et al. (2016), GAs are “orientation frameworks” Conceptualizing and Defining Graduate that state the ideal educational outcomes that graduates have Attributes to attain by the time they complete their undergraduate stud- ies. Consequently, curriculum design, teaching, and assess- In the literature about higher education, different terms have ment practices must be driven and informed by GAs or, said been used to describe the skills that graduates are expected to otherwise, must reflect the HEI’s core outcomes. GAs repre- have developed and acquired upon the completion of their sent the purpose of higher education and the contribution of undergraduate studies. The most commonly used terms are HEIs to society (Albalooshi, 2013). They are the product of graduate or generic attributes; soft, transferable, or employ- a mutual consensus between HEIs, a diverse variety of stake- ability skills; and core capabilities, competencies, qualities, holders, and international good practices (Albalooshi, 2013; or outcomes. Some of these attributes have become ubiqui- Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016). tous, such as critical thinking, leadership and teamwork, Many HEIs, for example in Austria, Great Britain, the communication, research, an inquiring mind, information USA, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), mandate and digital literacy, and personal skills. their academics to include GAs in their curriculum docu- Words such as skills and attributes have been used inter- mentation such as course descriptions. Accreditation bodies changeably in the literature and discourse on GAs. However, normally ask that GAs be mapped to learning outcomes and Nagarajan and Edwards (2014) argued that they are not syn- assessments. However, this does not mean that HEIs are onymous. Skills are usually more practical and refer to quali- always successful in achieving these GAs because, despite ties related to communication, time management, and the existence of GAs, the whole process and the necessary teamwork. By contrast, attributes are broader than skills and mechanisms remain uncertain (Albalooshi, 2013). As a include more abstract qualities, such as loyalty, honesty, result, doubts may be cast about the existing GAs’ impact on commitment, and integrity. These attributes are considered instruction. Students often focus only on getting the desir- desirable by employers (Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Smith able marks and grades while remaining unaware of the GAs & Do, 2018; Wong et al., 2021). and their social significance (Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014). The most commonly used definition of GAs is the one Consequently, the process of conceptualizing, developing, proposed by Bowden et al. (2000): designing, and implementing GAs within, across, and beyond the curriculum is an important issue that has been discussed “[GAs are] the qualities, skills, and understandings [that] include in the literature on higher education. but go beyond the disciplinary expertise or technical knowledge that has traditionally formed the core of most university courses. They are qualities that also prepare graduates as agents of social The Importance of Graduate Attributes good in an unknown future.” (p. 3). The higher education market has contributed to the estab- lishment of graduate attributes. Employers’ increasing Bowden et al. (2000) also described GAs as: demands for highly trained labor and the shift to a knowl- edge-based economy have prompted governments and “the qualities, skills, and understandings a university community higher education institutions worldwide to assign universi- agree its students would desirably develop during their time at the institution and, consequently, shape the contribution they ties with producing an employable graduate workforce. can make to their profession and as a citizen” (p. 3). (Hill et al., 2016; Wong et al., 2021). As a result of the higher education market, universities have been prompted to jus- Their definition implies that GAs are more comprehensive tify their worth and relevance, particularly to students. GAs than merely “employability” since HEIs would need to are increasingly being used by universities in Australia, develop their graduates’ academic, citizenship, and career New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to market their 4 SAGE Open vision to potential students, highlighting the sets of skills work-ready graduates, employers’ concerns about the and competencies that their graduates will gain throughout a quality and readiness of higher education graduates to degree (Hill et al., 2016; Wong et al., 2021). For students, enter the workforce is still a key issue in the region (Belwal GAs represent the set of skills and qualities that they should et al., 2017; Gupta et al., 2020; Matu & Paik, 2021). As a possess by completing their academic program (Hill et al., result, the GCC countries have prioritized the establish- 2016; Scott & Willison, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). A degree ment of GAs on their agenda to ensure the development of is no longer sufficient for employers to hire graduates basic technical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and other (Gupta et al., 2020; Scott & Willison, 2021). Employers’ work-related skills. (Belwal et al., 2017; Gupta et al., 2020; decisions to hire graduates are not only based on the knowl- Matu & Paik, 2021). edge they possess but also on their practical competencies. In the Sultanate, the Oman Authority for Academic Employers prefer graduates with practical and 21st-century Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and com- (OAAAQA) is in charge of establishing the overall quality munication (Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Scott & Willison, framework for Oman’s higher education institutions, as well 2021). Furthermore, Atef and Al Balushi (2017) in their as monitoring and evaluating their performance. OAAAQA study found that establishing GAs is important for students stipulates in the institutional standards assessment manual in boosting their awareness and understanding of the wide (ISAM) that HEIs should ensure that academic standards are range of potential job opportunities. Their study also indi- set at an appropriate level for the award. They should clearly cated the value of GAs in generating new career paths that define the GAs and learning outcomes that all students have not been considered previously (Atef & Al Balushi, should attain upon completion of their degree programs. 2017). Moreover, research has connected these skills to These GAs should be benchmarked internally and externally advantages that transcend beyond academic contexts and in consultation with stakeholders and the labor market. There outcomes, such as enhanced professional success, positive should be a clear mechanism for assessing and reporting stu- interpersonal interactions, and improved mental health and dents’ achievement of these attributes. Moreover, GAs overall well-being (Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Matu & Paik, should be embedded within the degree programs and 2021; Scott & Willison, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). reviewed regularly based on the feedback received from the labor market and other stakeholders so that their effective- ness may be realistically measured. Contextual Background In response to calls for accountability and quality assur- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which consists of ance processes, great efforts have been made by HEIs to six member countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, develop GAs that articulate and reflect their institutional Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), purposes. Since it is believed that there is a correlation has made significant progress in shifting its economy away between GAs and quality assurance measures (Yorke & from oil and gas dependence toward an environment that Harvey, 2005), both are used to evaluate the effectiveness and promotes the growth of a knowledge-based economy based success of academic programs and redefine curriculums to on investments of human capital. As a result of this transi- integrate GAs. tion, the GCC has entrusted higher education with the mis- In the Omani case, the OAAA has clearly stated that aca- sion of providing employable citizens for the workplace demic standards need to be maintained through the effective (Gross & Ghafar, 2019; Matu & Paik, 2021). Due to this implementation of HEIs’ well-managed plans for the shift and the increasing demand from employers for highly- “design, delivery and assessment of all students learning by skilled labor, the GCC countries have prioritized training coursework program” (OAAA, 2016, p. 33). In other words, and education. It is worth mentioning that the GCC coun- HEIs have to adopt effective policies and procedures to tries were among the first to join the World Bank’s Human develop their programs and, thus, meet the national accredi- Capital Project, which aims to promote human capital tation requirements. GAs have been identified by the OAAA investments through education, training, and health, all of in its accreditation standard 2 (Students learning by course- which are critical components for successful individuals, work programs) as an important indicator of good practice employment, and society (El-Saharty et al., 2020; Matu & deserving of academic accreditation. HEIs in Oman have Paik, 2021). The need to strengthen HEIs’ roles in promot- responded to this expectation by establishing and identify- ing the development of skills that are relevant to today’s ing lists of the intended generic graduate attributes for each labor market and social situations to meet the labor market academic program in terms of knowledge and understand- expectations is a consistent theme in GCC higher educa- ing skills, intellectual skills (e.g., analytic and thinking tion literature (Al Hinai et al., 2020; Al-Mahrooqi & skills), practical skills, subject-specific skills, and life-long Denman, 2018; Belwal et al., 2017; El-Saharty et al., 2020; learning skills. Students from all academic levels are, there- Matu & Paik, 2021). Although the GCC region has experi- fore, expected to have attained these attributes or skills by enced significant growth in higher education, particularly the end of their programs. Furthermore, the OAAAQA in terms of providing the labor market with competent and maintains that the process for assessing the extent to which Ali et al. 5 the students have attained these qualities need to be clearly in Oman, this study seeks to fill a gap in the GCC higher identified and effectively implemented. education literature regarding GAs development. These attributes reflect the Omani qualification frame- work as well as the institutions’ vision and mission and the The Challenges stakeholders’ expectations including the students themselves and the labor markets. According to OAAAQA, the develop- Despite the growing importance of GAs, research has ment of GAs should be informed not only by the Oman qual- highlighted that their development and implementation ification framework but also by using internal and external can often be challenging (Bitzer & Withering, 2020; Green benchmarks and labor market’ feedback and expectations. It et al., 2009; Ipperciel & ElAtia, 2014; Mansingh & Reddy, is important to emphasize here that employers and profes- 2021; Matu & Paik, 2021; Scott & Willison, 2021; Wong sionals are important stakeholders in any academic pro- et al., 2021). Although HEIs seem to have accepted their gram’s design and development; therefore, their feedback new vocational role, there is a great deal of uncertainty should be highly considered to ensure that the program is about how these GAs should be identified, described, and relevant to the current labor market’s needs (Oman Academic integrated into their curricula (Matu & Paik, 2021; Scott & Accreditation Authority, 2016). Willison, 2021). As a result, GAs have become an impor- GAs are communicated to the stakeholders, particularly tant issue in quality assurance and curriculum planning in students and staff, and effectively incorporated into the aca- HEIs (Belwal et al., 2017; Matu & Paik, 2021; Scott & demic programs. Most of the HEIs in Oman specify lists of Willison, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). HEIs think differently GAs that are informed by OAAAQA’s guidelines and suit the about GAs, and this affects their teaching and assessments. expectations of students and labor markets’ needs. Therefore, This lack of conceptual clarity negatively impacts the most of the GAs identified and listed by HIEs in Oman have effective implementation of GAs. How can GAs be effec- addressed, to some extent, similar skills which are related to tively and impactfully integrated into the curricula if the knowledge, critical thinking, and practical and lifelong learn- HEIs are unsure about what GAs are meant to be and do as ing. Having said that, however, there is a varying degree of a whole and across disciplines (Green et al., 2009; Hill difference between HEIs. This is because GAs are also et al., 2016; Ho et al., 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012). Although informed by the HEIs’ mission and vision which vary from it is widely accepted that students’ development of GAs one HEI to another and from one program to another. The should be embedded into the curriculum, teachers have GAs are available on some of the HEIs’ websites and some reportedly struggled to integrate them due to a lack of are embedded within the HEIs’ mission and vision. To ensure time, resources, and confidence (Hill et al., 2016; Wong the effectiveness of GAs, they need to be regularly reviewed et al., 2021). Research has also shown that teachers do within the program. The feedback of the graduates, staff, not know how to develop learning outcomes and teaching employers and other stakeholders should be taken into and assessment practices that are aligned with the expected account in the GAs’ reviewing process. The OAAAQA con- GAs (Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Ho et al., 2014; siders identifying and assessing GAs, which are in line with Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Wong et al., 2021). Further- Oman’s qualification framework, an important indicator for more, if it is not clear what GAs are meant to be and do, the any HEIs’ to be successfully accredited. educational system will logically fail to raise students’ Although GAs is an important aspect of any program’s awareness about the importance of GAs. Lack of aware- design and development, as shown in the above overview, ness can easily lead to a lack of motivation to acquire the there is, generally, an apparent paucity of research on GAs at intended GAs (Bitzer & Withering, 2020). Wong et al. the national level in Oman. Furthermore, there are very lim- (2021) emphasized the relevance of students’ motivation ited guidelines regulating their development, particularly in developing graduate attributes, rather than considering regarding the ELT programs, except for the general guide- it as a separate component from their degree programs. lines issued by the OAAAQA. In other words, although the Moreover, in some cases where the GAs had been inte- OAAAQA has maintained that higher education providers grated and listed in the courses, students still found that the need to establish well-defined GAs that are in alignment with courses had not supported them well enough to turn the international good practices and the expectations of students GAs into personal learning targets (Carew & Therese, and the labor market, the regulations and the process through 2007). For example, Griffin and Coelhoso (2019) assessed which these attributes are established have not been dis- the perceptions of female university business students in cussed and clarified. Similar issues were also reported in the UAE about employability skills. Their study indicated other GCC states. For example, “In Bahrain an attempt to that areas such as critical thinking, self-management, inter- discuss and debate GAs at the national level has so far not cultural skills, and taking initiative are not sufficiently taken place, nor are there any guidelines or regulations gov- addressed in the curriculum and this impedes students’ erning their establishment” (Albalooshi, 2013, p. 27). By awareness and acquisition of these skills. identifying the factors and the challenges that contribute to Although GAs are generic and so can be used in any dis- the GAs establishment and implementation in ELT programs cipline, research has revealed that the teaching and learning 6 SAGE Open of GAs are discipline-specific (Jones, 2009a, 2009b; Wong Methodology and Study Design et al., 2021). For example, Jones (2009a, 2009b) found that This study adopted a qualitative methodology with a case the interpretations for the same attributes (e.g., critical study approach because this provides opportunities to gain a thinking and problem solving) varied across the five disci- thorough understanding of real-life situations that enhances plines (economics, history, law, medicine, and physics) that the validity and reliability of the research and its findings were included in her study. Her findings imply that the dis- (Denscombe, 2010). Additionally, qualitative methods can ciplinary culture in which GAs are introduced and taught provide an in-depth understanding of the researched topic and has a significant impact on GAs’ conceptualization. This can offer rich data to answer the questions raised by the study. implies that graduate attribute development and implemen- The chosen approach befits the nature of the current study as tation should be considered and contextualized within spe- it focuses on the research questions and helps to explore the cific disciplines. Besides teachers, students and employers topics in greater depth (Dornyei & Taguchi, 2010) have different perceptions of GAs, too (Green et al., 2009; The study seeks to contribute to the incipient pool of Hill et al., 2016). Research has indicated the importance of research on GAs by reporting on a study of the GAs in Omani involving different stakeholders in the development of GAs, English language teacher (ELT) education programs and including teachers, employers, alumni, and students (Belwal OAAAQA’s role in this area. In answering these questions, et al., 2017; Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Matu & Paik, 2021; the study will interpret some Omani decision-makers per- Wong et al., 2021). Although curricula and graduate attri- spectives on graduate attributes (GAs) in the five English lan- butes are commonly assumed to be developed in collabora- guage teacher preparation programs in Oman and inventory tion with alumni and industry to bridge the gap between their views and perspectives. HEIs’ outcomes and industry needs, research findings sug- The main methods employed for generating the data are gest that this gap continues to exist due to the limited inter- semi-structured interviews and the analysis of the relevant action between these parties (Belwal et al., 2017; Mansingh institutional and OAAAQA documents to complement the & Reddy, 2021; Matu & Paik, 2021; Wong et al., 2021). data gained through the interviews. Interviews were employed This collaboration is also important for the students to because they are recognized as “a very good way of accessing acquire the necessary graduate attributes required for people’s perceptions, meanings, and definitions of situations employment (Mansingh & Reddy, 2021). and construction of reality. They are considered as one of the This collaboration was further reinforced following the most powerful ways we have of understanding others” outbreak of COVID-19 when transitioning to an online mode ((Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009, p. 168). of delivery was the best option left for students to continue This study utilized a purposive sampling procedure studying due to social isolation and lockdown policies (Hammersley, 2008). Sampling is usually done to study a (Mansingh & Reddy, 2021). The pandemic has caused sig- representative sub-group of a precisely defined population to nificant disruption to the global education system, particu- make inferences and draw a conclusion about the whole pop- larly in higher education. Shifting to an online education ulation. There are no rules for sample size in qualitative mode has significantly limited face-to-face social interaction. research as the sample size usually depends on what the This could have an impact on the development and acquisi- researcher wants to know and the purpose of the inquiry and tion of relevant required skills such as teamwork, emotional whether the sampling strategy supports the purpose and intelligence, interpersonal skills, and communication among rationale of the study (Patton, 2002, p. 244). Purposive sam- students. The post-covid industry has had new expectations pling entails studying information-rich cases and yields about graduates. Technological literacy and the ability to insights and in-depth understanding rather than empirical work remotely are the emerging skills required by the post- covid industry(Mansingh & Reddy, 2021; Memon et al., generalizations (Patton, 2002, p. 230). The used sampling 2021; Miani et al., 2021; Zakaria et al., 2020). Miani et al. aimed at capturing and describing the central themes across (2021) investigated the perspectives of Australian undergrad- the case being studied (Patton, 2002, p. 235). uate tertiary aviation students about the aviation sector and Seven participants were interviewed, all of them Omanis the abilities needed to succeed in the post-COVID-19 period. with substantial experience in the field of English language The students indicated the need for additional educational teacher education programs. The participants were chosen support and opportunity from the institution to improve their based on the following criteria. Five were full-time profes- skills and knowledge, particularly in the areas of operational sors from EFL teacher preparation programs in Oman and pandemic and outbreak management (Miani et al., 2021). two were English language experts from the Ministry of Therefore, it’s important to understand how labor-market and Education Oman, which is the main recruiter for ELT/ higher education institutions view the pandemic’s impact on TESOL graduates. They had all obtained their doctorate the development of GAs. This understanding will enhance the degrees from overseas universities. Their participation in this development of GAs in a way that responds to the changes study was voluntary (Table 1) and challenges brought by the pandemic, as well as ensure For this study, the researchers arranged the interviews in that employers have confided in the competencies and abili- advance at agreed-upon times outside the participants’ work- ties of graduates. ing duties during the academic year 2020 to 2021. Ali et al. 7 Table 1. Profile of the Interviewees. Sex Degree Affiliation Academic rank and position F PhD Ministry of Education, Oman ELT Expert and Teacher Educator F PhD Ministry of Education, Oman ELT Expert and Teacher Educator M PhD Dhofar University, Oman Assistant Professor and Head of the Education Department M PhD Sohar University, Oman Assistant Professor and Teacher Educator M PhD Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Oman Associate Professor and Dean of the College of Education M PhD University of Nizwa, Oman Assistant Professor and Teacher Educator M PhD University of Tech and Applied Sciences Assistant Professor and Teacher Educator (UTAS), Rustaq, Oman Note. The order of items in this table does not correspond to the ordinal codes assigned to the participants in this article, namely P1, P2, P3, etc. The interviews were conducted virtually and audio- namely: (1) how GAs are conceptualized and developed in recorded after obtaining the participants’ permission to do the Omani ELT preparation programs, (2) the challenges so. All the participants signed a consent form and were prom- encountered by EFL teachers in ELT programs in promoting, ised confidentiality and anonymity (see Appendix A). teaching, assessing, and reviewing GAs, and (3) the extent to Consequently, no person or HEI is named in this paper. The which the current GAs in ELT programs are borne in mind collection of institutional documents included the study plan responsive to the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market and a list of GAs in each program. These documents sup- dynamic needs, international equivalents, and the OAAAQA’s ported and supplemented the interview data. The review of accreditation principles these documents enabled us to compare and contrast the five In qualitative research, trustworthiness criteria can be teacher preparation programs in terms of GAs and objec- operationalized through different strategies and techniques. tives. All ethical aspects were taken into account and appro- To decrease threats to trustworthiness, the researchers priate measures were taken to ensure compliance with ethical employed a variety of strategies that assisted them to describe principles. The interviewees were given absolute control research findings in a way that authentically represented the over the recording process. All interviews were conducted in meanings as described by the study participants. Further, the English and subsequently transcribed and coded, and the researchers utilized member-checking techniques to sustain same was done with the information in the documents pro- data and research credibility and trustworthiness. Member vided by the interviewees (see Appendix B). checks, sometimes known as respondent validation, are con- The data analysis started with the transcription of the sidered the most important step that can be taken to foster the interviews. We read the written transcriptions several times credibility of a study (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) as they improve in order to familiarize ourselves with the data, get an overall the accuracy of the data by checking whether or not the partici- picture and understanding of each participant’s views, and pants consider that their words match what they intended to identify the main themes, codes, and sub-codes. All the say (Shenton, 2004). This study has benefitted from the con- words and utterances related to the study questions were structive feedback and comments offered by and/or actively considered. sought from two academics (Ph.D. holders) at UTAS, Rustaq, The data analysis was done manually and undertaken who had the relevant experience of ELT education to provide through the identification of themes and codes following insights or specific expertise. Additionally, the levels of Braun and Clarke’s (2006) five phases of thematic analysis: trustworthiness were enhanced by giving the research par- “familiarising myself with my data,” “generating initial ticipants opportunities to refuse to participate in the study, to themes,” “searching for themes,” “reviewing themes,” and ensure that the sessions of data collection involved only “defining and naming themes”. The interviews were all those who were willing to take part in the study (Shenton, conducted at times chosen by the interviewees to avoid 2004, p. 66). inconveniencing them. The patterns and themes that The codes were defined, reviewed, described, and rewrit- emerged from the analysis were related to the research ten to assure their relevance. Table 2 below shows some questions. The findings are not necessarily generalizable examples of codes. for the whole population, but they do provide an account After preparing the list of codes of participants’ inter- relevant beyond this study, for instance, to other similar views, typical and representative interview transcripts along contexts and circumstances. with the two lists of codes were sent to a second coder/rater The codes were rewritten and refined to assure their relat- with the request to try out the codes on these two transcripts. edness and appropriateness. Once the data were categorized Then, a meeting was conducted with the second coder to and coded, the researchers moved systematically on to the calculate the percentage of inter-rater reliability and to dis- analysis process guided by the three main refined themes, cuss and resolve our coding disagreements. A mathematical 8 SAGE Open Table 2. Examples of Codes. Another participant expressed a similar view. Conceptualization of GAs “(. . .) the graduate attributes should be based on what you Development of GAs expect the teachers to be. What do you expect them to be after Graduate attributes-related challenges graduation? What qualities they should have and what Teaching and assessing GAs competencies they should have? So in other words, graduate GAs and the COVID-19 pandemic attributes should be based on what makes a good teacher or an Challenges in developing, assessing, and reviewing GAs excellent teacher, right? So what are the characteristics of a Challenges in aligning and mapping GAs successful or good teacher at school there? And based on that, GAs and the OQF, and OAAAQA principles we can think of the graduate attributes and outline them somewhere and ask the teaching staff members to follow them or to base their teaching on them (P2).” equation was used for calculating the inter-rater reliability percentages and the precise. The percentages of the agree- Another interviewee mentioned work ethics, which was also ment and disagreement set at 75% between the two coders a personal target. were considered. Subsequently, the above final codes were “In general, the most obvious thing we notice is work ethics. refined, revised, and modified accordingly. Exactly. From generation to generation, we see that there should be more emphasis on ethics in the preparation programs. I don’t Findings know. I’m not sure if this happens. Because this is important. The ethics and the attitudes these graduates come out with is This part undertakes the analysis of the study findings very important (P1).” according to the emerging themes and the research ques- tions, namely: This second pedagogical approach focuses on the graduates’ being and not merely on their doing. The former approach 1. What are the existing GAs in the ELT programs in might lead to a view of the graduates predominantly as the Oman, and how are they developed, conceptualized, workforce, while the latter might evoke more personalist and understood by EFL teachers in the Omani ELT perspectives. Different angles would, of course, have conse- programs under the study? quences not only for the items to be included on a list of GAs 2. What are the main challenges encountered by EFL but also for instruction and assessment. teachers in ELT programs in promoting, teaching, Another interviewee highlighted the need for GAs to be assessing, and reviewing GAs? responsive to sudden changes in the labor market and to be 3. To what extent are the current GAs in ELT programs representative of all the stakeholders’ needs. responsive to trendsetting changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic “The pandemic brought so many things that we have to re-think needs, other international equivalents GAs, and the for our graduates. What is the labor market expecting from our OAAAQA’s accreditation principles? English teachers? What is the labor market expecting from a maths teacher and so on, blah, blah, blah? The good thing about, I mean what I noticed working closely with SQU, they are very Conceptualization and Development of GAs in good with working with the labor market. It’s not only the labor market I believe, and I told them this, it should be all of them. the Omani ELT Programs Students should, I mean, participate in the process, what they The data revealed that in one of the colleges, GAs are seen as believe about such graduate attributes and what they think might competencies or abilities: be difficult for them to learn in terms of the knowledge and skills we are expecting from them to achieve as graduates by the end “This is my understanding of graduate attributes. There are, let’s of the program (P7).” say, competencies. What they can do. Either in knowledge, for example, domain or in skills or even in values as well. And Another interviewee reinforced the view that the conceptual- attitudes come into that, for me, when you talk about attributes ization process should involve as many stakeholders as (P3).” possible. An interviewee from another college described their way of “Right, yes. Of course, those are staff members, I would say, conceptualizing GAs as a more holistic pedagogical project: students, or even students, the graduate students there, alumni. Those students who have graduated have started working at “(. . .) we think about what we want our graduates to be after school there. And the teachers at school, even the teachers at their graduation. This is quite obvious, linked to the mission and school there. Plus, we should not ignore teachers and senior vision of the HEI and the program (P5).” teachers at schools there. And even the administrators at schools Ali et al. 9 there, because a graduate, it’s a complete picture, right. It’s not and output must all be in sync. Consequently, GAs concern only the English language. Okay, yes, it’s the English language, not only the graduates but the whole HEI. teaching it, etc., but also how do you deal with others, this and All of the interviewees agreed that insofar as GAs are that, how to interact with others at school. Yes, you know it, goals, the HEIs have to be able to gauge whether or not these okay? (P4).” targets are being reached. Therefore, GAs have to be spe- cific, clear, and concise enough to be measurable. They also In short, GAs should be a product of consensus between have to neatly match the learning outcomes of the program, HEIs and their stakeholders (Albalooshi, 2013; Green et al., that is, be fit for purpose. There must be a manifest and 2009; Hill et al., 2016). defensible link between the learning outcomes and the GAs. Another important criterion for contextualizing GAs was During the interviews, it was also mentioned that GAs autonomy and lifelong learning. Given that these character- need to remain up today or, in other words, contextually rel- istics imply a way of being, not only doing, they could be evant and meaningful. classified as personalist GAs. “Yes, very important. Setting graduate GAs it’s not enough. You “I think we should build independence in our students. We need to update them from time to time and visit or revisit them should prepare them to be knowledge seekers, so we give them from time to time because we have to keep updated with what’s this thing that they have to search for knowledge. They’re going on. Also, you have to update what’s going on in the knowledge seekers, so they’re not recipients of the knowledge, country’s development. Oman, for example, if the graduates- if but they have to be open to being knowledge seekers. If you give they’re going to work in Oman, Oman, in this year, it’s not like them these skills, it will be very marvelous that they have this 10, 20 years ago, so we need to update. (P7).” skill to be knowledge seekers, knowledge builders, skill seekers, and so forth. You are giving them the skills to be independent The same participant elaborated on his/her answer by posit- (P5).” ing the government’s long-term plans and visions as objec- tive points of reference to gauge to what extent GAs are Another aspect of GAs is that they must be envisaged glob- relevant and meaningful for the Sultanate’s development. ally, and curriculum-wide. As one of the interviewees under- Another interviewee pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic lined, helping students attain the GAs is the task of the whole as a clear example of programs failing to prepare graduates curriculum, not of every single component. that are up to the new realities. “The challenges were maybe it wasn’t that straightforward to “Also – this is my belief – you need to map them with also the match a learning outcome to a graduate attribute. (. . .) And of market needs so you will have graduates who can work or fit course, some learning outcomes or some undergraduate very well in the markets. I’ll give you an example, whether attributes cannot be matched to the learning outcomes of a English teachers graduating, teacher graduates. For example, for particular course, because at the end of the day the graduate this time, the coronavirus pandemic, we came to realize that attributes are the complete picture (P2).” there’s the need for using technology (P7).” The idea of GAs as overarching targets has repercussions for Finally, a participant considered future needs as an essential curriculum design since components such as courses, mod- criterion for the articulation of GAs. ules, seminars, etc. become intertwining pieces of a mosaic- like learning-and-teaching project. “What you need, we need to consider that also for the future. Another interviewee brought up the institutional dimen- Technology is very important now as something to describe the sion of GAs as they have to be fitting within the being and graduates. They need to be familiar with technologies and use doing of the HEI as concretized in its vision, mission, and technologies in their teaching and also in the students’ learning. Very important to update this with the new technology, especially programs. now (P1).” “When designing the graduate attributes, first of all, we need to Technological and digital literacy will be a vital attribute of look at the vision, mission, learning, general objectives of the program and the learning outcomes of the program, and to state good English teachers in the years to come, for example, our learning, to state them in a way that they should be familiarity with teaching and learning platforms, software, observable, teachable. P6). and learning management systems. Additionally, GAs should be articulated in a way that makes Challenges it possible to teach, learn, and assess them as constitutive This part undertakes the challenges encountered by EFL elements of the various components of the degree plan. Each teachers in ELT programs in promoting, teaching, assessing, program should be a unified whole facilitating the attainment and reviewing GAs. of the desired results. In other words, the input, throughput, 10 SAGE Open One of the participants spoke of difficulties with articulat- should be stated in a way that all should be involved, the stakeholders, the market, the industry, the students themselves ing GAs that are in sync with the program and, conversely, even as actual, you could say, practitioners in this process, the the design of programs that help attain the GAs. faculty before the students, all should be part of this process (P5).” “There is a real problem with the graduate attributes, yes and with the learning outcome of the program or with the aim of the The same participant elaborated further on this idea. program. If these were stated properly, I mean taught properly through the program and assessed properly I believe that we would not need all these millions of hours we are putting into “We need to bridge this gap between the Ministry of Education in-service education and training of teachers, because anyway, and the administration of higher education where you need to sit we are expecting those teachers to be at least 70% ready (P2).” together, and you need to ask them. Now, for example, according to the pandemic, we changed our curriculum in the Ministry of Education. Are you aware of the changes? No. Assessment. Are The main challenge concerns the need to find ways of infus- you aware of those things? No. What do you expect from the ing the GAs into the learning outcomes and properly assess Ministry of Education from our graduates? What do you want them. our graduates to be equipped with, as skills, knowledge, context- Responding to the changing nature of the labor market specific values, and context specific-requirements according to was another one of the challenges for HEIs trying to articu- the pandemic? (P5)” late meaningful GAs. The gap between the English teaching programs and the “Graduate attributes are dynamic and the teaching profession Ministry of Education (the main employer) ought to be seen itself is dynamic. So, the attributes should be dynamic as well. as worrying. No country can turn into a knowledge econ- They are dynamic, of course, because it’s not only the shift, let’s omy, which is Oman’s 2040 target, without smooth, flexi- say, to online teaching and stuff, but also every day there are ble, decentralized, and effective mechanisms for cooperation new things in the teaching profession. So, these attributes need between the HEIs and the labor market. Their mutual col- also to work along with these updates in the teaching profession (P5).” laboration is necessary for bridging the gaps and develop- ing labor-market-responsive GAs (Belwal et al., 2017; Another participant made the same point. Bridgstock, 2009; Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Ho et al., 2014; Ipperciel & ElAtia, 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012; “And, for example, at a time if you discover that the weight is on Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Rowe, 2016). knowledge more than the values, or the skills, or you have tried Another challenge is the lack of effective, critical, and to strike a balance between these things. But frankly speaking, systematic reflection on and evaluation of the GAs on the as far as I know, I have been here for two years, the program part of the faculty. An interviewee worded this idea as coordinator at the university. During that time, for three years follows. we haven’t touched the graduate attributes, even the learning outcomes, or the program outcomes, but sometimes we change “Critical reflection on practice. (. . .) We see that teachers are the learning outcomes without changing the program outcomes. struggling either in the way of thinking reflectively or thinking Of course, there is a kind of alignment (P3).” critically. And also in the way of documenting this thinking. They don’t have the skills of documenting such critical reflection When this continual updating of GAs does not happen, the or critical thinking. How to do it? They always ask how to do it. graduates run the risk of not being sufficiently ready to join What to write (P4).” the changing labor market (Green et al., 2009; Ho et al., 2014; Ipperciel & ElAtia, 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012). The Subsequently, another participant expressed his/her concerns teaching profession is dynamic, and HEIs need to review and as follows. align their GAs accordingly to fit the changing needs of the labor market. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this more “One I think very important is the evaluation of the current difficult, and newly graduated teachers need to be up to the graduate attributes, because you can’t come up with a new one challenges. unless you assist with what’s going on. All program Mission, Another interviewee stated, after summarizing most of Vision, and Values need to be reviewed before reviewing its the ideas set out above, that one of the challenges for concep- graduate attributes. One of the challenges is maybe to assess the market needs. We need to look at the market needs. By market tualizing GAs is the lack of collaboration across levels and needs, I mean we need what is the trend of education in Oman institutions. now. Are we going only face to face or are we going on blended learning and maybe sometimes online learning or e-learning? (P2) “You mean that when even starting from the very beginning the graduate attributes that should be matching the learning outcomes, objectives of the program, vision and mission of the How can the faculty enact their program in the spirit of the program itself and then its execution, those graduate attributes GAs and empower the students to become the right kind of Ali et al. 11 graduates while they are unable to reflect on the GAs and the them with these skills that we do believe, and we know from our observation of those teachers that they are making them (P2).” process and come to a useful evaluation? Such a review of the GAs should be reflective, comprehensive, and effective. Finally, a participant pointed to international practices as It ought to be carried out in light of the program’s mission, another one of the criteria being used in the field for articu- vision, and values and response to the changing needs not lating GAs. only of the labor market (the vocational thrust) but also of the students and their societies (the pedagogical thrust). “I mean looking at international practices, they have very close relationships between schools and higher education institutions. Graduate Attributes, the OQF, and OAAAQA The graduates, the student graduates, I mean one of the very good things about practices in the UK and the States is those Principles teachers who graduate from an institution like Rustaq or SQU or This section looks at the extent to which the current GAs in Nizwa or whatever, when he or she goes to a school he is ELT programs are thought to be responsive to trendsetting followed up by the institution, not only left there (P4).” changes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic needs, and other international equivalents GAs, and Discussion the OAAAQA’s accreditation principles. The study was significant as it provided data about the per- A participant stated that their GAs were being reviewed in spectives and perceptions of the stakeholders of English as a light of Oman’s 2040 Vision and other national documents. foreign language in the Omani context which is considered the “Yes. We have started this year. We are in the process of first study to investigate such an important topic. Based on the reviewing and developing our programs. And we are considering interviews, the documents presented by the interviewees, and Oman Vision 2020 to 2040. We are considering an educational the available literature on GAs in teacher preparation pro- strategy, I think. The national education strategy and the national grams, the following observations can be made. This research education philosophy. So, we are trying to review our training contributes in several ways. Most importantly, it looks at GAs programs in light of these three documents. So, yes, Oman and examines experts’ perspectives on them that might help Vision 2040 is there. We are aware of its components and its improve their development, provision, and assessment. criteria regarding education, yes (P1).” Conceptualization of GAs in the Omani ELT Another participant indicated that quality assurance docu- ments constituted an important criterion for GAs. Programs Under the Study Examining the participating stakeholders’ views about the “We have a quality assurance handbook, which contains details existing graduate attributes in the English language teacher of graduate attributes for different levels, for postgraduate education programs, evidence from the data suggests that students and also for undergraduate students. Develop these HEIS and their staff have different views about what GAs attributes, then from that, we have the objectives out of those. should encapsulate and how they are to be developed, We call them COL. Learning outcomes are related to the graduate attributes. From these learning outcomes, we start to mapped, aligned, and assessed. There seem to be two differ- develop our courses by having course objectives, the content, ent perspectives, which we have termed “vocational” and and then assessment (P3).” “pedagogical.” Combining both of them, GAs ought to be cascaded from the personal and professional qualities of a This point was underlined by another participant: good teacher, which include but are not limited to competen- cies, knowledge, and skills. The HEIs could also focus on “I believe we’ve covered the majority of the things, but again I qualities that will presumably help the graduates live up to would say as a final comment or advice before you review your emerging challenges in the teaching profession, such as digi- programs go back to the OAAAQA’s Oman qualification tal literacy and information literacy skills (Nagarajan & framework and see what is expected from, let’s say you are an Edwards, 2014), in society at large (such as artificial intelli- English teacher, what is expected from an English language gence and fake information), and their sphere. Additionally, teacher holding such a qualification, a degree education in the findings of this study are similar to those of other studies English? (P6)” which suggest that the development of the GAs should be generated and articulated in a dialogue with other stakehold- Another interviewee referred to Oman’s qualifications ers (Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Ho et al., 2014; framework, especially in programs with a mixed intake. Moalosi et al., 2012). This suggests that developing, map- ping out, aligning, and assessing graduate attributes is not an “I believe in graduate attributes and according to my later work easy task as it requires collective efforts from both internal with the OAAA, it’s mainly related to the Oman Qualification Framework. In the in-service programs, we receive those and external stakeholders to operationalize and materialize teachers who already have their degrees. We just try to equip them more effectively and purposefully. The majority of the 12 SAGE Open participants in the sample of this study have recognized and English language teacher education programs in Oman and acknowledged the importance of graduate attributes, but two from the Ministry of Education (MoE), the main they conceptualize them differently. These views are in line employer of English language teachers in the country. The with (Albalooshi, 2013; Bowden et al., 2000; Green et al., data was gathered via semi-structured interviews. 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Wong The first research question addressed how GAs are con- et al., 2021) ceptualized in the five Omani ELT programs under study. The findings indicated that the participants hold different views on the GAs and how they should be developed, The Main Challenges Among EFL Teachers in aligned, mapped, and assessed. Nevertheless, all the partici- ELT Programs Regarding GAs pants recognized the importance and value of having ade- Arguably, the graduate attributes issue is complex and multi- quate GAs. It transpired that the GAs did not always result faceted as one of its essential aspects is involved as stakehold- from a consultation process involving stakeholders such as ers when developing these attributes which is not an easy task the students, alumni, and employers. we believe. Our findings revealed a range of challenges The second research question addressed the challenges in related to teaching, assessing, mapping, reviewing, and developing, mapping, aligning, teaching, and assessing GAs. adjusting GAs within ELT programs. These difficulties are A range of challenges and difficulties were reported concern- not only about execution but also planning, background ing teaching and assessment, balancing knowledge, skills, knowledge, motivation, and mechanisms. These findings cor- and attitudes, combining vocational and pedagogical targets, roborate other studies (e,g., Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., aligning GAs to learning outcomes and the vision, mission, 2016; Ho et al., 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012; Nagarajan & and objectives of the program, meeting the labor market Edwards, 2014; Smith & Do, 2018). Another challenge is that dynamic needs, and bridging the gap between the English GAs run the risk of not being sufficiently updated to meet the teacher education providers and the employers, in particular changing labor market. It was remarkable the majority of the the Ministry of Education. participants in this study acknowledged the challenges related Finally, the outcomes of the third research question show to developing, teaching, assessing, mapping, and reviewing the extent is the current GAs in ELT programs are responsive graduate attributes. to trendsetting changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic needs, and other international equiva- lents GAs, and the OAAAQA’s accreditation principles. The Extent of the Current GAs’ Responsiveness The conclusions which can be drawn from this study are to Trendsetting Changes (e.g., COVID-19) several. The findings from this qualitative study might help The COVID-19 pandemic had a global damaging impact on in the development of graduate attributes and their impact on the global economy and education in general. It has tectonic the graduates’ future employability and lifelong education. changes in the lives of people and also in the higher education The potential solutions to the GAs issues would be address- landscape in particular. Evidence from the data showed that ing the reported challenges and prioritizing them in teaching the ELT programs in question still need to work hard to tailor and assessment. their GAs and learning outcomes to meet the OAAAQA prin- The approach used in this study could be extended to ciples, the Omani qualifications framework, Oman’s Vision cover the views and practices of other teacher education pro- for 2020 to 2040, and the COVID-19’s realities. These find- grams in Oman and the region. This could be of great value ings are supported by others such as (Belwal et al., 2017; and add insights to the development of the English language Bridgstock, 2009; Green et al., 2009; Hill et al., 2016; Ho teacher education programs and quality assurance practices. et al., 2014; Ipperciel & ElAtia, 2014; Moalosi et al., 2012; Based on the study findings, the study suggests future Nagarajan & Edwards, 2014; Rowe, 2016). The OAAAQA research and directions in the graduate attributes in the highlighted the importance of reviewing and revising graduate teacher education programs with wider scope and focus. This attributes in each program to meet the requirements and the study has some limitations which need to be acknowledged. changing needs of the students and the dynamic labor market. The first is that the findings are not claimed to be representa- It was evident from the data that involving all stakeholders in tive of the experiences of all higher education stakeholders in the process would help in developing graduate attributes that Oman or other contexts. Therefore, the findings of this study are more responsive to the uncertain future of the workplace. are specific to a relatively small number of participants in the context in question. However, the findings can be transferred to other similar contexts. The findings can illuminate and Conclusions, Implications, and help in generally understanding graduate attributes in teacher Recommendations education programs of study in various EFL educational con- The qualitative approach employed facilitated the thematic texts. Second, the study relied exclusively on interviews to analysis used to gauge and synthesize the perspectives of collect data. Finally, the study looked into graduate attributes seven stakeholders on GAs. Five were from the existing in teacher education programs only rather than in Ali et al. 13 other disciplines. Based on the study findings, this study VTL in Oman during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you wish highlighted many possible further directions. The current that a summary of the results be emailed to you later on, study focused on some stakeholders’ views on graduate attri- please check this box (o). butes in teacher education programs in Oman. Further research in GCC might be undertaken to confirm the results Name: Signature: and extend knowledge of the topic under investigation. The study also suggests there is a need for employing mixed Email: Date: methods as such would offer helpful insights for academics and decision-makers regarding the GAs. Appendix B Interview Schedule Appendix A Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Participants’ Consent Form Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman during the COVID-19 Outbreak: QA Perspective Title: Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman during the COVID-19 Outbreak: QA Perspective Interview Schedule for Internal and External Stakeholders Researchers: *************** *************** *************** *************** Below are the main interview questions but a lot of probes *************** *************** and follow-up questions will also be asked? The schedule is indeed informed by the study research questions. Contact address: *************** *************** 1. Background What is the purpose of the project? This study investigates Let us start with some background questions? the Graduate Attributes (GAs) of Omani English language teacher (ELT) education programs and the role being played a. What is your area of specialty in Linguistics and/ by the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) in or English-language-related studies? this area. The study focuses on the existing GAs in the ELT b. How long have you been teaching at the tertiary programs in Oman, and how are they developed, conceptual- level? ized, and understood by EFL teachers in the Omani ELT pro- 2. Experiences in developing, mapping, teaching, and grams. It also explores the main challenges encountered by assessing GAs EFL teachers in ELT programs in promoting, teaching, a. Have you ever mapped graduate attributes assessing, and reviewing GAs. The extent to which the cur- against your courses’ learning outcomes? rent GAs in ELT programs are responsive to trendsetting b. Tell me about your overall experience with prac- changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the jobs mar- tices being currently followed by you and your ket dynamic needs and other international equivalents GAs colleagues relating to graduate attributes (e.g., and the OAAA’s accreditation principles will also be consid- developing, aligning, mapping, teaching, assess- ered in the study. ing, and reviewing). Why have I been chosen? Because of your role and expe- c. What do you think of the existing or current rience in English language teaching at the University graduate attributes in your teacher education *************** can provide valuable insights and con- program in Oman? tribute efficiently to better understanding and development d. To what extent do you think the existing gradu- of GAs of ELT programs. ate attributes in your teacher education program Do I have to take part? No. Your participation is entirely are responsive to trendsetting changes (like the your decision. You may also withdraw from the research at COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs market dynamic, any time, without having to give a reason for it, by sending other international equivalents GAs, or the an email to us. OAAA’s accreditation principles, to name but a Will my name be revealed? No, it will not. Your responses few important ones)? will be regarded as confidential and will be used only for 3. Challenges relating to the development, alignment, research purposes. teaching, and assessment of GAs What will happen with the results of the research paper? a. What challenges and problems have you or The results of this study will be used for publishing about your colleagues experienced while working 14 SAGE Open with graduate attributes (e.g., while develop- Al-Issa, A. (2014). A critical examination of motivation in the Omani English language education system. Journal of ing, aligning, mapping, teaching, assessing, or Language Teaching and Research, 5(2), 406–418. https://doi. reviewing them)? org/10.4304/jltr.5.2.406-418 b. How did you and your colleagues respond to AL-Lamki, N. (2009). The beliefs and practices related to continu- those challenges? ous professional development of teachers of English in Oman 4. Opportunities for improving the current GAs [Unpublished PhD thesis]. University of Leeds. a. In your opinion, what makes good graduate Al-Mahrooqi, R. (2012a). A student perspective on low English attributes? proficiency in Oman. International Education Studies, 5(6), b. Can you tell me about the best ideas or ways, 263–271. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v5n6p263 which you have come across, for developing grad- Al-Mahrooqi, R. (2012b). English communication skills: How are they uate attributes for teacher education programs? taught at schools and universities in Oman? English Language 5. Recommendations for improving the current GAs Teaching, 5(4), 124–130. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n4p124 Al-Mahrooqi, R, & Denman, C. (2018). English language profi- a. What would you recommend to HEIs in Oman so ciency and communicative competence in Oman: Implications their current graduate attributes in teacher educa- for employability and sustainable development. In R tion programs can meet their current challenges? Al-Mahrooqi & C. Denman (Eds.), English education in Oman b. What could be done to get students and stake- (pp. 181–193). Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981- holders involved in the development of graduate 13-0265-7_11 attributes for your and other teacher education Al-Mahrooqi, R., & Denman, C. J. (2016). Omani graduates’ programs? English-language communication skills in the workforce: 6. A closing open question Employees’ perspectives. International Journal of Applied a. Would you like to add any final comment to Linguistics and English Literature, 5(4), 172–182. https://doi. what we’ve already talked about throughout this org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.5n.4p.172 interview? Alrawas, A. (2014). Challenges of Omani university students in English language learning in the region [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Capella University. Declaration of Conflicting Interests Atef, T., & Al Balushi, M. (2017). Omani tourism and hospital- The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect ity students’ employment intentions and job preferences: to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Ramifications on Omanization plans. Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective, 25(4), 440–461. Belwal, R., Priyadarshi, P., & Al Fazari, M. H. (2017). Graduate Funding attributes and employability skills: Graduates’ perspectives The author(s) received no financial support for the research, author- on employers’ expectations in Oman. International Journal ship, and/or publication of this article. of Educational Management, 31(6), 814–827. https://doi. org/10.1108/IJEM-05-2016-0122 ORCID iD Bitzer, E., & Withering, M. (2020). Graduate attributes: How some university students experience and learn them. South African Zulaikha Al-Saadi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3896-4708 Journal of Higher Education, 3(34), 13–31. http://dx.doi. org/10.20853/34-3-3504 References Bowden, J., Hart, G., King, B., Trigwell, K., & Watts, O. (2000). Albalooshi, F. A. (2013). Graduate attributes for higher education Generic capabilities of ATN university graduates. Australian and their development in Bahrain. International Education Government Department of Education, Training and Youth Studies,6(9), 23–30. Affairs. 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SAGE Open – SAGE

Published: Jul 25, 2022

Keywords: conceptualizing; COVID-19; English language teacher education Graduates attributes; Oman; QA perspective; programs

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Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Conceptualizing Graduates Attributes (GAs) in English Language Teacher Education Programs in Oman During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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