Towards a better alignment between educational administration and leadership research, and policy and practice in Oman: building capacity and developing a research agenda

The purpose of this research project is to consider capacity building and the development of a relevant research agenda in the field of educational administration and leadership (EAL) as a means to bridge the gap between the existing EAL knowledge base and educational policy and practice in Oman. Specifically, the study sets out to answer the following questions: 1) What are the features of the existing knowledge base on EAL in Oman in terms of research topics and methods? 2) To what extent is this knowledge base able to inform educational policy and practice in Oman? 3) How can capacity building be approached to strengthen this knowledge base? 4) What EAL research agenda would be able to inform current educational developments in Oman? Due to its exploratory nature, the study will adopt a qualitative research design. Data will be collected using two methods; first, the systematic review method will be used to analyze the existing EAL knowledge base in Oman in terms of topics and research methods in order to identify possible gaps. Second, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with faculty staff members, school principals, and individuals from the Ministry of Education with policy making positions. The interviews will collect data about the challenges associated with conducting EAL research, possible capacity building strategies and how to close the gap between EAL research and policy and practice in the Sultanate. The project aligns with the growing emphasis on promoting research and innovation in Oman, as well as the need to develop the education system according to the principles articulated in Oman vision 2040 and the National Strategy for Education 2040. Our review of existing research indicates that investigations of that kind are very scarce in the Arab region, let alone in Oman, so we expect this project to make a valuable contribution to this field of inquiry.

The purpose of this research project is to consider capacity building and the development of a relevant research agenda in the field of educational administration and leadership (EAL) as a means to bridge the gap between the existing EAL knowledge base and educational policy and practice in Oman. Specifically, the study sets out to answer the following questions: 1) What are the features of the existing knowledge base on EAL in Oman in terms of research topics and methods? 2) To what extent is this knowledge base able to inform educational policy and practice in Oman? 3) How can capacity building be approached to strengthen this knowledge base? 4) What EAL research agenda would be able to inform current educational developments in Oman? Due to its exploratory nature, the study will adopt a qualitative research design. Data will be collected using two methods; first, the systematic review method will be used to analyze the existing EAL knowledge base in Oman in terms of topics and research methods in order to identify possible gaps. Second, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with faculty staff members, school principals, and individuals from the Ministry of Education with policy making positions. The interviews will collect data about the challenges associated with conducting EAL research, possible capacity building strategies and how to close the gap between EAL research and policy and practice in the Sultanate. The project aligns with the growing emphasis on promoting research and innovation in Oman, as well as the need to develop the education system according to the principles articulated in Oman vision 2040 and the National Strategy for Education 2040. Our review of existing research indicates that investigations of that kind are very scarce in the Arab region, let alone in Oman, so we expect this project to make a valuable contribution to this field of inquiry.

The current study is guided by research on educational knowledge production in the Arab region as well as the literature on research capacity building. Educational knowledge production in the Arab region Generally, scientific research and knowledge production in the Arab region have been criticised for their low level both in terms of quantity and quality (Abouchedid and Abdelnour, 2015; Almansour, 2016; Hanafi and Arvanitis, 2015). Almansour (2016) expresses this concern, arguing that most Arab research institutions ?are occupied with other matters more vital to their survival? than engaging in high-quality research practices (p. 1). This is also true for the wealthy Gulf states where research productivity has been relatively low despite significant investments in higher education and research infrastructure (Ashour and Fatima, 2016). Low research capacity in Arab higher education institutions has been attributed to several factors, including poor research funding, low level of academic staff satisfaction, and inadequate socialisation of academic staff members ?into a research climate, and university mission vis-a`-vis academic research? (Abouchedid and Abdelnour, 2015, p. 673). In the educational field, criticisms have been even more intense, usually focusing on low research output and minimal contribution to global educational literature (e.g. El-Zeki, 2008; Hallinger and Hammad, 2019). For example, El-Zeki?s (2008) analysis of the Arab-related educational research papers published in international journals between 1995 and 2006 concluded that these papers represented only 1.7% of the total number of papers (2,112) published in the reviewed journals. Similar findings were reported for EAL research. For example, in their systematic review of research from Arab societies published in core EAL journals between 2000 and 2016, Hallinger and Hammad (2019) identified only 62 Arab-related papers out of more than 4000 papers published in these journals during the same period. Similar results were found by Atari and Outum (2019). Arab EAL research has also been criticised for a number of conceptual and methodological limitations that have negatively affected both its quality and relevance. Atari and Outum (2019) described it as ?immature?, explaining that most of the articles reviewed ?were not enlightened by theories much less by a philosophy, perspective or paradigm?, thus reflecting lack of awareness of the importance of theory in guiding research. Hammad and Hallinger (2017) found the topical coverage in Arab EAL research to be ?diffuse, disconnected, and lacking in programmatic inquiry? (p.1). Arab EAL scholarship has also been found to rely excessively on quantitative methods and adopt simple conceptual models that fail to address the complexities associated with the practice of educational administration and leadership in Arab societies (see Hammad and Hallinger, 2017; Hammad et al., 2020; Oplatka and Arar, 2017). Research capacity building The issue of research capacity building has gained increased importance in higher education institutions due to pressures created by globalization, international recognition and global rankings (Griffioen, 2018; Huenneke et al., 2017). Research capacity building usually involves strategies including the establishment of adequate research infrastructure, recruiting and training staff members, promoting internal and external research partnerships, in addition to increasing research funding and identifying research priorities (Harrison and Seddon, 2013; Huenneke et al.2017; Nguyen, 2016). Researchers have proposed capacity building as a means to rectify the weaknesses of existing educational research and make it more responsive to the needs of policymakers and practitioners (Barrett et al., 2011; Leitch, 2009). However, despite agreement over the importance of capacity building in educational research, little consensus exists on its definition and approaches. Typically, research capacity building is conceptualized in terms of a process that aims to develop research skills and equip researchers with sound research methodologies that enable them to produce high-quality research (Barrett et al., 2011; Rees et al., 2007; Ridley, 2011). However, Munn (2008) argues that research capacity building is not limited to acquiring methodological skills but should also include a comprehensive understanding of the research process. Some researchers have identified specific areas in which educational researchers need training. These include the ability to conduct empirical research, how to use data collection and analysis approaches for both quantitative and qualitative research, how to develop research instruments, in addition to handling large-scale sets of data (Rees et al., 2007; Ridley, 2011). Researchers have also considered formal and informal approaches to building educational research capacity such as engagement in research as a professional activity, critical reflection on professional experience, interaction with fellow researchers and collaboration between researchers and other concerned stakeholders in conducting educational research (Barrett et al., 2011; Munn, 2008; Rees et al., 2007). International collaboration has also been proposed as a possible approach through which North?South partnerships are established to build research capacity in the countries of the South (Asare et al., 2020; Crossley and Holmes, 2001).