Capture the reality of the physical education lesson in Omani schools: regarding the effectiveness of the teacher preparation in equipping teachers

Abstract

The study examines the school reality of physical education in th e Omani context, with a particular focus on the following issues: (a) Environmental conditions – geography (terrain, climate, urban/rural), safety. (b) Pupils and teachers – class numbers, dress, interactions, teaching and learning methods. (c) The effectiveness of teacher training Programme for Physical Education. A semi-structured observation schedule was designed and applied in ( 27 ) schools in 3 different regions in Oman with two purposes in mind: as a reporting tool to capture the reality of the physical education lesson in Omani schools, and to bring some consistency to data collection from observations regarding the effectiveness of the teacher preparations in equipping teachers. Findings indicated that the reality of subject provision in schools presented huge challenges that were not addressed in training and a wide spectrum of situational differences. These differences were related to the lack of facilities and equipment (there were few indoor spaces in a country with hostile terrain and climate), issues concerning subject status, clashes with traditional cultural preferences that constrain opportunities. Evidence from observations highlighted the gaps in communication between Ministry of Education and SQU policy and expected practice.