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The increased emphasis on self-directed learning has sparked significant interest in self-assessment (SA) within essay writing over recent decades. While prior research has predominantly examined the role of instructional tools like rubrics and checklists in guiding learners through the SA process, this study seeks to delve deeper into the various factors that might impact the utilization of these tools. Specifically conducted in a higher education (HE) setting, this study aimed to comprehend how pedagogical resources for SA are perceived, put into practice, and evolved by both students and educators, thereby offering insights into enhancing learner self-monitoring. The findings revealed that students effectively engaged in SA when utilizing criterion-referenced pedagogical aids, comprehending their application, receiving teacher support, and acknowledging the significance of SA. These outcomes underscore the necessity of addressing all these influences comprehensively to empower students in conducting autonomous self-assessment.

Drawing upon research on the ways texts work as communication across different disciplines, this study investigated teacher and student feedback practices on three different patterns of writing: comparison-contrast essays, opinion essays, and cause-and-effect essays. The data were collected through three qualitative techniques: interviews, class observations, and an analysis of course documents and student-marked writing. The results showed that the participants did not always adhere to rhetorical features of different writing patterns when giving and responding to feedback. Rather, practices of feedback were majorly shaped by their beliefs about academic writing, assessment, and cognitive issues with rhetorical patterns. The results suggest a need for raising student and teacher awareness of the values of different patterns of writing for subject-domain studies; building a constructive alignment between writing course objectives, course assessment, and feedback practices; and involving students in the academic acculturation process.

By the beginning of 2020, there were widespread school closures caused by the spread of coronavirus for an unknown duration. Consequently, many schools turned to online learning using a software application, or a video conferencing system. As high levels of self-directed learning (SDL) are important for the quality of online learning, the present study aimed to understand learner SDL in an online environment and identify its challenges and barriers at one of the higher education institutes in Oman. It addressed a case study that documented how learning went in three online courses and reported perceptions of learners pertaining to effective SDL. Data were collected through interviews with seven selected students from each course, virtual observations of online teaching, and course documents. Results revealed four issues related to students' SDL in online classes: 1) student cognitive engagement with online learning, 2) student-centered approach, 3) time-management and 4) student emotional engagement with online learning. The findings suggest a need to design an effective online learning environment through reinforcing students' satisfaction and motivation in online classes, their time management skill, a student-centered approach and teacher presence.

The paper describes an action research being developed by the researcher to address the issue of plagiarism and assist tertiary students to master second-language (L2) writing using sources in a higher education institute (HEI) in Oman. It recruited 16 undergraduate students from two classes who undertook an L2 writing course. To identify their needs of citation skills and develop a follow-up action plan, the students were initially asked to write a referenced-based essay, and then they were interviewed to explore their knowledge and skills of citation. Accordingly, specific amount of tasks were developed and conducted in 10 weeks. After implementing the tasks, the participants were asked to write another referenced-based essay and then they were interviewed for the second time to explore any change they had in knowledge and skills of citation. Findings showed that instances of plagiarism significantly decreased in their second essay; however, there was a modest overall improvement in cases of misinterpreted citations across the students who had low level of English proficiency. Implications for teaching citation skills in academic L2 writing contexts are discussed.

This research explored how feedback on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing was interpreted, enacted and developed by students, teachers and college leaders in a higher education institution (HEI) in Oman. The focus of the study was on probing the views and discursive practices of students and teachers, and on the college policy and guidance in relation to feedback on academic writing. The research posed a question that had largely been examined in previous research, such as Carless’ (2006) study which explored the different perceptions of teachers and students towards the feedback process, assessment and marking in an L2 writing context. However, previous studies had not captured the underlying complexities, or the different levels of context surrounding the feedback practices, such as the influence of EAP writing on feedback practices. Therefore, this study investigated feedback on EAP writing in a particular HEI in Oman, where it explored feedback in a natural setting, putting emphasis on the social practices of teachers, students and college leaders. This study interviewed participants to find out their beliefs about feedback and EAP writing, as well as scrutinising the college stated policy about feedback. The study also examined actual feedback practices through observation, analysis of student writing and analysis of college documents. The findings of this study showed that feedback practices in the Omani institution did not occur in isolation but were always surrounded by contextual influences. The analysis revealed that the practices of feedback were influenced by three levels of context: the local, the EAP writing and the institutional. First, feedback practices were found to be shaped by classroom interactions that occurred between teacher and students, or among students themselves, which were constructed by their beliefs about feedback and EAP writing, student self-directed learning, and teacher practices in giving feedback. Additionally, it was found that feedback practices were constructed in line with EAP writing pedagogy and academic conventions; e.g. student response to feedback was determined by their understanding of EAP academic conventions. Finally, feedback was found to be influenced by the institutional context which concerned college support for feedback, including coaching, to help use and interpret policies and feedback. Practical and theoretical implications are offered to researchers, teachers, students and college leaders based on the findings of the study. For example, based on the overall investigation of contextual influences in the institution, it is recommended to encourage teachers and students in their feedback practices, minimise any structural constraints that impede their practices, communicate college instructions clearly, build the competence of teachers and students, and provide transparent results for teacher and student efforts in enhancing their feedback practices.

Among several approaches to teaching and learning a foreign language, Total Physical Response, or TPR, is one that simulates the way children naturally acquire their mother tongue. Instructors give commands to students in the new language, and students respond through gestures. This article showcases a language learning project that the Ministry of Education in Oman adopted in collaboration with the University of Leeds, using TPR to make English language learning simulate real-life situations. It explores the effectiveness of the curriculum and examines the extent to which TPR has yielded its expected results in this particular context. The article also considers the limitations of using a singular approach to second and/or foreign language learning.