Actual and desired factors of effective organisation and management of teaching and learning practices: a case study amongst lecturers and middle-leaders at a higher education institution in Oman

This thesis explores the degree to which perceptions of lecturers and middle-leaders about the actual and desired organisational characteristics of a Higher Education Institution in Oman converge and/ or diverge with regard to the effective operation of teaching and learning processes within the institution. Using a card sort of 32 criteria derived from 16 factors of effectiveness drawn from the literature, it analyses the data quantitatively to arrive at participants’ perceptions of the factors currently operating in the organisation and those desired for the future, and therefore which factors enable or hinder operational processes. Findings show that at the characteristic level, divergence is significantly greater between lecturers and middle-leaders, irrespective of faculty, than between lecturers from different faculties, or middle-leaders from different faculties. Current lecturer perceptions of organisational effectiveness/ ineffectiveness converge most strongly on factors of Collaboration and Professional Development. Middle-leader perceptions of current organisational effectiveness/ ineffectiveness converge most strongly on factors of Expectations of Success, Accountability, Professional Development, Environment, and Focus. At the more-desired/ less-desired level convergence is strongest between lecturers and middle-leaders on the factors of Expectations of Success, Collaboration and Professional Development. The study concludes that at the current level, there is a gulf between lecturers and middle-leaders that needs to be bridged if the organisation is to effectively organise the management of teaching and learning practices. The findings extend effectiveness into Higher Education in Oman and support the use of factors of effectiveness in educational research. Findings also demonstrate the usefulness of focus groups, card sorts and a quantitative analysis of data as starting points for organisational self-evaluation and review. Recommendations encompass further research as to how organisational members conceptualise and measure ‘success’, ‘collaboration’ and ‘development’; and investigation of other stakeholder perceptions of effectiveness.