Muna bint Yousuf Al-Balushi has been awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Curriculum and Instruction of English Language Teaching for her thesis entitled: “Investigating the Competency Levels of In-Service English as a Foreign Language Teachers and Their Inclusion in Pre-Service Teacher Education Programmes: Towards Developing a Competency-Based Training Model in the Sultanate of Oman.”

The study aimed to examine the level of competencies held by English language teachers in Omani schools, as well as the extent to which these competencies are embedded within teacher preparation programmes. The research sample comprised 705 participants, including male and female teachers, senior teachers, school principals, educational supervisors from the Ministry of Education, and faculty members from higher education institutions.

Findings revealed that teachers generally possessed a high level of competencies, with notable strength in the domain of values and attitudes. Conversely, the domain of lifelong learning ranked lowest. The results also indicated statistically significant differences related to gender, years of experience, type of school, and place of graduation.

The study concluded with the development of a competency-based training model that incorporates practical training, classroom observations, and professional learning communities. It further proposed a comprehensive framework for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher competencies in the Sultanate of Oman.

The thesis was supervised by Dr. Fawziya bint Aziz Al-Siyabi, with the collaboration of Dr. Abdu Mohammed Al-Makhlafi and Dr. Ehab Mohammed Naguib Amarah. The examination committee comprised Dr. Shabeer Abdul Karim Abdullah (Chair), Prof. Saleh bin Salim Al-Busaidi (Internal Examiner), and external examiners Dr. Ramani Perur Nagaratnam and Dr. Hawli Ibrahim Hawli Ali.