EFFECT OF ONLINE TRAINING ON PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN OMAN

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of e-training within the School Leadership Program on the development of leadership competencies among school leaders in Oman. This was conducted through a field study involving 192 principals and assistant principals who participated in the training program. The researcher employed a quantitative methodology using survey design. A questionnaire comprising 3 domains (10 items per domain) was developed, with a high reliability coefficient of Cronbach Alpha is equal to 0.973, based on a survey sample of 40 participants.

Additionally, the results showed a statistically significant strong positive correlation between the level of e-training practice and the development of leadership competencies (r = 0.92, α = 0.01), indicating a substantial impact of e-training. The coefficient of determination (R²) was found to be (0.858), which means that the training accounted for 85.8% of the variance in leadership competencies. The strongest correlation was observed with professional competencies (r = 0.886)

The analysis revealed no statistically significant differences attributed to gender, educational qualification, or governorate. However, significant differences appeared in job title and years of experience, favoring leaders with less or more than ten years of experience. This underscores the influence of experience on the effectiveness of e-training. The researcher recommends integrating e-training into strategic professional development plans for school leadership.