Knowledge Production in Educational Leadership and Management in the Sultanate of Oman: A Systematic Review of Master's Theses Approved by Sultan Qaboos University (1999-2023)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Edu.2025.10637Keywords:
Knowledge production, educational administration and leadership, systematic review, Sultanate of Oman.Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to identify the characteristics of knowledge production in the field of educational administration and leadership in the Sultanate of Oman by analyzing master's theses approved at Sultan Qaboos University and documented in the Edusearch educational database between 1999 and 2023, totaling 251 theses.
Methods: To achieve its objectives, the study employed a quantitative systematic review methodology, focusing on determining the nature of the theses whether theoretical or empirical as well as identifying the main topics covered and the research methodologies utilized.
Results: The findings revealed that the majority of the theses were empirical in nature and addressed a range of topics, most notably the roles and practices of school principals, types of school leadership, educational supervision, human resources, and organizational behavior, among other scattered topics. The analysis also indicated a strong preference for quantitative research methods across the studies.
Conclusion: The study concluded with a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing research in the field of educational administration and leadership, particularly at the level of graduate theses within the College of Education at Sultan Qaboos University.
Downloads
References
Ababneh, S. (2018). Content analysis of university thesis in educational administration at the University of Jordan (2007-2016). Dirasat: Educational Sciences, 45(3).
Altbach, P. G. (2003). Academic colonialism in action: American accreditation of foreign universities. International Higher Education, 32(1), 5–7.
Alwahaibi, A. (2017). Women educational leaders in tertiary education in Oman: Enablers, challenges and coping strategies (Doctoral dissertation, University of Leicester).
Blunt, P., & Jones, M. L. (1997). Exploring the limits of Western leadership theory in East Asia and Africa. Personnel Review, 26(1/2), 6–23.
Bridges, E. (1982). Research on the school administrator: The state-of-the-art 1967–1980. Educational Administration Quarterly, 18(3), 12–33.
Bush, T. (2020). Knowledge production in educational leadership and management: Broadening the base. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(2), 207–208.
Castillo, F. A., & Hallinger, P. (2018). Systematic review of research on educational leadership and management in Latin America, 1991–2017. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 46(2), 207–225.
Clarke, S., & O’Donoghue, T. (2016). Educational leadership and context: A rendering of an inseparable relationship. British Journal of Educational Studies, 1–16.
Dimmock, C. (2000). Globalisation and societal culture: Redefining schooling and school leadership in the twenty-first century. Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education, 30, 1–6.
Gough, D. (2007). Weight of evidence: A framework for the appraisal of the quality and relevance of evidence. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), 213–228.
Hallinger, P. (2011). A review of three decades of doctoral studies using the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale: A lens on methodological progress in educational leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(2), 271–306.
Hallinger, P. (2013). A conceptual framework for systematic reviews of research in educational leadership and management. Journal of Educational Administration, 51(2), 126–149.
Hallinger, P. (2018a). Surfacing a hidden literature: A systematic review of research on educational leadership and management in Africa. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 46(3), 362–384.
Hallinger, P. (2018b). Science mapping the knowledge base on educational leadership and management in Africa, 1960–2018. School Leadership & Management, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/17411432.2018.822772
Hallinger, P. (2019). A systematic review of research on educational leadership and management in South Africa: Mapping knowledge production in a developing society. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 22(3), 316–334.
Hallinger, P., & Bryant, D. A. (2013). Mapping the terrain of research on educational leadership and management in East Asia. Journal of Educational Administration, 51(5), 618–637.
Hallinger, P., & Chen, J. (2015). Review of research on educational leadership and management in Asia: A comparative analysis of research topics and methods 1995–2012. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 43(1), 5–27.
Hallinger, P., & Hammad, W. (2017). Knowledge production on educational leadership and management in Arab societies: A systematic review of research. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 47(1), 20–36.
Hallinger, P., Walker, A., & Trung, T. (2015). Making sense of images of fact and fiction: A critical review of research on educational leadership and management in Vietnam. Journal of Educational Administration, 53(4), 445–466.
Hammad, W., & Hallinger, P. (2017). A systematic review of conceptual models and methods used in research on educational leadership and management in Arab societies. School Leadership & Management, 37(5), 434–456.
Hammad, W., Samier, E. A., & Mohammed, A. (2020). Mapping the field of educational leadership and management in the Arabian Gulf region: A systematic review of Arabic research literature. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50, 6–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220937308
Hilal, Y. Y., & Al-Alawi, M. K. (2023). Exploring the Omani educational administration and leadership literature: Hidden gems or concerns to be addressed? In Demystifying Educational Leadership and Administration in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 209–232). Routledge.
Leithwood, K. (2005). Understanding successful principal leadership: Progress on a broken front. Journal of Educational Administration, 43(6), 619–629.
Mertkan, S., Arsan, N., Inal Cavlan, G., & Onurkan Aliusta, G. (2016). Diversity and equality in academic publishing: The case of educational leadership. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 1–16.
Murphy, J., Vriesenga, M., & Storey, V. (2007). Educational Administration Quarterly, 1979–2003: An analysis of types of work, methods of investigation, and influences. Educational Administration Quarterly, 43(5), 612–628.
Noori, N., & Anderson, P.-K. (2013). Globalization, governance, and the diffusion of the American model of education: Accreditation agencies and American-style universities in the Middle East. International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 26, 159–172.
Oplatka, I., & Arar, K. (2017). The research on educational leadership and management in the Arab world since the 1990s: A systematic review. Review of Education, 5(3), 267–307.
Ryan, J., & Daly, T. (2018). Barriers to innovation and knowledge generation: The challenges of conducting business and social research in an emerging country context. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 4, 47–54.
Swafford, G. L. (1990). Window or mirror? A content analysis of the first 25 years of the Journal of Educational Administration. Journal of Educational Administration, 28(1).
Szeto, E., Lee, T., & Hallinger, P. (2015). A systematic review of research on educational leadership in Hong Kong, 1995–2014. Journal of Educational Administration, 53(4), 534–553.
Tian, M., & Huber, S. G. (2021). Mapping the international knowledge base of educational leadership, administration and management: A topographical perspective. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 51(1), 4–23.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dirasat: Educational Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2025-05-28
Published 2025-06-15
