The Relationship between Students’ Perceptions of Parenting Styles and their University Life Adjustment

The current study examines the association between university students’ perceptions of parenting styles and their university life adjustment. Data were collected from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman. The sample consisted of 2562 undergraduate students (59% were females) from different colleges and study years. The participants responded to two questionnaires. The first questionnaire examined students’ perceptions of three parenting styles: authoritative (7 items), authoritarian (7 items), and permissive (6 items). The university life adjustment was examined by a questionnaire that focused on psychological (10 items) and non-psychological (5 items) problems that students face during university years. Both measures were found to be stable and reliable. The findings showed that college students reported high levels of authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles, low levels of permissive style, and low psychological and non-psychological problems. Additionally, results of two separate re- gression analyses indicated that students’ psychological problems were predicted positively by authori- tarian mother and negatively by authoritative mother and authoritative father; the non-psychological problems were predicted negatively by authoritative father and positively by authoritarian mother and permissive father. Findings were discussed within Omani cultural context

The Addiction of Sultan Qaboos University Students to Social Networking Sites (SNS)

The present study aimed at identifying the prevalence of addiction of SNS among the students of Sultan Qaboos University, analyzing the most common symptoms of SNS addiction among them, and determining the categories which are most vulnerable to addiction to SNS. The study sample consisted of 237= 67% females and 33% males. The Alpha Cronbach coefficient for the SNS scale was 0.92, while for its three dimensions: emergence and relapse 0.85, endurance and conflict 0.81, mood adjustment and withdrawal 0.81. The results showed that the prevalence of SNS addiction among university students reached 21.1%. Endurance and conflict were the most common symptoms of SNS addiction among students. The multiple variance tests revealed that there were no significant differences among university students in terms of SNS addiction related to gender, while there were significant differences among them related to number of usage hours, GPA, and household income level

The Effects of Social Media Networking Sites on the Values of Citizenship Among Young Omanis: A Mixed-Approach Investigation

The present study aimed to reveal the positive and negative effects of SNSs on the values of citizenship among young Omanis. The study was applied on two samples. First, it includes a random sample of multiple component stages of 550 young men and women from the Sultan Qaboos University, of whom (295 males and 255 females), has responded to a questionnaire designed by the researchers. The second sample is made up of 14 young youths randomly selected from applied college students in Rustaq, and Technical College in Muscat who participated in focus groups discussion. Results showed that the positive and negative impacts of SNSs on the values of citizenship were great, but the positive effects were stronger than the negative effects. The results also showed a statistically significant difference between male and female youth in the positive effects of the means of SNSs on the values of citizenship in favor of females. Furthermore, the outcome of the focus group discussions showed the employability of SNSs in citizenship education by the promotion of its values among young Omanis through the effective communication between government institutions, educational institutions, community institutions and young Omanis through the SNSs. Finally, there is a need for activating the role of family in the citizenship education

Modeling the relationships between social intelligence, school bullying and psychological Adjustment

The descriptive study aimed to identify the levels of social intelligence, school bullying and psychological adjustment among students of seventh, eighth, and ninth grades studying in public schools in the Sultanate of Oman. The study also examined possible differences in the study variables according to gender, grade and birth order. In addition, the researchers proposed a mediating model that explains the causal relationships among the study variables. The study sample consisted of 403 students, including 165 male and 238 female students, who were selected by the random cluster method from three governorates in the Sultanate and the quantitative approach was adopted. The results indicated high levels of social intelligence and psychological adjustment and low bullying levels among the study sample. Statistically significant gender differences were found in social intelligence and psychological adjustment in favor of girls, while the differences in school bullying were favoring boys. Differences based on school grades were found in social intelligence (in favor of the eighth grade), in school bullying (in favor of the seventh grade), and in psychological adjustment (in favor of the ninth grade). Birth order seems to have influences in school bullying (in favor of the middle child). The mediating analyses showed direct effects of social intelligence in psychological adjustment and indirect effects through the mediating role of bullying. The researchers recommended a number of recommendations, including: Preparing training programs and workshops for teachers and parents concerned with how students acquire social intelligence skills because of their role in their psychological and social adjustment

Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs as a Mediating Variable in the Relationship between Parenting Styles and Psychological Coping Styles

The present study aimed to uncover the possibility of mediating academic self-efficacy beliefs in the relationship between parenting styles and psychological coping styles among tenth grade students in the Sultanate of Oman. The sample consisted of 598 male and female students. The researchers used the Adjustment Styles Scale, and it consists of two dimensions of positive and negative coping. The Buri scale of parenting styles was also used after adapting it to Omani culture and it consists of three styles: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. The study also used an academic self-efficacy scale. The validity and reliability of the three scales were established. The results indicated the presence of high levels of positive coping, father’s and mother’s authoritative style, father’s authoritarian style, and high levels of academic self-efficacy beliefs. Statistically significant gender differences were found in positive coping and mother authoritative style favoring males. There were also statistically significant gender differences in mother’s authoritarian and permissive styles in favor of females. The results revealed the possibility of a mediating role for the academic self-efficacy beliefs in the relationship between parenting styles and psychological coping

Emotional Intelligence Among School Teachers in Oman

This paper sheds light into the role of emotional intelligence in school teaching. It reports the findings of a study that sought to investigate the emotional intelligence of 4,098 school teachers in the Sultanate of Oman in five dimensions using the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS). The study also measured the relationship between teachers’ emotional intelligence and a number of demographic teacher and school variables. The results showed that teachers’ emotional intelligence was high in all five dimensions. There were variations in teachers’ emotional intelligence based on certain teacher and school variables. Key words: job satisfaction, Sultanate of Oman, teachers’ emotional intelligence. Cet article fait la lumière sur le rôle de l’intelligence émotionnelle dans l’enseignement. L’article fait rapport des résultats d’une étude ayant porté sur l’intelligence émotionnelle, selon cinq dimensions, de 4 098 enseignants dans le Sultanat d’Oman en employant l’échelle de Schutte sur l’intelligence émotionnelle. L’étude a également mesuré le rapport entre l’intelligence émotionnelle des enseignants et un certain nombre de variables démographiques liées aux enseignants et aux écoles. Les résultats indiquent que l’intelligence émotionnelle des enseignants étaient élevée pour toutes les dimensions. Des variations dans l’intelligence émotionnelle des enseignants se sont révélées selon les variables liées aux enseignants et aux écoles. Mots clés : satisfaction professionnelle; Sultanat d’Oman; intelligence émotionnelle chez les enseignants   Saleh Al-Busaidi1, Said Aldhafri12, Marwa Alrajhi1, Hussain Alkharusi1,, Bader Alkharusi3,, Abdullah Ambusaidi1, Khoula Alhosni

Moral Intelligence as a Mediator Variable in the Relationship between Personality Traits and School Bullying among Students from Grades (7-9) in North Al Batinah Governorate, Sultanate of Oman

The study aimed to identify the role of moral intelligence as a mediator variable in the relationship between personality traits and school bullying. The sample of the study consisted of 271 students from grades (7-9) in North Al Batinah Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman. This study used the school bullying scale, the short measure of the five major factors of personality (TIPI) and the scale of moral intelligence. The results of multiple regression analysis using the Baron & Kenny’s method showed that moral intelligence has an intermediary role in the relationship between personality traits and school bullying, through direct effects in the negative direction of the dimensions of personality traits (emotional stability, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) on school bullying through moral intelligence. Also, the results of the Baron & Kenny’s method showed direct effects in the negative direction of the dimensions of personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability) on school bullying, and the presence of direct influences in the positive direction of the dimensions of personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability, and openness) on moral intelligence, as the results indicated the presence of direct effects in the negative direction of moral intelligence on school bullying. The results indicated that there is a mediating role of moral intelligence in the relationship between some personality traits and school bullying

Does job value boost self-efficacy and protect against burnout among teachers in Oman?

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to examine if the perception of teaching value and a teacher's self-efficacy (SE) are related to burnout. Previous research has shown a strong relation between teachers SE and burnout. Rarely, however, job value has been included in any of the previous studies. Method. A stratified random sample (N =2446) of Omani teachers was drawn. Three measures: Job value, Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) and the teachers' sense of efficacy scale (TSES) were used. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the proposed factor structure of the measures as well as the proposed structural model. Results. The invariance tests proved that the structure of constructs and the relations between constructs were invariant across gender. Job value significantly related to both SE and burnout dimensions. Consistent with predictions, SE of student engagement related to all three burnout dimensions; whereas the other two dimensions of SE didn’t relate to burnout dimensions in the expected direction. Job value and SE explained significant variances in each of the burnout dimensions. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of this study highlight the importance of job value and SE of engaging students as cognitive self-regulatory mechanisms used in the stressful situations like teaching and to help control stress and burnout. Ministry of education, media and socity at large should be aware of the social status of teaching and teachers and provide more respect to the teachers and their job. Such respect would improve the morale of teachers and help them become more efficacious and less exhausted

The Psychometric Properties of HEXACO-60 Inventory for the Six Personality Factors on School and University Students in the Sultanate of Oman

هدفت الدراسة للتحقق من الخصائص السيكومترية لمقياس هكساكو-60 للعوامل الستة للشخصية، على عينة من طلبة المدرسة والجامعة في سلطنة عمان. وقد تكونت عينة الدراسة من 784 طالبًا وطالبة من الصفين التاسع والحادي عشر (متوسط العمر 15.31 عامًا). أجاب 444 منهم على نسختي التقرير الذاتي، وتقييم الأقران؛ بينما أجاب الآخرون على نسخة التقرير الذاتي فقط. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، فقد تكونت العينة أيضًا من 421 طالبًا وطالبة من المرحلة الجامعية (متوسط العمر 19.94 عامًا)، أجابوا على استمارة التقرير الذاتي فقط. تم التحقق من البنية العاملية للمقياس باستخدام التحليل العاملي التوكيدي، وقد أوضحت النتائج وجود بنية عاملية بستة عوامل مكونة من 51 عبارة في كل من نسختي التقرير الذاتي وتقييم الأقران على عينة المدرسة، وبنية عاملية بستة عوامل مكونة من 60 عبارة على طلبة الجامعة. كما أشارت النتائج إلى وجود مؤشرات حسن مطابقة ومعاملات ثبات جيدة للمقياس، فيما عدا انخفاض معامل الثبات لكل من عاملي الانفتاح على الخبرة والقبول؛ لذلك، من المهم الحذر عند استخدام مقياس هكساكو-60 في سلطنة عمان، مع أهمية إجراء دراسات أخرى للتحقق من خصائصه السيكومترية على عينات مختلفة.The current study examined the factorial structure of HEXACO-60 inventory of the six personality factors on a sample of school and university students in the Sultanate of Oman. The participants were 784 ninth and eleventh graders. A total of 444 students responded to self and peer reports while the rest of the students responded to self-report form only. In addition, the sample included 421 university students who responded only to the self-report form. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factorial structure of HEXACO-60. The findings revealed a six factor structure with 51 items for both self- and peer- reports in the school sample however, a six factor structure with 60 items was found in the university sample. Moreover, good fit indices of the inventory and good reliability coefficients were found, except for openness to experience and agreeableness factors. Therefore, a careful use of HEXACO-60 in Oman is necessary and further psychometric studies are needed

Individual and culture-level components of survey response styles: a multi-level analysis using cultural models of selfhood

Variations in acquiescence and extremity pose substantial threats to the validity of cross-cultural research that relies on survey methods. Individual and cultural correlates of response styles when using two contrasting types of response mode were investigated, drawing on data from 55 cultural groups across 33 nations. Using seven dimensions of self-other relatedness that have often been confounded within the broader distinction between independence and interdependence, our analysis yields more specific understandings of both individual- and culture-level variations in response style. When using a Likert scale response format, acquiescence is strongest among individuals seeing themselves as similar to others, and where cultural models of selfhood favour harmony, similarity with others and receptiveness to influence. However, when using Schwartz’s (2007) portrait-comparison response procedure, acquiescence is strongest among individuals seeing themselves as self-reliant but also connected to others, and where cultural models of selfhood favour self-reliance and self-consistency. Extreme responding varies less between the two types of response modes, and is most prevalent among individuals seeing themselves as self-reliant, and in cultures favouring self-reliance. Since both types of response mode elicit distinctive styles of response, it remains important to estimate and control for style effects to ensure valid comparisons