Understanding the dynamics of student voice in Oman’s Higher Education Institutions: Exploring the case of the Student Advisory Council

Al Balushi, Faisal 2024. Understanding the dynamics of student voice in Oman’s Higher Education Institutions: Exploring the case of the Student Advisory Council. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

The themes of student voice and representation in HE decision-making through student representative groups have become ‘close to universal’ in their application. However, it has not gained much traction in the Arab world because of, it might be argued, the nature of the political cultures. This thesis develops a better understanding of the meaning and dynamics of student voice and representation in Higher Education Institutions’ (HEIs) decision-making in Oman. It uses the Student Advisory Council (SAC), formed following the Arab Spring in 2011, as the lens. A qualitative case study methodology was adopted, consisting of semi-structured telephone interviews with HE stakeholders and relevant policy and legislative documents to explore the rationales informing the establishment of the SACs in HEIs, how the meaning of student voice is shaped by policies and practices and perceived by the HE stakeholders and what role the SAC has in enacting student voice in HEIs. The thesis finds that two rationales contributed to the establishment of the SAC in Omani HEIs: i) to facilitate the representation of student voice in HEIs, and ii) more importantly, the SAC was established and promoted in a way to maintain the status quo by controlling power dynamics and student voice (at HEIs and national levels) to deter potential unrest that may be instigated by HE students. The findings indicate a shaping process in the meaning of student voice, which has an impact on HE stakeholders. The stakeholders accept the ‘official’ meaning of student voice and that it is directed to, and limited to, issues related to educational facilities and student services within the higher education framework – rather than anything more ‘political’. While there seems to be genuine efforts by the SACs to represent student voice, the representation mechanisms within HEI policies ensure that the SAC serves only narrowly defined purposes and yields limited change. This thesis contributes empirically and theoretically to the research on student voice and representation in HEIs decision-making in a rentier-state context and establishes new avenues for future investigations in analogous contexts.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	19 January 2024
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2024 10:14
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/165660

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