abstract:Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the attitudes of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) students towards the nursing profession. Methods: A sample of 377 students (male = 130; female = 247) were selected from different colleges of SQU, including the College of Nursing. A questionnaire was constructed and validated to assess the attitudes of SQU students towards the nursing profession. Results: Findings revealed that both male and female students in all academic years and colleges had positive attitudes toward the nursing profession. The findings also revealed that gender and academic year created no significant differences (P <0.05) among the study participants, but that the students' college affiliation did have a significant effect on their attitudes. In particular, nursing students had more positive attitudes than students of other colleges. Conclusion: Findings indicated that the attitudes of SQU students towards the nursing profession were positive, especially those of the nursing students. This means that serious efforts should be made to continue to promote the nursing profession and so ensure that it remains positively regarded by all concerned.Keywords: Attitudes; Students; Nursing; Oman. Attitudes of Students at Sultan Qaboos University towards the Nursing Profession

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the use of online and e-learning in Omani general and higher education institutions. Consequently, the pandemic imposed contemporary technological challenges when considering training programs for Omani teachers. This research seeks to record proactive steps, at the Omani and Arab levels, to examine the effectiveness of online, in-service teacher training programs. In addition, this research seeks to explore the effects of online training modules on teachers' knowledge of Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities (GSLD). In other words, the research aims to examine the effects of a training module on Omani teachers' awareness of GSLD. According to a convenience sampling method, a total of 60 Omani teachers participated in the research. Participants were teachers of students with Learning Disabilities (LD) at the resource room program in the Muscat Governate, in the Sultanate of Oman. They were distributed equally into two groups: control (n=30), and experimental (n=30). Following the development of a Self-Awareness Scale (SAS) and the training program module, the SAS was administered to both groups as a pre-test and a post-test. The teachers in the experimental group received a two-week online training module to improve their awareness of GSLD. Results indicated that there were significant differences in the post-test of the SAS in favor of teachers in the experimental group.

This study aims to investigate the association between psychological hardiness and career decisionmaking self-efficacy among eleventh grade students in the Sultanate of Oman. To achieve this purpose, psychological hardiness scale (PHS), and career decision self-efficacy-short form-were administered to a sample of 500 students of eleventh grade (n = 260) males and (n = 240) females. Findings revealed that the level of psychological hardiness was less than the mean of items, while career decision making self-efficacy level was more than the mean of items; there was no great correlation between psychological hardiness and career decision making self-efficacy. The findings also showed there were significant gender variations in psychological hardiness, while there were no great gender variations in career decision-making self-efficacy. Regarding GPA, the findings showed there were no great variations in psychological hardiness, while there were significant differences in career decision making self-efficacy. It is concluded that although there was no significant correlation between psychological hardiness and career decision-making self-efficacy, psychological hardiness positively affects individual's decisions in life.

The purpose of this study was to assess stress and professional counseling self–efficacy among female teachers of pupils with learning disabilities in Muscat governorate. The study attempted to answer the following questions: what is the extent to which female teachers of pupils with learning disabilities experience stress? What is the extent to which female teachers of pupils with learning disabilities have professional – counseling self–efficacy? Are there significant differences in stress due to female teachers' experience, qualification and marital status? Are there significant differences in professional counseling self–efficacy due to female teachers' experience, qualification and marital status? The sample consisted of female teachers of pupils with learning disabilities (n=96) in Muscat governorate. Two scales were designed to assess the dependent variables. To answer study questions; means, standard deviations, MANOVA, and Scheffe’s test were conducted. The findings revealed that there were significant differences in stress and professional counseling self–efficacy due to qualification, while there were no significant differences due to experience, and marital status.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a group counseling program based on cognitive – behavioral therapy on reducing the Type A behavior pattern. The study attempted to test the following hypothesis: participants who receive group counseling based on cognitive – behavioral therapy will report significant reduction in the Type A behavior pattern compared to participants in the control group who don't receive any kind of treatment. A Type A Behavior Scale (TABS) was constructed to assess the extent to which the subjects have Type A behavior. The sample consisted of 24 students selected based on their TABS scores (above the mean). These subjects were randomly assigned into two groups: Experimental group (n=12 students) who received group counseling based on cognitive – behavioral therapy, and a control group (n=12 students) who didn't receive any treatment. Means, standard deviations, and Analysis of covariance revealed that there were significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in the reduction of Type A behavior. This significant reduction was greatly in favor of the experimental group subjects.