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The present study examined the predictive role of students' perceptions of parenting styles on their academic efficacy beliefs. This relationship was examined using two large sets of national data that were collected from school and university students to see how the relationship between parenting styles and academic efficacy beliefs may or may not vary across life stages. The sample included 1431 school students and 1119 university students cross the Sultanate of Oman. The participants responded to the Arabic version of the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) and to the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) constructed by the researchers. Using linear regression model for each sample, the results showed that the amount of variance in school students' academic self-efficacy beliefs explained by parenting styles (R[superscript 2] adjusted = 0.21) was higher than the amount of variance explained for the university sample (R[superscript 2] adjusted = 0.10). The researchers concluded that the effects of parenting styles on students' self-efficacy beliefs decrease as children grow up.

Based on the social cognitive learning theory (1997), peer learning can be viewed as an effective way of enhancing learning. In this study, peer tutoring, a form of peer learning, was examined. The current study investigated the influence of a peer tutoring program implemented at Sultan Qaboos University on students' English self-concept. 125 Omani university students participated in the study. The Students English Self-Concept Scale (SESCS) and the Tutorial Programs Factors Scale (TPFS) were utilized to collect the data. The findings demonstrated that peer tutoring has a positive influence on English self-concept. Three tutorial program factors were found to positively predict English self-concept. Implications for EFL teachers, and recommendations for future research were discussed.

Revising standard structured academic programs by incorporating research throughout the curriculum is a modern trend at universities worldwide. There are numerous publications on inquiry-based learning (IBL) in individual courses, but few provide evidence both of success at the program level and of synergy in the teaching--research nexus. Our strategy in inquiry-based teaching (IBT) relies on three intertwined premises: (a) advancing the soil BSc program from direct instruction through structured learning toward IBL, (b) including outreach activities executed by undergraduates, and (c) facilitating students' initiatives to compete for and fulfill grants from national research agencies. Our evaluation is based on students' self-reported evaluations in program courses, data obtained from the questionnaires administered at two workshops organized by students, and the progress of elite students who won a research grant. Students reported improved confidence and perception of an increase in teamwork skills.

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