Sensemaking and Enactment of the General Foundation Programme in Oman Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

This study examines how stakeholders in an Omani higher education institution interpreted and enacted the General Foundation Programme (GFP), a national preparatory framework designed to support students’ transition into English-medium university study. The paper focuses on how policy actors made sense of the GFP and how their interpretations shaped enactment at institutional level. Guided by a sensemaking and cognitive framework, the study adopted a qualitative case-study design. Data were generated through 13 semi-structured interviews with policymakers and institutional leaders, supported by document analysis. The findings show that enactment was shaped by both individual cognition and situated cognition. Misunderstandings about the purpose, scope, and flexibility of the GFP contributed to uneven enactment, while strong organisational structures, collegial practices, and review processes supported clearer interpretation and more coherent implementation. The study argues that policy enactment is not a mechanical process, but a negotiated and context-sensitive one. It concludes that clearer communication, stronger feedback loops, and more sustained professional development are necessary to strengthen GFP coherence within Oman’s higher education sector