Citation :

Khaled Abuhmaidan, Ahmed Alsswey, Marwan Alshar’e, Abdallah Abualkishik, Budour Al- Farsi, "Emerging Technology Utilization in the Omani Higher Education: Progress, Challenges, Future and Recommendations," International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT), vol. 74, no. 9, pp. 138-149, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V74I9P112

Abstract

This study provides in-depth overview of the current literature into the adoption of emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and the Metaverse into higher education institutions in Oman in 2020-2025. The aim of the research is to develop the existing trends, theories and issues that affect the adoption of such technologies in learning and teaching situations. The systematic review methodology has been used to analyze eleven peer-reviewed articles carried out in Oman. The results indicate a gradual increase in academic interest, as the investigations are more exploratory in 2022, and by 2025, there is more institutionalized interest. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) became the most popular theoretical model, and it is followed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model. The study of the researches was able to identify recurrent challenges in four major categories, namely, technical, training and skills, financial, and institutional. The most outstanding ones are difficulties in access to VR/AR devices, deficient training of the pedagogue, expensive gadgets, and ineffective policy endorsement. Overall, the research paper finds that the higher education sector in Oman is developing in the direction of enhanced technological preparedness, but the systemic limitations still prevent the implementation on a large scale. To overcome these challenges, national coordination, capacity building through investment and development of pedagogically congruent content, is needed to guarantee long-term adoption of emerging technologies in education.

Keywords

Emerging technology, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence.

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