The Ethiopian Journal of Education

Using Qualitative Measurement to Determine Text Difficulty: Relating Experts’ Judgment of Reading Text Difficulty and Students’ Comprehension Test Results in Grade Four Amharic Reading passages

Mulusew Asrate — 2025-01-08

An objective measurement of text complexity is an important tool in the preparation and selection of texts in teaching reading. This study aims to investigate the extent to which qualitative dimensions of text complexity predict the difficulty level of reading Amharic text. Reading passages included in the fourth-grade Amharic textbook are measured qualitatively by informed experts’ judgments, and the result is compared with the comprehension test results of fourth-grade students in two Addis Ababa schools. The computation of the correlation between the two results yields a statistically significant positive relationship in three of the four qualitative dimensions as well as the aggregate result suggesting that qualitative measures can be used as one source of information to determine reading text difficulty in Amharic and other Ethiopian languages which exhibit similar properties.

Causes and Psycho-Social Impact of Rape on Victims as Perceived by Secondary School Students in Oyo State, Nigeria

Foluke Nike BOLU-STEVE — 2025-01-08

Rape is a heinous and serious crime against humanity. It is not a mere sexual disorder, but rather a criminal offence. The study, therefore, investigated the causes and psychosocial impacts of rape as perceived by secondary school students in Oyo State, Nigeria. Respondents were selected through a multi-stage sampling method. Firstly, a proportionate sampling technique was used to select the Local Government Areas (LGA) in Oyo state. Secondly, purposive sampling was used to pick secondary schools with the largest population of students. Finally, a simple random sampling technique was applied to select forty-seven (47) respondents from each of the (9) secondary schools selected in this study. The Perceived Causes and Psycho-social Impact of Rape Questionnaire (CPSIRQ) developed by the study authors, was used to gather information from respondents. For the instrument, a reliability coefficient of 0.77 was obtained. Data were analysed using a t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Mean scores that are above 2.5 were accepted as the causes and psycho-social impact of rape while scores below 2.50 were considered as low. The research employed quantitative and qualitative methods. The study found that poor parental upbringing, indecent dressing, and exposure to pornographic films were perceived as major causes of rape, while social stigmatization, insomnia, and depression were perceived as psycho-social impacts. The study recommends proper parental guidance, government enforcement of policies, and community-based initiatives to support victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

The Practices and Challenges of SNE Teachers on the Identification of Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Two Selected Primary Schools of Gondar City

Simachew Tafer — 2025-01-08

The purpose of the present study was to document the current practices and challenges Teachers face in the identification of students with intellectual disabilities in primary schools. In this qualitative case study, six special needs education teachers currently engaged in supporting students with intellectual disabilities (SWID) were purposefully selected from those working in two public primary schools in Gondar city. The data was gathered through interviews, observations and consultation of relevant documents. A thematic analysis method was used to analyze and present the qualitative data and two major themes emerged. These are (1) the processes of identification of students with intellectual disabilities (SWID) where participant teachers of the two schools demonstrated their practices; and (2) the challenges teachers faced in the identification process. The findings indicated that the process of identification practices is based on teachers’ own experiences rather than on standardized assessment tools. The findings of the study also showed that in addition to the absence of assessment tools, the lack of clear policy implementation guidelines and the lack of sufficient skill to identify SWID were found to be the major challenges. Based on the findings of the study, some practical implications are discussed for improving the current identification practice so that it would be possible to get their needs met.

Teacher Self-Efficacy in Student Engagement and Instruction during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Examination of Group Differences and Predictors in Ethiopian Universities

Tefera Tadesse — 2025-01-08

Teacher self-efficacy is relevant for universities, particularly in the COVID-19 context, since previous studies found it positively associated with their commitment to teaching. While there have recently been studies on teacher self-efficacy in the COVID-19 context, there is still very little empirical research on university teachers' self-efficacy in the literature, particularly in the sub-Saharan context. Based on a social cognitive theory framework, this study identified the extent of teachers' self-efficacy in the COVID-19 context in universities in Ethiopia and further examined differences and predictors across some personal, instructional, and institutional factors. F or this, the study used a cross-sectional survey design to collect quantitative data from teacher participants (n = 147) from four purposefully selected public universities in Ethiopia that completed the short form Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale two dimensions: student engagement and instructional efficacy. The findings of the study highlight those teachers generally demonstrated average levels of self-efficacy, with low to moderate variations based on their academic rank and career stage (Cohen's d =.39-.46). Moreover, the results of the hierarchical regression analysis emphasized the significant predictability of perceived instructional quality and institutional support on teachers' self-efficacy. These findings underscore the importance of providing university teachers professional development opportunities to effectively fulfill their professional responsibilities in these circumstances and beyond. The implications of these findings are further explored in detail.

Education System Coherence in Ethiopia: The Case of GEQIP-E Implementation

Amare Asgedom — 2025-01-08

This research was intended to explore the extent to which the Ethiopian education system was coherent for learning outcomes by taking the case of a large-scale education reform, GEQIP-E. A qualitative research method was applied with data collected from key stakeholders of GEQIP-E and Ethiopian education. The data was part of the Ethiopian national education diagnosis carried out by the RISE Ethiopian Country Research Team[1]. The set of key stakeholders involves the Ministry of Education, the World Bank, other donors, Regional Education Bureaus, Woreda Education Offices and one City Administration, Addis Ababa. A slightly modified version of Pritchett’s five-by-four accountability model was used as a theoretical framework for the analysis of the data. The results suggest two types of incoherence for learning outcomes; (1) incoherence between design elements of accountability; and (2) incoherence between systems of accountability. The Ethiopian education system was largely coherent for schooling focusing on increasing enrolments and grade attainments but not coherent for learning outcomes. It is not however clear whether the incoherence is attributable to the design of the education system itself or the production model uncritically pursued by educational planners. A probe might be needed to resolve this dilemma.

*Authors are research team members of the larger RISE six-year research program.

The Impact of Integrating Computer Simulation Package in Flipped Classroom Settings on Students’ Mathematics Achievement in Ondo State

Oluremi Noah OYARINDE — 2025-01-08

This study investigates the effect of computer simulations in an inverted classroom on students' academic performances in Mathematics in the Ondo metropolis of Ondo State. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test control groups. Two public secondary schools with senior school II students, functional computers, and electricity were purposively selected within the Ondo metropolis to participate in the study. A total sample of one hundred and ninety-five (195) senior secondary schools II from two public secondary schools in Ondo metropolis participated in the study. Data were collected through the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and computer simulation instructional package (CSIP) developed by the researchers. The statistical package of the social science programme was used for the analysis. The students’ pretest and posttest scores were subjected to a sample t-test analysis. The results indicate no significant difference in pre-test scores between the two groups, confirming their equivalence at baseline. However, post-test scores revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group, demonstrating the effectiveness of the flipped classroom model with computer simulations. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that mathematics teachers should adopt a computer simulation package in flipped classroom settings as a student-driven instructional approach capable of sustaining students’ interest and improving academic achievement.