The Ethiopian Journal of Higher Education

Can epistemic ‘de-linking’ rectify ongoing crises of education in the Global South? A critique on Abebe & Biswas’ work

Dawit Yekoyesew — 2024-03-21

No one doubts the paramount role of education in overall development. There have also been various attempts to enhance the quality of education worldwide and in the Global South in particular. With this in mind, global mottos such as education for all have been adopted and implemented worldwide. In the Global South, in particular, there have been continuing attempts to support the realization of this motto by global agencies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), and others. The logic behind this and other related mottos of education are foregrounded in the human capital approach to development. Yet, researchers of both the Global South and the Global North have questioned the success of such attempts. In this article, we reflect upon a strategy, an epistemic ‘de-linking’ with global capitalism, suggested by Abebe & Biswas in an article published in Fennia, 2021. They have suggested this strategy to rectify the ongoing crises of education in the Global South. We, however, question, whether "de-linking" the Global South from global capitalism brings opportunities for schoolchildren and young people, on the one hand, and the very possibilities and impossibilities of de-linking in the current world which has been more incredibly interconnected than ever, on the other. In other words, we question whether or not the de-linking of education from the capitalist world market helps to realize attainable aspirations and "epistemic justice" in the Global South, and if such de-linking is even possible. In attempting to answer these questions, we reflected on the ongoing debates on the benefits of education in the Global South and the remedies suggested by Abebe & Biswas to address the problem. To this end, this article begins by conceptualizing education and schooling and then proceeds to a description of formal education through a historical lens. Then, it presents the nexus between education and development. From there, it unfolds the critiques of the human capital approach to education and examines the epistemological shifts from ‘rights to education' to ‘rights in education' in the repacking and retheorizing of the local-oriented educational system in the Global South. By extension, this section questions how far "de-linking" would benefit the crises of schooling and attempts to provide a pathway to address the crises in the Global South. Our conclusion thereof is that (1) in the current global world order where partnership is propagated as one of the best strategies for sustainable development, the strategy of de-linking not only contradicts this global motto but also brings no convincing ground to suggest so; (2) the strategy may also leave the Global South to be politically and economically more powerless and marginalized; (3) the suggested strategy hangs upon a mere de-linking which takes binary opposition to global cooperation without trying to deal with the issue within the interconnectedness of global countries, systems, and processes; and (4) the authors conceptualized epistemic injustice in a very narrow manner. Therefore, we suggest a relinking strategy that duly considers and reinforces the current global scenario of almost unescapable interconnectedness that proactively and continually reacts to balancing the gaps in global partnership processes, systems, and participating institutions and scholars.

Assessment of Quality of Education at the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering – AAiT Using Modified HEQAM – KAU Model

Tewodros Gemechu — 2024-03-21

The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of education at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. It does so by using a modified HEQAM-KAU model which constitutes 7 core variables, namely, Curriculum, Academic Staff, Career prospect, Infrastructure, E-Services, Library services, and Administrative services. The study engaged a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches using closed questionnaire and semi structured interview. A descriptive type of research design was used due to the reason that this research method describes the characteristic of the phenomenon studied. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 125 students and 38 instructors. The model used in this study revealed that the quality of education offered at the Civil Engineering undergraduate program of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering was found to be medium from the perspective of the sample population that participated in the study. Based on individual analysis of main variables at the core of the assessment model, the major hindrances were identified as poor administrative services, inferior E-services and gloomy career prospect. As the findings indicate, there is a strong need to improve the institution’s links with business through internship and other programs to increase employment opportunities. It has also been suggested that University-Industry Linkage Office should be led by a qualified professional who specialized in the area as opposed to any academic staff. Similar suggestion has also been forwarded regarding the Office of External Relations, which, on paper, is tasked with sowing fruitful relations with other academic and research establishments in order to facilitate opportunities to continue studies abroad. Finally, it has been recommended that the school should form an internal quality assessment unit and plan periodic quality assessments on its own as part of improving the quality assurance efforts.

Medical Radiologic Technology Education in Ethiopia: Implications for the Development of Postgraduate Programs

Marema Jebessa — 2024-03-21

Radiological imaging has become an essential tool in disease diagnosis, treatment and management. Medical imaging professionals were crucial in providing radiological imaging services in healthcare facilities. Training these professionals requires a rigorous program at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Radiologic technology education has progressed to the level of doctoral philosophy (PhD) in many countries. Despite the fact that the number of universities offering undergraduate radiology technology programs in Ethiopia has increased in the last five years, there is currently no recognized institution offering a well-established postgraduate radiology technology program. Due to the lack of established postgraduate training opportunities, graduates were forced to leave the profession, which posed problems for the health care system. The purpose of this study was to explore medical radiology technology education in Ethiopia and the challenges and future prospects of postgraduate education in the field. A descriptive qualitative research method was used in the study. Secondary document reviews and semi-structured interviews with five key informants were conducted. The interviews were held between February 16 and February 22, 2022. The study identified the historical foundations of Ethiopian radiology technology education, the quest for graduate programs and the role of radiology technologists in healthcare services. There is a great need for postgraduate education in radiology technology in Ethiopia. Graduates must continue to enjoy their professional development while remaining in the sector and providing quality health care services in medical imaging. Collaboration between stakeholders and higher education institutions is necessary to meet the continuing education needs of health professionals.

Assessing the Quality of Physical Fitness Instructional Service and Its Relationship with Contextual Factors in Bahir Dar University

Demissie Gashu Walle — 2024-03-21

In recent years, there is continuous promotion and implementation of physical fitness and related activities around the globe. However, a few pieces of research have been done on quality physical fitness instructional service and its perception across contextual groups of students. The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of physical fitness instructional service and compare its perception across contextual groups of 1st-year students at Bahir Dar University. The cross-sectional research design used for the study consisted of 323 students sampled from the total population of 1860. The age of the majority of students (n= 216, 66.9%) was 20. The quality of physical fitness instructional service and the perception of contextual groups towards the same were assessed using the adapted Service Quality Assessment Scale (SQAS) and analyzed descriptively. Findings showed that the overall mean quality of physical fitness instructional service was below the average (2.62). This implies that the quality of the service was not up to the standard and could negatively affect the activity and personal goals of the students. This could lead to dissatisfaction, reduced sense of well-being and performance, and also influence their lifestyles. It could also result in loss of goodwill, image, and market shares of the university. The mean scores of most quality variables did not show significant statistical differences across age, gender, educational stream, residence area, and sports experience of students as a player (p<.05). However, there was a statistically significant quality perception difference between male and female students in two quality variables: dressing room and workout facility (p<.01). Similarly, there was also a statistically significant difference between students who come from families living in big cities and those living in woreda towns in only one quality variable: workouts facility (p<.01). As far as experience of students as a player was concerned, there was a statistically significant quality perception difference in only one quality variable: instructor performance (p<.01). The university under discussion and other higher educational institutes of the country have the opportunity to implement quality physical fitness instructional service. Yet, much more effort is needed from the concerned bodies. Future studies also need to investigate situations in other universities and include the influence of some other contextual factors.