A Critical Review of the Practice of Teacher Education in Ethiopia: Assumptions, Promises and Pitfalls

Abstract

It is believed that education, which is greatly influenced by the practice of teacher education, has
a significant impact up on the success of any individual and a nation. Hence, to improve the
quality of education in a nation, it is important to improve the quality of teacher education in that
nation. This paper is intended to examine whether teacher education practices in Ethiopia address
the problems and realities of the Ethiopian educational system and to assess whether the
assumptions and practices of the Ethiopian teacher education complements with modern
perspectives. To achieve this purpose, the teacher education program is analyzed against
empirical evidences. Furthermore, the study has explored the challenges faced in the
implementation of the teacher education program. To this end, trainee teachers, teachers, teacher
educators, concerned others and pertinent documents were used as sources of data. Data were
collected from different sources using document analysis, interview and observation. Using
Hatch’s interpretive data analysis model I have examined the data closely in order to find
constructs, themes and patterns that can be used to describe and explain the phenomena being
studied. Finally, I came to understand that the teacher education practice in Ethiopia is seriously
entangled with many problems associated with recruitment, training and education, development
of pedagogical content knowledge and practice-teaching. The implication of this study has
illuminated ways to resolve the problems observed.