Ethiopian Journal Of Behavioural Studies

Assessing the Educational Effect, Student Perceptions, and Satisfaction with School Feeding Programs in Addis Ababa's Public Primary Schools

Afework Gizaw — 2025-04-25

Across the globe governments have been implementing school feeding programs (SFPs) aiming
at enhancing students’ health and educational outcomes. This study examined the effect of the
government funded school feeding program on educational outcomes in Addis Ababa's public
primary schools. Using an Interrupted Time Series design and a cross-sectional survey design,
the research examined changes in enrollment, dropout rates, and promotion levels, as well as
students' perceptions and satisfaction with the food provision. Data were collected from school
records and 173 students across 27 schools in five sub-cities. Results have indicated that the
SFP significantly improved educational outcomes, including increased enrollment, reduced
dropout, and enhanced promotion levels. Moreover, regardless of demographics, more than
80% of beneficiary students perceived the program as important, with 87.4% reporting high
level of satisfaction with the food provision. These findings suggest that SFPs can be an
effective tool for improving educational outcomes in developing countries though potential
adverse consequences such as dependency and sustainability need careful consideration.

Characteristics of Adolescents’ Family Environment: The Case of Selected Secondary Schools in Addis Ababa

Mitiku Hambisa — 2025-04-25

Family Environment (FE) contributes to a plethora of positive and negative outcomes
in its members. Nonetheless, little is known about the characteristics of the FE as perceived
by adolescents in the Ethiopian context. Aiming at examining characteristics of FEs, this study
was conducted on 477 Ethiopian adolescents (214 males and 255 females, with 8 missing
cases) attending two government schools and one private secondary school in Addis Ababa
City. Data were gathered using Family Environment Scale (FES) and demographic items.
Descriptive statistics, one-variable chi-square test, independent samples t-test and One-Way
ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Conflict, Achievement Orientation and Control were
found to be the salient features that characterize a relatively greater number of the
adolescents’ families, with a less balanced overall quality of the FE. Moreover, family
structure, fathers’ and mothers’ educational levels and family income were found to contribute
to variations in the adolescents’ FEs. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Perceptions, Challenges, and Opportunities for University Autonomy: The Experience of Addis Ababa University’s Governance Reform Initiative

Mekasha Kassaye — 2025-04-25

One of the most critical issues in the 21st-century higher education academic discourse
including the discourse in the Ethiopian context is the extent to which African universities enjoy
the status of autonomous universities. An autonomous university is set in the best of conditions
to exercise independence, total control, and management of itself in its overall functioning,
including academic, financial, and institutional freedom of inquiry. However, this statement of
autonomy has been threatened by many African countries to an unprecedented degree, as
stressed in the Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility.
Looking at higher education in Ethiopia, it has been influenced by government-favored political
ideology (Ashenafi Aboye & Metcalfea, 2021) for at least three regimes (1916-2018). This study
has attempted to bring to the forefront the recent Ethiopian experience of reforming its higher
education governance into an autonomous status. The objectives of this study were to explore
the very drives for higher education autonomy in the Ethiopian context and analyze the
enabling factors and associated challenges towards it. Taking Addis Ababa University, the
oldest and biggest national university in the country, and employing a descriptive research
methodology where quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a survey
questionnaire and document review, the study revealed significant challenges and limited
progress in introducing autonomous governance in Addis Ababa University at both conceptual
and practical levels. The dire need for members of the university community and stakeholders
to get all on board for a shared vision, the unwavering commitment of the government to
support universities, and the need to develop the infrastructural capacities of universities
emerged as critical requirements for successful autonomy. Furthermore, the study asserted
that the process, nature, and procedures of granting universities an autonomous status vary
from context to context and from time to time, being so complex that the exercise attracts many
actors such as the government, public universities, external donors, non-governmental
organizations and different professional societies to play.

Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) System Coherence in Ethiopia: A Critical Analysis

Belay Tefera — 2025-04-25

Coherence in education refers to alignment among systems as well as a mindset and
collective approach that consciously addresses fragmentation among systems, agents
and responsibilities. Effective ECDE design and delivery then calls for coherence, within
and among its various systems and subsystems, towards children’s holistic learning and
development. This paper attempts to conduct systemic analysis of these coherences in the
ECDE system in Ethiopia employing a blend of four interrelated models: ‘the Whole
Child Approach’, ‘the Complexity Theory’, ‘the Coherence Making Model’, and ‘the
Program Implementation Fidelity Model’. The analysis unveils that the ECDE system in
Ethiopia seems incoherent for holistic learning and development. Children’s holistic
learning and development outcomes appear insufficient mainly because of policy,
implementation, and leadership incoherencies. The paper concludes with the need for a
system overhaul to address fragmentation and work toward greater coherence.

Report-driven management accountability in primary school curriculum implementation in Ethiopia: is it driving or diverting teachers’ focus?

Feyera Beyessa — 2025-04-25

The study explored teachers’ reflections on management accountability relationships between
School Management Bodies (SMBs) and teachers for curriculum implementation in primary
schools. An exploratory case study type and a multiple case study research design were
employed. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and documentary reviews. The
findings reveal that accountability, as conceived by the teachers, is a necessary commandment
that promotes reporting, increases the workload to perform urgent work, and fosters greater
fear. The result affirms that SMBs primarily hold teachers accountable for the preparation of
student-related reports driven by top-down administrative commandments to satisfy the needs
of the district education offices to routinize the teachers’ roles and facilitate accountability at
a great level. The study also indicates that lowering teachers’ efficiency was the most
compelling pressure as a consequence of holding teachers accountable. This study discloses
that rigorous penalties were exercised only for teachers’ code of ethics rather than for failures
observed during curriculum implementation that contributed to diverting teachers’ focus from

classroom curricula practices. The study recommends that the government should re-
conceptualize the shift in teachers’ practices and design an innovative educational

accountability policy that will intrinsically drive teachers to classroom curricula practices.

A Glimpse into the Intersectionality of Individual and Collective Trauma and Resilience: The Inner Dialogue of a Reflective Practitioner

Waganesh A Zeleke — 2025-04-25

This reflection addresses the complex interaction between trauma and resilience based on the
experiences of the author who is a researcher and psychotherapist while working with
internally displaced people (IDP) in Ethiopia. Using a reflective practitioner framework, the
narrative applies biopsychosocial, spiritual, and ecological perspectives to address the
multifaceted impact of trauma. The embodiment of trauma and the critical role of culturally
responsive holistic care were discussed using 'Hiwot’s’ case as a focal point. By
reconceptualizing trauma as both an individual and collective experience, the paper
underscores the profound effect on physical, emotional, and social well-being while advocating
for culturally sensitive interventions. This paper emphasizes the importance of a practitioner's
humility, active listening, integration of local traditions, and culturally responsive approaches
in trauma-informed mental healthcare services.