Browsing by Author "Girma Gezahegn"

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    Effects of Blended Learning on Addis Ababa University Students‟ Reading Comprehension: College of Business and Economics in Focus
    (Addis Ababa University, 2025-06-24) Dagnachew Tsegaye; Girma Gezahegn
    The general objective of this study was to investigate the effects of blended learning (BL) on Addis Ababa University students’ reading comprehension. Students’ attitudes toward blended learning-based reading comprehension were also examined. To fulfill this purpose, a quasi-experimental research design with mixed method approach was employed. In addition, from the College of Business and Economics at Addis Ababa University social science stream, four sections of freshman students were purposely selected and assigned to experimental (n=42) and control (n=42) groups. This was followed by a 12-week experiment involving students at Addis Ababa University in the first semester of the 2024/25 academic year. The same reading comprehension contents adapted from communicative English skills I course were taught to both groups. The only difference was that the experimental group was taught by a BL method that combined both online and face-to-face instructions, while the control group used the conventional, teacher-centered instruction. SPSS version 26 for quantitative data and NVivo 10 for qualitative data were used to analyze the data gathered from pre-posttests, attitude questionnaire, and focus group discussions (FGDs). Based on the analysis of the reading comprehension test results, the experimental group showed a large effect size and a statistically significant difference in reading comprehension components at the p < .05 level. However, the control group's reading comprehension results revealed no statistically significant differences in the pre- and posttest results. According to the results of the independent samples t-test, the experimental group scored better in all reading comprehension components than the control groups. Besides, students’ attitudes toward blended learning-based reading comprehension were examined through descriptive statistics for closed-ended questionnaires and thematic analysis for open-ended questions and FGD, using Nvivo 10 software. The major findings indicated that the blended learning (BL) approach positively affected students’ reading comprehension skills, with most students in the experimental group expressing positive attitudes toward it. The results leading to the recommendation that BL should be integrated into EFL classrooms to promote reading skills. Consequently, it would be advantageous to incorporate blended learning approaches that integrate online reading resources with conventional face to face instruction to improve students’ reading comprehension skills at the tertiary level in Ethiopia.
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    Factors that Affect Students' Reading Comprehension in two Government high schools: Grade 9 students in focus.
    (Addis Ababa University, 2011-11) Samuel Moges; Girma Gezahegn
    The ability to comprehend texts written in English helps to learn the target language. It is also very significant for academic stud ies, enjoyment, survival and others. However, It was felt that most students fail to understand texts. As different writers state the causes of the fai lu re, different suggestions are also given to minimize the failure of students' comprehension skills as a solution. The relevance of the ab ility to comprehend tests, the researcher's experience and other views on the causes of the problem as well as the so lutions initiated the researcher to figure out factors that affect grade nine students 'reading comprehension ability. This study genera lly aimed at showing up-to-date mechanisms that enable students to be competent readers. It particularly attempted to find out factors that affect reading comprehension ability, the magnitude of the comprehension problem, and its possible soluti ons. The identification of the magnitude of the problem was found to be the base for the identification of the causes and the so lutions. Because, li sting down causes and suggesting for solutions is pointless unless a problem is found rampant. With this intention the study was conducted on 40 sampled students and their four English language teachers. Student questiOlmaire, classroom observation teacher interview and text book analysis were used to gath er the req uired data. The findings were the students' insuffic ient practice, improper reading practices, failure to read extensively and . poor reading habits.
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    An Investigation of Challenges Students Face in Learning Writing in Sophomore English Course, A Case of Admas University College
    (Addis Ababa University, 2011-06) Manendante Mulugeta ; Girma Gezahegn
    The aim of this study was investigating challenges students face in learning writing in Sophomore English course. This was examined making two specific objectives central. These were identifying the prevalent challenges and assessing the impact of these challenges. In order to attain these objectives, a descriptive statistical analysis was employed using a sample of 48 student and 8 teacher respondents selected by simple random sampling method. The findings of the study revealed that student related challenges such as loose students' cooperation, weak readiness and lack of interest to learn writing as well as their poor background are among the prevalent problems that hinder students' learning of writing in Sophomore English course. Moreover, other problems like learning barriers and ineffective use of learning strategies, challenges related to language skills and other pedagogic albatrosses hinder their learning of writing. Based on the findings, it was concluded that student related problems such as their loose interest and readiness to learn writing, weak background and poor cooperation are found to be prevalent challenges. Moreover, their unconscious use of learning strategies and presence of learning barriers hinder their effective learning of writing. Additionally, other greatly manifested obstacles to their learning of writing include factors associated with teachers' modes of teaching, alienated provision of writing in the course, Sophomore English, and large class size. As per the conclusions, teachers, management of AUC, MoE and other concerned bodies are recommended to pay due attention to such prevalent challenges students face as students' enthusiasm, collaboration, use of strategies, effects of learning barriers, course provision system and class size.
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    A Preliminary I Investigation into the Reading Strategies of AAU First Year Students
    (Addis Ababa University, 1994-06) Girma Gezahegn; John Atkins
    This Preliminary Investigation Strategies of AAU 1st year students i.5 3 based on questionnaire and interviews. into the Reading descriptive study 251 AAU 1st year students were the target subjects of the study. Chapter one o f the study s:ates :.c" problem, describes the aim, importance and limitations of . Chapter reviews relevant work on language learning strategi es ill general and reading strategies in particular. The study procedure is described in the fa chapter which is followed by reporting o f the results and discussion o f them in chapter 4. The last chapter deals wit h conclusions and recommendations . The restdt of t h e study indicat"?s chat most of the subjects have relatively low awareness of readin g strategies that may fa cilitatemo re successful reading. Consequently , a numb2r of r<2adinq strategies b=-lieved l i kely by r2search8rs faci lita te m0re uccessfu: z'2cidinJ ~2~e said to be either never used or used very rare:y. More o v-?r I tile resut of the study suggests that a number c f readin g strategies that are deemed by reea hers to be aprrriate and likely to hinder th ,2 redding pr :, c2~S :2~e $..5. j to be u3ecJ very frequently and are va lllEd hich:y by mc st of the sbjects.
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    Relationship Between Wild Rice Species of Ethiopia With Cultivated Rice Based on Issr Marker
    (Addis Ababa University, 2007-07) Girma Gezahegn; Bekele Endashaw (Professor)
    Three wild rice populations of Ethiopia (one from Gambella and two from Gonder) and three cultivated rice populations (O. sativa from Gonder, O. glaberrima from West Africa and NERICA rice (NERICA-3; cultivar developed through interspecific hybridization between O. sativa and O. glaberrima), from Gonder) were studied. Inter simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) as a molecular marker was used to assess genetic diversity both within and between species using six ISSR primers, where four of them were dinucleotides and two tetranucleotides primers. A total of 93 clear and reproducible bands were amplified from the six ISSR primers. Both UPGMA and neighbor joining trees were constructed for each individual and population using Jaccard’s similarity coefficient of ‘0’ absent and ‘1’ present data. The trees clearly indicated six distinct groups which are based on populations of origin. The PCO analysis also recovered the UPGMA and neighbor joining trees groups, although wild Gonder-1 intermixed with wild Gonder-2. O .glaberrima, O. sativa and NERICA-3 clustered as a major group while O. barthii and O. longistaminata were clustered as the second major group. Such clustering of O. glaberrima with O. sativa and NERICA-3 is considered to be due to genetic admixture of O. glaberrima with O. sativa. The genetic diversity result generally indicated that wild rice populations were found to have higher gene diversity (0.14) than cultivated rice populations. The over all gene diversity and percent polymorphisms were found to be higher in wild rice than in cultivars (0.11). The Shannon’s diversity index also confirmed the existence of higher diversity in wild rice populations of Ethiopia than cultivated species used in the present study. Furthermore, partitioning of the Shannon’s diversity showed that the majority of the variations were observed among population (63%). Similarly, AMOVA demonstrate highly significant (P=0.00) genetic differences among populations within groups, among groups (cultivated and wild) and within populations. Of the total variation, 49.4% was attributable to among populations within groups, 26.4% to among groups and the least, 24.2% to within populations. Key words: genetic diversity, wild rice populations, cultivated rice, Oryza sativa, Oryza glaberrima, NERICA, ISSR