Browsing by Author "Nasir, Elias (PhD)"

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    Automatic Promotion Practices In The First-Cycle of Primary Schools In West Gojjam Zone
    (2003-06) Taye, Dereje; Nasir, Elias (PhD)
    The effective implementation of automatic promotion requires complementary and more systematic changes in the schools. This study was designed to assess automatic promotion practices in light of these requirements. The study was conducted in 21 schools as sources of information from the four Woredas of West Gojjam Zone. 154 teachers of the grades 1-3, 21 principals and 8 Woreda Education experts and supervisors were taken as sources of information. The data was collected through questionnaires, interview and observation checklist. The data obtained were analyzed mainly using percentage and qualitative presentation. The results of the study reveals that the awareness of teachers about the reasons behind the introduction of automatic promotion in the schools, and about the different alternative strategies other than retention and automatic promotion in dealing with low-performing students is low. They also have negative attitudes towards automatic promotion. Teachers seem to know all the implications of automatic promotion in their teaching practices. But, in practice, teachers’ utilization of continuous assessment and feedback mechanisms is poor. They are also poor in applying different corrective measures to help low-performing students individually. There is no any program arranged at school level to help underachievers before they promote to the next grade. There are repeaters in the grades 1-3 while practicing automatic promotion. The main criterion that is used in the schools to make promotion-retention decisions is attendance. In light of these findings, it is necessary to provide schools with relevant publications on the issue of retention versus automatic promotion and encourage teachers to conduct action research in their respective schools. It is also important to provide teachers with continuous assessment and promotion guides, well-developed checklists and observational techniques and alternative materials. The involvement of parents in their children’s learning and further strengthening of the existing self-contained classroom set up are also recommended. Finally, it is advisable to improve teachers’ awareness and skill about all the implications of automatic promotion through in-service courses, seminars, conferences, workshops and field-trips
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    Evaluation of the Implementation of Grade Nine Mathematics Syllabus in Addis Ababa Administrative Region
    (Addis Ababa University, 2004-06) Deressa, Solomon; Nasir, Elias (PhD)
    This study was intended to evaluate the implementation of grade 9 mathematics syllabus in selected secondary schools of Addis Abba looking at whether or not the schools are in line with the demands of the syllabus, teachers' use of instructional guidelines as required and students' behavioral development towards learning mathematics as a result of the implementation process. To this end, 40 grade 9 mathematics teachers, 142 students taught by these teachers (18 students from each of seven schools and 16 students from one school), and 8 school directors were included in the study. The teachers and student subjects were randomly selected from the randomly selected eight high schools functioning in Addis Ababa in 2003/4 academic year. The school directors were directors of these selected schools. The study noted that the physical and instruction facilities available in the schools were found to be less suitable for effective implementation of the syllabus. The large number of factors were identified that seems to have hindered the proper implementation of the syllabus. Some of the factors are the overcrowdness of the classrooms, the trend of practicing the traditional method of teaching (teacher-centerdness) on the part of the teachers during classroom instructional activities, the poor communication system /' existing among teachers and teacher and other school community members to implement the syllabus, and lack of commitment by the teachers were identified as factors that contributed to the less effectiveness of the implementation of the syllabus. The study also indicated that students do not seem to have developed positive attitude towards learning mathematics as a result of the implementation process. Based on the findings of the study, some recommendations were suggested at least to minimize the problems that were thought to have negative influence on the effective implementation of the syllabus.
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    The Status of Reading Skills Development in Subject-area Teaching and Learning: The Case of Comprehension in Afan Oromo among Primary School Children
    (Addis Ababauniversity, 2004-06) Fufa, Endalew; Nasir, Elias (PhD)
    The core issue in this research was the status of reading skills development in subject-area teaching and learning. The research aimed at to investigating the status (degree) to which material, technical and linguistic conditions allow the constructive building of reading skills in subject areas given in Afan Drama at second-cycle primary school level. To do this descriptive survey method of research was employed. Second cycle primary schools of Dromia in three selected zones (West Shewa West Wellega East Wellega) were the target data areas. Teachers, students and experts of the respective zones and regional experts were data sources whereby 270 teachers, 225 students and 12 concerned experts were partakers. Questionnaire, interview, observation checklist, and document survey were data gathering tools. Four issues were presented to be examined in the realization of this research: efficiency of teachers' training for due enhancement of reading skills in Afan Dromo subjectareas, efficiency of reading materials for due reading practice, channels for dealing with students' readiness In reading, and linguistic competence. It was found out that, teachers didn't get medium-sensitive training in order to guide students in reading to learn. Lack and insufficiencies of the necessary textbooks was also one of the setbacks. Insufficient and far-reaching guides were a part of the shortages, too. The teachers happened to over work such that they failed to deal with individual differences. Hence, the whole matter of reading In subject areas remained litera/. The vast amount of newly coined and technically borrowed words didn't IJave enoug/J glossaries and technical references. Textbook was taken unduly as a sale feeding bottle which did not support the pupils' comprehension wei/. Based up on the above findings, the researcher has come to deduce that reading to learn in the selected schools has been highly bound to ordinary copying of text data, and interpretive and creative reading have been prone to shortage to worse and absent to the worst. The sale and proximate professionals, the teachers, themselves have been used to J, {iltr" , II dispensing information, not gUiding pupils' independent reading and concept formation. This, in turn, has made the whole work of pupils' reading to learn unfruitful since it blocks creative envisage. Textbooks and teachers' guides, by themselves, have been insufficient as seen by the researcher practically, and even, some subjects have been taught with no text around (for instance, Civic Education). After examining the status of reading skills development in the subject areas given in Afan Oromo, the researcher has come up with the following major recommendations: i.Course provision in Afan Oromo subject areas should enclose the way through to developing reading skills, and this must be done by the respective colleges of teachers education. More strategically, such a provision must gear towards making subject methodology media-sensitive, and be given in both in service and pre-service channels. 2. The supply of text books and teachers guides in Oromia in general and in the targeted research area schools in particular should see a great improvement if pupils ale to read constructively. 50, the provisions of books at the second-cycle primary level has to get due consideration as planned as for the first-cycle primary. Both Oromia Education Bureau (OEB) and the respective technical advisors have to show their shares, in here. 3. The reading materials at hand must have exercises and expressions duly set to initiate reading to learn at the different comprehension levels, and ,I)ence the respective curriculum experts have to re-assess the liability of the core medium for pupils reading, and take progressive measures. 4. Sessional enriching programs to refresl) teachers at the grass root level should enclose ways of tackling and treatment of reading skills set back at the operationallevcl. For this to prove practical, every remedial (tutorial) to be given has to bc based upon need assessment and feedback from both teachers and students