The Nexus between Teacher Education Institutes and Cluster Schools in Tigray Region : Practice, Impact, and Implications for the Quest for Quality Education
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Date
2011-02
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study was suited in cluster school-Teacher Education Institutes relationship in Tigray
Region which aims 10 investigate the stat liS accomplishment, practice and challenges, ill/pacl
along the contours of teacher's class room practice, continuous professional development, and
sense of collegiality learning envirollment with the intention of engendering the ways/means for
slIswinabie partnership. Towards achieving this pllIpose, the study employed better combination
of qualitative and quantitative - mixed research. Consequently, the study involved participants
sllch as deans of the colleges, cluster unit coordinators of the college, schoolteachers, college
inslmclors, cluster supervisors, school directors, woreda education heads and group of council
SlI/denlS of the schools; using mixed sall1pling techniques. Corollary, data was collected through
!jllestionnaire, in-depth interview, classroom observations, and document analysis as enriching
and triangulating daw for the study. FollolVing this, quantitative (descriptive and inferential
slIltislics) and qualilCltive(themcuic analysis and interpretation) sub report, mixed data analysis
findings reveal thai the partnership status vitality includes most descriptions of goals and
benefils at planning stage, however challenging implementation process and loosely monitoring
(Ind evaluOlion system. The trainings and materials support provision the colleges render 10 the
schools on the one hand, and \,vl'lllt all these supports the schools receive on the other hand, was
considered as mainstay wilh the partnership's practice towards meeting its pUiposes. In e./Ject,
TEls/cluster school partnership o./Jers tremendous opportunities in establishing model classes
and pedagogical reS()lfrre center in Ihe schools was unprecedented. Further to this, increasing
repertoire pedagogical knowledge and skills, initiating conducting actioll research as tool for
professional development were emerged to accrue Fom TEIs/ciuster school partners/1lp.
J-!owever, IlIOSt of these partners fllj) impacts found at the infancy stage with little desired
'lric/dedown impacts' of the potential advantages of partnership. On the top of this, the
TEls/cluster schools partnership embedded Ihe dearth of documentation and comprehensive
impaci research, loosely monitoring and evaluation system, lack of budget, time constraints, lack
oIdelinea/ed responsibilities and involvelllent of s{({keholders, lack of o/ganizational supports as
lIIultilIIdes challenges which increases Ihe pressure for enduring positive outcollles of the
plII·tnel'Ship in more lIIeaningfi" and sllstainable manners. There was an apparent absence of
evidence that unde/pins TElslcluster schools were immersed in the authentic collaborative
({{nlosphere, hitherto, (/S 10 securing con/msting reCiprocal opportunities in the quest for qualily
of eriucation improvement. Through the education partnership lenses, the research findings
encoumged crilical [re}thinking of school/TE/s partnersllljJ to emulate its potentially enduring
illlpacis and for reaching developlllents for the quest quality of education improvelllents. To this
end, context based strategies and plausible recollllllendations call for unceasing concerns and
robust collaborative e./Jorts of stakeholders perhaps an imperative to nurture and sustain the
jillure direc/ion partnership.
Keywords: TEJs/e/lI sler schools parillersliip, teach er professiollal de velop/ll el/I, collegiality
lea riling
Description
Keywords
TEJs/cer sler schools parillersliip, teach er professiollal de velop/ll el/I, collegiality lea riling