Assessment of the Contributions of Professional Teachers' Association in Promoting Quality Education in Teacher Education Colleges of Amhara Region
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2008-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study was undertaken to assess the level of contributions and major determinants to
Teachers' Professional Association participation for the promotion of quality in education in
Colleges of Teacher Education in Amhara Region. The main issues considered in answering the
status of the association participation are related to teacher quality, professionalization, and
program evaluation and research activities. Besides, answers to the other basic questions
related to factors affecting the Association: its concern for educational and professional aspects,
degree of its power (recognition), and its stakeholders' cooperation were sought for. To
investigate this, a descriptive survey, incolporating the quantitative prescriptive was used. A
total of 184 teaching staff of two colleges: instructors,4c1uster school coordinators (including
the Association's committee members N=10), lab technicians and assistants, and 6 educational
administrators (deans and vice deans) grouped as members and non-members of the
Association, TPA 's representatives at zone and regional level, and educational personnel at
zonal level were the subjects of the study. Purposive and stratified simple random sampling
techniqiles were used to select the colleges and research participants (N=93) respectively. But,
the Association 's committee members and college administrators were made to be included in
the sample purposively. A set of questionnaire was used to collect data Fom the participants.
Besides, interview with education personnel at college and zonal level, and TPA representatives
at college, zone and regional level; and documentary anaZvsis of TPA plans, reports and
administrative regulations at the aforementioned three levels were made for triangulation.
Percentage, weighted mean, and chi-square test were the statistical tools used to analyze and
intelpret the data obtained from the subjects. Results revealed that although the association
participation in issues for teachers' quality (recruitment and promotion) and professioanlazation
(discipline) was average, it was low in all the rest sub-issues raised. As the attempts to answer
the questions related to the factors, the findings indicated that of the various factors respondents
were asked to evaluate, the two seemed the major as well as very serious reasons put difficulties
to the Association as most of them. These include lack of commitment and cooperation of its
stakeholders and commitment for educational and professional aspects on its parI. Hence,
concerned bodies of the Association Fom the colleges to the region level should have to do their
best to secure good will cooperation of the Association stakeholders and the Association should
also concern for educational and professional aspects alongside for teachers welfare.
Description
Keywords
Promoting Quality Education in Teacher Education