Structural Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): A Cross-national Comparative Study on Ethiopian and Kenyan Initial Teacher Education
| dc.contributor.advisor | Berhanu, Girma (Professor) | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Fereja, Temesgen (PhD) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Habte, Tewodros | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-05-06T12:09:18Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-05T08:54:03Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-05-06T12:09:18Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-05T08:54:03Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-10 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This cross-national study intended to explore the Structural Quality of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Ethiopian and Kenyan initial teacher education. Initial teacher education quality assurance arrangement policies were fundamental issues to be investigated. The study was mainly assisted by neo-institutional theory. The study employed a comparative cross-national case study design while sequential exploratory mixed strategy (QUAL + quant) was a methodological approach. Bereday's comparative analysis model was used as the analytical framework of the study. Given Ethiopia and Kenya are the cases, the respective education ministries and their line agencies were major research sites. Two teacher education institutions were also taken as subsidiary sites. Policy documents and different levels of education officials such as directorate/department heads, deputy directors, coordinators, senior experts, and teacher educators were major sources of data complemented by selected teacher trainees. Twenty-five major and supportive policy documents and 16 key informants were purposively selected for the qualitative part of the study. A total of 131 randomized samples was also drawn for the quantitative inquiry. Document analysis, semi-structured interview guidelines, and questionnaires were data collecting instruments used. The findings of this study have shown significant convergence and divergence. As a result, ECCE in both nations has gained still inadequate concern compared to subsequent education subsectors. Despite policy indications of how ECCE quality and teacher quality are milestones for all levels of education quality, the subsector looks in need of considerable attention. The concept of 'decoupling' from institutional theory was apparent but to a varied extent and characteristics. The Ethiopian ECCE, for instance, has shown significant 'decoupling' between the planned policy reform activities in initial teacher training and the practice. The Kenyan teachers' career arrangement policy was considerably decoupled in ECCE, for example. A clear similar pattern revealed on the least entry academic requirements for initial training that compromised the making of teacher quality. Such similarities have also shown a sort of 'policy isomorphism'. Divergence in governance structure and power has brought significant influence on all stages of quality assurance arrangement policy formation and practice. Privatization of teacher education was one of the major deviations affecting the respective nations differently. The Kenyan private ECCE teacher training institutions have been mushrooming while the current Ethiopian policy is closed for private teacher education. Unemployment was one distinctive characteristic of Kenyan ECCE trained teachers whereas Ethiopian ECCE is suffering from a critical shortage of teachers. There was a plain difference toward the professionalization of teacher educators. In Kenya, professional ECCE teacher educators are ranging from first degree to PhD levels. Conversely, in Ethiopia, there are no ECCE professional teacher educators in any of the training institutions. The findings of this research were also compared to the wider regional and global contexts. Accordingly, for instance, the driving forces of globalization in teacher education reform demonstrated unbalanced trend between the southern and northern practices. Findings have revealed disconnection between Africa's compassion on multiple importance of investment in ECCE and practice. Couples of policy implications were also suggested. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/26342 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.subject | Structural Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) | en_US |
| dc.title | Structural Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): A Cross-national Comparative Study on Ethiopian and Kenyan Initial Teacher Education | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |