Issues surrounding Self-contained classroom In primary schools In Ethiopia
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Date
2001-06
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Addis Ababa Univerisity
Abstract
As the current schools practice show, lower primary level (grade 1-4) is organized in
the form of self-contained classroom. This classroom setting has now become an
issue of debate and discussion among those teachers of primary schools. Thus, the
main purpose of this study is to investigate the issues surrounding self-contained
classroom in primary schools in Ethiopia. In order to achieve the purpose of the
study, basic questions were raised regarding the attitude of primary school
principals, teachers and students towards self-contained classroom, and the
problems encountered during the implementation of this setup.
The study was carried out in 24 primary schools in Ethiopia. The sources of
information were 8 woreda education office experts, 40 primary schools principals
and assistant principals, and 334 teachers who were engaged in teaching selfcontained
classrooms and 190 students of grade 4. The instruments used to gather
information for the study were questionnaires, inteNiews, and obseNation. The data
obtained were analyzed through percentages, t-test and rank order. Based on the
analysis made the following major findings were obtained.
The inadequate training and lack of experience to maintain and manage the
classroom on the part of teachers, lack of competence and interest to teach all
subjects, the absence of substitute and skilled teachers for non-academic subjects,
large class-size and the inadequately equipped classrooms with materials and
facilities were found to be the major problems for the self-contained classroom not to
become effective.
Based on the findings obtained, the following recommendations are made. Provide
adequate training to teachers, assign substitute and skilled teachers, reasonable
class sizes so that teachers can manage students properly, provide educative and
attractive classrooms and facilities and adequate teaching materials are
prerequisites that should be rigorously met. If these pre-conditions are not fulfilled, it
is hardly possible to attain the desired objective in self-contained classroom.
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Education