Structural Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): A Cross-national Comparative Study on Ethiopian and Kenyan Initial Teacher Education
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Date
2020-10
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AAU
Abstract
This cross-national study intended to explore the Structural Quality of 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 sample was also drawn for the quantitative inquiry.
Document analysis, semi-structured interview guideline and questionnaire were data
collecting instruments used. 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 in 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 major deviations affecting the
respective nations differently. The Kenyan private ECCE teacher training institutions
have been mushrooming while the current Ethiopian policy is totally closed for private
teacher education. Unemployment was one distinctive characteristic of Kenyan ECCE
trained teachers whereas Ethiopian ECCE is suffering with a critical shortage of
teachers. There was plain difference toward the professionalization of teacher educators.
In Kenya, there are professional ECCE teacher educators ranging from first degree to
Ph.D. 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