An Assessment of the State of Population and Family Life Education in the Secondary School Curriculum of South Wollo Zone
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the status of Pop/ FLE in the secondary school
curriculum of South Wollo zone. In order to achieve this purpose of the study, basic questions
were raised concerning the current condition of objectives and contents of Pop/ FLE, the ways
through which Objectives and contents of Pop/ FLE were integrated in the teaching materials,
the teaching methods used by teachers, hindering factors in the implementation of the program
and concerning the awareness and attitude of students on Pop/ FL issues and problems.
The study was carried out in six secondary schools. Hote, Kombolcha, Haiq, Borena, Gerado
and Kutaber secondary schools. The sources of the information were Geography and Biology
Curricular materials, forty-two teachers, two curriculum experts from the ICDR, two officials
from the zone education office and an official from FGAE. In addition, 393 students did also
participate in the study.
The instruments employed to collect the information were coding sheets, a questionnaire
consisting of 11 questions (most of which close-ended with some open-ended), interview, focus
group discussion, observation, and tests (both awareness and attitude tests containing 15 and
10 questions respectively). The data were analyzed using percentage, mean, and T-test. In
addition, based on the analysis, the following major findings were obtained.
Objectives and contents of Pop/ FLE integrated in the teaching materials were limited in scope.
The contents were presented shallowly using texts with no examples and vivid pictures. It was
also found that the time allotted to Pop/ FLE contents was the minimum and the suggested
evaluation mechanisms were (emphasizing mainly on memorization.
The study also discloses that lack of training for teachers, lack of up-to-date reference
materials on Pop/ FLE, large class size, and absence of school co-curricular activities together
with time constraint were the obstacles for the successful implementation of the program. The
students were found to have unsatisfactory knowledge on Pop/ FL issues and problems.
Nevertheless, most of them show a favorable attitude towards Pop/ FLE.
Based on these and other findings the following recommendations were made.
It is necessary to improve the existing situation of the program through the selection and
integration of more and comprehensive objectives and contents on Pop/ FLE. Moreover, contents
are needed to be presented/integrated using vivid pictures, examples, and related stories.
It is advisable that sufficient time is to be allotted to Pop/ FLE contents. And, appropriate
evaluation mechanisms that help to assess developments in terms of the 3 domains (cognitive,
affective and psychomotor) should be suggested.
Efforts should also be made to equip teachers with basic knowledge, skills, and values on
Pop/ FL issues through effective teachers education and in-service training. In addition, other
appropriate recommendations have been forwarded
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Keywords
Population and Family Life Education