An Investigation into the Research Culture of Addis Ababa University: The Case of Teaching English as a foreign Language (TEFL) Phd Program
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study aimed at investigating the research culture of the Teaching
English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) PhD program of Addis Ababa
University. It also aimed at identifying factors contributing to this culture.
Mixed methods approach was employed for the study, which is mainly
qualitative, but also uses quantitative techniques for triangulation purposes.
The study participants were 40 TEFL PhD students of the university selected
using stratified random sampling technique and 16 EFL educators of the
university selected using comprehensive sampling technique. The qualitative
data was collected using interviews held with five EFL Educators and five
TEFL PhD candidates; focus group discussions with 12 PhD candidates; and
document review of relevant policy documents and research guidelines of
the University. The quantitative data was drawn using two types of
questionnaires-one type administered to 16 EFL educators of the university
and the other to 40 TEFL PhD candidates; and a content analysis of titles of
ongoing TEFL PhD researches and of dissertations done at the department
• in the years 1993-2010 and available at the library. While a thematic
content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data, percentages were
used to analyze the quantitative data.
The study found out that even though official documents of the university,
TEFL PhD candidates and their guides state that EFL research, including
PhD researches should serve problem-solving purposes, little or no result
gets into actual use. And PhD students' knowing of this reality is found to
be discouraging that many feel also their dissertations will remain on shelf,
and thus they feel they do the research mainly for fulfillment. Selection of
titles for a PhD research was found to focus on what can be done just for
fulfillment rather than what pressing problems can be solved. Most of the
PhD researches from 1993-2010 and also the ongoing ones concentrate
around certain themes, contexts, and employed almost similar methods.
Mixed results were found regarding supervision of PhD researches, while
• advisors claim that they give critical feedback and allot adequate time for
discussion with their advisees, advisees reflected a range of concerns in
relation to the quality and process of supervision, i.e. the feedback and
overall coaching was found to be unsatisfactory in terms of depth and
breadth, and the advisor-advisee relationships were characterized quite
unfriendly, and thus affecting advisees commitments and the quality of their
researches. It was also found that seminar and defense sessions are
becoming venues just for evaluative reflections from the side of examiners or
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Culture