The Training of Local Government Functionaries through Distance Education: Opportunities and Challenges: The Case of South Wollo Administrative Zone
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to scrutinize the opportunities gained and the challenges
faced in providing training to local government functionaries through distance education. To
realize the purpose of the study, the necessary data were secured from 146 employees and 32
managers working in six woredas of South Wollo Administrative Zone, using a descriptive
survey approach. Questionnaire, structured interview, document analysis and observation
checklist were used to gather the relevant data. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of
analysis were employed. Then, the data were tabulated and analyzed using frequency
percentages, mean, t-test, and Spearman's Rho (r J correlation. The findings showed that there
was a big gap between the actual and the demand for employees in the woredas. The t-test
indicated that respondents showed no difference in attitude about distance education. The study
also showed that there was an increased need for education and training through distance
learning. This is because, as the study revealed, employees and employers can obtain a wide
range of opportunities, among which the most important one is that employees upgrade their
knowledge and skills without being absent from work and employers do not need to release
employees to attend filii time courses and to hire substitutes. The study con eludes that there is
great need for distance education in the Zone studied. The need should be fulfilled in order to
enhance the capacity of the employees so that they would be able to discharge their duties and
responsibilities effectively and efficiently. To this end, government should consider distance
education as one of its priorities in education and establish a national regulatory body to
coordinate all the activities of distance education providing institutions in the country and to
assist then in providing incessant training to course developers and tutors.
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Keywords
of Local Government Functionaries, through Distance Education