A Survey Study of in-School Factors Affecting Quality of Education in Secondary Schools in Oromia
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Date
2005-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Quality education is very important for social, cultural and economic development. It is a vital
in trument in the creation of a modern economy. However quality of education is influenced by
the complex ct of external and internal factors, which negatively influence instructional
acti it . The purpose of this study wa therefore, to examine the impact of the main in school
factors, which affect the quality of secondary education in Oromia region.
The sample consisted of 798 students, 283 teachers and eighteen secondary schools principals
drawn from eighteen sample schools as well as nine supervisors from woreda and zone
education offices in the three zones (East showa, East Wollega and East Hararge) of the region.
Regarding the respondents teachers and students from each sample school and supervisors from
the three zones were selected randomly. But principals from each sample schools and purposely
selected. In addition, observations were used to compare the response of the respondents with
what is actually available in the schools. To carry out the study a descriptive survey method was
used. To gather the necessary data questionnaire (open-ended and close-ended), interview,
ob ervation and documents were the main instruments employed. Instruments were analyzed in
percentage and chi-square was used to test the degree of differences among the respondents.
The results obtained from the study showed that, the main in school factors that affected quality
of secondary education were poor ability of the students in the language of instruction,
irrelevance and difficulty of the curriculum content, shortage of qualified teachers and
overcrowded nature of the classrooms. In addition, in sufficiency of school facilities in the
services they provide, shortage of textbooks and incompetence of school principals were among
the factors, which contributed to the low level of quality of education. Furthermore, the main
reason for shortage of qualified teachers in the region was found to be high turnover. The
findings of the study also suggested that half of the principals in the sample schools were below
the minimum required qualification set by the Ministry of Education. In addition, only one of
these principals was a diploma graduate in school administration and all the remaining were
subject area graduates.
Based on the findings and conclusions, recommendations are made to alleviate the existing
problems. Accordingly encouraging private investors to open private schools encouraging
community involvement in supplying school facilities, improving method of teaching English at
primary as well as secondary schools, encouraging students to debate on some i sues through
English language, encouraging private investors to publi h textbooks so that book would be
available on sale for interested consumers, motivating teachers by providing various incentives,
introduction of quality assurance mechanisms to the secondary schools, and others which are
assumed to solve the identified problems were recommended
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Education