Becoming a research university as a strategic choice in Bahir Dar university፡ A resource dependency perspective

This paper explored how the need for research universities in Ethiopia is justified, practiced, and could be improved using the strategic tactics of the resource dependency perspective. Bahir Dar University (hereafter referred to as BDU) was taken as a case to understand the need for a research university and its practices. Document analysis was used as a source of data. Consequently, an analysis of various institutional and national secondary sources revealed that the existing uncertainties related to critical resources motivated Bahir Dar University to devise a strategic choice of becoming a research university. The uncertainties are justified in terms of economic, political and institutional conditions. Although the university envisioned becoming a research university by 2025, the existing institutional and national conditions seem to be immature to sustain the necessary resources and conditions that a research university requires. As a result, following the higher education differentiation effort, BDU had to revise its vision and extend the possible time its vision could be realized to 2030. It is concluded that the need for BDU to become a research university seems to be challenging and needs much effort to be realized. Hence, institutional re-arrangements following the strategic tactics of the resource dependency perspective need to be devised to realize the strategic choice of becoming a research university

Teacher professional development in Africa:A critical synthesis of research evidence

This study is an original synthesis of African research evidence on teacher professional development (TPD) provision in the sub-Saharan region. It provides a critical appraisal of the evidence base and identifies patterns in the actors and agendas involved in TPD initiatives; the modes and modalities of provision; and teachers’ experiences and outcomes. The study takes the form of a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) and is informed by theoretical work on decolonising education (Ndlovu-Gatsheni 2013) and promoting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). It draws primarily on publications by African-based researchers, where our research team is largely based. The findings point to the prevalence of one-size-fits-all provision can which often undermine, rather than strengthen, the situated professional knowledge and agency of teachers. Additionally, despite the emphasis given to inclusive education and gender-responsive pedagogy as a substantive focus of TPD initiatives, we find that dominant modalities of TPD provision continue to exclude historically marginalised groups, and largely reproduce existing social inequalities along the lines of gender, rurality, dis/ability and other dimensions. Alongside these negative findings, the study also finds fertile ground for more inclusive, generative and empowering TPD in the region

The Differentiation of Educational Programs at Mekelle University: Factors, Challenges and Consequences to Teaching and Research

Abstract This study was aimed to explain the differentiations of the educational programs at Mekelle University Ethiopia, and the SPSU was taken as an example. The SPSU was an academic unit, which in the meantime differentiated into four educational programs namely psychology, institute of pedagogical sciences, history and cultural studies and civics and ethics. Particularly, it aimed to address the following questions: What were the factors that explained the differentiations of SPSU; were there some challenges during the differentiations of the SPSU, If so, how are these challenges explained? And, what are the consequences of the differentiations of the SPSU to the relationship between teaching and research? Semi-structured interview and document analysis were used to collect the data. The semi-structured interview was carried out with four participants, one from each differentiated educational program. All of the participants were academic staff in the respective educational programs. And, three of the participants were interviewed face-to-face, while the one was interviewed on Skype. A narrative qualitative data analysis technique was used to analyze the data collected through the interviews and documents. The study found that, the national and institutional factors explained the differentiations of the SPSU. The national factors were: the increase in the numbers of the higher education students, the ‘seventy’ versus ‘thirty’ programs mix in students’ enrollment, the introductions of the ‘added-on’ teacher education policy and business processes reengineering. In addition, institutional factors such as, the Mekelle University’s twenty years strategic plan and demand of the academic staff to establish an independent educational program had explained the differentiations of the SPSU. Further, during the differentiations of the SPSU, there were challenges related with divisions of the academic staff and courses were challenging. These problems were seemingly resulted from the overlapped knowledge territories of the differentiated subunits. Finally, the academic staff perceived that, even though the relationship between teaching and research is practically determined by the time, fund and teachers’ commitment, the differentiations of their educational programs has paved a way to development of some conditions that enhance the relationship between teaching and research. Among which are, with differentiations, the teachers have got the possibility to develop and update their teaching methods, course contents. Moreover, the differentiation has also enabled them to have students and to be represented as independent educational programs in the share for the institutional and national budgets for teaching and research

Graduate Unemployment in Ethiopia: the ‘Red Flag’ and Its Implications

The Ethiopian higher education sector has experienced a remarkable expansion in the past two decades. However, the accompanying trend of growing graduate unemployment appears to have been overlooked. This article examines graduate unemployment in Ethiopia using secondary data extracted from surveys conducted by the country’s Central Statistics Agency. While these statistics indicate that overall unemployment has decreased in Ethiopia, the percentage of graduate unemployment relative to total unemployment has increased. Moreover, unemployment among female graduates as compared to unemployed females is rising. It is thus timely for Ethiopia to undertake higher education reform aimed at aligning the expansion of the sector with market demand. Le secteur de l’enseignement supérieur en Ethiopie connaît un développement remarquable depuis deux décennies. Cela va cependant de pair avec un phénomène croissant de chômage chez les étudiants diplômés qui semble avoir été largement négligé. Cet article étudie le chômage chez les étudiants diplômés en Ethiopie, à partir de données secondaires qui proviennent d’enquêtes réalisées par l’Agence Centrale de Statistique (Central Statistics Agency) d’Ethiopie. Ces statistiques indiquent que, bien que le taux de chômage en Ethiopie ait baissé de façon globale, le pourcentage d’étudiants diplômés au chômage par rapport au nombre total de chômeurs a augmenté. De plus, le chômage chez les femmes diplômées connaît une augmentation par rapport au chômage chez les femmes de façon générale

Teacher Professionalism in the Global South:A Decolonial Perspective

This book provides a decolonial critique of dominant global agendas concerning teacher professionalism and proposes a new understanding based on UNESCO-funded research with teachers based in Colombia, Ethiopia (Tigray), India, Rwanda and Tanzania.Outlining from a teacher’s perspective how teacher professionalism may be conceptualized, this book critiques dominant global narratives and conceptions based on deficit discourses. The authors argue that a decolonial lens can help to contextualize the perspectives, experiences and material conditions of teachers in the global South, and the value of such a framework for informing global debates and decision-making in education

Decolonising Teacher Professionalism: Foregrounding the Perspectives of Teachers in the Global South

The paper aims to provide a decolonial critique of dominant global agendas concerning teacher professionalism and to propose new understanding based on the perceptions of a sample of teachers based in Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Rwanda and Tanzania. The paper commences by setting out dominant conceptions of teacher professionalism as they appear in the global literature. The paper then uses Ndlovu-Gatsheni’s (2013) three dimensions of coloniality, namely, the coloniality of power, of knowledge and of being, as a framework for considering the colonial legacy on teacher professionalism and setting out the teachers’ ideas concerning the barriers and affordances to their professionalism. This provides a basis for outlining the teachers’ perspectives on how teacher professionalism may be conceptualised, which is discussed in relation to global conceptions. The main arguments advanced in the paper are that a decolonial lens is helpful for contextualising the perspectives of teachers in the global South; the lived experiences and material conditions of these teachers are often neglected in dominant discourses; it is important to situate the perspectives of teachers in an understanding of local contexts and realities; and, that in contrast to deficit discourses that predominate in the global literature, there is much that can be learned about teacher professionalism from teachers in the global South

Decolonising Teacher Professionalism:Foregrounding the Perspectives of Teachers in the Global South

The paper aims to provide a decolonial critique of dominant global agendas concerning teacher professionalism and to propose new understanding based on the perceptions of a sample of teachers based in Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Rwanda and Tanzania. The paper commences by setting out dominant conceptions of teacher professionalism as they appear in the global literature. The paper then uses Ndlovu-Gatsheni’s (2013) three dimensions of coloniality, namely, the coloniality of power, of knowledge and of being, as a framework forconsidering the colonial legacy on teacher professionalism and setting out the teachers’ ideas concerning the barriers and affordances to their professionalism. This provides a basis for outlining the teachers’ perspectives on how teacher professionalism may be conceptualised, which is discussed in relation to global conceptions. The main arguments advanced in the paper are that a decolonial lens is helpful for contextualising the perspectives of teachers in the global South; the lived experiences and material conditions of these teachers are often neglected in dominant discourses; it is important to situate the perspectives of teachers in an understanding of local contexts and realities; and, that in contrast to deficit discourses that predominate in the global literature, there is much that can be learned about teacher professionalism from teachers in the global South

Teacher Professionalism in the Global South:A Decolonial Perspective

This short book aims to provide a decolonial critique of dominant global agendas concerning teacher professionalism and to propose a new understanding based on the perceptions of a sample of teachers based in Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Rwanda and Tanzania. The book commences by setting out dominant conceptions of teacher professionalism as they appear in the global literature. The text then uses Ndlovu-Gatsheni’s (2013) three dimensions of coloniality, namely, the coloniality of power, of knowledge and of being, as a framework for considering the colonial legacy on teacher professionalism and setting out the teachers’ ideas concerning the barriers and affordances to their professionalism. This provides a basis for outlining the teachers’ perspectives on how teacher professionalism may be conceptualised, which is discussed in relation to global conceptions. The main arguments advanced in the book are that a decolonial lens helps contextualise the perspectives of teachers in the global South; the lived experiences and material conditions of these teachers are often neglected in dominant discourses; it is essential to situate the perspectives of teachers in an understanding of local contexts and realities; and, that in contrast to deficit discourses that predominate in the global literature, there is much that can be learned about teacher professionalism from teachers in the global South