Teachers of Poor Communities: The Tale of Instructional Media Use in Primary Schools of Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of working conditions at school on teachers’ level of instructional media use in the primary school system of Gedeo Zone, southern Ethiopia. The survey was made on a sample of 139 (24.4 % female and male 75.6 %) teachers who were randomly drawn from 9 primary schools (four rural and five urban primary schools). The instruments used to generate data were self-reported questionnaires tapping the level of instructional media use and the associated school-level environmental factors. The findings based on Factor Analysis revealed three independent dimensions of school environment factors related to the use of instructional media by teachers. It is further disclosed that the level of use of instructional media is low with an average frequency of use swinging between once in two weeks to twice in three weeks during four weeks of instruction. The implications of the findings related to pre-service and in-service teacher training are also discussed

Research into self-help groups and speed school graduates' experiences of schooling

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Education—migration nexus: Understanding youth migration in Southern Ethiopia

The purpose of this study is to unravel the education–migration nexus in the African context, specifically Ethiopia. It examines why young people terminate their education to migrate out of the country. The study applies de Haas’ aspiration—capability framework and Turner’s macro, meso and micro sociology as its analytical lenses. It offers unique insight into the terrain of youth migration in southern Ethiopia based on empirical data obtained from two rural sub-districts known for high levels of youth out-migration. Data are generated based on interviews with would-be migrant youth, parents, teachers and school principals. The findings reveal that education has both direct and indirect impacts on youth migration. On the other hand, the results indicate that though terminating school could have negative ramifications on human capital accumulation at micro and macro levels, migration can positively impact households and local communities through investments made by individual migrants, migrant-returnees, and remittance-receiving households in small businesses or community development projects, which included better resourced schools

Are African academic women more emotionally intelligent than men? Exploring emotional intelligence, gender, and leadership in higher education

In recent years, organizational and management research has been reporting the presence of a systematic link between emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership effectiveness. Notwithstanding the practical significance, however, scholarly attention is far from adequate especially in the context of African higher education. Thus, taking Ethiopia as an example, this study investigates (a) gender differences in EI and (b) the relationship between EI and leadership style among leaders in selected higher education institutions. The study was conducted on 210 random samples of academic leaders (135 men and 75 women). Data was generated using an adapted measure Emotional and Social Competence Inventory (ESCI) to assess leaders' emotional intelligence (EI), while the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5x) was used to measure leadership styles. The findings show a strong positive relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership, but no relationship was found between EI and transactional leadership. On the other hand, a significant negative correlation was found between laissez-faire leadership and leaders’ total EI scores. Furthermore, the study finds significant gender differences in emotional intelligence, with female leaders scoring higher in overall emotional intelligence and most of the EI components. These findings suggest that EI is the female leadership advantage. We strongly advise university administrators and policymakers to incorporate EI as a criterion for the recruitment, selection, and promotion of academic leaders to close the gender gap in higher education leadership

Exploring the influence of leader emotional intelligence on faculty engagement in Ethiopian higher education

AbstractEmotional intelligence is increasingly recognized as a key factor in identifying and developing potential leaders. However, there is little empirical support for the application of EI for leadership in higher education. This study explores faculty perceptions of leader EI behavior and its impact on engagement. We used semi-structured interviews and a qualitative descriptive design to analyze the effect of EI leadership on faculty engagement. The study revealed that emotional intelligence is a crucial skill for academic leadership. Findings also indicate that relationship management, empathy, self-management, and self-awareness are critical EI abilities for academic leadership, leading to more staff engagement. We, therefore, encourage university administrators and policymakers to consider emotional intelligence as a criterion for leadership selection and placement in higher education