Addis Ababa University College of Education and Behavioral Studies Department of Educational Planning and Management
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ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING ACTIVE LEARNING METHODOLOGY IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF WEST WOLLEGA ZONE, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE BY MELKAMU HAILU ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA OCTOBER, 2018 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT This is to certify that the thesis prepared by Melkamu Hailu entitled study on the Practices and challenges of implementing active learning methodology in the secondary school of west wollega zone: Oromia national regional state in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of master of education in school leadership complies with the regulation of the university and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality Signed by examining committee Advisor Demis Zergaw (PHD) ______________ ________________ Signature Date ______________ ________________ ________________ Internal examiner Signature Date ______________ ________________ ________________ External examiner Signature Date ______________ ______________ ______________ Chairman, Department Graduate Committee Signature Date ii DECLARATION I, the under signed, declare that this thesis is my original work and has not been presented in any other university, and that all sources of materials used for this thesis have been duly acknowledged. Name: Melkamu Hailu _____________ __________________ Signature Date This thesis has been submitted for examination with my approval as university advisor. Name: Demis Zergaw (PhD) ____________________ ____________________ Signature Date iii Acknowledgements Above all, I would like to thank God, the most gracious and the most merciful, for the guidance, compassion and mercy which He has bestowed upon me throughout my entire life and n particular while working on this thesis. I am very much indebted to my lovely thesis advisor Dr. Demis Zergaw for his unreserved guidance, patience, diligence and understanding that made this study possible. His constructive comment by reading the whole paper critically is really appreciated I also wish to thank all my instructors and support staff for the good professional relationship I have experienced. I am sincerely grateful for the help I received. My deepest appreciation goes to my wife Workinash Jira and my children Ayantu Melkamu and Latu Melkamu for their morale support and shouldering all the challenges while I was writing this paper. I also extend my deepest thanks to Jarso Woreda Education Office, ,Jarso Secondary Schools for their financial, and material support.. Finally, I wish to express thanks to Woreda Education Office, school principals, teachers and students for what they did to provide me with the data and Information needed to conduct this study. i Abstract The main purpose of this study was to assess the level of implementation of active learning and identify the major challenges that affect its proper implementation in the Government Secondary Schools of West Wollega Zone, Oromia National Regional State. In order to achieve this purpose, three basic research questions were set. Descriptive survey design and both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in the study. The study was conducted in fourteen secondary schools selected from a total of 70 secondary schools using simple random sampling technique. Teachers and students were selected by stratified sampling technique while school principals and supervisors were selected by availability sampling technique. To gather data, questionnaires, interviews, observation, focus group discussion and document analysis were employed. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools while qualitative data were analyzed through the use of summaries and themes. Outcomes of the study suggested that the level of implementation of active learning methodology was low as classes were more of teacher-dominated. The most dominant methods of teaching employed were lecture and direct instruction. The finding indicated that the factors that challenge the implementation of active learning were mainly administrative and curriculum related factors, rather than scarcity of material and financial resource. On the bases of the outcomes of the study, it was concluded that active learning methodology is not effectively employed to improve student learning outcomes due to in school factors. Based on the conclusions, it was recommended that, principals and supervisors should inspire and train teachers on the use of active learning method and they should change learning culture from focused on teaching to focus on learning. KEY WORDS: Practice of Active Learning methods, teaching method, student-centered teaching, teacher-centered teaching. ii Table of Contents Contents Page Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... i Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTORY ASPECTS OF THE STUDY ............................................ 1 1.1. Background of the Study .................................................................................................. 1 1.2. Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................................... 2 1.3. Objectives of the Study ........................................................................................................ 4 1.3. 1. General Objective ......................................................................................................... 4 1.3. 2. Specific Objectives ....................................................................................................... 4 1.4. Significance of the Study ..................................................................................................... 4 1.5. Delimitation of the Study ..................................................................................................... 5 1.6. Limitations of the Study ....................................................................................................... 5 1.7. Operational Definition of Terms .......................................................................................... 5 1.8. Organization of the Study ................................................................................................ 6 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ........................................................ 7 2.1 Methods of Teaching ............................................................................................................. 7 2.1.1 Teacher- Centered ........................................................................................................... 8 2.1.2. Learner-Centered ........................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3. Active Learning ........................................................................................................... 11 2.2. Practices of Implementing Active learning Methods ......................................................... 18 2.3. Challenges of Implementing Active Learning Methods .................................................... 20 iii CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ...................................... 23 3.1. Study Area .......................................................................................................................... 23 3.2. Design of the Study ............................................................................................................ 24 3.3. Sources of Data .................................................................................................................. 24 3.4. Population, Samples and Sampling Procedures ................................................................. 25 3.5. Instruments and Procedures of Data Collection ................................................................. 28 3.5.1. Instruments of Data Collection .................................................................................... 28 3.5.2. Procedures of Data Collection ..................................................................................... 31 3.6. Procedures of Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation ........................................... 32 3.7. Ethical Considerations........................................................................................................ 32 CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA .... 33 4.1. Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data .............................................................. 35 4.1.1. Level of implementation of Active learning ................................................................ 36 4.1.2. How Active learning method implemented in schools ................................................ 40 4.1.3.