Bahir Dar Journal of Education

The interplay among leadership, language, and curriculum in improving education quality

2025-09-19T09:30:48+02:00

Despite ongoing efforts by governments and substantial investments by donors to enhance the quality of education in Sub-Saharan Africa, tangible improvements remain elusive. Recent studies suggest that the quality of education in some countries has reached a crisis point. This issue of Bahir Dar Journal of Education presents a collection of nine original articles that explore key factors influencing education quality. The articles focus on three primary aspects: the role of educational leaders, the quality and effective implementation of curricula, and the use of English as a foreign language. The current issue also examines the impact of social media use and psychological capital on students’ academic performance. The articles span all educational levels—primary, secondary, and higher education—and offer relevant, practical recommendations directed at stakeholders across the education system. Collectively, these contributions aim to inform policy and practice to foster meaningful improvements in the educational landscape.

Social media use and academic performance among high school students: Roles of purpose of use and time spent on social media

2025-09-19T09:31:03+02:00

Studies have shown that social media (SM) can influence academic performance both positively and negatively depending on the students’ social media use (SMU) behaviors. This study examines the influence of purpose of SMU, time spent on SM and their interaction on students’ academic performance. The sample comprised 197 Grades 11 and 12 students from a private high school in Addis Ababa. We collected data on students’ academic performance from official school records and the students’ demographics and SMU behaviors through a survey questionnaire The findings indicated that slightly more than 60% of the students used SM for non-educational purposes and on average these students spent more time on SM than those who used SM for educational purposes. The students who used SM for educational purposes scored significantly higher in all four subjects (English, mathematics, chemistry and physics) than those who used SM for non-educational purposes. Students who spent shorter time on SM daily scored significantly better in all four subjects than those who spent longer. The purpose-by-time interaction effect is, however, not statistically significant. In conclusion, the findings showed that spending more time on SM contributes negatively to students’ academic performance irrespective of the purpose of SMU.

Sustainable primary school leadership in Ethiopia: The support or hindrance of policies of collective capacity and school culture

2025-09-19T09:30:34+02:00

he study adopts a case study design to explore whether collective capacity and school culture policies support or impede the adoption of sustainable school leadership (SSL) in the Ethiopian educational system. Sources of data are policy documents such as education and training policy, education sector development programs, primary school standards, and policies of selection and placement of school principals. We select these sources based on the criteria that they are official documents, have relevant content, and are functional at the time of the study. We analyze data with a combination of thematic and content analysis. The finding of the study indicates that some collective capacity and school culture policies support the materialization of SSL, whilst others undermine, or at least do not support, its implementation. Although policies appear to support SSL adoption, in practice, certain key collective capacity and school culture policies have a substantial undermining influence, and others lack mechanisms for practical implementation. We conclude that collective capacity and school culture policies largely undermine rather than support the materialization of SSL. We recommend to the Ministry of Education, among other things, the improvement of the policy of qualification level of teachers and the field of qualification of principals, and the provision of a manual to support the creation and maintenance of school culture.

Exploring neoliberal influences on higher education curriculum reform: Insights from Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia

2025-09-19T09:30:20+02:00

This study explores the influence of neoliberal policy agendas on curriculum reform at BahirDar University, Ethiopia. Using Legitimation Code Theory, it examines how the neoliberal policy agenda prioritizesvocational knowledge andjob-oriented skills,often marginalizing critical thinking and holistic learning. Through a qualitative case studyapproach, the researchanalyzed higher education policy documents, Bahir Dar University’sstrategic plan, and interview data. Purposive sampling was employed to select nine experienced academics as study participants, and data were analyzed using thematicanalysis. Results revealed a significant shift toward vocational knowledgeandincreasing disparities,bothof which reflectthe influence of neoliberal policies. The study recommends re-evaluating curriculum reform to ensure that workforce preparation encompasses critical engagement, social equity, and civic responsibility. It calls for curriculum frameworks that integrate vocational knowledge with liberal arts and critical thinking to prepare students not only for professional success but also for lifelong personal and societal fulfillment

Processability of English grammar lessons for Ethiopian students’ books: Upper grades of primary schools in focus

2025-09-19T09:29:48+02:00

The study examinedthe processabilityof grammatical structures incorporated in grades 3-6 primary school English language students' textbooks currently in use in Amhara Regional State. To meet this objective, document analysis was used to collect data. The grammar lessons collected from fourEnglish textbooks (Grades3–6) were analyzed using qualitative content analysis techniques. The framework used to analyze the data was Pienemann‘s processability hierarchy. Findings showed that the grammatical lesson presentations in the four textbooks under study were inconsistent with the developmental sequence of the second language English acquisition process due to the material writers‘ complete reliance on a theme-based approach. Therefore, it is recommended for materials writers to revise the textbooks and rewrite the grammar lessons by balancing the theme-based approach with Pienemann‘s processability theory

Challenges of practicing competence-based education atBahir Dar University: Views of faculty and academic leaders

2025-09-19T09:30:04+02:00

The study wasintendedto investigate the challenges associated with the implementation of competence-based education (CBE) from the perspectives of faculty members and academic leaders at Bahir Dar University. A case study design was utilized to gain insights. A total of twenty-two participants, comprising eighteen males and four females, who occupy roles as faculty members, academic leaders, or both, were involved. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews.The data were subsequently analyzed using the inductive content analysis technique. The study identified nine distinct categories of challenges that impede the effective implementation of CBE,such as (1) lack of shared understandng,(2) donor-driven and top-down curriculum design, (3)over-dominance of conventional instruction and assessment practice, (8) politicalinterference, and (9) stakeholders’ lack of commitment and negligence towardgood citizenship.Thestudy concludes that initiating the process with a comprehensive understanding of CBE that addresses these challenges is crucial. Furthermore, employing a systems thinking approach is beneficial for enhancing the practice of CBE

Leadership for the management of change Academic staff's perspectives on the status and determinants of leadership in the public universities of Ethiopia

2025-09-19T09:29:33+02:00

This study examined the status of leadership regarding the implementation of academic-related change schemes and the views about leadership for change in public universities in Ethiopia. Using a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design, data were collectedfrom 372 faculty members, 216 managers of Organizational Academic Units (OAUs) through questionnaires,and 22 experienced managerial academic leaders via interview. The findings indicated that the degree of Change Leadership Behaviors (CLBs) practice was at the average position, but not to the level expected. Besides, one-sample t-testresults indicated that the academic leaders' level of resilience was significantly lower than the expected value.Results from a one-way ANOVA on academic leaders' use of CLBs showed significant differences across the three generations of universities with a p-value of less than .001. The results imply a pressing need to consider the moderating variables for change leadership effectiveness and establish performance rewards for the HEI leadership. The findings also suggest that effective change management depends on transformational leadership that focuses on the human dimensions and trustworthiness (role-modeling and fairness). Understanding the leadership approaches and competencies to align with the variety of situations that arise during change is crucia

Analyzing curriculum materials for the inclusion of contemporary geographic issues: A focus on grade nine geography textbook in Ethiopia

2025-09-19T09:29:17+02:00

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the extent to which contemporary geographic issues are integrated into the Grade 9 textbook. To gather data, the study examined Grade 9 Geography textbook andinvolved Grade 9 students and Geography teachers as participants. Data were collected through document analysis and key informant interview. To analyze data, a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis methods was employed. The results revealed that the textbook addressed important topics such as population growth, environmental degradation, pollution, deforestation, and soil erosion. However, these issues were primarily presented in terms of knowledge acquisition, with limited emphasis on developing students' attitudes, skills, and active engagement with these geographic challenges. Consequently, the study underscores the need for curriculum designers and textbook writers to incorporate relevant themes, objectives, and activities that promote not only knowledge but also the attitudes, skills, and engagement necessary to address contemporary geographic issues

The impact of psychological capital on universitystudents’ academic achievement mediated through academicengagement

2025-09-19T09:29:01+02:00

This study examined the impact of psychological capital on university students' academic achievement mediated through academic engagement. A quantitative research method with a cross-sectional correlational design was employed. Data was collected usingvalidated questionnaires from regular undergraduate engineering students (N=321) at Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia, selected by stratified random sampling. Structural equation modeling was the maindata-analyzing technique. The study found that psychological capital significantly and positively impactedstudents‘ engagement and academic achievement. Academic engagement played a partial mediation role in the relationship between psychological capital and academic achievement. From the findings, it can be concluded that psychological capitaland academic engagement are potential factors for students‘ better academic outcomes,highlighting theneed for interventions that strengthen psychological resources and increase student engagement to improve academic performance

Systematic review for designing theoretical framework and instructional procedures of text structure instruction in expository writing for primary school English as Foreign Language learners

2025-09-19T09:28:45+02:00