Atnafu M.

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

Understanding and practice of active learning among upper primary school science and mathematics teachers

By Michael, Kassa

Active learning methods have established significance in the teaching-learning of science and mathematics. This study investigated the understanding, beliefs, self-efficacy, practices, and challenges of active learning among upper primary school (grades 7 and 8) science and mathematics teachers in Ethiopia. Data were collected from 155 teachers drawn from nine schools of Addis Ababa, Amhara, and the Southern Regional States using validated questionnaires and observation. Descriptive analysis was employed to make meaning of the collected data. The result showed that teachers lack to have an appropriate understanding of active learning. But they have shown fairly consistent positive belief and self-efficacy about the outcomes of active learning if they use them in their classes. Teachers believed that they implement active learning to a higher extent. The result further indicated that teachers differ in their understanding, practices, and efficacy of active learning across their gender and educational levels. High teaching load, large class size, lack of teachers' motivation, shorter instructional time, the subject they teach, absence of guidelines for active learning methods at school, and lack of appropriate knowledge and skill of active learning methods were the common challenges reported by teachers. The findings of this study imply that there is a need to enhance teachers’ understanding of active learning and to provide continuous support to them to use active learning even in challenging situations. © 2023 The Authors

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The Relevance of Current Ethiopian Primary School Teacher Education Program for Pre-service Mathematics Teacher’s Knowledge and Teacher Educator’s Awareness about Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching

By Tefera A.

The major objective of this study was to examine the effect of Ethiopian pre-service primary school teacher education program to mathematics teacher’s knowledge and assess teacher educator’s awareness about Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching. The study employed quantitative and qualitative research approaches. It was also used survey and narration research design. The population of this study were all third-year pre-service teacher classes in generalist, specialist and linear modality classes in three sampled colleges of teacher education such as: Kotebe Metropolitan University, Hawassa College of teacher education and Arba Minch college of teacher education. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The result showed that program type has no effect on the mean scores between specialist and linear students in Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching scale. Significant difference was not observed in mean score of Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching test against gender. The findings also showed that teacher educators have no enough knowledge/awareness about the term Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and its components. Thus, the study suggested that successive training should be organized to train teacher educators about Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and mathematics pedagogies and recent mathematics education theories in general. © 2021 by the authors; licensee Modestum. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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