Ferede, Bekalu
3 Publications in AERD
Author Publications
Export PDFSelf-Regulated Learning Strategies as Predictors of Perceived Learning Gains among Undergraduate Students in Ethiopian Universities
By Tadesse, Tefera
Despite increasing focus on the importance of self-regulated learning for undergraduate students in universities in recent years, very little is known about its specific features in universities in developing countries, in general, and Ethiopia, in particular. This study examined the relationships of self-regulated learning strategies (SRLSs) with perceived learning and further assessed the relationships within the SRLS components in Ethiopian public universities. For this, the authors adopted Pintrich's self-regulation theory as a guiding framework and used structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The sample used in the analysis pooled survey data from three randomly selected public universities and included volunteer undergraduate students having a major in Business and Economics and Engineering and Technology fields (n = 1142; male = 700 and female = 442), with mean age = 21.98 and SD = 2.50. The results indicated that the student SRLS and perceived learning gains scores were average values in terms of the magnitude of those measured variables. A two-step hierarchical regression analysis showed that the five components of SRLS that emerged from SEM analysis significantly predicted students' perceived learning over and above the control variables (Delta R-2 >= 0.38 and 39%) for the total samples. Moreover, the regression results showed that greater predictions were observed for the help-seeking component (0.35 <= beta >= 0.47) than others, significantly positively predicting the perceived learning for the total samples. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that the SRLSs are relevant mechanisms to aid student success in higher education. The implications of the study are highlighted.
Instructors' educational ICT use in higher education in developing countries: evidence from three Ethiopian Universities
By Ferede, Bekalu
Developing countries exert much effort to improve the quality of their higher education. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) may address some of the quality problems in higher education in these countries. Previous studies on this topic stressed the impact of ICT use on learning, the status of ICT integration in education, and the factors associated with ICT integration with minimal attention to how instructors in higher education in developing countries use ICT. This study employed a qualitative approach, collecting data from twenty-one by then active instructors in three public universities in Ethiopia through focus group discussion to explore the educational use of ICT. The data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti software. The results show that instructors in the selected Ethiopian universities use ICT for course facilitation, course materials preparation, professional development, assessment, and information and resource exchange purposes. However, these findings do not reveal a transformative use of ICT in education, which may imply that ICT is not used in a manner that alters existing teacher-centered approaches. This study suggests that future studies may focus on why instructors rarely use ICT in a transformative way and developing a tailor-made and efficient model that informs practice.
Constructivist learning environments and forms of learning in Ethiopian public universities: testing factor structures and prediction models
By Tadesse, Tefera
While most quality debates about undergraduate education center on topics such as test scores, learning standards, and teacher quality and retention, the environment in which students learn is often neglected. We examined the dimensions of constructivist learning environments and further tested their linkages with student learning experiences across the forms of formal, non-formal, and informal episodes. To this end, the involved a cross-sectional survey design with relevant data from samples (N = 1121, Female = 454 and Male = 663) of volunteer undergraduate students enrolled in three public universities in Ethiopia. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported the validity of 4-factor learning forms and 5-factor constructivist learning environment scales. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated good fit for these models. Moreover, results of multiple regression analyses illustrated that the domains of constructivist learning environments significantly predicted the different forms of learning, 0.22 <= R-2 >= 0.38, with personal relevance accounting for most of the variation (0.11 <= beta >= 0.38). It was concluded that undergraduate students learn in diverse ways within a constructivist learning environment, but that non-formal learning episodes were relatively rare. This could be attributed to the minimal opportunities that students have had for non-formal learning during the undergraduate years in the studied context. Implications of the findings, limitations in the existing research and suggested improvements are discussed.
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