Aspects of Quality in Initial Teacher Training in Ethiopia and the UK. Comparing notes, questions and issues.
Jeff Battersby (University of East Anglia) and David Ebbutt (University of Cambridge School of Education)
Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Sussex at Brighton, September 2-5 1999.
Aspects of Quality in Initial Teacher Training in Ethiopia and the UK. Comparing notes, questions and issues.
Jeff Battersby (University of East Anglia) and David Ebbutt (University of Cambridge School of Education)
Introduction.
This paper is the outcome of data gathered in December 1997 and March 1999 as part of a British Council sponsored link between the Faculty of Education at Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the School of Education and Professional Development at The University of East Anglia (UEA). The purpose of the link is to provide a series of evidence-supported, fine grained, descriptive accounts of aspects of teacher education in Ethiopia. The research focuses on the initial teacher training (ITT) activity of the Faculty of Education at AAU, with particular emphasis on the interface of this training with the culture and practice of the secondary schools in which and for which its students are being prepared. For members of the Faculty there is likely to be nothing startlingly new here, except perhaps the form of the account and the order in which the issues are presented. Nevertheless outside voices articulating what is widely known and felt internally, could reinvigorate an appetite for change.
There are a number of questions and issues common to initial teacher training in both Ethiopia and the UK which have been central to our discussions:
* How should recruitment be carried out in order to select good students to become teachers?
* What is the appropriate balance between subject knowledge, teaching and professional education and training?
* How much and of what kind of educational theory do students need and how might theory be related to practice or vice versa?
* What is the right balance between institutional training and school based training and practice?
The purpose of our paper is to discuss some of the above questions, set in the context of our observations and experiences in initial teacher training in the UK and in Ethiopia.
Recruitment and Selection
"The bulk of practising teachers seem not to be able to meet the classroom requirements. They are either demotivated or incompetent. The bulk of the teaching staff is composed mainly of school drop-outs. Those who failed to learn are entrusted with the responsibility of helping others to learn."
claims Hailom Banteyerga (1998), Assistant Professor, Institute of Language Studies, Addis Ababa University. Such comments are not too dissimilar to those of the Chief Inspector for Engand and Wales, who publicly holds that currently some 15,000 practising teachers are incompetent.
In Ethiopia teachers are recruited from a narrower ability cohort than is the case in the UK. Those participating in any kind of tertiary education in Ethiopia are drawn from the top one per cent of the ability range as judged by success in examinations, whereas in the UK intending teachers are drawn from about thirty per cent of the ability range (Bridges, 1998). In their inspection of Initial Teacher Training Courses in the UK, HMI (1999) found that:
"Overall, successful applicants (to teacher training courses) are generally well motivated and suitably qualified for teaching, with a range of valuable personal qualities and communication skills."
The majority of prospective students who satisfy the entry requirements for AAU choose a subject for undergraduate study and undertake a one year foundation course located within the Faculty for that subject. At the end of the Foundation Year, the students are examined and those who attain the highest grades continue their studies for three more years within their Faculty as 'pure' subject specialists, biologists, geographers, linguists or whatever. Those with lower grades at the end of the Foundation Year are channelled to take courses in their specialist subject 'with Education'. Thus, for the majority of students, their destiny, as prospective teachers, is decided as a consequence of their results in their first year examinations. Whether one is to become a teacher is not about personal choice or personal motivation, it is performance related and prospective teachers are not those with the highest academic performance. Unlike the situation in the UK, where students choose to take a teacher training course, the majority of students in Ethiopia do not choose to become prospective teachers, they are 'assigned'.
St. " Mostly I wanted to study medicine that s why I went to the Science Faculty. Mainly I meant to be a medical student, or secondly my choice was to be a pharmacist. Teaching is my thirteenth choice".
Int 1. "Number Thirteen? One three?"
St. "Yes, thirteenth. And since the second year when I was placed on education I have been disappointed and demoralised.
[Biology '-with Education' Student]
All students, whether following a 'pure' subject degree course or pursuing the specialist subject '-with education' course, are the responsibility of the specialist subject faculty. As one academic in the Faculty of Education put it:
"They are housed or owned by other faculties. When it comes to academic training, this Faculty Education) is not independent" [Academic 3 ]
and as a consequence there is a
"Question of loyalty (of the students) to education and teacher training" [Academic 4 ]
Degree courses in both Ethiopia and the UK are not designed with the needs of future teachers in mind. In the UK, HMI (op cit) state their concern that: "many degree courses provide too narrow a foundation of knowledge to equip intending 11-18 teachers to enter the profession without the need to use the limited time available on post graduate courses to fill gaps in subject knowledge".
They also state that because of the modular or combined nature of many degree courses:
"The benchmark of an upper second class degree in the subject is, therefore, not always a good indicator because 'the subject', at degree level, may not correspond directly with National Curriculum requirements of the teaching subject in the school curriculum." (HMI, 1999, paragraph 73).
Similar concerns are expressed about the specialist degree courses "with education" in Ethiopia especially, that insufficient time is given to pedagogy and in preparing new teachers to teach.
The public regard in which school teachers are held in Ethiopia is low. One indicator of this low status is that some male, would-be teachers in training, associated with the Faculty of Education at Addis Ababa University maintain that, because of their prospective profession, their marriage prospects are diminished with respect to what they might be for those on an alternative career path.
Int 1 "We have heard that very beautiful ladies do not wish to marry teachers, because they can do better. Is that true?
Biology St 1 It is very true.
Int 2 Is that what you hear as well?
Biology St. 2 Of course. In the previous time, in the past years, teachers were highly respected They were few. Even compared with other professions. In Ethiopia, I think, teachers were the first educated persons. Any person who was educated at that time became a teacher, that's why the people respected them. Now there are a lot of teachers and there are better professions other than teaching. So it is true that most ladies do not wish to marry teachers."
This may not be universally so across Ethiopia. One of our student interviewees was of the view that at least in some rural areas, distant from Addis, teachers continue to have high status. A similar situation has not been identified in the UK as far as we aware, though we have our suspicions.
We are not alone in the observation that the current low morale of the teaching profession in Ethiopia has, not surprisingly, had a 'backwash' effect upon the professional standing and self image of teacher educators in the Faculty of Education at AAU, as is also the case in many Faculties of Education involved with Initial Teacher Training in the UK. Indeed the proceedings of a workshop held in [1]October 1995 document the Faculty's efforts to address this and related issues. Our understanding is that recommendations and proposals deriving from that workshop currently remain lodged with Senate of AAU.
Staff interviewees at AAU trace the diminution in regard for the teaching profession as dating from the revolution in 1984, the overthrow of the Emperor by the Derg, and continuing through the period of military rule to the present. As yet no measures have been enacted by the new(ish) Government to redress the plight of the profession, although there is evidently much activity behind the scenes in this regard. Indeed the week prior to our visit (March 1999) the Minister of Education, herself a former member of the Faculty, had held discussions in the Faculty.
The quality of teaching and professional education and training.
"If classroom learning is to be effective, teachers must be well trained and should be ready to assume the responsibility of teaching" (Banteyerga, 1999).
In the course of the three years following the Foundation Year at AAU, both 'pure' subject students and '-with education' students follow their undergraduate programmes of study. The '-with education' students are required to take nine or ten compulsory education courses provided through the Faculty of Education in addition to their specialist subject, whereas 'pure' students can take additional elective subject courses. For both sets of students their university career culminates during the fourth year with final examinations. The run up to these examinations, coincides, for many '-with education' students, with their major professional course: "Subject Area Methodology and Practice Teaching Course [Educ 411]".
Academic 4 "it is a very short programme causing difficulties, (for everyone) with "too much to cover"
Course Educ 411 is a four credit hours course and is the responsibility of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction within the Faculty of Education at AAU. This Semester length course is the sole period in the entire four year programme during which '-with education' students are exposed to the harsh realities of teaching in schools. The course introduces the students to teaching methodology, followed by micro-teaching sessions with their peers and then an actual in-school Practice Teaching element which extends for a maximum of five weeks. However, even this practice teaching element is not five continuous weeks of face to face classroom experience.
Pressures of approaching final examination in their specialist subject, mean that fourth year '-with education' students find themselves in a 'no win' situation. They are required to present themselves at a school to observe teachers for a one week period, and subsequently to teach lessons in the space of the next four weeks. However during this same period, specialist subject lecture programmes continue to be timetabled at the University. Many students find themselves having to scurry back to the University in time to attend the day's subject tuition immediately after observing or teaching a lesson. Some students see these subject sessions at AAU as further opportunities to gain credits and, as one faculty member claimed:
" some students do other courses to raise their qualifications to gain access to other jobs. They see an opportunity to escape to other jobs (away from teaching)" [Academic 4]
and that
"Some escape the fate of becoming a teacher."
He also felt that students should be happy with, and accepting of the prospect of becoming teachers:
"lots are cast .... ('with' education) students should have accepted their fate ..... peacefully" [Academic 4]
There is an additional group of students, associated with The Faculty of Education who have 'advanced standing'. They have taught in schools for several years prior to entry into AAU and most have a diploma from a College of Teacher Education. Such people have CHOSEN, rather than been ASSIGNED to the teaching profession. They come to AAU to obtain a specialist subject degree to complement their existing diploma. Such students with this 'advanced standing' are highly regarded by professionals in the practice schools.
Co-operating Teacher "Those who came with that experience, they are very active because they taught for three or four years. Because they have that experience their activity was nice"
Relating theory to practice or vice versa
A fundamental problem that besets educational development in the Third World is that of an exploding population of young people, set against the context of a finite or perhaps even diminishing resource base, and the planning and resourcing difficulties that such demographic imperatives create.
For example, a typical school in Addis Ababa, and one used by the Faculty for teaching practice, has some 6000 pupils divided into 80 classes, each with approximately 80 pupils. There are 125 teachers in the school which, like other secondary schools in Addis, operates a 'shift system', having half the pupils attending in the morning, the other half in an afternoon session. There are 30 timetabled lessons of 40 minutes duration for each shift.
Int 1. "When you were in your role as Deputy Principal, what was the job you were actually doing in terms of the teacher training programme?
Principal' OK, some practice teachers come to our school, some from the University, others from the Teachers' Training College, and when they are assigned in our school we give them the programme. We try to follow if they are teaching our students properly every day and we assign also some supervisors from each department...... we assign them good teachers and follow them how they are teaching and if there is any problem they try to make them correct, and everything their books, chalk, anything that the practice teachers must get.
Int 1. When you were doing this job did you have any choice about which students you would receive?
Principal' Of course we don't have choice. Of course in some subjects we have a lack of teachers. We do not have the opportunity to choose which department or which students they should give us.
Int 2 Are you required by the Ministry of Education to accept students or do you volunteer to the University to say we will be happy to have students to come here to train?
Principal' ...... There is no obligation to accept them, but being the Principal of the school it is necessary to accept. We accept. We do not reject".
He added that he:
"likes new teachers ..... they work harder!"
He amplified by saying that it is the secondary schools in Addis and its immediate environs, close to the University, that are used predominantly for practice teaching. Those further away get fewer, if any, practice teachers from the University. He told us that, on any one day, the school might be host to between fifteen and twenty practice teachers from the University dispersed across the various school departments. He also explained that the period in the academic year when the University made its heaviest demands upon the school, in terms of care of practice teachers, coincides with first semester school examinations. He also related the concerns and worries that his teachers had about the complete the coverage of the syllabus, when students were teaching their lessons. Consequently:
Principal' "....some teachers, our teachers, do not want to give to the practice teachers, because their courses will not be covered by the practice teachers and these problems have been [ ]. And we ask the University, but so far this problem it is not solved."
Int 2 "So when do you think would be a good time? If you were able to construct the programme, what would be the best time? And what sort of arrangements would you like to see?
Principal' In our calendar our school starts in September.... If the practice teachers were to come one month after that, that would be good timing....Therefore it is much better after the school is opened two months or one month, I think".
This was supported by a co-operating teacher who stated that the University students' courses
" conflict with their practice. December and mid-June coincides with mid test time for pupils" His further concerns related to the skills that the student teachers brought to practice teaching, especially at this crucial time in schools. [Co-operating Teacher]
He further thought that practising teachers were:
"weak in terms of approach, but not weak in subject knowledge"
The typical existing classroom scenario, observed in Ethiopian schools, shows that teaching is perceived as a knowledge transmission process. The teacher transmits 'knowledge' to students and the students receive 'knowledge' as specified in the syllabus. Thus the effective teacher is the one who follows the syllabus and covers the course portions as determined by syllabus designers. The business of teachers is the transmission of knowledge and the business of students is to absorb this knowledge. Students are observed memorising information given to them by the teacher: