Evaluating practical teaching approach in civil engineering training among public universities of Ethiopia: students’ view and opinion

Abstract

This study presents civil engineering students’ observations on the practical education they receive at public universities in Ethiopia. The teaching approach in Ethiopia heavily favours theory-based teaching over skills-based teaching and there has been a gap in studies addressing the issue. Final year civil engineering students from two major public universities in Ethiopia participated in the study. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistical analysis and statistical tests were carried out using SPSS to study distribution and relationship of items. Results indicated that there is a gap in the practical teaching approach at both universities, contrary to curriculum requirements and international guidelines. In addition, statistical tests indicated that theory-based teaching had decreased students’ interest in civil engineering and their satisfaction in the education they received.

Keywords:

• quality education
• practical teaching in civil engineering training
• students’ view
• Addis Ababa University
• University of Gondar

Acknowledgment

The author wishes to thank the students who participated in the survey for their cooperation, Mr Tadiyos Marie Shiferaw for assisting in the data collection and Mr Abel Marie Shiferaw for coding the data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.