Improving primary school practice and school–college linkage in Ethiopia through collaborative action research

Abstract

In Ethiopia, as elsewhere in the world, action research is recognized as a valuable and cost-effective form of inquiry to improve classroom and school practices. It has been given due consideration, both by the Ministry of Education and teacher education institutes of the country. Nevertheless, studies conducted on the practice of action research unanimously reported that, due to many factors, its status in the country’s education system is at its lowest stage. One of the factors for this problem is lack of adequate knowledge, skills and dispositions essential for action research. Hence, this action research project was initiated and implemented collaboratively between one teacher educator and school teachers working in a nearby primary school (in Debre Markos, Ethiopia). After a tiresome implementation of selected action strategies, for more than six months in four different phases, the project was found to be helpful in enhancing the practitioners’ knowledge skills and confidence of action research. The project was also found to be important in improving the action research practice of the school. Our evaluation of the project also implied that collaborative action research, if properly and wholeheartedly conducted, is an effective strategy in strengthening school–college linkage that ultimately helps each institution to learn and benefit from the other.

Keywords:

• Collaborative action research
• school–college linkage
• school practice
• Ethiopia