THE QUALITY OF EVENING EDUCATION PROGRAM AT JIMMA TEACHERS’ TRAINING COLLEGE (JTTC), IN OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The central objective of the study was to investigate the quality of evening continuing education program at JTTC. Data for this study were collected from students and instructors of four existing evening program in the college; registrar officer was also a major data source. In addition, information from direct class observations and students’ academic records were used as data sources. For triangulation purpose, interview guide, questionnaire, focus group discussion guide, observation checklist and document analysis form were, accordingly, used as instruments for data collection. And, the collected data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods; though qualitative method was dominantly used. The results of the study showed that the dropout rates in all the departments were in large proportion, especially in the department of Civics. The major reason for the dropout was found to be academic dismissals. Furthermore, student respondents described instructors’ lack of subject matter knowledge and pedagogical skills, negative attitudes towards evening students, unpunctuality and lack of sufficient educational resources as major problems that had worked against their successful learning. They also added inconvenient teaching-learning atmosphere, timing of the evening program, personal and occupational problems as major obstacles to their academic performances. On the other hand, teacher respondents attributed the challenges to lack of guidance and counseling services, students’ poor educational background, some students’ lack of interest in learning, lack of reference materials in Afan oromo and ICT services. It was stressed that the quality of teaching-learning in particular and evening education program at the college, in general, was under threat. Ideas were further discussed and implications about quality in evening continuing education program at the college were underlined.