A Study of School Principals' Practices to Ensure Teacher Accountability for Curriculum Implementation in Ethiopian Primary Schools

Feyera Beyessa Urga*    -  Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Ambissa Kenea  -  Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

(*) Corresponding Author

Supp. File(s): Research Materials
This study investigates the curriculum implementation practices of principals in public elementary schools in East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia. Using an exploratory case study approach and a multiple case study research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document review, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of the study confirm that principals prioritize holding teachers accountable for tasks other than curriculum implementation in the classroom. They pay insufficient attention to curriculum implementation while effectively managing subordinate accountability. The research reveals that stringent actions, such as removal from promotion and salary cuts, are imposed when teachers' performance in subordinate tasks declines. When teachers are present at schools, their shortcomings in implementing the curriculum are usually addressed by moving them to lower grades instead of imposing harsh punishments. In contrast, sanctions such as fines equivalent to three months' salary, demotion, and dismissal are reserved exclusively for violations of the teachers' code of ethics, not for performance issues in the classroom. Based on the findings, the study suggests that the government create a fresh educational accountability policy. This policy should motivate school principals to emphasize and strengthen accountability for executing the curriculum successfully.

Supplement Files

Keywords: accountability; consequences; curriculum implementation; management; practices

  1. Adams, J. E., & Kirst, M. W. (1999). New demands and concepts for educational accountability: Striving for results in an era of excellence. Handbook of research on educational administration, 2, 463-487.
  2. Bailey, C. (1980). The Autonomous Teacher’, in H. Sockett (Ed.) Accountability in the English Educational System. In. Hodder and Stoughton.
  3. Bank, W. (2016). Tanzania Service Delivery Indicators Report:Health and Education.
  4. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
  5. Chaerunnisa, L. (2022). Studi Kasus Pembelajaran Tematik Integratif Berbasis Gender di Madrasah Ibtidaiyah. Journal of Integrated Elementary Education, 2(1), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.21580/jieed.v2i1.10854
  6. Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative (Vol. 7). Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ.
  7. Dantow, A., Hubbard, L., & Mehan, H. (2002). Extending Educational Reform. From One School to Many, London and New York: RoutledgeFalmer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203993965
  8. Datnow, A. (2005). Happy marriage or uneasy alliance? The relationship between comprehensive school reform and state accountability systems. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 10(1), 115-138. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327671espr1001_6
  9. Desimone, L. (2002). How can comprehensive school reform models be successfully implemented? Review of educational research, 72(3), 433-479. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543072003433
  10. Di Gropello, E. (2004). Education decentralization and accountability relationships in Latin America (Vol. 3453). World Bank Publications. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-3453
  11. Gershberg, A. I., Kefale, A., & Hailu, B. H. (2023). The Political Economy of Educational Reform and Learning in Ethiopia (1941-2021).
  12. Hall, A. T., Bowen, M. G., Ferris, G. R., Royle, M. T., & Fitzgibbons, D. E. (2007). The accountability lens: A new way to view management issues. Business Horizons, 50(5), 405-413. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2007.04.005
  13. Hoddinott, J., Iyer, P., Sabates, R., & Woldehanna, T. (2019). Evaluating large-scale education reforms in Ethiopia. https://doi.org/10.35489/bsg-rise-wp_2020/034
  14. Hoover, J. P., J. (2005). Components of curriculum implementation. In. https://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780137034833/downloads/Hoover_Ch_1_p3_14.pdf
  15. Juwairiah, J. (2021). Evaluasi Penggunaan Pendekatan Saintifik di dalam Pembelajaran Siswa Sekolah Dasar. Journal of Integrated Elementary Education, 1(2), 128-142. https://doi.org/10.21580/jieed.v1i2.7717
  16. Levitt, R., Janta, B., & Wegrich, K. (2008). Accountability of Teachers: Literature Review. Technical Report. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR606.html
  17. Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. Revised and Expanded from" Case Study Research in Education.". ERIC.
  18. MoE. (1994). Ethiopian education and training policy. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Unpublished Policy Document.
  19. MoE. (2002). Educational organization and, community participation and Financial Guideline. Addis Ababa,Ethiopia: EMPDA.
  20. MoE. (2007). General Education Quality Improvement Package (GEQIP). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  21. MoE. (2015). Education Sector Development Program V Program action plan. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Federal Ministry of Education. https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/default/files/ressources/ethiopia_esdp_v.pdf
  22. Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. SAGE Publications, inc.
  23. Pritchett, L. (2015). Creating education systems coherent for learning outcomes: Making the transition from schooling to learning. Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE). https://riseprogramme.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/RISE_WP-005_Pritchett.pdf
  24. Proclamation. (2002). Ethiopian Federal Civil Service proclamation. Negarit Gazeta, No. 262. Addis Abeba.
  25. Ramsteck, C., Muslic, B., Graf, T., Maier, U., & Kuper, H. (2015). Data-based school improvement: The role of principals and school supervisory authorities within the context of low-stakes mandatory proficiency testing in four German states. International Journal of Educational Management.
  26. Tucker, M. S., & Codding, J. B. (2003). The principal challenge: Leading and managing schools in an era of accountability. John Wiley & Sons.
  27. WDR. (2003). Making service work for the people. In. The world Bank and Oxford University press.
  28. WDR. (2004). World Development Report. Making service work for the people. In. World bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/5986/WDR%202004%20-%20English.pdf
  29. WDR. (2018). World Development Report: Learning to realize education’s promise. In. The World Bank. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/9781464810961.pdf/
  30. Yin, R. K. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (3rd.ed.). Sage.

Open Access Copyright (c) 2023 Feyera Beyessa Urga
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Lisensi Creative Commons

All contents published in the Journal of Integrated Elementary Education are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

apps