Faculty Of Education(FOE)

ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

Department of Afan Oromo
Department of Biology
Department of Chemistry
Department of English Language
Department of Geography & Environmental Studies
Department of History
Department of Mathematics
Department of Physics
Department of Physical Education and Sports
Department of Pedagogical Science

I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Alemaya College was officially established as higher learning institute in September 1953 as a center of excellence in agricultural sciences. On May 27, 1985 the college was upgraded to a full-fledged university of Agriculture. On 18 August 1994 the council of Ministers issued a regulation to provide for the reorganization of the Alemaya University of Agriculture as an autonomous Higher Education institution having its own legal personality governed by a Board.

In response to the national need for skilled human resources in different fields, Haramaya University launched training program in Education. Accordingly, the Faculty of Education opened its regular under graduate program in 1996. This marks a period of transformation from a purely Agricultural University to a multi-disciplinary University. Due to this development the University Board named Alemaya University of Agriculture as Alemaya University in late 1999.

The Faculty of Education (FOE) was established in 1996 in line with the new Education and Training Policy launched by the Federal Government of Ethiopia. The Main aim was to train high school teachers in natural, language and social sciences academic streams. The Faculty begins degree programs in four departments (Biology chemistry, Mathematics and Physics) in 1996. Other departments namely, English, Geography and History opened in 1998. The department of Afan Oromo was lunched in 2002.

2. Vision

The vision of FOE of Haramaya University is to be a college known as a center of excellence for teacher education and a model in its teaching and research activities nationally and internationally.

3. Mission

The mission of Faculty of Education of Haramaya University is to satisfy the country’s demand for qualified teachers through provision of country’s context based quality education and research activities so that country’s economic, social and political problems be solved.

Haramaya University is also participating in the Nationwide Teacher Education System Overhaul (TESO) in response to the study conducted into ‘The Quality and Effectiveness of the Teacher Education System in Ethiopia’. To increase the quality of student knowledge, some of the courses/subjects/ are supported by different practical laboratories and teaching practice in high schools.

Academic Programs

Undergraduate Program

Faculty of Education has currently running nine academic programs namely: Afan Oromo, Biology, Chemistry, English, Geography & Environmental Studies, History, Mathematics, Physics and Physical Education & Sports. There is also the Department of Pedagogy which mainly offers professional courses and supposed to take students as of 2007/08 academic year.

Graduate Programs

At this juncture in time, education is exercised in this country with a basic shift in its philosophy that is directed towards student-centered and active-learning methodology. This entails a great leap from the long and old tradition of education using the teacher-centered and lecture-based system. The intention of implementing the program at master of education level (MEd) is therefore to make it a clear demonstration of this shift in philosophy. It therefore remains that the Departments of Biology and Chemistry launched the program in 2004/05 in line with student-centered teaching methodology with the main objectives of:

• Produce qualified and skilled professionals capable of teaching in high schools and colleges.
  
• Upgrade the qualifications of teachers with Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Education (BEd) equipping them with specialized professional skills.
  
• Give the due recognition and opportunity to teachers and develop a career structure for devoted and committed teachers with the aim of soliciting their continued service to society as teachers.
  
• Produce science teachers (biology and chemistry) who can implement the student-centered strategy of the teaching-learning process and contribute their share towards solving the problem of science teaching and education in Ethiopia.

  Other Programs

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  ENGLISH LANGUAGE IMPROVEMENT CENTRE (ELIC)

Introduction

-The ELIC is based in the English department of the Faculty of Education
-It was established after a visit by an international consultant on 22 & 23 March
2006 organised by the British Council
-It is staffed and coordinated by Assistant Professor Kedir Assefa and Linda
Robertson, a VSO UK volunteer
-It determines priorities for its projects by carrying out needs analyses and
consulting regularly with Management, the English department, academic staff,
administrative staff and student representatives

Aims of ELIC

-to improve the English language skills of students as well as academic and
administrative staff
-to advise interested members of the university community on the accurate
use of English
-to develop support materials for English language improvement purposes
-to offer services to primary and secondary teachers in the area through the
national English Language Improvement Programme (ELIP)

Activities undertaken to date

-organisation of the ELIC office as a base for resources (including reference books
provided by the British Council and the Ministry of Education for ELIP)
-development of support materials for use with specific target groups at the
university
-extra support tutorials offered to 1st year female students
-ELT methodology training given to English teachers from 8 secondary
schools in West Hararghe zone to help them to deliver English language training to primary teachers

ELIC future plans

Higher Diploma Programme for teacher educators (HDP) is a nationally initiative program focussing on the improvement of the quality of education in Ethiopia through a licensing training programme that will develop the skills and professionalism of teacher educators.

The HDP was developed in 2003 to meet the identified needs of teacher educators and to support the implementation of the Teacher Education System Overhaul (TESO). It is now a compulsory qualification for all teacher educators and is run in every Teacher Education Institution (TEI) in Ethiopia including Haramaya University.
The HDP is a practical programme and takes one academic year to complete, alongside candidates’ teaching commitments.

The objectives of the HDP are to enable teacher educators to:
• Support the implementation of the TESO Programme.
• Identify their own needs and become reflective teacher educators.
• Develop teaching as a skill, based on sound theoretical knowledge and experience.
• Use active learning and student centred methods.
• Become role models of good practice.
• Have high standards of professional ethics and clear values.
• Provide a high quality experience for student teachers.
• Help school teachers be more effective in their own teaching.
• Be involved in action research.
• Develop team working skills.
• Address gender issues.
• Support disadvantaged students in the institution.
• Promote good citizenship.
• Play an active part in the institutional development.
• Plan their professional development and career.

The HDP is delivered through a school placement, lesson observations and feedback and four modules, each divided into sessions using active learning and continuous assessment.

HDP at Haramaya University currently is run by a team of leaders, moderators and tutors.

Coordinator of the Program: Sirak Demelash, Lecturer, Department of Pedagogical Sciences.
025 5530316/17/21/22 Tele: Ext 390
E-mail: sirakd21@yahoo.com

Research

The faculty believes that only high competence of and commitment towards educational research by educators can ensure quality education, enhance educators’ personal goals and help educators make informed decision making. One aspect of this is making an ongoing inquiry into the dilemma of teaching, teacher education and overall educational practices and adopting a dialogic teaching approach. Thus, the Faculty of Education encourages its teacher educators to embody educational research in their occupational culture and to inform their practice through inquiry. It also creates forums for the faculty staff to share knowledge and learning through reflecting on hopes and challenges in the faculty and through deliberating on factors that affect their day to day practice. The principle that guides our faculty’s research endeavor is the belief that a meaningful professional learning occurs when the staff is engaged in collaborative learning, dialogue, reflection and inquiry.

The faculty knows that without sustained partnership and shared expectations among educational researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and the larger community, there is no way of using the outcomes of educational research to bring change on our national education. Therefore, our faculty is keen to expand its research collaboration with both government and non-government organizations that have interest in educational research and development. It believes that such collaborative endeavors with partners can foster the creation and dissemination of useful knowledge to the wider educational community and policy makers.

Contact
Jeylan Wolyie Hussein
Research Coordinator
Faculty of Education
P.O.Box. 110,
e-mail: jeylanw@yahoo.com

Contact Information

Haramaya University
Faculty of Education