Haramaya University Office of Vice President for Academic Affairs in collaboration with College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Higher Diploma Program Coordinating Office conducted induction training for 101 newly employed and reinstated staff members for 10 days from June 7 to 16/ 2021 at the University’ Resource Center.

Among the 101 trainees 72 are male and 29 female drawn from various colleges.

According to Seyum Shega, the Coordinator of the training & a lecturer at HU, the goal of this training is to help teachers acquire the necessary pedagogical skills and knowledge and become “adaptive experts” who are prepared for effective lifelong learning that allows them continuously add to their knowledge and skills.

In the opening ceremony, Mr. Gemechu Abera, the Dean of College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Higher Diploma Program Coordinating Office, said that literature in the area of teacher education reveal that effective teaching is a lifelong process. He added that it takes many years of teaching experience to develop qualified expertise.
Mr. Gemechu further indicated that teachers continually construct new knowledge and skills in practice throughout their careers rather than acquiring a finite set of knowledge and skills in their totality before entering the classroom.
He added that an important goal of the training is to help teachers acquire the necessary pedagogical skill and knowledge and become “adaptive experts” who are prepared for effective lifelong learning that allows them continuously add to their knowledge and skills.
“In order to perform our responsibilities effectively and efficiently throughout our professional life, we teachers must remain up-to-date, which entails engaging in some form of continuing education including such kind of training and self studies so as to maintain and develop your competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) which are essential for meeting the changing needs of students, and the growing requirements of licensing bodies and the society in general,” Mr. Gemechu underlined.
On the closing session, Professor Mengistu Urge, Vice President for Academic Affairs, said that the University has the culture of providing induction training since 2009 G.C.
“Our University is highly committed to improve the professional competence of the staff through such types of training. This training was the first round of induction training in this academic year,” the Vice President said.

Prof. Mengistu added that in order to improve the long-term quality of teaching or the professional development of teachers, there is a need to strengthen not only the depth of knowledge about the subject matter but also knowledge about different pedagogies and ways of presenting specific topics and knowledge about the ways students learn, including how this knowledge can be applied into practice.
“We, teachers, must update our professional knowledge and skills, which entails engaging in some form of continuing education including such kind of training and self-studies so as to maintain and develop our competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) which are essential for meeting the changing needs of students and the society and meet the standards in general. It is with this assumption that the induction training has been organized and given,” Prof. Mengistu stressed.

After accomplishing the 10 days training, certificates were awarded for the trainees for successfully conclusion of the training.