CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AS A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVING SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION IN ARSI ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of co-curricular activities to improve secondary school education. Descriptive survey design was employed to conduct the study; the samples of the study were 438 club committee member students, 203 teachers, 18 principals and viceprincipals , 10 supervisors and 10 WEO experts. The sampling techniques were stratified random sampling technique for teachers, purposive sampling technique for WEO experts and available sampling technique for club committee member students, principals and supervisors. In order to collect data, the researcher used questionnaire, interviews and document analysis. Questionnaires were distributed to 641 respondents and out of these 196 teachers and 420 students were filled and returned. In addition to this, 18 school principals, 10 woreda supervisors and 10 WEO experts were interviewed. To analyse the data, percentage, mean score and t-test were used. The findings of the study revealed that there is no clear guiding manual in the secondary schools to organize CCAs. There is no wellstructured plan for co-curricular activities in secondary schools. The process of planning for CCAs is not participatory. Teachers and students perceptions, attitude, commitment and interest to implement co-curricular activities in secondary schools were low. School principals little attention and commitment for co-curricular activities starting from planning to providing feedback makes the effectiveness of co-curricular activities role to be below expected. Shortage of physical and materials facilities, financial problems and awareness gap on CCAs were seen in the secondary schools. Thus, to improve the current status of CCAs and achieve the expected model it was recommended that changing the negative attitude of students and teachers, providing training for club leaders, follow-up of CCAs from planning to evaluation, elaborating the relationship between CCAs and classroom teaching learning activities, preparing experience sharing between successful and unsuccessful clubs, evaluating and awarding best performed activities were identified as a solution to improve the practice of CCAs in secondary schools. Lastly, it is concluded as CCAs have a great role for the improvement of education in Arsi zone secondary schools which enhance the process of teaching learning activities.