STAFF COMMITMENT AND STUDENTS’ EXPECTATIONS IN COMPETENCE-BASED CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION IN EASTERN ETHIOPIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES: RHETORIC VERSUS REALITY

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the staff commitment and students' expectations towards competence-based curriculum implementation. A convergent parallel mixed method was used to achieve this objective. For the quantitative method, a total of 477 sample respondents were selected using a proportionate random sampling technique. while for the qualitative method, 11 participants were selected for the interview and 20 participants for FGD sample participants were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Accordingly, for the qualitative method, a total of 31 sample participants were selected using the purposive sampling technique. The quantitative data were collected through a selfmade scale for staff commitment while the qualitative data were collected through semistructured interviews, focus group discussions, and open-ended items. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviation while inferential statistics including ANOVA, multiple regression, and t-test were utilized to compute the data. The finding reveals that, in the sampled universities, there was no curriculum implementation model to guide instructors in the implementation process, as a result, instructors are utilizing their teaching learning process traditionally. It also indicated that there was a lack of awareness regarding the concept and meaning of CBC among the staff. Most of the students lack appropriate usage of the English language. CBC contents were not incorporated in the existing subject specific curriculum. Accordingly, it was concluded that to effectively implement CBC and enhance students expectations, both academic leaders and instructors need to be equipped with adequate skills of CBC and to realize the implementation appropriate awareness creation should be in place and practiced. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made. To implement CBC effectively, higher education institutions have to incorporate subject specific CBC in general and core competence-based curriculum contents for all fields of study; provide adequate training for academic staff in order to implement CBC at their respective universities. The CBC elements should be identified, defined, and incorporated into the undergraduate harmonized curriculum so that all undergraduate students will be trained equally.