Abstract:
This study was conducted in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, to investigate the availability and frequency of
short refresher training courses for secondary school English language teachers. Data were collected
from 36 English teachers (taken from 11 secondary schools) through structured questionnaire and18
officials (heads and training experts of education bureaus) and 11 school directors via interview.
Quantitative data were analyzed into frequencies and percentages, while qualitative data were
analyzed through the techniques of description and interpretation. The findings showed that short
refresher training courses, although highly demanded, were nearly unavailable for secondary school
English language teachers in the study setting. It is thus recommended that school administrators and
educational bureau officials work hard to make such trainings available for teachers. Jimma
University can also play an important role in addressing this critical need through its communitybased training and problem solving approach. Besides, the English teachers themselves must inquire
for these trainings since they are the ones who queue at the forefront of the teaching battle
