Abstract:
In reflecting on the recent educational change in Ethiopian
higher education (HE), this article explores the nature of undergraduate
curriculum reform in relation to student-centered pedagogy and
continuous assessment method. To this end, the article uses a qualitative
case study design collecting primary data from interviews with 4 senior
managers and 4 education quality experts, and a focus-group with 6
teachers, and exploring secondary sources. The result shows that the
forces, triggering curriculum reform are mostly external providing little
room for internal factors and the development of curriculum from within
the institution. The prevailing reform applied a government’s controlled,
centralized, and a one-size-fits-all model. As study participants reported,
the most challenging issues are implementation gaps, particularly the
absence of a functional enactment zone for teachers. This happens
because conformity and uncertainty, as well as the rapidity of change,
have created tension for academics when implementing the reforms in
their classrooms. This article provides some suggestions as to how these
challenges might be overcome.
