The Prevailing Practices and Challenges of Curriculum Reform in Ethiopian Higher Education: Views and Responses from Within

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.