The purpose of this study was to explore the causes of underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions of public universities in south Ethiopia. There were few or no women in senior leadership positions in these public universities. Therefore, these universities could not enjoy the benefits of leadership qualities of women. To achieve the aforementioned purpose, the vice-presidents, deans and/or directors of public universities in south Ethiopia were involved as the target population. Four public universities: Wachamo, Wolaita Sodo, Dilla and Hawassa were involved as research sites. Four vicepresidents (one from each university), twelve deans and academic directors (three from each university) who constituted a focus group of four participants from each of the four universities, participated in the study. An exploratory multiple case study design was used in this qualitative study. The purposive sampling technique was used for the selection of the samples. Unstructured interviews were conducted with the vice-presidents of the selected universities and focus group discussions were held with college deans and directors. Participant observation was conducted on issues related to women empowerment at universities under study. The findings showed that women were greatly underrepresented in senior academic leadership positions at all the selected public universities of south Ethiopia because of various institutional, women-related, economic, socio-cultural, and political- legal factors. The study identified some gaps in the government’s oversight role of monitoring and evaluating the implementation of women empowerment policies at universities prescribed by the Federal Government including the higher education legislation. Moreover, higher education institutions (HEIs) themselves have also failed to empower women through different mechanisms. Therefore, it could be concluded that HEIs pay little attention to empowerment of women. Currently, there are some initiatives meant to empower women. However, these, seem to a reaction to pressure by the higher political authorities. It could be concluded that women are still illiterate about their rights and are not keen to be empowered. Negative societal attitudes and lack of attractive incentives for the leadership positions contribute to the underrepresentation of women in senior positions. Furthermore, a shortage of teaching staff in academe plays a negative role in this underrepresentation. Finally, it is recommended that the government, society, institutions, and women themselves should step up efforts to empower women, particularly their appointment to senior leadership positions. This is critical as they constitute half of the population of both the institutions and the country. Finally, the study proposes a model that could be adopted by the government, HEIs and different institutions to improve the empowerment of women, especially their appointment to senior leadership positions in HEIs. / Educational Management and Leadership / Ph. D. (Education Management)

Intermediate calculus bridges secondary school and advanced university mathematics courses. Most mathematics education research literatures indicated that the conceptual knowledge in intermediate calculus has challenged first year undergraduate mathematics and science learners to a great extent through the lecture method. The content knowledge attained by them has been tremendously decreasing. Negative attitude exhibited by students toward calculus was highly influenced by the lecture method used. Generally, students have not looked at the learning of all mathematics courses offered in universities as normal as other courses. Due to this lack of background conceptual knowledge in learners, they have been highly frustrated by the learning of advanced mathematics courses. Taking the understanding of teaching and learning challenge of conceptual knowledge of calculus into consideration, Ethiopian public universities have been encouraging instructors to devise and implement active learning methods through any professional development training opportunity. The training was aimed to enhance learners’ content knowledge and attitude towards calculus. This is one of the main reasons for the motivation of this study that experimental group learners were allowed to be nurtured by the lecture method in their mainstream class, and then also the active learning intervention method integrated with GeoGebra in the mathematics laboratory class. Only conventional lecture method was used to teach the comparison group in both the mainstream and mathematics laboratory class. The purpose of the study was to explore the Gambari and Yusuf (2016) stimulus of the jigsaw co-operative learning method combined with GeoGebra (JCLGS) on statistics and chemistry learners’ content knowledge improvement and change of their attitude towards calculus. The post-positivism mixed methods tactic was used in a non-equivalent pre- and post-test comparison group quasi-experimental design. The population of the study was the whole freshman mathematics and science degree program learners of two public universities in Ethiopia in 2017. Samples of the size 150 in both the experimental and comparison groups were drawn utilizing two-stage random sampling technique. A questionnaire using a Likert-scale on attitudes and an achievement test were sources used for data collection. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics conducting an independent samples t-test and a Two Way ANOVA for repeated measures using SPSS23. Each of the findings on content knowledge, conceptual knowledge, and procedural knowledge development produced through the TWO-Way ANOVA, respectively as F(1,148)=80.917; 𝜂2=.353; p<.01, F(1,148)=106.913; 𝜂2=.419; p<.01, and F(1,148)=7.328; 𝜂2=.047; p<.01, revealed a statistically significant difference between the treatment and comparison groups from pre-test to post-test. These findings show that the experimental group participants were highly beneficial in developing their content knowledge and conceptual knowledge through the active learning approach and technology-based learning strategy using Vygotsky’s socio-cultural learning theory. The JCLGS learning environment representing Vygotsky’s socio-cultural learning theory modestly influenced the procedural knowledge learning of the experimental group learners’. Although the lecture method affected the comparison group students’ knowledge development in calculus during the academic semester, the impact was not comparable to that of the active learning approach and technology-based learning strategy. The major reason for this was the attention and care given to the active learning intervention integrated with GeoGebra by the researcher, data collectors, and research participants. Overall findings showed that the active learning intervention allowed the experimental group students to considerably enhance their conceptual knowledge and content knowledge in calculus. Learners also positively changed their opinion towards calculus and GeoGebra. The intervention was a group interactive environment that allowed students’ to be reflective, share prior experience and knowledge, and independent learners. As a matter of fact, educators are advised to model such a combination of active learning approach and technology-based learning strategy in their classroom instructional setting and practices. Consequently, their learners will adequately benefit to understand the subject matter and positively change their opinion towards university mathematics. / Mathematics Education / Ph. D. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

The dissertation focuses on information support for the strategic management of universities in the Czech Republic, using competitive intelligence as a framework. Qualitative and quantitative research methods - text analysis, questionnaire survey and conceptual modelling - have been used to achieve the goal of the dissertation.Current state of the topic is reviewed both from the global and Czech perspective, with a special emphasis on legal and economic environment in which Czech universities operate. Strategic and organizational aspects of the information support provided to university management are evaluated. Data necessary for the provision of information support are also discussed. The key role of university libraries in the information support for university strategic management is identified.Categorization of internal and external information sources forming the data base for the strategic management support and the conceptual model of the data base are the main results of the dissertation. Key words competitive intelligence, strategic management, information managment, university evaluation, public universities, information support, information systems, information systems integration, public management and administration, Czech Republic,

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The introduction of e-learning in teaching and learning has necessitated the training of staff members in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This study focuses on the challenges that staff members, who are the facilitators of learning, experience when undergoing training in ICT. The research design employed a qualitative methodology which involved focus groups from a public university. Data was collected from the participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the challenges that staff members experienced during ICT training are related to a lack of computer competence, lack of time, an information overload, the non-involvement of staff in the planning of their training, facilitation limitations, lack of technical support and institutional challenges that involve infrastructure. The study further revealed that the principles of adult learning play a reciprocal role in the staff’s professional developmental challenges. In view of these findings, this study offers recommendations for improving the ICT training of staff members. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

The introduction of e-learning in teaching and learning has necessitated the training of staff members in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This study focuses on the challenges that staff members, who are the facilitators of learning, experience when undergoing training in ICT. The research design employed a qualitative methodology which involved focus groups from a public university. Data was collected from the participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the challenges that staff members experienced during ICT training are related to a lack of computer competence, lack of time, an information overload, the non-involvement of staff in the planning of their training, facilitation limitations, lack of technical support and institutional challenges that involve infrastructure. The study further revealed that the principles of adult learning play a reciprocal role in the staff’s professional developmental challenges. In view of these findings, this study offers recommendations for improving the ICT training of staff members. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)