The purpose of this study was to examine the ways by which student learning improvement and the self-regulation of learning are possible through the use of quality formative assessment in the teaching of a university course. In recent years, researchers in educational assessment are showing an increased interest to the improvement of learning resulting from the use of formative assessment. Formative assessment is generally recognised as an improvement oriented assessment. It is believed to result in instructional effectiveness. Quality formative assessment includes formative feedback, self-assessment and peer assessment. Previous studies show the contribution of each of these quality formative assessments to learning improvement. However, less attention has been given to studying the combined effect of quality formative assessments on learning improvement. On the other hand, the predominant use of summative assessment remains a challenge to the improvement in instruction. Thus, the question was to determine the extent to which the use of quality formative assessment improves learning. The literature review in this study show an over reliance upon summative assessment in the context of higher education classrooms. There is also recognition in that formative assessment improves learning and enhances self-regulation. This study followed a mixed-methods research design of the type partially mixed sequential and applied a quasi-experimental intervention, where the educators used quality formative assessment on lessons with the students in the intervention group. The quasiexperimentation was implemented with 378 (214 male and 164 female) first year students of three universities enrolled for “General Psychology” course and six educators who were teaching the course. The students in this study were taken from intact classes, because this is possible in quasi experimental research. Data for the quantitative part of the study were generated using a structured questionnaire and achievement tests. Interviews with the educators, focus group discussions with the students, and classroom observations were used to generate data for the qualitative phase of study. The pretestposttest scores as well as the students’ perceptions on self-regulating learning were compared between the intervention (N =191) and the comparison (N = 187) groups. The quantitative analysis used different inferential statistics, which proved the presence of statistically significant variations between the intervention and comparison groups for the outcome measures (posttest achievement and perception about self-regulating learning). Although the qualitative study showed the presence of positive perceptions towards quality formative assessment, the practice was found to be inconsistent. Perhaps, this may be because of the predominantly summative assessment tradition and the reluctance to use quality formative assessment. Finally, recommendations were made to promote the use of quality formative assessment aiming at the improvement and the self-regulation on learning. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

This dissertation investigates land and tenancy disputes in Gedeo, southern Ethiopia, between 1941 and 1974. Such disputes were a deeply entrenched feature of Ethiopian land tenure systems until the revolution, and despite its importance the subject has not received the attention it deserves. Based on local court archival documents and oral interviews, the dissertation seeks to understand how these conflicts shaped agrarian relationships in Gedeo during this crucial period. The study highlights how differential access to resources created disharmony within Gedeo. It not only contributed to the proliferation of disputes but also eroded community cohesion, one of the consequences of which was that when Ethiopia was invaded by Italy in 1935 it was too divided and weak to defend itself effectively from external aggression. The post-liberation period was a formative time in the history of Gedeo. During this time the gabbar system was gradually replaced by landlord-tenant relationships. There was significant economic development largely due to the increasing importance of the coffee trade, but also land and tenancy disputes became a dominant feature of this period. Although land disputes were common in many other parts of Ethiopia, tenancy disputes in the south are described in the existing literature as distinctive from those in northern Ethiopia. The existing works mainly discuss tenancy relationships in the south from an ethnic perspective. This factor might have exacerbated the rivalries; however, it was not the main factor. This dissertation argues that competition for available resources was at the heart of the problem. The increased polarisation of landlord-tenant conflict continued to damage agrarian relationships. The inability of the government to deal with the problem made the situation worse and as a result tenants were obliged to find alternative ways to express their grievances. In February 1960 when the Michele uprising erupted the government rushed to intervene with the heavy use of security forces. Nevertheless the tenancy problem did not show sign of improvement until it was resolved finally and fundamentally by revolutionary means in 1974.

The main objective of this study was to explain top management perceptions of industry and firm effects on firm performance through the mediation of competitive advantage in financial service firms operating in a regulated industry in a developing Ethiopian economy. The resource-based and industry-based views, constituting the two main schools of thought explaining performance variations among firms, were used as theoretical foundation of this study. Porter’s five-forces framework was used during this process. The researcher employed a post-positivist paradigm using a cross-sectional survey design. A total of 27 financial service firms (15 banks and 12 insurance firms) that had functioned for three and more years were selected for the study. The unit of analysis was ‘firms’, while respondents were top level managers with a total target population of less than 300. A census survey rather than a sample survey was undertaken. A total of 287 survey questionnaires were distributed (banks 180 and insurance industry 107), of which 215 were collected from 26 firms (15 banks and 11 insurance firms). Of the questionnaires 206 were properly completed leading to a valid response rate of 71%. These were used for the data analysis. A variance-based PLS-SEM approach, which is relevant to evaluate the predictive effects of the industry and firm factors on firm performance, was used to explain the hypothesized model using SmartPLS 2.00 software as well as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program. The assessment of the hypothesized model indicated that the R2 result on firm performance variance due to the combined industry effects and firm effects was 39%, indicating a moderately significant predictive accuracy of the model. The relative direct effect size (f2) of the industry on firm performance was 3%, while firm had a direct effect size of 2%, which was small. The combined indirect relative predictive accuracy of industry and firm effect sizes on firm performance through competitive advantage was high at 27%. This was driven by the relative substantial predictive power of firm effect on competitive advantage (f2 = 65%). Furthermore, the predictive capability (Q2) assessment result of the model indicated that both industry and firm effects had a 23% relevant predictive power on firm performance. The direct relative measure of the predictive relevance (q2) value of industry effect (q2 = 0.02) on firm performance was relatively higher than that of the firm effect (q2 = 0.01). Competitive advantage had a relative predictive power of 0.12, which was driven by the direct relative predictive capability of firm effect (q2 = 0.25) on competitive advantage. The overall assessment results of the structural model revealed that the model had satisfactory statistical power to predict the hypothetical research model. The hypothesis that industry effects had an influence on the performance of financial service firms was not supported. The result indicated that industry effects had a positive and non-significant relationship with firm performance, which points to competitiveness in the financial services industry. These results were achieved against the tenets of Porter’s five-forces framework. The hypothesis that firm effects had a positive predictive effect on firm performance was also not supported, indicating that resources and capabilities do not directly lead to improved firm performance. The direct effect of competitive advantage on firm performance was supported. The mediating effect of competitive advantage between industry effects and firm performance was not significant, while the mediation of competitive advantage between firm effects and firm performance was highly significant. The findings of this study revealed that firm effects were relevant through the mediation of competitive advantage in explaining performance variances among financial service firms, operating in a strictly regulated industry. The relative predictive power of firm effect on competitive advantage was high. Firm resources, particularly intangible resources and dynamic capabilities, are the key predictors of firm performance indirectly through the mediation of competitive advantage. Such an advantage may not last long given the excessive supervision and regulations that exist and the fact that firms are being dictated to by the government to comply with its strategic direction as opposed to pursuing their own firm specific strategies. Such practice could encourage competing financial firms to converge and pursue similar types of strategies and encourage imitations to gain short term competitive advantage and superior performance. This finding contradicts the fundamental premise of the resource-based view and firm heterogeneity even though it tentatively supports the argument made by Foss and Knudsen (2003) who argue that heterogeneity is not a necessary condition to gain competitive advantage and superior firm performance. Financial service firms should not only develop and manage their resources and capabilities, but they should also monitor the changes in the industry. This finding highlights the fact that firms can create competitive advantage and enjoy superior performance in a closed and regulated industry. The findings of this research make a significant contribution to the existing debate on the resource-based and industry-based views in explaining the causes of firms’ performance variations specifically in a regulated environment. / Business Management / D.B.L.

In this thesis, I discuss the constraints and mediations on political discourse in the Ethiopian Diaspora in North America. I use the amateur sports federation, the Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA) as a site for this analysis, looking both at the online media campaign carried out when a split occurred in the institution and its 2017 tournament. The sport’s federation is a space for the diaspora to unite and pass down the cultural forms that distinguish it to the next generation. I argue that the political discourse of the diaspora is constrained by how the diaspora continues to (re)define its self in relations to the memories and imaginations of its homeland and its desire to remain a united and distinct community. Chapter 1 provides an analysis of the migratory history of the Ethiopian diaspora in North America. This history pinpoints the diaspora’s reproduction of a unifying hegemonic Amhara national identity that is not supported by the current ruling party in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). This is the history fuels the memory and imagination of the homeland that informs the mythico-histories that it produces to define the types of politics are supported or tolerated in the diaspora. Chapter 2 discuss the use of mythico-histories by anti-government groups in their campaign to boycott against the All Ethiopian Sports Association One (AESAONE)’s tournament. These narratives reveal the formation of an alliance between the apolitical sports’ federation ESFNA and aggressively anti-government groups in the diaspora. Finally, in Chapter 3 I analyze the symbiotic relationship between these anti-government groups and ESFNA and some of the way it shapes the political discourse at the 2017 ESFNA tournament. The tournament is a mediated space in which ESFNA’s apolitical unifying mission and the anti-government group's message are able to exist together.

Magister Legum - LLM / This study explored the various forms public interest litigation takes in various legal systems, focusing on the practice in South Africa. An examination of the relevant legal regime in Ethiopia was made with a view to assessing its adequacy to cater for public interest actions and coming up with possible recommendations. Apart from the analysis of the adequacy of the legal framework, an attempt was made to identify other factors that may pose a challenge to the introduction of the system in Ethiopia. / South Africa

Magister Legum - LLM / This study seeks to assess the extent to which national laws ensure that CWDs are accessing the right to education on an equal basis with non-disabled children. The study also seeks to assess the policy, legislative and administrative gaps surrounding the exercise of this right. The study process involved review of the policy and legal framework on education for CWDs vis-à-vis international human rights standards and norms. To this end, this study attempts to raise and discuss the following research questions:- What are the international standards on the right to education of CWDs? To what extent is the Government of Ethiopia‟s laws and policies on education for CWDs conform to these international human rights standards? To assess the extent to which national laws on education for CWDs comply with international human rights standards and norms, the research will address other related sub-questions such as:- Are there detailed and sufficient laws that facilitate the effective exercise of the right to education of CWDs? What are the challenges as well as the opportunities in upholding the education rights of CWDs in Ethiopia?

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The Yayo district in southwest Ethiopia is a biodiversity hotspot area historically containing a rich diversity of wild coffea arabica cultivars and Afromontane forest species of commercial and scientific value. Informed by political ecology and using qualitative research methods, notably participant observation, personal interviews, transect walks and analysis of secondary literature and videos, the study documents three major shifts in access, use, control and management of wild coffee and other natural resources in the Yayo district: first, village-level small-scale wild coffee cultivation and forest product harvesting; second, conservation and designation of protected forest areas and use zones, and most recently, coal mining and the future development of a fertiliser plant. The study details in depth how these three resource control regimes came to be and especially the social impacts they entailed on local (indigenous) communities residing in four villages in the Yayo district: Achebo, Gechi, Wabo and Wutete. It concludes with a discussion on the local socio-ecological impact and challenges facing the long-term survival of the local communities and wild coffea arabica forest biodiversity in the area. Since the early 1900s, the wild coffee forests were managed and used by local, indigenous communities based on customary social institutions including Abbaa lafaa, Ciiqaashuum, Qoroo, Tullaa, Xuxxee, and Shaanee. These institutions eroded overtime as the Ethiopian state working in tandem with professional conservationists valued the wild coffee forests for their forest biodiversity and strove to control historic wild coffee use through protectionist approaches. The thesis discusses how the restriction of access not only resulted in a range of negative social effects (such as displacement, joblessness, and landlessness) but also gave rise to occasional local conflicts and formal and informal resistance towards the conservationists and their programmes. As such, the protectionist approach did not succeed in safeguarding the wild coffees or the livelihoods of the local communities. Threats to the wild coffee forests were subsequently raised again with the rise of largescale coal mining operations in the forest. Driven by concern for economic growth, the state has shifted its attention from biodiversity preservation to supporting a coal mining operation in the area and the construction of the first-ever in country fertiliser factory in Yayo. With the advent of coal mining interests, not only have the historic customary rights and livelihoods of local communities been further weakened but also those of the power of the conservation regime. The early construction phases of the fertiliser factory have led to involuntary displacements, unfair expropriation of villagers’ properties, forest and wild coffee clearance, emergence of new diseases such as malaria, and damage to physical infrastructure. Overall, the study shows that the progressive shifts in resource access, control and use have occurred as a result of changing ecologies, ecological knowledge and values, community dynamics, economies, and the shifting policies and strategies of the government of Ethiopia. These changes, especially the control of resources by mining proponents, suggest major challenges for the future existence of wild coffea arabica cultivars in the area and the wellbeing of local communities who had used and managed them in the past.

Magister Public Health - MPH / Ethiopia has achieved its target for Millennium Development Goal 4 by recording 69 %reduction in its under-five mortality. The proportion of fully immunized children in Ethiopia has increased from 14 % in 2000 to 24 % in 2011. Though progress has been made, about 3 out of 4 children still remain incompletely immunized. The purpose of this study is to determine the socio-demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with incomplete immunization among children aged 12-23 months in Ethiopia. This study is based on secondary analysis of the 2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey. Information on 1,889 mothers of children aged 12–23 months were extracted from the children dataset. Records from vaccination cards and mothers’ self-reported data were used to determine vaccine coverage. The association between child immunization status and determinants of non-utilization of immunization services was assessed using bivariate and multivariate analyses. The findings of this study showed that the prevalence of incompletely immunized children is 70.9%. Children of mothers from the poor (AOR = 2.27; 95 % CI: 1.34 – 3.82) wealth quintile were more likely to be incompletely immunized. Children of mothers from Affar (AOR = 15.80; 95 % CI: 7.12 – 35.03), Amhara (AOR = 4.27; 95 %CI: 2.31 – 7.88), Oromiya (AOR = 8.10; 95 % CI: 4.60 – 14.25), Somali (AOR = 4.91;95 % CI: 2.65 – 9.10), Benishangul-Gumuz (AOR = 4.20; 95% CI: 2.34 – 7.57),Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ (AOR = 4.76; 95 % CI: 2.53 – 8.94), Gambela (AOR = 7.75; 95 % CI: 3.68 – 16.30) and Harari (AOR = 3.22; 95 % CI: 1.77 –5.89) regions were more likely to be incompletely immunized. Mothers with inadequate exposure to media (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.21 – 2.14), who are not aware of community conversation programme (AOR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.40 – 2.32) and who attended no antenatal care (AOR = 2.21; 95% CI: 1.72 – 2.83) were more likely to have incompletely immunized children. Despite efforts to increase rates of childhood immunization, the proportion of children with incomplete immunization in Ethiopia is considerably high. Therefore, targeted interventions at the identified socio-demographic factors are needed to increase immunization rates.

Magister Public Health - MPH / Evaluation of health programmes is essential to assist programme managers in decision-making and accountability to the population they serve. Additionally, regular monitoring and evaluation of TB/HIV collaborative activities are used as a means to assess quality, effectiveness and coverage of services; yet little attention has been given to this in most developing countries. In the southern region of Ethiopia, since the inception of the TB/HIV collaborative activities in 2005, there has not been any formal evaluation pertaining to the implementation status of integrated TB/HIV services at routine program level. However, a series of TB/HIV reviews underlined many challenges that have adversely affected the implementation nationally. However, studies conducted on the quality of TB and HIV/AIDS services tend to be broad and not targeted to the integrated TB/HIV program and therefore, it was necessary to assess the implementation status in a more focused way with a vision to determine its adequacy or otherwise and make appropriate recommendations to improve integrated TB/HIV services in the town. Aim: To assess the implementation of integrated TB/HIV activities in the health facilities of Hawassa town administration Study design: Cross sectional study Study population: All health facilities, health managers, and records of TB and HIV patients in Hawassa town administration Sample population: The study population encompassed TB and HIV clinics, managers of each health facility, and sampled records of individual clients/patients enrolled in the HIV/AIDS/TB treatment and care program, from each health facility in the year 2009/10. Data collection: Face-to-face interviews with facility managers, observation of the rooms in which TB/HIV services are rendered and a review of patient records, were undertaken. Analysis: Descriptive statistics with frequencies and percentages were used for analysis of facility based resource inputs, TB case finding and management, and HIV case finding and management practices. Indicator variables extracted from the record review were transformed into scales (0 or 1) and weighted to reflect the levels of TB/HIV service quality, integration and resources input. After weighting, experts' opinion was used to set a cut off level (75%) to categorize the relative service quality received by individuals and the level of integrated care provided by facilities into "adequate" or "inadequate". Bivariate analysis was done to assess the effect of independent predictor variables on outcome variables. We used a– P value of 0.1 on bivariate analysis as the cut off point for inclusion of variables into the multivariate analysis. Prevalence ratios, adjusted prevalence odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were used to present outcomes. Results: Availability of resource inputs for HIV/AIDS care was inadequate in half of the facilities in Hawassa town whereas, laboratory infrastructure for TB/HIV care was adequate in all facilities. Most (91%) HIV/AIDS patients had their CD4 count and weight (96%) measured at baseline. However, the trend declined over time and the practice was better in hospitals than in health centres. HAART status was a strong predictor of CD4 count improvement and improvement in CD4 count was found to be a strong predictor of body weight gain. TB case finding and management practices in HIV/AIDS clinics were found to be adequate in the health facilities in Hawassa town. Ninety five percent and 86% of HIV positive patients were screened for TB at baseline and at the last clinical visit respectively, of which 98%, 93% and 81% of patients co infected with TB and HIV were provided with DOTS, CPT and ART respectively. However, only 11% of HIV positive patients without active TB were provided with IPT. Only HAART status was found to be a strong predictor of TB case finding. Quality of HIV/AIDS care in health facilities in Hawassa town was adequate. Availability of at least a minimum number of staff and being on HAART were found to be strong negative and positive predictors of quality respectively. Overall, 91% of patients on HAART were retained in care at the end of the year (alive and on treatment), 6% were retained and 3% died. Resources for the TB program were deficient in our study area. Three out of four facilities had inadequate overall input resources required for good quality TB care and the fourth barely managed to achieve adequate status. However, laboratory infrastructure and availability of forms and registers were adequate in all the facilities. There was a high degree of HIV case finding and a high prevalence (17%) of HIV among TB patients. Despite this, the overall HIV care provided was inadequate, with only 64% and 73% of TB/HIV co-infected patients being provided with HAART and co-trimoxazole respectively and 22% of TB/HIV co-infected patients not enrolled in HIV care. Among sputum positive TB patients good quality TB care was found to be a strong predictor of successful treatment outcome Our study also showed consistently very high quality TB service provision in the town despite the lack of required resources. Conclusion and Recommendations: The study showed that there was relatively good quality provision of TB and HIV services despite inadequate input resources and that quality of care was positively associated with good outcomes. The study also indicated that HAART benefited patients substantially and hence earlier initiation could be the way forward. We recommend that to further improve quality of care one stop shopping services (availing both anti-TB and HIV care at the same service point within a clinic) be established. In addition, we recommend improved patient monitoring, especially for Pre-ART patients, be established.

This thesis addressed two main issues. First, using an inter-temporal optimisation framework, the thesis analysed the tradeoffs between short and long-term objectives of soil use that smallholder farmers’ face in their production decisions. Second, using econometric models that account for simultaneity of choices and plot level data, the thesis explored the determinants of soil fertility and soil conservation adoption decision behaviour of smallholder farmers in the Central highlands of Ethiopia. Four major conclusions are drawn from the optimization results. First, steady state optimal output and input levels under the dynamic decision rule are found to be significantly higher than the static solutions suggesting that the static decision rule is sub-optimal. Second, current soil nutrient inputs and conservation efforts are well above the requirements of the static solutions suggesting smallholder farmers consider some of the long-term (dynamic) costs of soil degradation. Third, current farmer practices involve net nitrogen extraction of 16.2 kg/ha from bottomlands and 56.7 kg/ha from slopping lands entailing a total soil user cost of Birr 255 per ha and Birr 928 per ha, respectively. This suggests that current smallholder farmer practices discount the future heavily and hence over exploit the soil resource stock. Fourth, a comparison of steady state dynamic solutions when nutrient stocks are the sole determinant of soil quality with a situation where both nutrient stocks and rooting depth impinge on soil quality confirm the main hypothesis that the socially optimal path of soil use also depends on the nature of soil degradation smallholder farmers face on their plots. The econometric analysis of soil fertility and soil conservation adoption confirmed that awareness of soil degradation, public assistance with sharing initial costs of constructing soil conservation structures, improved security of land tenure and farmers’ education and access to information on soil degradation were found essential for farmers to adopt soil fertility management practices and invest in soil conservation. On the other hand, improved small farmers’ access to short-term credit for the purchase of inorganic fertilizers present a disincentive for long-term conservation practices, an important trade off with serious policy implications. / Thesis (PhD (Environmental Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted