Ethiopian Journals Online (EJOL)
Not a member yet
4332 research outputs found
Sort by
Herbage dry matter intake of individual dairy cow using a wireless bite counter for grazing based production system in Ethiopia; a case study
No full textMeasurement of intake of individual grazing animals remains one of the fundamental challenges to improving efficiency of livestock production. Information about the individual herbage dry mater intake (HDMI) of grazing dairy cow is important for an efficient use of pasture herbage and to ensure the release of adequate nutrients for maintenance and production. However, practical and reliable methods are not available to measure intake of pasture by individual dairy cow particularly for grazing based production system for developing countries. Thus, this research was initiated to estimating HDMI using the wireless bite counter system for individual dairy cow in comparison with other methods. A simple, compact bite counter was used to record dairy cow jaw movements to estimate feed intake. The device is composed of a pendulum, a microcontroller, and a transmitter attached to a collar. The utility of the bite counter recordings in estimating intake was experienced for 16 Dairy cows of which nine Local and seven Holstein Friesian crossbred dairy cows. The experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019) during the main rainy seasons (June to October) of Ethiopia. For comparison, cage system intake estimation was also conducted using sixteen individual paddocks established in the grazing land of Andasa livestock research enter. The grazing herbage in the paddock dominantly comprised of Cynodon plectostachyus, Hyparrhenia rufa, Paspalum notatum, Setaria viridis and Trifolium species. For the calibration of the bite counter, the correlation between the number of bites measured by personal observation and the values reported by the bite counter was linear with an R2 value of 0.74. The average HDMI using the bite counter was 4.2 kg DM/day and 7.7 Kg DM/d for local and crossbred individual dairy cow, respectively. The HDMI could be estimated by applying linear regression to the number of bite counts with R2 values of 0.68. In conclusion, the wireless bite counter offer new opportunities for rapid estimation of HDMI. Moreover, the bite counter was easy to attach to the cows using the collar and could be used effectively by farmers in the grazing based dairy production system in Ethiopia
Climate Variability and Drought Trends in Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Districts: Spatial-Temporal Perspectives in Guji and West Guji Zones
No full textThis study examines the spatial and temporal patterns of climate variability and drought trends in the Guji and West Guji zones of Ethiopia, focusing on their effects on pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. A mixed-methods, cross-sectional design was used, combining household surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups, and remote sensing. A multi-stage sampling method selected four districts per zone based on vulnerability to climate shocks, with 382 households sampled using Yamane’s formula. Climate data, including rainfall and temperature, were obtained from Ethiopia’s Meteorology Institute and complemented with satellite imagery (Landsat, Sentinel-2) analyzed via ArcGIS and ERDAS Imagine. Quantitative analysis involved calculating the coefficient of variation (CV), rainfall concentration index (PCI), and Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) to assess variability and drought severity across districts and seasons. Findings reveal high inter-annual rainfall variability (CV > 50%), with eastern and southern areas experiencing more unpredictable rainfall, thus increasing drought risk. SPI results show recurrent severe drought episodes during autumn and spring, with some districts facing drought over 60% of the time. Spatial drought hotspots include Liban, Dugda Dawa, and Saba Boru, indicating uneven vulnerability. Climate variability has caused water shortages, pasture degradation, and livestock mortality, severely affecting livelihoods. Drought frequency has increased over the past two decades, intensified by rising temperatures. The study emphasizes the need for district-specific adaptation strategies such as water harvesting, drought-resistant crops, and resilient pastoral practices. It advocates for integrated climate monitoring and community resilience programs to reduce risks and promote sustainable livelihoods in vulnerable districts
Engineering the Developmental State Path: The new role of management control systems in a knowledge-intensive public organization
No full textThis paper examines how a democratic developmental state ideology in a developing country establishes and institutionalizes a neoliberal, corporate-style governance model that produces social control under the guise of enhancing efficiency, accountability, and democracy. We gather data from multiple sources spanning 1991-2018 to trace how the temporal implementation of management control tools at one of Ethiopia’s largest and oldest universities delivered exogenous politico-ideological demands by undermining its collective decision-making organs. Using historical institutionalism, a theory that posits institutions change throughgradual endogenous processes and exogenous punctuations, facilitated by the choices of willful actors at critical junctures, we explain how social control mechanisms influence long-term governance outcomes. We find that a series of New Public Management reforms facilitated institutional (re)production and reactive sequences, creating a ‘locked-in’ trajectory of social control through ‘individualized autocracy’. The subjects of social control were actors deemed threats to the ideology, namely academics within a knowledge-intensive public organization. The social control was exercised through the design and implementation of temporallyinterspersed public-sector reforms that employed modern management control systems within New Public Management. We find that public-sector reforms in universities, contrary to their stated goal of enhancing productivity and democratic participation, foster autocracy among politically connected individuals who seek to perpetuate the state’s structural ideological dominance over academia. Our study contributes to KIPO governance by examining changes in management control in developing countries and their role in social control in non-neoliberal contexts. By placing macro-level ideological developments at the center of its analysis, our historical approach complements micro-level approaches to the study of control systems
Maritime Security in Ghana’s Blue Economy: Exploring Socio-Economic Realities and Governance
No full textGhana’s maritime security is considered within a broader context of coastal livelihoods, economic vulnerabilities, and environmental factors. The article examines how socio-economic structures and local realities interact to shape both the risks and opportunities in Ghana’s maritime security landscape. Drawing on an extensive review of academic literature, policy reports, industry analyses, as well as relevant statistical data and primary field data, the article interrogates the interplay among economic activities in the various sectors of Ghana’s blue economy with a focus on the fisheries sector. It examines how factors like youth unemployment and gender inequalities influence security outcomes, particularly with challenges such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and resource-based conflicts. The study highlights how regulatory frameworks and foreign investment strategies intersect with local priorities, oftentimes generating tension over environmental sustainability and social justice. By mapping these socio-economic dynamics across local, national, and regional levels, the paper advances a nuanced and holistic understanding of Ghana’s maritime security environment, advocating for a Blue Justice approach
Chronicles of African Engagement: Beyond a Dualist Reading of Foreign Intervention
No full textOver the past two decades, the conflict management and peacebuilding (CM/PB) domain has undergone significant transformations. This has resulted in a shift from traditional Western-centric approach to a more crowded CM/PB market that is particularly evident in the African continent. However, academic discourse has evolved from evaluating the effectiveness of the liberal peace model, to scrutinising the characteristics of an alleged alternative CM/PB paradigm proposed by these rising powers. Drawing on a (neo)realist perspective, the study proposes two lines of argumentation to advance a new research agenda. Firstly, it explores the supply side of CM/PB policies by emphasising the motivations and policy choices driven primarily by strategic interests and the regime survival of intervening states. Secondly, it analyses the demand side of CM/PB by highlighting the active role of intervened states in shaping intervention strategies based on their interests and preferences. Through illustrative examples from Africa, this paper demonstrates how national interests and host states' agency intersect to shape CM/PB strategies. The article challenges simplistic categorisations of Western/liberal versus Eastern/illiberal CM/PB, and advocates for a nuanced understanding that considers the complexities of global power dynamics and national interests
Questioning Separatism in a Context of Democratic Development: The Polisario and the Ambazonian Movement in the Face of Today's New Geopolitical Challenges
No full textSeveral African states are currently being rocked by separatist or autonomist movements seeking to create independent micro-states within recognised sovereign states. These include the Movement for self-determination of Kabylie (MAK) in Algeria, the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda in Angola, the Ogaden National Liberation Front or the Tigray Liberation Movement in Ethiopia, the National Liberation Movement of Azawad (NLMA) in Mali, the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance in Senegal and so on. While some of these movements date back to the post-independence era, others are more recent, albeit fuelled by distant causes. An example of this is Morocco, a North African country and a founding member of the Arab Maghreb Union, which faces separatism and regular harassment from Polisario, a movement that has been advocating the creation of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since 1976. A similar case study is English-speaking Cameroon, where various armed groups are calling for the creation of Ambazonia. While it is true that separatism is partly justified by the various frustrations of a population, it is also true that it represents a major risk to the stability of states. Given the current context and the issues at stake, it is almost impossible to give separatism any support. Repeated violations of human rights (rape, sexual abuse, looting, etc.), large-scale atrocities, massive destruction, violence, etc. are comparable to the methods of terrorists, and constitute a serious threat to sub-regional, regional and international peace and stability. This work is the result of the analysis of the archival, documentary and oral data collected and supplemented by neutral direct observation in the field. At the end of this reflection, four observations can be made about the Polisario and the independent movement of Ambazonia: The Polisario and the independent movement of Ambazonia have the same objective (independence); the same method of recruiting fighters (forced or voluntary recruitment among unemployed young people); the same modus operandi (use of violence), and the same approach (seeking external support to better influence geopolitical issues)
Learning Theories and Instructional Designs: Developing a Multimodal Quality and Student Support Service for Online Learning
Full text linkThis work explores how prominent learning theories can be used to design online learning environments that prioritize quality and offer effective student support. Employing a bibliometric integrative review method, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on eighty-nine relevant articles refined from a pool of 357 sources. These sources explore (online) learning theories, practices and their associated instructional designs. Six prevalent learning theories were identified: Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Social Constructivism, Connectivism, Community of Inquiry, and Online Collaborative Learning. Each Theory was examined, highlighting its strengths, limitations, and its potential to inform effective online instruction. This analysis yields two crucial insights. First, the underlying philosophy of education and the chosen learning theory significantly influence the design of online learning environments. Second, existing online learning approaches often lack a strong integration of learning theories, particularly regarding assessment, student support strategies and quality learning within collaborative activities. By drawing on these insights, this Analysis proposes a model for online learning instructional design that emphasizes the multimodal, integrative, quality and student support service online learning model. This Model incorporates the concepts of different learning theories, and prioritizes quality and student support services, aiming to create engaging and effective online learning experiences that promote deeper learning and critical thinking skills
Framing public dissent: A comparative content analysis of local and international media coverage of the Ethiopian health professionals’ strike
Full text linkThis study investigated how local and international media outlets framed the 2025 Ethiopian health professionals’ strike, specifically the British Broadcasting Corporation's Amharic and the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation. Forty-five Purposively selected stories published over two months were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The study examined the tone, thematic emphasis, voice representation, and underlying ideological messages in news articles from media outlets. The study was guided by agenda-setting and framing theories. The study's findings show a stark difference between the two media outlets. British Broadcasting Corporation Amharic portrayed the strike as a rights-based protest rooted in socioeconomic conditions. In contrast, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation framed it as disruptive and immoral, citing professional responsibility and government responsiveness. The two media outlets built the strike differently in their coverage. The Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation primarily represented government accounts but excluded the voices of health professionals. On the other hand, the British Broadcasting Corporation incorporated the voices of health workers and association leaders. The findings indicate that the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation framed the protest through human‑interest and rights‑based narratives, amplifying workers’ voices and legitimizing grievances. Moreover, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation emphasized professional duty, national unity, and government responsiveness, silencing dissent. These divergent frames reflect media ownership, editorial independence, and political context in shaping public perception and policy discourse. The study contributes to understanding media power in politically controversial contexts and underscores the significance of pluralistic narratives in public health crises
Exploring Middle-Level Science Teachers’ Perceptions of Inquiry-Based Practical Activities in Addis Ababa: Addressing Challenges and Harnessing Opportunities
Full text linkThis study explores the perceptions of general science teachers regarding the implementation of Inquiry-Based Practical Activities (IBPAs) in middle-level schools across Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This study aims to assess how teachers perceive the value of IBPAs and identify the challenges hindering its implementation. A mixed-methods descriptive design was employed to gather data through questionnaire from 120 general science teachers and interviews with 20 department heads to explore the importance and challenges of implementing IBPAs. Findings disclose that teachers commonly concede the instructional value of IBPAs in supporting student engagement, critical thinking, and practical application of science principles. Majority of the teachers intensely agreed that IBPAs improves learning by integrating theoretical knowledge to everyday environments and motivates active participation. However, significant gaps persist between these positive perceptions and actual practice. Most teachers still prefer teacher-dominated approaches due to their simplicity, citing barriers such as lack of laboratory materials, lack of professional training, poor administrative support, and low student motivation. The results further reveal that demographic factors like teaching experience and qualification slightly influence perceptions, with less experienced and diploma-holding teachers showing more positive views. Despite widespread recognition of IBPAs importance, its implementation remains inconsistent and often misinterpreted as confined to laboratory settings. The study concludes that tackling these challenges through continuous professional development, improved resource allocation, and supportive educational policies is vital. It recommends targeted teacher training and curriculum reforms to bridge the gap between awareness and practice with the purpose of promoting a more inquiry-based learning, student-centred science education system. These insights have implications for improving science pedagogy not only in Addis Ababa but in similar educational contexts striving to enhance learning outcomes through practical, inquiry-based learning
Primary and Middle School Teachers’ Perception about their Pedagogical Competency and Associated School Factors in Bench-Sheko, and West Omo Zones: Implications for Teacher Education
Full text linkThe main purpose of this study was to examine primary and middle school teachers’ perception about their pedagogical competency and associated school factors using concurrent QUAN + qual design. Three hundred seventy-four primary school teachers selected through simple random sampling have participated in the study. The finding shows two sets of clusters with a statistically significant difference in pedagogical competency. The first cluster, consisting of n=107 (29%) teachers, perceived they had good pedagogical competency, while teachers in the second cluster n=267 (71%), reported poor pedagogical competency at p<0.01. Lack of capacity building training, working environment, teachers’ qualifications, and teachers' training program are factors associated to teachers’ pedagogical competency. Finally, the study presented the implications of the findings on teacher education programs with regard to the preparation of teachers, admission to the profession, the quality of the training, and continuous professional development practices