TOSSA COLLEGE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)

FACTORS AFFECTING FEMALE STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN

GOVERNMENT GENERAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS: THE CASE OF TIGLE FRIE
CLUSTER, DESSIE CITY ADMINISTRATION

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO TOSSA COLLEGE OF ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA).

BY:

WONDWESEN HAILEMARIAM

ID No: TCED/ 171/13

ADVISOR
BIZUAYEHU AMBAYE (PhD Candidate)

APRIL, 2022
DESSIE, ETHIOPIA

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 Table of Contents
LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... v

LIST OF FGURES ..................................................................................................................... v

LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................ vi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1

1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ............................................................................... 1

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE STUDY ..................................................................................... 4

1.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................. 6

1.4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY .................................................................................... 6

1.4.1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ............................................................ 6

1.4.2. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ........................................................... 6

1.5. HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY ................................................................................... 7

1.6. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................ 7

1.7. THE SCOPE AND DELI ITATION OF THE STUDY ............................................... 7

1.8. Operational Definition of Key Terms ............................................................................. 8

1.9 Organization of the Study ................................................................................................ 9

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE................................................. 10

2.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 10

2.1Female Education: Its Historical Roots and Developments ............................................ 10

2.2 Female Education in Developing Countries................................................................... 12

2.3 Major contemporary Factors Affecting the Female Academic Performance ................ 13

2.3.1 School factors .......................................................................................................... 13

2.3.2 Family Factors ......................................................................................................... 15

2.3.3 Economic Factors .................................................................................................. 17

2.3.3.1 School Costs ......................................................................................................... 17

2.3.4 Psychological Factors .............................................................................................. 18

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 2.4 Female Education in Ethiopia ........................................................................................ 20

2.4.1 Historical Perspective .............................................................................................. 20

2.4.2 Recent Developments and Researches .................................................................... 24

2.4.3 Enrollment/Participation .......................................................................................... 25

2.4.4 Dropout .................................................................................................................... 26

2.4.5 Repetition................................................................................................................. 27

2.4.6 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FEMALE STUDENTS ................................. 28

2.5 Conceptual Framework of the Study .............................................................................. 29

CHAPTER THREE: RESERCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................. 30

3.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 30

3.1 Description of the Study Area ........................................................................................ 30

3.2 Research design .............................................................................................................. 30

3.3. Sources of Data ............................................................................................................. 30

3.3.1. Primary sources ...................................................................................................... 31

3.3.2. Secondary sources .................................................................................................. 31

3.4. Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique ....................................................... 31

3.4.1. Target Population of the study ................................................................................ 31

3.4.2 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques ................................................................... 32

3.5. Data Collection Instruments .......................................................................................... 33

3.5.1. Questionnaire .......................................................................................................... 33

3.5.2. Interview guide ....................................................................................................... 34

3.5.3. Document analysis .................................................................................................. 34

3.6. Data Collection Procedures ........................................................................................... 35

3.7. Methods of Data Analysis ............................................................................................. 35

3.8 Definitions and measurement of variables ..................................................................... 36

3.9 Validity ........................................................................................................................... 40

3.10 Reliability ..................................................................................................................... 40

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 3.11 Ethical Considerations.................................................................................................. 41

WORK PLAN ......................................................................................................................... 42

BUDGET ................................................................................................................................. 42

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 43

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 LIST OF TABLES
Table 2-1Total primary school enrollment and percentages of female participation between
1949 to 1974. ........................................................................................................................... 24
Table 2-2: Enrollment ratios of Girls vis-a-vis Boys by years ................................................ 25
Table 3-1: Total Target population of the study ..................................................................... 31
Table 3-2: Sample size and sampling techniques of schools ................................................... 33
Table 3-3: Definitions and measurement of variables ............................................................. 39

LIST OF FGURES
Figure 2-1: Conceptual frame work of the study ..................................................................... 29

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 LIST OF ACRONYMS
AUS AID Australian Agency for International Development

DFID The Department For international Development

FDRE Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

MOE Ministry of Education

OECD Organization For Economic Co-operation and Development

SPSS Statistical package for the social sciences

UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFPA United Nations population Fund

UNICEF United Nations International children's Emergency Fund.

MDG Millennium Development Goal

PAT Parent Teacher Association

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 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction
This study will identify Factors Affecting the academic achievement of female students in
Tigle Frie Cluster, Dessie city Administration. The relationship between the independent
variable and the dependent variables will examine in order to answer the research questions
and achieve the objectives of the research. Thus, this chapter discusses the background of the
research, research objectives and questions, hypotheses of the research, the scope of the
study, significance of the study and organization of the study will state concisely.

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is an important foundation for any developing process in the world on which the
social, economic, political and cultural development of nation is based. Education improves
the capacities of societies and their social, economic, scientific technological and institutions.
It is also helps people to alleviate poverty, tackle demographic problems, improve health and
nutrition and increase the value and efficiency of labor.

Tadesse Shiferaw (2009) indicated that education is not a charity rather a main human right
for all people irrespective of their sex, race, economic status which is the key to development
people among countries. The provision of education in any society is crucial for human
resource development. If represent a major form of human resource development. Human
resource development constitutes on underlying basis up on material development. It is a
cornerstone for the nation’s fast socio-economic development (Tamirie, 2009).

The social and economic development of country is directly linked with academic
performance. Academic performance of students plays on important role in producing the
best quality human capital efficiency who will become great leader and manpower for the
country thus responsible for the country’s economic and social development (Tadesse, 2009).

In equalities in education between men and women extend across a wide range of
dimensions including enrolment, completion and performance. Poor educational attainments
or achievements may be a barrier to overcome the vicious circle of poverty among human
kind, especially among women (OECD, 2011). Studies on gender disparities in academic
performance in developed countries, for examples America, Canada and Britain have mainly
pointed to genetic differences (Lacour and Tissington, 2011). In Africa, research linked to
genetic factors and the brain is sconty because of lack of resources or technology to research
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the genetic differences (Bassey et al, 2010). Other international studies reveal that poverty
and family background account for difference in academic performance between boys and
girls (chessman et al, 2006). Many girls in sub-sabaran Africa are not enrolled in school.
Through girls do enroll; they drop out more frequently than boys and their academic
performance compared to that of boys is poor at every level of schooling (Gobina, 2005).
Establishing the determinants of academic performance is pivotal in reducing the broader
inequalities in society which reflect the fact that women are lassing behind men in
educational attainment and out comes (UNESCO, 2003).

Our lovely country Ethiopia is one of the social factors where by gender disparity is
reflected. The number and proportion of educated females is very low. As the grade level of
education increases, the number of female students starts to decline. Consequently, higher
education remains the level of learning where females are less represented both as students
and staff. They very few women that are fortunate enough to join higher learning institutions
can be characterized by lower academic performance and higher forced with drawal.
Consequently, such inequality in higher education representation has a serious life-long
impact on their opportunities to participate in the country’s political power sharing economic
privileges as well as social representations (Yeshimebrat, Alemayehu and Firew, 2013).

In Ethiopia, as in many other part of the world, the vast majority of women are demoted to
traditional roles and consequently their participation minimal in social and economic
development in general and in education in particular access to education at all levels is more
readily available to male than females. Ethiopia is one of the developing countries with law
females performance in education statistics reveals that the number of female students in
primary, secondary and higher education is not equal to that male students regarding to score
high grade. This low performance is one of the causes for females to be under privileged and
under represented in development programs (Kassa Shurke, 2006). Women are at the heart of
most societies regardless of whether they are working or not, mothers are very influential
people in children’s lives.

Educating girls is one of the most important investments that any country can make in its
own future. Education has a profound effect on girls and women’s ability to claim other
rights and achieve status in society, such as economic independence and political
representation. Having an education can make an enormous difference to a women’s chances
of finding well-paid work raising a healthy family and preventing the spread of diseases such
as HIV and AIDS (DFID, 2005).

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 Ayelew (2005) stated that the Ethiopian population is primary rural MOE (2004)
indicated that nearly 85% of Ethiopia populations live in the rural areas. The educational
system was however, urban based for long time still now. Women constitute half of the
country’s population and are involved in 50-8-% of the economic development and social
welfare activities.

According to the federal democratic republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) education and training
policy of 1994, the educational structure of the country has different levels. The first is the
kindergarten, the second is primary education (first cycle-grade 1-4 and second cycle grade 5-
8) the third is secondary education (first cycle grade 9-10 and second cycle grade 11-12) and
fourth the higher or tertiary education level. Based on this educational structure, the will
focuses on the second cycle of primary education (grade 5-8). The current government of
Ethiopia has taken quite several measures particularly aimed at improving quality teaching, to
increase students’ academic achievement in general and female students in particular and
realizing the importance of quality education.

The participation of females in socio-economic development programs also depends on

their educational backgrounds educating females is critical not merely to achieve personal
benefits but also for the improvement in the areas of human resource development of the
society (Egenti and omoruyi, 2011 cited in wudie and Phillips, 2014). Even though women’s
play a significant role for the overall development of a nation they remain under represented
at all levels of educational programs, in formal or non formal education, few receive technical
and vocational training and they also account for a very small population of enrollment in
education both in developed and developing countries (Kassa, 2006 cited in Abduljelil,
2010).

Many of the factors which affecting female education at primary education level
identified by different scholars were family factors (educational level of the house hold head
family size household chores). Economic factors (school cast, household income and
parental needs of labor). Psychological factors (parental attitude towards female education,
teachers and community attitudes towards females students’ self-esteem of female students
and early marriage) and school factors (sexual harassment, school distance, learning
environment and model female teachers.

All of the previous studies conducted on the area that affecting the academic
performance of female students understanding all these challenges, this study is designed to

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investigate and identify the factors that affecting the academic performance of female
students currently in the case of Tigle Frie cluster, Dessie town, amhara region, Ethiopia.

The study area which the researcher will focuses on female students’ academic achievement
according to Tigle Frie cluster (i.e Tigle Frie and Addis Alem) primary school yearly report
(2009-2013 E.C) was lower than that of male students. The researcher will strive to identify
the reason behind the problem. This study will be identified factors affecting female students’
academic achievement in the case of Tigle Frie cluster (i.e Tigle Frie and Addis Alem)
primary schools in Dessie city administration.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE STUDY

MDG (Millennium Development Goal) 2 is focused on guaranteeing that all boys and young
ladies are able to complete primary school. Central to this objective is moving forward the
proficiency rates of youthful men and ladies. women and girls are much less likely to
complete primary school and go on to higher levels of education. The United Nations
population found (UNFPA) has estimated that world wide, there are almost twice as many
illiterate women as there are men. Ensuring that both boys and girls are able to attend school
is a crucial part of reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development. It means that
men and women will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute to their society
(AUS AID, 2010).

Education is a corner stone of rural development. It is an inevitable a foundational for

any sort of development. Education is an instrument for reducing poverty, improving the
living condition of rural people and ensuring wellbeing of the society. Educated male and
female citizens are a great asset for a country to build a sustainable development however
educating female students confronts big challenges and become difficult task due to various
educational problems that can hinder them to achieve desired education goals (Bogalech et al,
2007).

The constitution of Ethiopia defines the equality of women and men recognizes the right
of affirmative measures for women and provides special attention to women so as to enable
them to compete and participate on the basis of equality with men in political social and
economic life in public and private institutions. The government of Ethiopia has launched on
educational program with major emphasis an increasing the participation of females in
education through different means. The MOE try to take good mesurnment to increase the
quality female students academic achievement (MOE,2018).

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 However the practice, women are far away from exercising their rights, especially in
education. Female student in rural Ethiopia in variably encountered different problems in
attending school. The academic performance of female students seems to be one of the major
deep rooted and prevalent problems in Ethiopia. In spite of the policy, the pattern of female
academic achievement is still very low in the country especially in the country side or rural
parts Ethiopia (Tadesse, 2009).

Nicola et al., (2008) indicated that some of the critical factors affecting female education
include early pregnancy, psychological cost of pregnancy, direct cost of schooling, societal
perceptions, the labor market, opportunity costs, family poverty, irrelevant curriculum,
insecurity, structural attributes and classroom culture. Girls and their education are also
disproportionately affected by cultural and economic issues like domestic duties, transport,
and school fees (Gerald,2007).

Similarly many problems observed which contributes low achievements of female students
in academic performance in the study area namely Tigle Frie and Addis Alem, there are
certain hindering factors for the low academic achievement of female students. Prior to this
research, different studies were conducted in different places of Ethiopia on academic
achievement of female students . Most of the research conducted at university level and some
of them were at secondary school level. For instance, Mulugeta Defar(2014) did conduct
research in kambata priparatory schools and did identified that some of the factors of female
academic performance, Endalsasa Belay(2019) did conduct research in Bahir Dar second
cycle of primary school and did identified some of the factors affecting female students'
academic performance and Henok Tesfa (2014) did in East Belesa Woreda and identified that
Economical , physical and physiological factors are major factors that hinder the participation
of female students. However, the study conducted by these researchers were not only in
different parts of Ethiopia but also their focus was limited to certain factors. Whereas in this
research study, more comprehensive factors will be analyzed to assess the academic
achievement of female students in the primary schools of Dessie City namely school, family,
economic and physiologically factors and Covid 19 and political unstability. To the
knowledge of the researcher no study was conducted on academic performance of girls in
Tigle Ffrie Cluster. Hence this study would contribute to closing the existing research gap.
Thus the researcher feels that there is a need for investigating closely beyond the qualitative
data in order to closing the existing research gap and find out the root causes for the problems
of girls participation and academic performance in the Tigle Frie cluster that is:-

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To further examine the in-school and out-of-school factors and to begin to closely examine
and explore possible solutions and approaches that might help to positively change the
situation from this stand point the present study will manly attempt to survey and explain the
underlying home and school factors that influence the environment persistence, class
repetition and drop out of girls in primary schools of Tigle Frie cluster Dessie town, Amhara
region, Ethiopia. In particular greater emphasis will be given in the study to factors that affect
girl’s academic performance in Amhara region Dessie town Tigle Frie cluster.

1.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Based on the above stated problems, the researcher will be identified the following research
questions:-
 What is the status of female students’ academic achievement in the study areas?
 What are the factors that significantly influence the female students’ academic
achievement in second cycle primary schools?
 What is the correlation between female students’ academic achievement and Socio
cultural related factors, School related factors, Economic related factors and Family
related factors in the study area?
 What are the contributions of the schools to make the female students successful in their
academic achievement in the study area?

1.4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.4.1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The general objective of this study was to explore factors that affect female students’
academic achievement in the government second cycle primary schools at Tegil Ffrie clusters
in Dessie City Administration.

1.4.2. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The specific objectives of the study will be:-
 Assess the status of female students’ academic achievement in second cycle primary
schools in the study area.
 Identify the factors that significantly influence female students’ academic achievement
in second cycle primary schools in the study area.

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 Examine the correlation between female students academic achievement and Socio
cultural related factors, School related factors, Economic related factors and Family
related factors in the study area.
 Identify the contributions of the schools to make the female students successful in their
academic achievement in the study area.

1.5. HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY

Based on the research objectives and questions of the study the following hypotheses are
developing and will be tested in the study:-
School related factors have a significant effect on female students’ academic achievement
at Tigle Frie clusters in Dessie City Administration.
Family related factors have a significant effect on female students’ academic
achievement at Tigle Frie clusters in Dessie City Administration.
Economic related factors have a significant effect on female students’ academic
achievement at Tigle Frie clusters in Dessie City Administration.
Scio -cultural related factors has a significant effect on female students’ academic
achievement at Tigle Frie clusters in Dessie City Administration.

1.6. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study may provide an insight to factors that affect female students’ academic
achievement in second cycle primary schools. Besides, it may help teachers, parents,
students, principals, educators and policy makers to identify important variables that directly
or indirectly affect female students’ academic achievement in second cycle primary schools.
They also examine the factors that affect female students’ academic achievement in second
cycle primary schools and achieve maximum academic achievement. In doing so, this study
will help the Dessie city Administration education office and second cycle primary schools
by providing clues on measures to be taken and strategies to be devised in an attempt to
overcome challenges on factors that affect female students’ academic achievement in
second cycle primary schools.

1.7. THE SCOPE AND DELI ITATION OF THE STUDY

The study will also help as an initial reference for further study on factors that affect female
students’ academic achievement in second cycle primary schools. The purpose of this study
is to find the factors that affect the academic achievement of female students in dessie town

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Tigle Frie cluster dessie is a town in north central Ethiopia located in the south wollo zone of
the amhara region it sits at a latitude and longitude of 1108’N 39038’E, with an elevation
between 2470 and 2550 meters above sea level. It has a population of more than 610431. In
dessie town there are about 57 primary school in the town. 45 of them are governmental and
12 of them are private schools.

The scope of this study is limited in two of the government primary school in the cluster
ofTigle Frie primary school which are Adis Alem and Tigle Frie primary schools. In these
two schools grade 7 and grade 8 students will be the target population.

1.8. DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY Comment [WU1]: Merge it to the

scope of the study

This study will delimited to the two government second cycle primary schools of Tegile frie
clusters (i.e. Addis Alem and Tigle Frie second cycle primary schools) at Dessie city and all
the findings and conclusions reflect the actual situation in government second cycle primary
schools in the study area. To make the population manageable, the study will delimit in the
two governments second cycle primary schools of grade 7thand 8th students will be the target
population. The respondents of the study are the government second cycle primary schools
female students of grade 7th and 8th teachers of grade (7-8th), school principals, vice-
principals, and Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The factors for such differences are many
and all the factors will not be treated by this study. Thus, this study will be delimitated to
factors that affect female students’ academic achievement, such as the Socio cultural related
factors, School related factors, Economic related factors and Family related factors in
government second cycle primary schools.

1.8. Operational Definition of Key Terms

 Gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a
given society considers appropriate for men and women in its socio-cultural contexts.
 Gender disparity shows the difference between girls’ and boys’ academic participations
in a given year.
 Academic achievement: is the outcome of education, the extent to which a student,
teacher or institution has achieved their educational goals. In this study academic
achievement is taken from the final examination score in different curricular subjects of
second cycle primary school female students.

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 In-school factors: refers to factors which are emanated from the school such as effects of
rule and regulations of the schools, provision of facilities like libraries, laboratories, and
teachers experience in teaching, educational qualification of teachers, attitude of teachers
toward female students and role of guidance and counselling, (Wondemeneh, 2009 p.10).
 Out-school factors: refers to factors which have not emanated directly from the school
such as economic and educational background of parents and their attitude towards
female education, parents support and encouragements of their daughters, students effort
and activities to improve their result and distance related factor, ( Wondemeneh, 2009
p.10).
 Government school: School which is administered by national government.
 Second Cycle primary school: refers to those public and community schools consisting
grade levels of (5-8) in the current Ethiopian Education System.

1.9 Organization of the Study

The report of this thesis will be organized and presented under five chapters. The first
chapter (introduction) gives a general idea on the background, states the problem, explains
the significance of the study and describes briefly the and also the limitation of the study. The
second chapter (literature review) develops the background of the study by discussing the
relevant literature from international and national perspectives. In this part the historical and
existing situation of female education in the world, developing countries and Ethiopia are
examined briefly. The third chapter (methods and procedures) tries to describe detail how the
study was conducted the fourth chapter (presentation and analysis of data) attempts to
summarize and present the data collected from the field and states the main findings. In this
chapter, it is also tries to examine evaluate and interpret the implications of the results with
respect to the research questions. Besides, some statistical treatments of the data collected are
also shown. Finally, the fifth chapter (summary, conclusion and recommendations) tries to
draw in references based on the result. In this chapter a brief statement of the problems will
be given methods and the most important findings. At the end of this chapter, some
suggestions are will be forwarded based on the main findings and conclusions of the study.

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 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.0 Introduction
The literature will divide in to three sections. In the first section, a brief review will make the
historical roots of female education from domestic studies and from abroad will include
together with the appropriate citations of different educators/intellectuals in general. In the
second section, deals with female academic achievement in second cycle primary schools
education, finally, the review of the relationship between females’ academic achievement and
factors that affecting female students’ academic achievement such as Socio cultural related
factors, School related factors, Economic related factors and Family related factors in
developing countries particularly in Ethiopia will review.

2.1Female Education: Its Historical Roots and Developments

Most writers agree that the growth of education, in general, is rooted in religion. Education
grew as a result of a concern by various church organizations in order to enable their
followers to read the Bible for themselves. Thus, one of the things that the earliest
educational provision for women emphasised was reading the Bible. In fact, earlier
educational provisions for women also included other themes. However, these were related to
their domestic role with an emphasis on housewifery and other domestic subjects so that they
would become good maids and mothers (Coats, 1994). This, in part, indicates that women
were restricted from all types of programs and course of study in education starting from the
earliest times.

It is evident that disparities in education between females and males have been prevalent in
almost all societies of the past in history primarily because of cultural reasons. Such
disparities existed even in those societies that placed a high value on learning including
classical Athens (Coombs, 1985).

In more recent years, however, relatively greater and sudden attention has been given to
gender inequalities in many aspects of life including education. And this has accelerated the
efforts made to reduce discrimination against girls and women. But the focus of these efforts
takes different shapes in developed and developing nations of the world. For instance, in the
developed world such efforts focus especially on higher education and opening up of fields of
study largely reserved for males in previous times. On the other hand, in developing
countries, it is today widely believed that the education of females is a basis to all other
elements on which transformation of societies depends. As Coombs (1985) stated it, in

10
developing nations it is believed that education of females contributes towards population
control; personal as well as family health and nutrition, receptivity to innovations and
educational motivation of children. According to Conway and Bourque (1993), in recent
years, a remarkable expansion took place in women's educational access in many of the
developing countries. But still inequality persisted not only in access but also in educational
experience.

In the second half of the twentieth century, relatively greater effort was exerted by
international bodies and organizations that encouraged the expansion of the education system
in general and female education in particular in the developing world. The United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948; the series of meetings of African, Asian and
Latin American States and governments in the sixties, seventies and eighties; the United
Nations general assembly Declaration of the Decade for Women (1975 - 1985); and The
World Declaration on Basic Education for All made developing countries to recognize the
importance of women in all aspects of social life including education.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which proclaimed in 1948 education as a basic
human right, stated that every individual on earth has a right to education. The Conference
held in Addis Ababa in 1961 initiated African countries to realize the need to expand
provisions of basic education service. Consecutively, African Conferences were held in
Monrovia in 1979; in Lagos in 1980 and in Harare in 1982. In particular the Harare
Conference made a point of departure for African education. In this Conference it was
unanimously agreed that African states should show effort to expand primary education so
that it reaches all children of both sexes (UNESCO,1984).

Similar regional conferences were also held in the other parts of the developing world like in
Karachi for Asia and in Lima for Latin American and the Caribbean countries. The main
agenda for all these conferences were the expansion of education and the promotion of
development.

The World Declaration on Education for All in Jometien in 1990 stated that more than 100
million children, out of which 60 million constituted girls, had no access to primary
schooling. In addition, the Declaration pointed out that another 100 million children fail to
complete or dropout before completing basic education programme. The World Declaration
On Education For All emphasized the importance of education for girls and women in its
document of Article !II, Number 3 in the following way: The most urgent priority is to ensure

11
access to, and improve the quality of education for girls and women, and to remove every
obstacle that hampers their active participation .... This means the things that are regarded as
more important in female education are access to education and provision of quality
education. Moreover, the above emphasis suggests that all problems that block female's
progress in education should be removed. And to successfully tackle this, it is necessary to
continually examine the factors that affect females' access and their progress in education.

All the above cited international and regional conferences initiated and encouraged
governments, official bodies as well as some individuals in the developing countries to
consider females' interests and issues. One of the issues dealt with during this period was the
question of education for females. Thus various governmental and non-governmental
agencies in developing countries began to produce research and evaluative papers concerning
women's life and conditions. And it was tried to expand the education system and to
encourage girls to go to school.

2.2 Female Education in Developing Countries

In the contemporary world it is believed that education is one of the greatest forces in
changing women's life. An educated woman is likely to accrue higher income by widening
her chance of getting paid employment. Education has also a positive influence on the age at
which a girl gets married and the number of children she will have. The legal and political
rights a woman may exercise and even the ability of a woman to care for herself and for her
children depend on the level of education she gets (UNICEF, 1992). As already mentioned
earlier, most developing countries recognize all the benefits of increasing female education
and they regard it as an essential condition for national development. However, as Seyoum
(1989) pointed it out, the provision of educational opportunities for females in most of the
developing countries were not as desired. In recent years, a lot of empirical researches have
been conducted in many developing countries on gender and education. These research works
have already revealed on larger scale many of the factors that may affect girls' enrollment,
persistence and performance in education as compared to boys. The factors identified by the
research works show general similarities between the countries of the developing world. I
Some of the major factors identified by studies as affecting girls education in many of the
developing countries can be divided into four complex groups as school related; socio-
cultural; socio-economic as well as political and institutional factors (Rose et aI., 1997). The
school - related factors include quality of learning environment, distance from school,
relevance of curricula and textbooks, and teacher attitudes. Some school factors like lack or

12
shortage of learning and teaching materials may affect the education of both boys and girls.
In addition to this, there are also more specific factors that are likely to have more influence
on the enrollment and education of girls in particular. For example, poor conditions of school
facilities such as lack of furniture in which case students may be forced to sit on the floor; the
total absence of latrines or non-availability of separate latrines for girls in schools
discourages parents from sending their daughters to school. Likewise long distances from
home to school are said to increase the fear of parents for the safety of their daughters and
make them reluctant to allow girls to attend school. The relevance of curricula and textbooks
are the other factors usually documented in research reports as interfering with the education
of girls. The contents of some school textbooks often describe females in what is considered
as traditional female roles such as in the kitchen, looking after children, whereas males are
shown to be busy working in professional occupations. This strengthens the feeling that
females' fate is to work in low status household chores for which it is considered that they do
not need much education (Rose et aI., 1997).

In addition to the above, teachers' attitudes and actions that are likely to be a reflection of the
broader societal prejudices about the roles and abilities of females affect girls education.
According to classroom observations, it has been found that teachers give more attention to
boys than girls during the teaching learning process in the classroom. Teachers identify boys
and direct more questions and comments to their male pupils. Hence, reinforcing the
dominance of boys in class. Such classroom relationships happen even when girls form the
majority in a class. The practice of giving minor importance to female pupils in classroom
activity may be attributed to teachers' belief that boys are more intelligent and able than girls
(Rose et aI., 1997; Buswell, 1989). Such ways of thinking and practices of teachers may
discourage girls from actively participating in the teaching-learning process which eventually
may contribute to their low academic achievement.

2.3 Major contemporary Factors Affecting the Female Academic Performance

2.3.1 School factors

School has no worth without student. Students are most essential asset for any educational
institute. The school environment highly determined the success of education program. It can
be influence the effectiveness of teaching and learning process. The learning environment,
distance to school, model female teachers and sexual harassments are school related the main
factors which affect female students academic performance (Irfan et al., 2012).

13
2.3.1.1 School to home distance
School to home distance has been another constraining for girls’ education in many parts of
rural side Ethiopia. Alemayehu (2003) stated that school related reasons which discourage
girls' performance at over great distance of school to home. Secondary schools are scattered
over great distance and parents do not dare to send their daughters to such a far distance. The
journey may be unsafe, since many girls at this school age experience harassment and
physical attack either on public transports or remote path in rural areas. Most of the girls that
live far away from school and have to walk long distance which not only discouraged them
but also worried their parents as to their daughters' security on travel to and from schools.
According to Kassa (2006), in many countries, distance to school has a bigger impact on girls
than on boys for a variety of reason, in some places young girls are not considered to be
ready for travel, older girls may not be subject to harassment, and even if the trip is safe, the
direct cost may be high and the time lost on traveling would be more costly to girls work than
to that of boys.

2.3.1.2 School learning environment

World Bank (2009) stated that in relation to School environment and the physical
environment of schools have been identified as a source of low performance or absenteeism
among girls. Lack of privacy due to shared toilet facilities between boys and girls may cause
menstruating girls unbearable embarrassment. A quality of school facilities has direct impacts
on learning process. The attractive school which is well designed and attractively furnished
has an effect on students’ achievement (Elias 2006). The importance of human and material
resources in achieving better schooling outcomes, including such factors as school
infrastructure, class size, teacher experience and qualifications and availability of
instructional materials have emphasized largely in low-income countries. Class size has been
the most widely examined variable in educational policy studies among the various school
characteristics, however, the effects of class size on school achievement are inconsistent
Taddese (2009). The separate toilet for female and male students, educational equipment’s
and materials, well equipped library, attractive furnished school blocks directly impact on the
student performance in education especially for female students (Alemayehu, 2003).

14
2.3.1.3 Female Teacher as a Role Model
The importance of female role models is widely accepted as means of promoting greater
gender equality (UNESCO 2003). The promotion of role model such as female teachers has
been a strategy to encourage females' education particularly young girls in rural areas.
According to Kassa (2006), in all aspects of girls' school the availability of female teacher is
salient as both an instrument and a product. Girls having women teachers can speed up
formation of a clubs of female teachers. The presence of female teachers in the teaching staff
can attract girls to learn by providing a guarantee to parents to enroll their daughters. He also
stated that highest female literacy and enrollment rates of all states due to large number of
female teachers. The shortage of female teachers as well as female civil servants, in addition
to the lack of infrastructure can frustrate both parents and female students to enroll. This can
affect the achievements of female students in education.

2.3.1.4 Sexual Harassments

Yeshimebrat et al., (2013) stated that, sexual harassments, domestic violence, dating violence
and stalking are another school related serious problems. Male students are mostly identified
as offenders and their acts include verbal abuses, showing sexually appealing writings and
magazines, telling sex related jokes to female students without their consent, Disseminating
female students’ photographs, Sending sex related messages using electronic instruments,
Touching female students’ body, Assigning and using sex related nick names to female
student, Harassing females through continuously following their activities and Hiding
learning materials and forcing female students for sexual practice.

2.3.2 Family Factors

Tadesse (2009) argued that different research has consistently shown that students’ academic
achievement has influenced by background of family characteristics such as educational level
of households, household chores and family sizes.

2.3.2.1 Family size

In this respect research findings by Alemayehu (2003) have indicated that the major problems
and that influence girl’s process in their education were economic constraints and large
family size. Even when school fees are free, cost of education materials such as stationary
school uniform and other supplementary items are too expensive for low income families. In
such situation, when it comes to choice in poor families as who go to school among their

15
children they give priority to male children instead of girls, because the boys are expected to
be the future of bread winner and also boys can generate cash to cover their school expenses.

2.3.2.2 Educational level of Households head

Elias (2006) indicated that parents’ level of education has a multifaceted impact on children
ability to learn in school. It is not only to influence parent-child interaction related to the
learning process but also affects parents income and need for help their children in home and
school. Parents especially mothers educational back ground has remarkable effects on girl
education. There is a positive correlation between mothers’ education and girl access to
education and their academic performances. Mothers schooling increase the educational
attainment of their children especially daughters’ education performance ensured.
Tadesse (2009) also argued that regardless of national context, parents who have more
educated appear better able to provide their children with the academic and social support
important for educational success when compared to parents with less educated. In another
words poverty, low level of parental education, parental and neighborhood negative attitude
towards schooling in general, children among from disadvantaged background have
significantly poor academic achievement (Elias, 2006) whereas children with high level of
parental education have greater access to a wide variety of economic and social resources that
can be drawn upon to help their children succeed in school.

2.3.2.3 Household Chores

The daughters' labor demand of parents for household work can affect females' participation
in education. The amount of time females spend on home responsibilities and other chores
also reduces their time and energy they spend in schools affecting their educational success
(Teshome, 2003). Female education is also affected by their labor demand by parent (to help
at home). According to the Kassa (2006) women may force them to keep their daughters at
home to help with care of younger siblings, time consuming tasks on the farm, and such
household chores as cleaning, cooking and collecting fuel. According to Kane (2004)
findings, most parents do not prefer sending their daughters to school in fear of losing support
at home. According to UNESCO (2003), in Ethiopia, under-enrollment is very much a rural
phenomenon and a gender gap is largely absent in urban areas. In rural areas only 25 percent
of school age girls are enrolled in primary school compared with 31 percent boys. It costs (at
least indirectly) the parents more to send boys to school than girls, because of the
contributions made by girls in household activities.

16
2.3.3 Economic Factors
The academic performance of the female students has been found to have link with socio-
economic condition of the family. It is one of the factors that can affect parent's decision to
send a female child to school. According to Kassa (2006), there are two types of costs of
schooling, direct cost of schooling including tuition fees, the cost of books, uniforms and
supplies, required by the school, the cost of transportation, lodging and board required for
attending the school. The other cost is opportunity costs or indirect cost. It may be higher
wages for child labor in families with more productive farms or business and in families more
dependent on children.

2.3.3.1 School Costs

The direct schooling costs have been found to be the major reason parents offer for not
educating girls or for removing them from the school. Apart from tuition, such costs include
fees for registration, boarding, parent and school association fees, book rental, and the cost of
uniforms, the provision of furniture, extra tutorials and transportation. The direct costs or
financial constraints hold back more girls than boys from schooling. (Teshome, 2003).

2.3.3.2 Household income

According to the World Bank (2004), the role of poverty was great in females' education.
Even if the perceived benefits and costs of sending their children to an additional year of
school were the same for poor and non-poor parents alike, the poor might choose less
schooling for their children because they must weigh current costs more heavily relative to
future benefits. World Bank (2006) study indicated that, fees reinforce and widen
inequalities but this like many other factors raised must be carefully examined as issues such
as awareness among parents of reliefs, and wealth of parents are also likely to contribute to
the impact of fees. The impact of fees is greatest on the poor. The children of poor
households are more likely to be withdrawn from school, to drop out early, or to fail to enroll
altogether. The poorest people are typically unaware of the exemption schemes, that
entitlements are frequently tapped off in favor of the non-poor, and that the humiliation of
applying for exemptions is itself a major deterrent.

2.3.3.3 Parents Need for labour

The economic opportunity loss also affects families productive or business activities use
labor, mostly the girl child. Parent, to get additional income for their household subsistence
and to secure daily demanding basic need, women spend more time on income generating

17
activities and domestic chores (UNESCO, 2003). The opportunity costs of girls’ schooling
are associated with resources and services lost due to sending the child to school. Child
labour is indispensable to the survival of many rural households in Sub-Sahara Africa:
agricultural work, domestic work (cooking, collecting fuel. fetching water) marketing as well
as child care services are required from children, with girls demanded more than boys. The
poor rural parents responded by sending their daughters into the domestic labour market in
exchange for regular cash income (Teshome, 2003).

2.3.4 Psychological Factors

Psychological factors are characteristics or facets that influence an individual physiologically
and /or socially.

2.3.4.1 Parental attitude towards female education

Traditionally, women are given to the role of a wife, a mother and a house keeper whereas
men are a bread winner, protector and supporter. Women dominated by the societal attitude
to accept and behave accordingly. When compared to men and women regardless of the
socio-cultural influence on their success men can move from one place to another in search of
facility; whereas women are constrained socio-culturally as they glued to their families
(Kassa, 2006).

2.3.4.2 Community Attitude towards female education

The socialization process in the society is one of the major constraints impacting on the girls’
participation in education. This process starts in the family and continues in the school and
the society at large (Alemayehu, 2003). Kassa (2006) stated that girls are expected to have
special physical protection. Traditionally, they often demand special concern for privacy and
social reputation. In some societies there is a cultural belief that females must be secluded
from direct confrontation of other members of the society during puberty stage. In support of
this view Alemayehu (2003) also confirmed that parents and societies as a whole expect girls
to behave in certain way and boys in different way.

2.3.4.3 Self-esteem of Female students

Indeed, it is unusual for young girls to have the opportunity to pursue studies in the field of
science and technology that are opportunity hard and sophisticated. Instead they have been
geared to opt less prestigious and shorter courser such as home economic nursing and typing.
Moreover, there is elsewhere the overarching traditional belief that regards girls as less
intelligent than boys. This, of course, will have dire consequence for girls' progress in

18
education. In fact, the different expectation and the wrong premises of viewing girls as
intellectually inferior will affect girls self-concept, and level of aspiration (Alemayehu,
2003). However, there has been evident to suggest that cultural barriers and attitudes against
women are now days seem to be changed. They are not of those times when denying equal
rights to women. So, great efforts have been made to raise the community awareness about
the value of girls’ education.

2.3.4.4 Teachers’ Attitude

Tadesse (2009) stated that girls at secondary school level have problems with teacher’s
attitudes and behavior. Teachers have been accused in some cases for lacking both of
sympathy and helpful attitude for girl students due to the majority of the teachers are
consistent with the stereotype conception about the ability of (girls, they perceived girls as
having less talent than boys). Thus, both male and female teachers have low confidence and
gave less attention and supportive help than boys Gender stereotyping of subject in school
take place commonly with boys being encouraging to study (emphasize) science and
mathematics and girls subjects to study home science, language and the like. The curriculum
and materials carry both implicit and explicit message that characterizes women as inferior,
helpless and dependent.

2.3.4.5 Corona virus

COVID-19 is creating a girls’ education crisis in Ethiopia, threatening to reverse the
country’s recent progress towards gender equality in education. Over the last two decades,
the Ethiopian government has expanded its education system and made important gains for
girls at the primary and secondary levels. The net enrolment rate in elementary school
increased from 29% in 1989 to 86% in 2017. The same year the Gender Parity Index also
reached 0.90 at the primary level and 0.87 at the secondary level. However, harmful
traditional practices, social norms and poverty continue to prevent girls from completing their
education, resulting in high dropout rates at the secondary level.
Now COVID-19 is putting girls’ futures at even greater risk. Pandemic-related school
closures are forcing girls — particularly in regional states — into child marriage and causing
increased rates of genderbased violence and harmful traditional practices. Limited access to
distance learning initiatives are stopping girls from continuing their studies at home. And
fears of COVID-19 and the economic consequences of the pandemic make returning to
school uncertain for some girls. If leaders don’t act now, we risk losing another generation of
girls. In Girls’ education and COVID-19 in Ethiopia, Malala Fund highlights the impact of

19
school closures on girls in the regions of Amhara and Gambela and the city of Addis Ababa.
The report attempts to highlight how preexisting social norms compounded with the
economic burden caused by COVID-19 puts girls’ education and well-being at risk.
Malala Fund’s Education Champions in Ethiopia work in communities where girls face the
greatest challenges accessing education. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, they have been
fighting to promote girls’ education and support distance learning. As schools begin to
reopen, Malala Fund and our Education Champions are focused on ensuring that girls are
safely able to return to the classroom. In the pages that follow, Malala Fund lays out a
roadmap for how government officials and other stakeholders in the education sector can
address the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on girls. Based on our field research and an
extensive review of policy and relevant literature, Girls’ education and COVID-19 in
Ethiopia outlines steps to improve Ethiopia’s education system, strengthening it against
future shocks and making it easier for girls to go to school and catch up on lost learning.
Girls are paying the highest price of the pandemic. By taking immediate action and following
these recommendations, leaders can mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and ensure that every
girl in Ethiopia is able to learn during and after this crisis (ziauddin,2020).

2.4 Female Education in Ethiopia

2.4.1 Historical Perspective

The major religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism together with paganism coexisted in
different parts of Ethiopia for centuries. All these had their own schools for the children of
their followers. In particular, the Ethiopian Orthodox church made an important contribution
to the historical development of traditional education in Ethiopia (Teshome, 1979; Seyoum,
1986).
Pankhurst (1968) also in his book, Economic History of Ethiopia, wrote that religious
institutions in Ethiopia such as the churches, monasteries and convents served traditionally as
centers of Education. As Teshome (1979) explained it, long before the introduction of
modern education to Ethiopia, there was a highly structured and organized system of church
education maintained at least since the sixth century of the Christian era.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church in cooperation with the rulers of the times provided
education for children and adults. This church education covered a wide programme that
ranged from primary school to higher education though it was naturally oriented and geared
to religious themes and principles. Until very recently the church remained to be the only

20
source from which the literate military, civil and religious leaders as well as public clerks and
scholars were produced.
However, it is not very difficult to deduce from the above statements that the chances for
girls to participate in church education were very slim. This is because the main purpose of
the church education was to draw the literate military men, religious leaders, and scholars
who were expected at that time to be almost exclusively men.
Parallel to the Orthodox Church, the Mosques in Moslem areas of Ethiopia were also
running Koran Schools starting from the seventh century A.D. However, unlike the church
schools, the role of the Koran Schools was limited because it received no support from the
rulers of the country. Koran Schools operated only at the centers of Islamic faith where it had
community support (Ayalew, 1989).
In general, the participation of females in the traditional system of education was far less than
boys. This is noted by many writers. At that time it was felt that a woman's place was in the
home and hence girls were rather initiated into the practical art of homemaking. What was
expected of women was mannerism such as politeness and obedience (Teshome,1979). The
remnants of such beliefs and influences persist to this day at least in the minds of people.
Seyoum (1989) also agrees to this point by confirming that the Orthodox Church and the
Mosque were the two major institutions responsible for the dissemination of education in
traditional Ethiopia. Seyoum adds that the contribution of the church and the mosque to the
development of the nation as centers of leaming cannot be underestimated. However, Seyoum
comments that the effort made both by the church and the mosque to encourage the
participation of females in traditional education was not worth considering. Like the church
school, women's education was not encouraged by the mosques. As a result, there was no
significant difference between the education of Moslem women and Christian women.
Seyoum sums up his view on the traditional education of Ethiopia by quoting the expression
of foreign observers like Samuel Gobat and Merab. These observers according to Seyoum,
wrote during their time that educational opportunities for girls were fewer than for boys. And
by the tum of the twentieth century there was probably ninety- percent illiteracy in the whole
of Ethiopia out of which the position of women was even worse with the few women from
the royalty and aristocracy. system in Ethiopia had been in actuality the exclusive preserve
may not have been a deliberately designed act.
What were some of the possible reasons for fe to be deprived of their opportunity of
intellectual life in . .' Seyoum (1986) identified three important possible re sons as tb w left
out from traditional education. In the first place, there was never popular education either for

21
boys or girls in traditional Ethiopia. Both the church and the mosque in traditional Ethiopia
provided education with similar objectives of producing devoted and faithful adherents who
would promote their respective religions. In particular, the Orthodox church had a major goal
of recruiting and training its priests and deacons, positions from which females were
forbidden to assume. Likewise, muslim women are not allowed to participate in prayers of
religious worship. So the Koranic education might have been considered unnecessary.
Another possible reason is the rigorous nature of church education. Church education not
only took a long time (10 to 13 years) to complete but also pursuing it entailed hardships.
Among many other things, women were expected to marry between the ages of 10 and 15.
Thus, women were understimated to cope with it. On top of all these, in traditional Ethiopia
women were underestimated very much in most ethnic cultures. It was believed that men are
more important than women and the right place for the woman is the home with the sole role
of wifery or a mistress and a mother (Seyoum, 1986). At later times, some missionaries were
able to penetrate Ethiopia. One of the things the missionaries did after their arrival to Ethiopia
was to establish schools in order to persuade the people to accept their religion. But they too
opened schools only for boys. For example, when the Jesuit missionaries entered Ethiopia in
the sixteenth century, a small school was organized by Pedro Paez for Ethiopian boys.
Likewise, in 1634, a Lutheran missionary is said to have organized a school in Hebrew and
Greek but again only for boys (Teshome, 1979). Thus schooling was withheld fromgirls for
along period of time in Ethiopia. It was in 1890, probably for the first time, that girls' school
was opened at Belessa by the Swedish Evangelican Mission. This missionary organization
entered Ethiopia in 1866 and since then it had established some schools in different places.
And by 1905 there were 100 students. Among these students, 88 were males and 12 were
females (Teshome, 1979).
As time passed on, Ethiopia gradually began to emerge as a modern state and there appeared
the need for trained people in statecraft, diplomacy, commerce, and industry. This made it
necessary to redirect and secularize education. As a consequence, secular system of education
that became independent of church influence was initiated at the beginning of the twentieth
century. The shift that was made at this time in the education system of Ethiopia necessitated
many changes. New ideas, philosophies, personnel and methodology were imported from
abroad (Teshome, 1979).
As Teshome (1979) further noted it in his book, a more significant stage in the history of
education in Ethiopia was reached by 1905. This was the time in which secular state system
of education began to be operated in the country. In the year 1905, Menelik Second had

22
already started a secular school in his palace itself of course mainly for the sons of the
nobility.
Subsequently Menelik Second motivated by the advice of concerned young Ethiopians of the
time issued a proclamation on the importance of support for education. The proclamation
stated in Amharic that,
በሉሎች ሀገሮች እያንዳንዱን ነገር መማር ብቻ ሳይሆን አዲስ ነገሮችንም ይሰራለ፡፡ስሇዚህ
ከዛሬ ጀምሮ ወንድና ሴት ልጆች ሁለ ከስድስት አመታቸው በኃሊ ትምህርት ቤት እንዲገቡ
ይሁን፡፡ (ማህተመስሊሴ ወልደመስቀል፡ 1962፡600). Comment [WU2]: No need it.

This can be roughly translated in to English as follows፡

In other countries not only they learn everything in details but also they create new things.
Therefore, as of today in the future all boys and girls must be sent to school after the age of
six. (Mahteme Sillase. 1962: Eth.C. 600).
This may be taken as a decree stipulating compulsory school participation. It also shows the
desire to get at school all school-age children irrespective of sex differences. Nevertheless
school participation in general and that of females in particular developed very slowly in
Ethiopia. At the beginning of the twentieth century some girls were sent abroad. In Ethiopia
itself the number of girls who began to attend the schools that were established by foreign
religious societies gradually increased. Around 1931 Empress Menen school for girls was
founded in Addis Ababa in which initially fifty girls were registered. The Empress Menen
Handicraft School was also opened in the capital primarily for girls in order to give technical
education for young women and girls. Here it should be underlined that the opening of
modern girls' schools in 1931 was a great event in Ethiopia during which one can say that
modern education for girls had made but little headway. Though the development was very
slow, in 1935 there were all in all fourteen schools in Addis Ababa that consisted of about
4,000 pupils. Out of this one-fourth were girls (Pankhurst, 1955).
However, the development of education in general was disrupted totally in the years 1936 to
1941 by the Italian aggression and no progress was made.
The participation of females in education showed a relatively better pace again in the second
half of the 1940s though there was still a lag. In the years between 1944-51 the mean
percentage of total enrollment of female students was 10.5%. The opening of girls' schools
and the introduction of the custom of coeducation have contributed to slowly free the
education system in Ethiopia from traditional anti-female attitudes (Teshome, 1979).

23
After the liberation from the short - lived Italian aggression, the educational activity, as all
other activities, started again in Ethiopia. However, the actual participation of females in
primary schooling and its growth rates remained very small. According to Seyoum (1986),
this fact is evidenced by the following statistics that depict total enrollment of students and
percentages of female participation in primary schools between the years 1949 to 1974.

Table 2-1Total primary school enrollment and percentages of female participation

between 1949 to 1974.

Years TOTAL (M +F) F%

1949 51886 11.3
1952 52015 12.3
1961 224017 23.8
1974 859831 31.9
source: Education statistics Anuual abatract, 1999
NB: M: Male, F: Female
As it can be clearly seen from the data presented in Table the growth rates of female
participation in primary education was not only low but also had very gradual increase.
According to another writer, it was stated that in the early years of the 1970s more and more
pressure was being placed on the government. There was the demand for the provision of
equitable education system irrespective of gender and other differences (Dalin et aI., 1994).

2.4.2 Recent Developments and Researches

In the past few years, a number of studies have been undertaken on various issues that are
related to female education in Ethiopia. In this part, it is tried to briefly review some of the
recent studies conducted concerning specifically the enrollment, survival and academic
performance of pupils in primary schools. In addition, the findings of researches on the
factors that affect these variables are also discussed concisely. In general terms, Ethiopia is
one of the most disadvantaged countries of the world in its educational progress. Recent
statistics tell us that only a little over one third of the school-age children attend schools. And
this implies that a large proportion of the country's school-age children remain outside the
school system (Demographic Profile and Population Policy of Ethiopia, 1993). Moreover,
research reports indicate that enrollment, persistence and performance in education in
Ethiopia are characterized by gender inequality. Not only enrollments • are low but also cases

24
of dropping out and repeating in a grade are generally higher for female students than males.
Just as in other developing countries, the researches conducted in Ethiopia on female
education show that participation and performance of girls in education are influenced by a
number of factors.

2.4.3 Enrollment/Participation
It is evident that in the past few years, the overall enrollment in primary schools has
considerably increased. For example, the total number of pupils which was 859,800 in 1974
increased to 2,855,846 in 1989. (Note that primary school in those years consisted of grades 1
to 6). During the same years, the primary school participation rate of female pupils increased
from 10 to 27 percent. Though the participation rate of girls had shown some increase, it was
far less when compared to the participation rate of boys that grew from 20% in 1974 to 40%
in 1989 (Basis Education Statistics, 1989). Thus the enrollment ratio of girls versus boys in
1974 was 1:2 and 27:40 in 1989. All these indicate that not only the percentage of female
enrollment is much lower than boys but also the disparity between the two genders was very
wide in favour of male pupils. A more recent statistics indicate that the rate of growth in
enrollment was still very slow for girls when compared to that of boys though the overall
enrollments grew considerably. This can vividly be observed from the next table in which the
gross enrollment ratio for boys and girls in primary schools is shown for the years between
1994/95 to 1997/98 academic years.
Table 2-2: Enrollment ratios of Girls vis-a-vis Boys by years

Academic Girls Boys Total Gender gap

year
1994/95 20.4 31.7 26.2 11.3
1995/96 22.7 36.6 30.1 13.9

1996/97 26.0 43 34.7 17

1997/98 31.2 52 41.8 20.8
Source: Education Statistics, Annual Abstract, 1999

As it can be observed from Table 2.2 above, the ratio of growth in the enrollment of girls
increased from 204 to only 31.2, whereas the rate for boys increased from 31.7 to 52.0
between the years 1994/95 to 1997/98. The reports of various studies have confirmed at

25
different times that the enrollment rate of girls to primary education gradually increased in
the past few decades. (Assefa, 1991; Yelfign et aI., 1995; Yelfign et. aI., 1999). However,
two basic things were discerned with regard to female pupils' enrollment to primary
education. On one hand, the enrollment rate of female pupils is lower than the male pupils at
any grade level of the primary school. On the other hand, the enrollment trend of female
pupils decreased when the grade level increased (Assefa, 1991). Most of the studies made up
to now on female education give various reasons as affecting the enrollment of girls to
primary education. Some of thesefactors usually mentioned are lack of money to pay for
school expenses; the unwillingness of parents to send their daughters to school; the unequal
attention given to daughters and sons by parents, that is, the preference of parents to send
boys to school to girls; and far distance from home to school (Anbesu and Junge, 1988;
Assefa, 1991, Zewdie, 1992; and Yelfign et.al., 1995). Other factors pointed out as
responsible for the low enrollment of girls in primary education include parental doubts that
belittle the value of education for girls; the urge of parents on young girls to perform
household and farming duties during daytime especially in rural areas of Ethiopia; and
unattractiveness of schools without basic facilities for learners (Rose et al.,.1997; Yelfign et
aI., 1999). In spite of the above facts, reports of recent studies conducted in some parts of the
Amhara Region indicate contrary trends in female participation in primary education. Assefa
(1996) reported that the overall participation rate of females in primary schools of Alefa
Takussa district was higher compared to that of males though the percentage of male pupils
slightly exceeds that of female pupils in the upper grades of the same level. According to the
findings of Assefa this happened because mainly the boys are very much needed by their
parents for farming activities whereas girls of the same age are not considered productive in
the farming activities. Thus, it is reported that more girls are sent to nearby schools.

2.4.4 Dropout
This is another area most frequently studied in connection with female participation in
education. Generally speaking, female dropout rate in Ethiopian primary schools is indicated
in many studies to be higher than males' dropout rate. In a study made in Jima zone (Oromia
Region) and East Gojjam zone (Amhara Region), it was found out that over half of the
students enrolled in grade one in 1994/95 dropped out of school. This pattern was said to be
the same for both boys and girls, but with a larger proportion of girls compared to boys
dropping out (Rose et al., 1997). Some of the most commonly mentioned reasons for higher
dropout rates among female primary school students were: parents' need for labour of their

26
daughters; illness of students themselves or their parents; early marriage and lack of material
assistance (Anbesu and Junge, 1988). In some of the studies conducted on female education,
parents need for the labour of their daughters especially in rural areas is more stressed as the
main reason for the dropout of many female students from school. It is argued that
participation in household tasks and farming are more significant in which girls spend much
time in collecting firewood and water, milling and food processing, weeding agricultural
fields, etc. (Anbesu and Junge, 1988; Assefa, 1991; Zewdie, 1992).
Assefa (1991) studied the trends of average dropout rates in certain primary schools of
the country for five consecutive academic years. He found out that dropout rates of female
pupils was significantly higher than the dropout rates of male students . Assefa listed in his
executive summary report the following reasons for dropping out of girls from their
schooling:
> The demand of parents for the labour of their children;
> Unsafe road condition from home to school;
> Distance from home to school;
> Incapability of parents to provide their children with learning materials;
> Lacking interest in schooling on the part of students themselves;
> Negative attitude of parents towards the education of their children; and early
marriage. Most of the above factors stated by Assefa, in fact, overlap with the findings of
other researchers in the area. For instance, the following findings were reported in the study
made in Cheha district by Yelifign et aI., (1995) which reveal similar reasons for female
students' dropout in primary schools:-
> Lack of learning materials;
> Unwillingness of parents to let their daughters continue with their education;
> Not seeing any prospect for job opportunity on the part of students;
> Very low income of parents;
> Early marriage and pregnancy;
> Household chores and farm activities; and Repeating in the same grade that may
discourage female students to spend another year.

2.4.5 Repetition
Many studies conducted in different parts of Ethiopia (Anbesu and Junge, 1988; Assefa,
1991; Rose et. aI., 1997; Yelfign et al., 1999) indicate in similar patterns that repetition rates
in primary schools are particularly higher for girls than for boys. One of the main reasons

27
documented in some of the reports of these studies is parents' demand for the labour of their
daughters in household duties. This is mentioned as an important factor that deprives female
students of enough time and energy to study (Anbesu and Junge, 1988). According to Assefa
(1991), some of the main reasons for higher repetition of girls than boys were poor method of
teaching on the part of teachers, lack of convenient study areas especially in rural areas,
carelessness of female students towards their education, and early marriage.

2.4.6 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FEMALE STUDENTS

The academic performance of pupils in primary schools have been also examined in various
studies that tried to reveal the differences that were seen between male and female students .
In the study carried out around Bahir Dar by Anbesu and Junge (1988), the scores of students
were investigated and showed that boys performed far better than girls in many cases. In
another study (Assefa, 1991) in which Amharic and Maths scores of students investigated; it
was found out that girls' performance was relatively lower than girls. These results obtained
from earlier studies indicate that there are certain constraints that may hinder female students
from achieving better results in their academic pursuit. In fact, the factors that affect the
academic performance of female students could be lack of study time and also lack of
encouragement both at home and at school. As it has been discussed earlier, girls whether at
school or not, are engaged in most of their time in household duties more than boys. They are
expected at home to imitate their mothers and help in such activities.

28
2.5 Conceptual Framework of the Study
The female students’ education is expected to be affected by the following factors such as
family, economic, school and socio-cultural factors which have to be investigated in the Tigle
Ffrie cluster School. The following is the conceptual framework developed for this study
based on the available literature and observation.

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

School Related Factors

Family Related Factors

Determinant Academic
s of Female Performance
students of Female
Acadamic Economic Related Factors Students
Performance

Scio -cultural Related Factors

Figure 2-1: Conceptual frame work of the study

Source: Based on the available Literatures on the above

29
 CHAPTER THREE: RESERCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction
This chapter set out the detail methodology which will be apply in the study. Research
methodology should be thought of as encompassing the entire process of conducting research
that is planning and conducting research study, drawing conclusion and disseminating
findings (Kothari, (2004). In line with this view under this section the researcher will address
research design, research approach, sampling technique, source of data, types and methods
data collection, plan of data analysis, measurements of variables, validity and reliability of
instruments and ethical considerations.

3.1 Description of the Study Area

Tigle Frie cluster is located in Dessie town south wollo zone of Amhara region, Ethiopia.
Dessie is Located in the south wollo zone of the Amhara region it sits at a latitude and
longitude of 110 8’ N 390 38’E with an elevation between 2479 and 2550 meters above sea
level Dessie is 400km to the north of the capital Addis Ababa. It has a population of more
than 61,043. In Dessie town there are about 57 primary school. 45 of them are governmental
and 12 of them are private (source central statistical agency of Ethiopia Dessie branch).

3.2 Research design

A descriptive survey method will be employed. The researcher will utilize descriptive
methods in conduct of the study because descriptive research is a method used to obtain
information relating to the exiting status of an issue or phenomenon to describe "what exists"
within the variables or conditions of the situation. Because a descriptive survey analysis will
be made on factors that affect students’ academic achievement in government second cycle
primary schools of Tgile frie cluster, Dessie city, it will appropriate when a researcher wants
to design to obtain information concerning the factors that affect female students’ academic
achievement (Best and Kahn, 2003).The study will be used both qualitative and quantitative
research methods, that is, a mixed research method.

3.3. Sources of Data

The data for the study will be obtained by using both Primary and secondary source.

30
 3.3.1. Primary sources
The Primary data will be gathered from teachers of grade (7-8th), grade 7& 8th students and
Parent Teacher Association (PTA) by using questionnaires. Interview tools will use to collect
data from principals and vice- principals.

3.3.2. Secondary sources

The secondary sources are school record student documents, certificates of grade 7 and 8th
female students’ result for the past five years of (2009-2013 E.C) in all subjects’

3.4. Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique

3.4.1. Target Population of the study

The total Target population of this study will be 93 female students in Tigle Frie primary
school and 78 female students in Addis Alem primary school. The number of teachers in
Tigle Frie is 46, out of these 17 teachers teach in grade 7 and 8.The number of teachers in
Addis Alem is 35, out of these 22 teachers teach in grade 7 and 8.

Table 3-1: Total Target population of the study

School Grade Student number Section Teacher number

name number

M F Total M F Total

Tigle Frie 7 53 51 104 3 17 29 46

8 48 42 90 2

Total 101 93 194 5

Addis Alem 7 36 44 80 2 13 22 35

8 40 34 74 2

Total 76 78 154 4 30 51 81

source : bureau of education dessie branch

NB: M = male, F = female

31
3.4.2 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques
In Tigle frie clusters in Dessie city two government second cycle primary schools will select
purposively as area of the study. The researcher will be decided using large sampling size
because as sample size increases sample error decrease (Coban, 2007). The sample of the
study consists of two government general primary in dessie city. Regarding the sample
respondents will 2 principals, 39 teachers who teach in grade 7and 8 in both schools are
selected, 20 clever students and 10 Parent Teacher Association (PTA) are include, in the
sample by using availability sampling technique, because their number are easily
manageable. The other group of respondents constitutes female students' size, the total
population of the study Tegile frie and Addis Alem, second cycle primary schools of grade 7
and 8th students are 93 and 78 respectively. Among the different approaches to determine
each sample size of the schools Yamane (1967) provides a simplified formula to calculate the
required sample size at 95% confidence level and the desired level of precision of 3%, 5%,
7% and 10%. Thus, the researcher will apply Yamane’s formula at the desired level of
precision 7%.

. To get the required sample size for the study, Yamane’s’ formula at the desired level of
precision 7% will be applied.

Yamane’s’ formula n=

Where = total population for the study (i.e both Tigle frie and Adis Alem Grade 7 & 8 th

female and male students) =93 and 78

n = sample size of the study (i.e both Tigle frie and Adis Alem Grade 7 & 8th female

students)

e = tolerable error (margin error) desired level of precision, which is 7% or 0.07

 Sample size of Tigle Ffrie n =

n= = 64

 Sample size of Addis Alem n =

n= = 56

32
 Table 3-2: Sample size and sampling techniques of schools
Schools Total Grade 7th Teachers principals clever PTA
th
&8 of the students

Sampled
female students

Respondents p s % P s % p s % p S % P S %

Tigle Frie 93 64 68.8 46 17 36.9 1 1 100 10 10 100 5 5 100

Addis Alem 78 56 71.8 35 22 62.8 1 1 100 10 10 100 5 5 100

Total 171 120 70.2 81 39 99.7 2 2 100 20 20 100 10 10 100

Stratified Available Available Available Available

random
Sampling sampling sampling Sampling

Source: from documents of the sampled schools in 2014.

NB: P=population, S= sample, %= percentage, PTA= parent teacher association

Generally total sample size is 39 teachers, 10 parents, 20 clever students, 2 principals and
120 female students sample from both schools totally the sample size of the study is
64+56+39+20+10+2= 191.

3.5. Data Collection Instruments

Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected through questionnaire, interview and
document. Using multiple method of data collection helps the researcher to combine the
strength and amend some of the inadequacies of any one of the source of data.

3.5.1. Questionnaire
Close-ended and open-ended question items will be constructed to collect information from
two second cycle primary schools for teachers, female students and PTA. The question items
will be prepared in English and developed using Likert-type five point rating scales. The five
points will be weighed according to the degree of agreements: Always (5), Often (4),
Sometimes (3), rarely (2), and Never (1). In close-ended questions the respondents have only
one choice but in open-ended questions they have more than one option. To answer these
questions the respondent will be used one of the Ethiopia languages (Amharic).

33
The questionnaire had three parts each consists of independent items. The first part of the
questions dealt with the background of the respondents such as school name, gender,
position, academic qualification, and service year in teaching, marital status, field of study
and age. The second and third parts of the objective and subjective questions items
respectively will be based on School related factors, family related factors, economic related
factors and Scio -cultural. A pilot test will be conducted before the questionnaire will be
administered by involving non-sample respondents 30 teachers, 2 principals, 2 supervisors ,
20 teachers ,10 cleaver male students and 5 PTA from each tegile frie and Addis Alem
general primary school, which is found in Dessie in the way to western wollo woreda. The
main aim of this pilot test is to assure the validity and to evaluate the clarity and reliability of
the questions based on the response of the pilot sample by avoiding ambiguities and making
relevant amendments.
The reliability of the items will be tested and analyzed by Chronbach's alpha (α). The analysis
of pilot test will be taken place using SPSS version 20. According to Margurite (2010) the
Chronbach's alpha value indicates that the instrument is very good to measure the intended
objectives. The reliability tested for each theme accordingly: factors that affect students’
academic achievement in second cycle primary schools for the reliability test will be tested
for each theme accordingly: School related factors, Personal factors, family related factors,
economic related factors and psychological related factors.

3.5.2. Interview guide

In this study, interview will be taken in the form of person-to-person encounters using semi
structured and un-structured questions enabling respondents to address matters in their own
terms and words. Based on this the source of data in interview will be 2 principals and 2
supervisor, 20 teachers,5 PTA that will be taken available from each Tegile frie and Adis
Alem general primary schools. The interviews will be prepared in English and Amharic
Language, because the interviewees can understand the Language.Hence, semi-structured
interview questions will be prepared and this will help the researcher to obtain relevant data
that are not handled by questionnaire and also to counter check the information already will
be obtained.

3.5.3. Document analysis

Through document will be examined relevant data of students for the past five years from
(2009-2013 E.C) final result in all subjects of grade 7 and 8th female student performance.

34
The document assessing will be enabled the researcher to triangulate the data collected
through the other tools.

3.6. Data Collection Procedures

The questionnaires will design and redesigned as to check whether they exactly tend to
answer the research questions or not. Then, the questionnaires and structured interview
questions were given to the colleague for collegian comments. After making some
modifications, these data collection tools were given to the advisors for further
rearrangements and comments. Then, the researcher made serious amendments and
corrections based on the advisors’ comments. Before training the data collection in the field
about how to administer it and to test the instrument, pilot testing was conducted, questions
were coded, using software, reliability index was tested through data analysis and comments
were corrected to ready for field survey operation.
The researcher give a recommendation letter that is obtaining from the Tossa Economic
Development College, to the selected two second cycle primary schools to seek their
permission. The schools are personally contact and inform by the researcher about the
purpose of the study and why the schools are select.
The researcher also directly request the heads of academic departments to distribute the
questionnaire to the selected teachers, students and PTA in their schools, collect and return
them on the stipulated date line. Any ethical issues will be seriously considered to collect data
and to succeed in order to get back the entire distributed questionnaire, so that questionnaires
will be returned and qualified for data analysis.

3.7. Methods of Data Analysis

The data will analyze using both quantitative and qualitative methods using excel and
Statistical Packages for Social Sciences. Data processing is carried out through editing,
coding and classification. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be used to analyze the
quantitative data. Content analysis will employ to analyze the qualitative data whereas
statistical methods, regression and correlation analysis will utilize to analyze the quantitative
data. Data will present in various forms. The study further will adopt Multiple Regression
Analysis to establish the strength and direction of the relationship between the independent
variables factors affecting female students Academic Achievements that is, (School related
factors, Personal factors, family related factors, economic related factors and psychological
related factors) and the dependent variable (Female Academic performance) at 5% level of

35
significance. The dependent variable will regress against six independent variables. A
multiple regression model that will then fit to determine the combined effect that the
independent variables have on the dependent variable when acting jointly is express as
follows:

0+ 1 1+ 2X2+ 3X3 + 4X4+ 5X5+ 6 X6 +ε

Y= Female Academic Performance

0= Constant (coefficient of intercept),

= School related factors;

= Personal factors;

= family related factors,;

= economic related factors;

= psychological related factors

… = Regression coefficient of six variables.

ε = Error term.

The study will perform individual tests of all independent variables to determine which
regression coefficient may be zero and which one may not. The conclusion will be based on
the basis of p value where if the null hypothesis of the beta is rejected then the overall model
will significant and if null hypothesis will not be rejected the overall model is insignificant. In
other words if the p-value is less than 0.05 then the researcher will conclude that the overall
model will be significant and have good predictors of the dependent variable and that the
results will not base on chance. If the p value is greater than 0.05 then the model will not
significant and cannot be used to explain the variations in the dependent variable.

3.8 Definitions and measurement of variables

In the course of assessing the factors that affect the academic achievements of females, the
main task is identifying the potential explanatory variables and describes their measurements.
Consequently, the key variables expected to have different family related factors, school
related factors, Economic related factors and Scio cultural related factors influence the
achievements of females will be explained. In the study area, different factors are expected to
36
determine. The potential factors that determine of the academic achievements of females are
identified on the basis of past research findings and researchers knowledge of the academic
achievements of females of the study area. The major factors which are expected to have an
Influence on academic achievements of females are as follows:

 The Dependent Variable:

 Academic performance female students: It is used as dependent variable for this study.
The study will tried to examine the performance of female students in academic as
compared with male students. Two recorded documents will be obtained from Dessie
City Administration Education Office will used to make comparison. The first document
shows the number of students who score above and below 50% during the first semester
examination of 2014 and the second document illustrates the number of students who
passed and failed the Regional Examination provided in 2013. is the outcome of
education, the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their
educational goals. In this study academic achievement is taken from the final examination
score in different curricular subjects of general primary school of female students.
 Independent Variables Definition
A principal objective of this research is to assessing the major factors affecting effect on
Academic performance female students. The independent variables will be identified from
previous studies and the nature of the study area. These variables are expected to result in
performance variation across gender in the study area. The independent variables are as
follows:
Family Related Factors
Family plays a very important role in determining the degrees of access that female students
have to education and their level of achievement.Kasente (2003) noted that , father can be a
player in enhancing girls access to primary education and in urban as well as in some rural
areas, mother also either jointly or with the father or singly can influence the decision for a
girls to achieve their education. Thus, there are many family related factors including parental
schooling, household responsibilities, family size, parent’s education and area of residence,
family income, and so on. Here is female students respondents of this study will asked to
response about the family related factors that affect the academic achievement of females
students in primary education.
School related factors: Schools are the main parts of the educational system, which are
considered as a melting pot. However, a number of studies indicated that academic

37
achievement of female students in schools, particularly in the rural areas could be affected by
different school related factors. According to Teshome Nekatibeb. (2002), said that working
environment, distance to school teacher attitudes, and teaching practice, gender bias in
curricula and classroom culture all affect female attainment and persistence in schools.
Location of the school, facilities of the schools and quality of teachers have a considerable
impact on the academic achievement of the female students in the schools. Here are
respondents of this study will be asked to response about the school related factors that affect
female students’ academic achievement in primary schools.
Economic related factors: According to Teshome Nekatibab. (2003) stated that how parents
income and their lack of ability to pay for school expenses including payments for school
learning materials and house rent is commonly identified as the main problem in Jimma a-
Arjo woreda. The other set of factors that affects female students’ academic achievement in
education are school distance, parents’ financial problems and inability to pay for educational
materials and schooling.
Socio –cultural related factors : According to Oromiya women Affairs Bureau (2018)
states that harmful traditional practice such as abduction, rap early marriage, circumcision,
widow in heritance, subordinate saying and the like are the major problems which meteorite
the entire life of women in Oromiya region. In general women are not regarded as equal to
men in the view of the community. Therefore giving continuous awareness creation and
increasing information flow on current issues on women need especial attention and
educating girls are very important to alleviate harmful traditional practices on women.
As the issue of Socio –cultural related factors the study will identify some factors that have a
great impact on academic achievement of female education of fear of abduction, lower
priority to girls education ,religious beliefs , luck of role models of female students ,poor
interest of female towards education and luck discipline among some female students were
declared as the series problems that affect the academic achievement of females education.

38
 Table 3-3: Definitions and measurement of variables

Sl. Variables Unit Operationalization Expected

No. Relationship
Dependent variables
I. Academic performance female students: number It is measured by cumulative marks
of the first semester the final
examination score of female students
obtained from the schools in the year
2014 study period

II. In Dependent Variables

A School related factors
1 Nature of assessment Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
2 Teaching method teachers use Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
3 The nature of teacher students Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
relationship
4 The study behavior female students Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
implement
5 Distance from school Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
6 Class size Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
7 Nature of the subject matter Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale
8 Lack of guidance & counseling Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
9 The proportional female teachers Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
10 school facilities Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale
11 Different attention to girls by teachers Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
12 Sexual violence harassment by male Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
Students
13 Sexual violence harassment by male Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
Teachers
B. Family related factors
1 the education level of their Parents Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
2 family income Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
3 family size Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
4 conflict between parents Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
5 burden at home Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale

C Economic Related Factors

1 Parents financial problem Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
2 Inability to pay for education Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
D Socio cultural related factors
1 fear of abduction Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
2 lower priority to girls education Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
3 religious beliefs Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale
4 lack of role models of female Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
students

39
5 poor interest of female towards Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
education/ Self-esteem of Female
students/
6 Lack of discipline among some Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
female students
7 Parental attitude towards female Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
education
8 Community Attitude towards Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale -ve
female education
9 Teachers’ Attitude toward female Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
students
10 motivation and level of aspiration Scale Assigning a value based on Likert scale +ve
of students,

3.9 Validity
It refers to the extent to which an empirical measure adequately reflects the real meaning of
the concept under consideration. Validity refers to the degree to which a statistical instrument
measures what it is intended to measure. It emphasizes the accuracy of a measurement
instrument (Saunders, et al., 2009).
Therefore, this study ensured the validity through extensive literature review and adopted the
five SERVQUAL model instruments which originally developed by Parasuraman et al.
(1988) and used in previous researchers (Areeba et al., 2016; Surafel, 2016; Simon, 2016 and
Gezahegn, 2015).

3.10 Reliability
Reliability means that the process (such as data collection procedures) of the study can be
repeated to obtain the same results (Yin, 2014). For this research, reliability will be achieved
by selecting and following an appropriate research methodology model to ensure that the aim
and objectives will be fulfilled. In addition, to further ensure reliability, all participants will
be provided with an overview of the research background to ensure all questions will be
understood in the same way.
In order to measure the consistency of the questionnaire and the overall reliability of
constructs that it is measuring, the reliability test will be carried out based on Cronbach‘s
Alpha coefficient. Cronbach‘s Alpha can be interpreted like a correlation coefficient. Its
coefficient range lay on the value from 0 to 1. A reliability coefficient (alpha) higher than or
equal to 0.7 is considered as acceptable. That means the targeted questions raised in the
questionnaires are capable to meet the objective of the study.

40
3.11 Ethical Considerations
All the research participants included in this study will be appropriately informed about the
purpose of the research and their willingness and consent will be secured before the
commencement of distributing questionnaire and asking interview questions. Although all
interview sessions will be tried to tape-record, it will impossible as the respondents were not
voluntary. Regarding the right to privacy of the respondents, the study will be maintained the
confidentiality of the identity of each participant. In all cases, names will be kept confidential
thus collective names like ‘respondents’ will be used

41
 WORK PLAN
This contains the schedule or plan of time that is required to accomplish the research. The
details will be presented as follows.

S.N Expected Activities to be done by the respective advisees Schedule deadline

1 Synopsis preparation and submission February 12-30.2014 E.C

2 Proposal preparation and submission(usually chapter -1&3) Up to march 2.2014E.C

3 Developing Introduction ,including motivation ,/rationale, problem Up to march 8. 2014 E.C
statement, objectives/,research question, significance, scope,
operational definition(chapter -1)
4 Undertaking intensive Relevant Review of Literature( chapter -2) Up to march 30. 2014E.C
5 Preparing sound Methodology including tool development( Up to march 10. 2014E.C
chapter -3)
6 Undertaking Data Collection Up to march 30. 2014 E.C
7 Result submission ( chapter -4) UP to April 10.2012 E.C
8 Undertaking Discussion ,Considering critical reflections on thesis Up to April 30. 2014 E.C
strengths and limitations, and future directions( chapter-5)
9 Writing Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation/ Up to May 30. 2014 E.C
implications( chapter-6)
10 First draft thesis submission to the advisor UP to June 30. 2014E.C
11 Final revised thesis submission to the advisor UP to July 30. 2014E.C

BUDGET
These sources cost will cover by the researcher. It is a monetary cost that will be incurred in
order to accomplish the research. The details are presented below.

No. Specification Number/Units Single Total

Cost Price
1 Data and information cost (including 1000 minutes 0.35 350
telephone, internet) in Birr
2 Transportation cost 500 k.m 1 500.00
3 Secretarial cost 200 sheet 3 600.00
4 Stationary 5 packet sheet 400 2000.00
5 Hard copy development 3 400 1200.00
6 Contingency 1000.00

42
 Comment [WU3]:
I told you so m any times .please write
your references in APA form and
REFERENCES incorporate in the reference lists
Please try to arrange your references
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