Instructional Practices versus Application of Active Learning Methods and Instructional Technology in Hawassa College of Teacher Education

Abstract

Education is a tool for bringing about some kind of social, economic,
political, and technological changes. The attention given to the effective delivery
of education today is more impressive than ever before. As much as education
contributes for the advancement of technology, technology also plays a decisive
role for the improvement of educational practices by changing the mode of
delivery of instructions and changing the roles of teachers and students. As a
result, this research was conducted on active learning and integration of
educational technology in the instructional practices of Hawassa College of
Teacher Education. The main objective of the research was to explore the extent
to which the educational practices of Hawassa College of Teacher Education
comply with modern educational practices, perspectives and technologies. For
this purpose, both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were
employed. Students, instructors, the vice dean (Educational Material Supply,
Dissemination, and Technology Integration Core Processor(EMSDTICP)) of the
college, Information Technology (IT) coordinator, and GEQIP and IQPEP linkage
coordinator of the college and SNNPRS Education Bureau TDP coordinator
provided the data for research. The techniques for data collection included
classroom teaching-learning process observation, questionnaire and interview.
The findings indicated that the system and actual practices of the College
predominantly remain traditional. The teaching-learning system was rarely
supported by modern educational technologies; and the roles of teachers and
students showed the prevalence of the traditional instructional practices (teachercentered instruction)