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Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of strategic leadership on change management within public organizations, mediated by knowledge management. In this study, an explanatory design and a quantitative approach were employed. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 366 randomly selected respondents from public organizations in northwest Ethiopia. The reliability and validity of the scale items were rigorously assessed, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings reveal the direct effects of strategic leadership and knowledge management on change management, with knowledge management partially mediating the relationship between strategic leadership and change management. The study addresses a significant gap in the literature by shedding light on how strategic leadership drives change in public organizations. Its interdisciplinary approach and examination of mediation offer original insights, paving the way for future studies on challenges within public service contexts. Recommendations underscore the importance of considering local context, embracing adaptive leadership, and integrating knowledge processes for effective change management in public organizations.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of strategic leadership on change management within public organizations, mediated by organizational culture, knowledge management, and accountability. The study applied an explanatory design and a quantitative approach through a structured questionnaire survey (n = 366) with randomly sampled respondents in public organizations in Central Gondar, Ethiopia. The reliability and validity of scale items were tested. The data were analyzed using SEM-PLS version 4. The results revealed that strategic leadership, organizational culture, knowledge management, and accountability had a direct effect on change management. Additionally, the study demonstrated a partial mediation of organizational culture, knowledge management, and accountability, shaping the relationship between strategic leadership and change management. This study fills a gap in the literature on how strategic leadership determines leading and managing change in public organizations. Moreover, it reveals valuable insights into multifaceted dynamics and multiple mediating factors. The study’s unique interdisciplinary approach and multiple mediation explorations within public organizations are deemed original, laying the groundwork for future research on challenges in public service contexts. Finally, it is recommended that government officials and policymakers prioritize local context, adaptive leadership, accountability mechanisms, cultural integration, and contextualized knowledge for change in public organizations.

The study aimed at examining the practice of employing authentic instruction and identifying predictors in upper primary mathematics lessons in Bahir Dar Special Administrative Zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. The study employed a mixed-methods exploratory sequential design. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and questionnaires from upper primary school mathematics teachers. The authentic learning questionnaire was pilot tested, and the internal consistency was found to be.766. Qualitative data from interviews and observations were analyzed using content analysis while quantitative data from observations were analyzed using a one-sample t-test; on the other hand, quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed using a one-sample t-test and hierarchical multiple regression. The results revealed that there was lack of effort to practice authentic instruction; the instruction did not situate learning in a real-life setting. The dimension level analyses showed that all ten dimensions of the authentic instructional model were poorly practiced. The findings also revealed that among several challenges, four factors appeared to be significant predictors: lack of understanding and skills in authentic learning, less suitability of mathematics curriculum, inflexible and short schedule and period, and large class size. The researchers recommended that responsible government bodies and teacher training institutions exert greater effort to change the situation. Training should be given to teachers to improve their understanding and skills, and the curriculum should be suited for authentic learning.

Ethiopia converges with other cultural groups on certain values and diverges on some others (Hofstede, 2001). As a result of the cultural divergence, it was hypothesized that the psychometric properties of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the leadership models are likely to vary in the Ethiopian context. For that purpose, six hundred twenty seven academic staff from three public universities located in the National Regional State of Tigray were selected using stratified sampling. The participants rated their immediate leader’s leadership practices using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire trimmed by Avolio, Bass, and Jung (1999). The participants also rated their own organizational commitment using the Meyer, Allen, and Smith (1993) revised Organizational Commitment Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis of the eight competing models showed that the data fit best to a nine-factor model. Correlational analysis indicated that the five components of transformational leadership, contingent reward, and management-by-exception active had strong relationships (r > .7) with each other, which indicates the existence of higherorder factors. The search for higher-order factors again produced a two-factor leadership model (active and passive) with a good fit. The criterion validity of the nine factors were also tested. Correlational analysis showed that with the exception of active management-by-exception, the other factors showed functional universality as proposed by Bass (1997). Conclusions, implications, limitations, and future research directions were discussed.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of English learning beliefs (ELBs) on English achievement via academic emotions (AEs). The study also examined gender and domain differences in ELBs and AEs. English learning beliefs involved in this study included beliefs about authority, difficulty, risk-taking, and the nature of English language learning. Among academic emotions, this study used only embarrassment, anxiety, and enjoyment. Undergraduate students (N = 440) were selected using the multistage sampling technique. The study used an English achievement test and closed-ended questionnaires to collect data. The study employed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to factorize the dimensions of English learning beliefs and academic emotions. The present researchers employed structural equation modeling to determine the direct and indirect effects of English learning beliefs on English test scores; an independent samples t-test to explain gender differences (m = 315, f = 125); and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to assess group differences (social science = 154, natural science = 194, and technology group = 92) in dimensions of ELBs and AEs. The findings indicated that English learning beliefs had both direct and indirect effects on English achievement via embarrassment, anxiety, and enjoyment. Further, significant gender differences took place in authority belief, risk-taking belief, difficulty belief, embarrassment, and anxiety, but no gender difference took place in enjoyment. Further, MANOVA results showed significant domain differences in all English learning beliefs, embarrassment, and anxiety that favored the technology group. Finally, the article provides details of the analysis results, interpretations, discussions, and implications of the study.

Learning is the result of many factors that interplay within individuals. That is why most learning variables affect academic performances of learners in one way or another though the strength of their predictive power could vary. The present study aimed to examine the effects of previous English achievement on English learning beliefs (ELBs) that would consequently affect college academic performances. Four hundred and seventy three respondents participated in the study through multistage sampling. A 15 items questionnaire with a 5-point Likert Scale was used to measure students' English learning beliefs. Self-reported Ethiopian Higher education Entrance Examination result of English achievement of students was used to represent their previous English results, while a 25 items teacher-made test was used to assess students' English achievement. First year first semester Grade Point Average was also used from students themselves. The principal factor analysis method produced three dimensions of English learning beliefs: combined beliefs about authority and difficulty, nature of English language learning, and risk-taking beliefs. Coefficient alpha values of the components ranged from 0.77 to 0.92. Multiple regression and structural equation modeling were employed to analyze the collected data. The results indicated that past English achievement had significant direct and indirect effects on English test scores and semester grade point average (SGPA) at college. The study discussed the results and educational implications were forwarded.