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While the lack of educational opportunities limits the future of most people in Ethiopia, they pose dire consequences to young people in migration hotspot areas. Using input‐process‐outcome‐context‐education quality framework, this study investigated the quality of education in eight migration hotspot areas of Ethiopia and its association with migration. A random sample of 1,187 participants (793 students, 262 teachers and 132 parents) completed a survey. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicated that participants' overall rating of education quality was low. Over a third of participants perceived that input, process and outcome components of education in migration hotspot areas have a quality problem. Over 80% of the participants believed that poor quality of education could be a cause for migration. More specifically, a significant portion of the participants (37%) reported that there was no pedagogical centre in their respective schools; continuous assessment was practiced rarely (36%); and creativity and discovery among students was almost non‐existent (40%). The participants' ratings indicated that the top five factors that contribute to the poor quality of education are low level of teacher competence, poor student motivation, poverty, value attached to education and large class size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Training and work experience are critical inputs for delivering quality health services. However, no nationwide assessment has been conducted on the status of training and the competency of Health Extension Workers (HEWs). Therefore, this study aimed to assess HEWs’ preservice training status and perceived competency in Ethiopia. METHODS: The study was conducted in all regions and all HEWs training institutions in Ethiopia. We used crosssectional study design with a mixed method approach that included 585 HEWs, 1,245 HEW trainees, 192 instructors, and 43 key informants. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse quantitative and quantitative data respectively. RESULT: Twenty-six percent of the HEWs said that they were competent to deliver all the HEP activities, and 73% of the HEWs said that they could confidently deliver 75% of the HEP activities. Receiving in-service training and having level III/IV qualifications are positively associated with the competency of HEWs. Similarly, HEP trainees perceived themselves as highly competent in executing their professional work, except in using computer and mobile health technology. Both instructors and trainees rated the quality of the curriculum and course materials positively. However, basic services and facilities in most training institutions were perceived to be inadequate. Additionally, individual learning, problem-solving, case-analysis, and assessment methods such as project work and portfolios were rarely practiced. CONCLUSIONS: Although the perceived competence of HEW trainees is high, the HEWs’ training is not provided as per the curriculum because of limited resources. All the necessary resources should be made available to produce competent HEWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-concept ratings of children with mathematics disabilities (MD), average mathematics achievement (AA), and high mathematics achievement (HA) who attended regular classes in grades 4 through 6 were compared. Twenty-four children in each group, who were selected from an original pool of 811 children, and who were matched one-to-one by grade, gender, and nonverbal ability participated in the study. The Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventories (Battle, 1992 ), a nonverbal ability test, and mathematics achievement tests were administered to all children. Results indicated a marginally significant difference in mathematics self-concept between the MD and AA groups but no difference between the AA and HA groups. However, children with MD rated themselves more negatively than their HA peers on mathematics, academic, and global subscales. Interestingly, the group differences on academic and general self-concept measures did not emerge when variations in mathematics self-concept were controlled, limiting the difference between the MD and HA groups to mathematics self-concept only. The results suggest that by focusing on children with a specific learning disability and by using domain-specific academic self-concept measures, the group differences could be shown to be limited to a subject-specific self-concept that is pertinent to the children's area of disability.

Self-concept ratings of children with mathematics disabilities (MD), average mathematics achievement (AA), and high mathematics achievement (HA) who attended regular classes in grades 4 through 6 were compared. Twenty-four children in each group, who were selected from an original pool of 811 children, and who were matched one-to-one by grade, gender, and nonverbal ability participated in the study. The Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventories ( Battle, 1992 ), a nonverbal ability test, and mathematics achievement tests were administered to all children. Results indicated a marginally significant difference in mathematics self-concept between the MD and AA groups but no difference between the AA and HA groups. However, children with MD rated themselves more negatively than their HA peers on mathematics, academic, and global subscales. Interestingly, the group differences on academic and general self-concept measures did not emerge when variations in mathematics self-concept were controlled, limiting the difference between the MD and HA groups to mathematics self-concept only. The results suggest that by focusing on children with a specific learning disability and by using domain-specific academic self-concept measures, the group differences could be shown to be limited to a subject-specific self-concept that is pertinent to the children's area of disability.

In an attempt to test the assumption that children with learning disabilities (LD) have deficient self-concepts, a number of studies have compared the self-concepts of students with learning disabilities and their normally achieving (NA) peers. The purpose of this paper is to review recent studies that investigated the academic, social and general self-concepts of students with LD and their NA peers and compare the results with those of a previous meta-analysis of relatively older studies, by Chapman. Consistent with earlier findings, results of the present review indicated that the academic self-concept of LD students is more negative than that of their NA peers. Unlike Chapman's conclusion, however, the evidence is less clear for general self-concept. This is also true for social self-concept. Because the evidence that shows no group differences outweighs that indicating better social and general self-concept scores for NA children, the conclusion that children with LD hold more negative social and general self-concepts than do NA children is not warranted.

Abstract In recent years, the research literature on mathematics disabilities (MD) has shown relative growth. The characteristics of children with MD have thus been investigated from different perspectives. The purpose […]