Asnakew Tagele (PhD, Dean of College of Education and Behavioral Sciences)
The history of the present day College of Education and Behavioral Sciences (CEBS) at BDU dates back to 1972. The then Imperial government of Ethiopia, in agreement with UNDP and UNESCO, founded the Academy of Pedagogy in 1972 and started training in the following years under the auspices of the Imperial Ministry of Education and Fine Arts. The aims of the academy were to train teacher educators for Teacher Training Institutes (TTIs); supervisors of teachers in primary schools; organizers of in-service education for primary school teachers; community development officers, and organizers of adult education. The major impetus to the inception of the Academy was to achieve quality of education, address shortage of teacher educators and realize the Ethiopianization of the staff of the TTIs. The nucleus of the academy was the department of pedagogical sciences. To make the training program practice-oriented, a teacher training institute (TTI) and a model primary school were established in the same campus. The Academy was later named as Pedagogical Sciences department. Ever since its establishment, the Department of Pedagogical Sciences has made tremendous changes in the course of those years. The current College of Educational and Behavioral Sciences is, therefore, the outcome of the then Pedagogical Sciences department. Our College is currently one of the very well-established faculties in its teaching-learning practices, research works and community services in Bahir Dar University (BDU). For the past several years, we have done and achieved a lot in expanding our programs and enhanced our educational infrastructures. It is evident that our College at BDU has enormous and invaluable contributions to the country’s education sector for about 4 decades. Currently, the college is becoming the Centre of Excellence in teacher education and educational leadership in the country. The goals of our College’s focus is on high level quality education by ensuring quality and relevant teaching or training, research and community service. As we are center of excellence in education, issues like curriculum content, teaching methodology and assessment shall be evaluated and dynamically updated in order to ensure the quality of education and its relevance. The teaching-learning process of our College in particular shall be designed to be characterized by integrated classrooms, peer-led learning groups, e-learning and continuously supported by available instructional technologies. We have established a resource room comparable with a modern e-class and library complex equipped with updated resources. With such instructional strategies and infrastructures, we are ultimately committed to prepare knowledgeable, skilled and attitudinally mature graduates that the country shall become internationally competitive. Knowledge generation (research) is allegedly an area poorly characterizing Ethiopian higher education institutions. The research focus and target of our College, however, fundamentally aims at generating new as well as indigenous knowledge in the area of education, teaching and behavioral sciences. We conduct basic and applied researches that are problem solving as well as knowledge generating in education. We shall also use research findings to improve the effectiveness of our teaching and learning. In this regard, we strive to our teaching approach to be ‘research-tutored’ as well as ‘research-based’. In doing so, we shall preach the inseparable link between generating new knowledge (research) & dissemination of that knowledge (teaching). Our College’s community service shall focus on providing various trainings, consultancies and knowledge transfer through professional engagement with our key stakeholders (schools at all levels, education bureaus, private institutions, health sectors, legal units, etc). In order to successfully carry out and achieve our core missions and primary functions (education, research and community services), we clearly require quality academic staff, adequate facilities, clearly articulated policies and/or guidelines as well as well-functioning management and administration. In this regard, CEBS is one of the strongest colleges in the university in its academic staff composition and profile. The College is equipped with youth as well as very experienced academic staffs and researchers renowned at institutional as well as national level. The College consists of more than 96 academic staff members who are engaged in quality teaching and research activities in basic areas of their fields of studies as well as in many other related and multidisciplinary fields. Moreover, all of our academic staff shall receive on-job and tailor-made professional training on teaching and student assessment theories and skills; and mastery and successful application of assessment skills. Besides, we shall establish efficient and effective management and administrative system. This administrative system shall be characterized by meritocratic selection, clear roles and responsibilities and shared governance, wherein the importance of close cooperation and academic freedom is highly maintained with balanced accountability and transparency. The necessary tools for achieving these key features shall be put in place. We shall also ensure clear policies, procedures and operational manuals for all these administrative and support processes. As a result, proper monitoring and evaluation systems shall be put in place. In general, any sort of National Development requires Quality Education and Innovative Research. It is, therefore, clear that our huge experiences, knowledge, skills, resources and profiles have made us one of the Center of Excellence College in teacher education and educational leadership in the country significantly contributing to the education and leadership sector as well as to the betterment of quality educational provision. With this in mind, we, BDU’s College of Educational and Behavioral Sciences, are committed to significantly contribute, influence and shape the direction of the nation’s education system and its quality in general. Together, we shall all achieve what we planned for this is indispensible.
Our motto is:
“Our education, training and research are knowledge-guided, management-oriented, relationship-centered and people-oriented!”
College of Education and Behavioral Science
Bahir Dar University
Tel.: +251(582)205932
E-mail: asnakewtagele@gmil.com
P.O.Box: 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
