Action research on:

Minimizing Challenges of First Year Female Students

Academic Achievement in Physics Department, Wachemo
University
Prepared by:
Beyene Tesfaw (Department of Physics)
Dereje Bizuayehu (Department of Chemistry)
Thomas Birhanu (Department of Mathematics)
Tesfaye Boke (Department of Sport Science)
Tsigereda Dessalegn (Department of Biology)
June, 2014

Outlines
Introduction
Statement of the problem
Objectives
Significance of the study
Scope of the study
Methodology
Results
discussion and Conclusion

Introduction
The

importance of educating people to ensure countrys continuous

competitiveness and sustainable development is unquestionable.

Higher

education is critical for achievement of economic progress,

political stability and peace, as well as for building democratic culture

and society (Daniel, 2004).
It

provides the human resources required for leadership, management,

business and professional positions that are important for economic

and social development

Cont..
Currently the FDRE widely designed the new educational policy in
order to produce the problem solver and intellectually creative
citizen who are responsible for social, economic and political
development of the country.
Ministry of Education (MOE) gives great emphasis to natural
science and technology, since they can surely bring economic
development to the country.
It is believed that natural science (physics, chemistry, biology,
geology etc) play great role for innovation/discovery of new things
that are very essential to the country.
In physics there are so many innovations in the world including
our country.
.

Cont

It is known that both females and males play a great

role through contribution of new knowledge and
innovation in physics for their country as well as other
continents

It has been widely argued that the existing gender

imbalance against females is the function of their limited
educational opportunities.

To alleviate the problem of female students access to

higher education, affirmative action strategy has been
in practice according to the New Education and Training
Policy of Ethiopia.

Cont

Though increasing number of female students admitted

HEIs, there is a considerable number of female students
discontinuing their studies due to academic and nonacademic reasons (Nuri, 2007).

Studies showed that merely few females who completed

high school in science stream opted to go for science
programs and in effect we get hardly many female
students joining science and technology fields in many
of universities of Ethiopia. (Fentaw, 2001).
6

Cont

This situation is significantly observed in science

disciplines especially in Physics and related subjects.

Female students in WCU hardly fulfill the required

achievements due to various factors and challenges.

Thus, this action research is conducted to minimize

such problems.

Statement of the problem

In WCU, it is observed that almost all female students
in this year were not interested to join physics
department.

Especially after joining the department, their motivation

in dealing the course was very low, as a result their
achievement in physics course declined.

Some

of the significant problems that female students

face include:

Cont..

Lack of self-confidence and knowhow about the future

relevance of the discipline

Fear of the difficulty of the subject

Lack of exposure to successful females or role models in

Physics that affects their expectations for achievement
in the field

Lack of support and encouragement from family and

peer to continue in the field has a negative effect on
their performance
9

Objective of the study

General Objective
To minimize the challenges of first year female students
academic achievement in Physics Department, Wachemo
University.

10

Specific Objectives
To

improve the interest and academic self confidence of female

students
To influence
To

female students attitude positively towards Physics

work on the psychology of female students towards fear of the

subject difficulty
To

create conducive learning environment among teachers and

students.
To increase

teachers roles in encouraging female students

11

Significance of the Study

It

directs solutions on how to improve female students academic

achievement in physics department.

It

gives direction on how to reduce the magnitude and pattern of

dropout rates among female students.

It

provides ways to strengthen the due attention to be given to

female students in physics department.

It

helps female students to have high academic self confidence

and expectation

12

Cont

It helps female students to develop their interest and commitment

in their work

It

influences the perception of female students regarding difficulty

of the subject.
It

helps to maximize teachers efforts in improving females

participation and academic achievements

13

Scope of the Study

The

scope of this action research is focused on first year

female students of Physics department,WCU

14

Methodology
Source

of data

The data for this action research were obtained from first year
physics female students, staff members and department of
physics.
Subject

of the study

There were 34 female and 11 male students enrolled in the

department of Physics, in 2013/14 academic year. However
currently there are 30 female students. This action research
focuses particularly on these first year physics female students.
15

Cont
Tools of Data Collection
Questionnaires, interview and group discussion with female students of the
department were used as tools of data collection. Information were also
gathered from the Department of Physics.
Data analysis and interpretation
The data obtained using the mentioned tools were analyzed by descriptive
statistical data analysis techniques.

16

Results
Results
A. Students response showed that:

60% of the students responded that they understand Physics at

low level.

53.3% of them responded that they dislike the subject

76.7% of the respondents replied that they are not interested in

physics.

80% of the respondents think that learning Physics help them

to understand other subjects.
17

Results Contd

86.7% of the students responded that the subject is not

difficult by its nature; however, 63.3% of them responded
that the mathematical aspect of the subject is difficult

53.3% of the students responded that the teachers are

effective to teach in a way that can be understood by the
students (moderately).

18

Results Contd

66.7% of the respondents replied that the assessment

methods of the teachers affected their attitude towards
Physics moderately.

53.3% of the students replied that psychological belief

affected them not to be successful in Physics.

73.3% of them responded that the perception of the

societies towards Physics affected their psychology to the
department.

19

Results Contd
B. Teachers response showed that:
60% of the teachers responded that Physics is difficult to
teach. And all of them forwarded that lack of students
interest made Physics difficult to teach.
60% of them responded that they prepare teaching materials
as handouts
Regarding how often they forward real life application of
Physics to treat the psychology of female students, 40% of
them responded saying twice a week and 40% of them
responded saying more than twice a week.
80% of them responded that female students perceive
Physics as a subject that is full of challenges and difficulties.

20

Results Contd

100% of them responded that they give tutorial irregularly for

female students.

80% of the teachers responded that giving tutorial for female

students has very high positive impact on teaching-learning
quality.

60% of the teachers responded that psychological belief is

significant

factor

affecting

female

students

academic

achievement.

100% of them think that perception of the societies towards

Physics affected female students psychology to the department.
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Discussion and Conclusion

The

results showed that the students find Physics difficult to

understand; they dislike the subject and are not interested in

Physics.
The

perception of the societies towards physics as well as

their own psychological belief impacted their attitude towards

the subject.
Lack

of students interest and the students perception towards

Physics as a subject that is full of challenges and difficulties

made the subject difficult to teach.
22

Discussion and Conclusion Contd

These

factors or challenges are significant enough to affect

female students academic achievement in the department.

So,

experience sharing with senior students, counseling and

enhancing support to female students by teachers helps a lot

to minimize these challenges.

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Interventions
1. Experience sharing with senior female students
They shared information regarding:
How to study or studying trends
How to develop interest in Physics
How to develop self-confidence
How to avoid fear of the subject
How to manage time effectively

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Interventions Contd

2. Informing teachers to enhance their support to female

students through different ways

Teachers in the department were encouraged to engage

themselves in the following activities:
Encourage female students to actively participate in group
discussions with male peers
Interact with female students, challenge them seriously and
expect high performance of them

25

Cont
Mention topics in Physics that have links and
relevance to daily lives rather than presenting it in an
abstract manner
Work on psychology of female students, through
advising or counseling them to avoid fear of difficulty
of the subject and develop self-confidence

These were done through encouraging female

students by course offering instructors as well as 1:5
group advisors.
26

Interventions Contd

3. Counseling done by the HDP candidates to female

students

The

counseling was regarding:

Avoiding fear and taking the chance to explain

themselves or what they know confidently
Advice given to the female students to consult any one
of their instructors when they face difficulties.

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Outcomes of the Interventions

The improvement in academic achievements of female

students was observed or measured using:
Comparing their results in continuous assessment (eg. Test
results). It shows positive change or progress
Observing the improvement in their self-confidence and
avoiding fear through encouraging them to take the
chance to present outcomes of group discussions
([Link] assignments).

28

 Female

students were using the opportunity they are

provided willingly
Observing

the improvement in interest to the subject

through attending classes regularly (as compared with

previous times) and active participation.
Mentioning

real life experiences or working principles

behind technological utilities helped a lot on this.

29

Outcomes of the Interventions Contd

Observing improvement in creating conducive teachinglearning environment through active participation of

female students (eg. Raising and responding to questions)
and strengthening student-teacher interactions

Observing improvement in overall performance of

female students through giving special attention to
female student by teachers with the aim of making them
committed to their work

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 However, the

over all achievement was not completed

yet due to the time constraints, since 1st year students

will stay up to August.

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Acknowledgement
WCU
ATO

KEBEDE & ERMIAS

ALL HDP CANDIDATES

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THANK YOU FOR

YOUR KIND
ATTENTION!!!
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