Accessing Trends, and Measuring Sexual and Location Disparities of the Performance of National Examination Examinees: The case of Amhara Regional State Grade Ten Students

Abstract

Kidanie Aragaw Alemu, Mohammed Oumer Mohammed

Background: Examinations are given to certify and select candidates for higher educations. The Ethiopian General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (EGSECE) was administered from 2001 to 2019. This study was done on grade ten students’ results who were taken the EGSECE exams in Amhara region 2001 to 2017. The purpose of this research was to see the trends of absolute and relative measures of the national exam sitters and passers, and evaluate sexual and locational disparities of their performances.

Method: The researchers would use retrospective research design and adopted multi stage cluster random sampling. Students were the primary units while Zones where their schools found were secondary. All grade ten students registered to take the EGSECE exam in each year in several high schools found in different administrative zones of the region were our sample. To analyze the data, the researchers used trend and variance analysis.

Results: Though the numbers of EGSECE exams sitters in the region were increased year to year, the relative numbers of passers were very low. The researchers found the gap between the trends of the numbers of students registered and took the national examinations were narrow. As time increased, the area between the trends of the numbers of students took the national exam and those got pass mark became wider. The trends of the promotion rates were the mirror images of the repetition rates. As time goes, the areal gap between the trends of the promotion rates of males and females became narrow. The mean promotion rate differences between male and female students were significant. Also, the average promotion rate differences of students among their administrative zones were significant.

Conclusion: In Amhara region little information exists on trend analysis of national exam results of students, and comparison of their mean promotion rates segregated by gender and zone. This research will enable the regional and zonal education bureau and woreda education offices to predict the future movement of its student’s national exam performances, measure gender and location disparity, and perceive quality and internal efficiency of the education system in the region, zone and woreda.

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