A thesis on Study Practices of Diversity Management in Secondary Schools of Zone Two of Afar Regional State

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to assess the practices of diversity management in secondary schools of zone two of Afar Regional State. Mixed research method with exploratory sequential research design was employed for this study. In order to collect data, researcher used questionnaire, interviews and documents analysis. Questionnaires were distributed to 32 school leaders’ team and secondary school supervisors, and 189 secondary school teachers were distributed. In addition to this, eight school principals were interviewed. To analyze the data, frequency, percentage, mean score, standard deviation, and independent t-test were utilized. Finding of the study revealed that: promoting the positive aspect of diversity management was not equally done in secondary schools, school leaders confirmed that teachers were in a low level in management of ethnicity, religious, language and cultural diversity, diversity management has effect on students’ disciplines and good character, diversity management enhance respecting of language, personality and culture of one another, diversity management enables people to reject rejection and maximizes the full potential of all, diversity management considerably enhances students’ development in the cognitive, affective, and interpersonal domains and diversity management in secondary school also boosts teachers’ motivation in secondary schools. The results of the analysis indicated that diversity management is significantly affecting academic achievement of the learners in secondary schools, factors such as socio-economic conditions, lack of knowledge and experience in of diversity management, lack of representing, lack of supporting and appraising diversity in school were prominently affecting diversity management. In addition to this, the schools have no strategic and systematic way of diversity problem-solving scheme, and the attitude of teachers and the school management challenges ethnic, language and cultural diversity of the school and also it was as moderate level in affecting the practices of diversity management. Thus, to improve the situation, there should be awareness creation training session, enhancing promotion of diversity management by using different promotional mechanism, working with government authorities and nonpublic organization to resolve and minimize factors affecting diversity management in secondary schools. It was also recommended that further scientific studies should be conducted in order to enhance commitments of stakeholder as the whole community in a way to make peoples understanding in accepting diversity as a opportunity and blessing in education organization.