Educational Research and the Ethiopian Journal of Education (EJE) in the Past Decade (2000-2009): Contributions, Downsides, and the Way Forward

Abstract

Over the last two decades, Ethiopia has substantially expanded its education system at all levels. This necessitates a commensurate expansion and strengthening of educational research not only to inform policy decisions, but also to bolster the creation and dissemination of knowledge that can positively influence educational practice. Zooming specifically into the events in the last decade, this article attempts to reflect on EJE‟s contributions to educational research and the challenges it encountered along the road based on 90 research papers published in the Journal between 2000 and 2009. To that effect, multiple data generating procedures were used including content analysis of textual materials, web search using Google Scholar, and analyses of secondary sources. The findings confirm that EJE is still the leading educational journal in the country and instrumental in addressing the national educational priorities, notwithstanding its relatively low visibility and span of circulation both at home and abroad. The paper finally recommends the ways in which EJE can emerge as a viable scholarly outlet and become more focused, accessible, and consequential to supporting the desire to ensure equal educational access of acceptable quality.