Instructional Materials Management at Five Teacher Training Colleges in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the instructional material management at five Teacher Training colleges in Amhara region. Instructional material management is the process of planning, purchasing, distributing, storage process, and inventory control and disposal management of tools that are needed in teaching and learning process to bring about quality of Education. To find solution of the study, the basic research question to be answered are the extent to what instructional materials management functions are implemented efficiently and effectively, how Teacher Training Colleges utilize the existing instructional materials to meet their objectives, and what are the problems related to instructional materials management and utilization in the colleges. To answer these questions both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through questionnaire and interview. A sample of 165 instructors, Department heads, Lab technicians and Librarians (academic staff) , 20 Procurement, Finance and Property administration support process owners, Procurement officers and Property administration officers (supportive staff) and 15 Deans and Vice deans (supportive staff) totally 200 samples are taken from 500 academic staffs and 35 supportive staffs. The data were analyzed with percentage. The result reveals that procurement of instructional materials is not critically planned by the appropriate users. Procurement is not made as per the specification prepared for it and also instructional materials that are purchased are not checked to assure whether it is procured as per the specification or not. Physical inventory and disposal of unused instructional materials are not made at all in Teacher Training Colleges. Besides, the majority of the respondents reveal that the involvement of users in need assessment of instructional materials to be purchased is low. Moreover, the main problems of Teacher Training colleges regarding instructional materials management is absence of material management guide line and lack of training. Finally, to improve instructional materials management it is suggested that: 1) there should be instructional materials administration guide line in the colleges and training should be given to academic and supportive staff 2) users of instructional materials have to involve in preparation of procurement plan and participate in preparing and checking the specification of instructional materials 3) there should be adequate store in the colleges to protect and keep safe instructional materials 4) physical inventory and disposing of unused materials should be made in the colleges 5) codification and registration of instructional materials purchased and distributed should be made in the colleges.