Current Practices and Challenges of Educational Management Information System in Public Education Institutions of Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the existing practices and challenges of Education Management Information System in Public Educational Institutions of Eastern Ethiopia. Survey research design that involves both quantitative and qualitative data was employed. Questionnaire and key informant interview were the methods used to collect data. The participants of the study comprised 15 university and college deans, 54 zonal education bureaus (ZEBs), regional education bureaus (REBs) and districts education bureaus (WEBs), 46 teachers, and 10 educational experts (with the total of n =125) were selected via purposive, simple random and stratified sampling techniques. The questionnaire was distributed to a total of 115 participants of the study, and 106 (92.2%) were appropriately filled in and returned. Additionally, 10 educational experts were interviewed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The obtained results showed that the current practices of educational management information system are below the expected level due to lack of qualified and well-trained professionals in the field. In addition, educational management information system positions in many educational institutions were dominated by those who do not have educational management information system qualifications, and even some educational institutions did not have education management information system experts at all. Thus, this has had a serious impact on collecting quality data, disseminating and managing information in educational institutions due to shortage of qualified personnel in the field of the study.