Bridging the Perception-Practice Gap: Strengthening Teacher Professionalism and Ethics in Addis Ababa's Private Secondary Schools

Abstract

Executive Summary

This policy brief is based on the research entitled “Teacher Professionalism, Ethical Conduct and Quality of Education in Private Secondary Schools in Addis Ababa: An Exploratory Research”. The research was conducted using a mixed method in order to explore teacher professionalism, ethical code of conduct, continuous professional development and perceived quality of education in private secondary schools in Addis Ababa in the 2024-2025 academic year. Despite the fact that professionalism and ethical behavior of teachers play an important role in providing quality education, there is hardly any study that focuses on the perceptions of stakeholders regarding teacher professionalism in Ethiopia's increasing private secondary schools. In this regard, the study explored the aspects of teacher professionalism, ethical behavior, and quality of education in private secondary schools across all eleven sub-cities in Addis Ababa. Data was gathered from 260 teachers, 21 principals, and educational supervisors. While teachers and principals report highly positive perception regarding their professionalism, adherence to ethical principles, and quality of education, supervisory findings reveal several crucial drawbacks such as insufficient pedagogical knowledge of teachers who are not education graduates, traditional teaching practices, high turnover due to contractual nature, and profit-driven approaches which refute professionalism.