Civic education in Ethiopian schools: Adopted paradigms, instructional technology, and democratic citizenship in a multicultural context

After nearly two decades of military dictatorship, democratic civic education has been integrated into the Ethiopian school curriculum. This paper examines the policy–practice concordance in implementing the civic education curriculum based on empirical evidence generated on the philosophical underpinnings, curricular contents, pedagogical approaches, and the role of instructional technology. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey on 179 randomly selected high school students, key informant teachers, and content analysis of students’ textbooks, teachers’ guides, and official policy documents. The findings reveal that the existing civic and ethical education curriculum is eclectic in its character blending the minimal interpretation of democratic civic education with the inclusive conception of ethno-cultural diversity relevant to multicultural societies. Nevertheless, the manner in which the TV-instruction is used in classrooms is found to hinder interactive learning that is instrumental to nurture democratic and active citizens.

► We examined the policy–practice concordance in implementing civic education curriculum in Ethiopian secondary schools.
► Data were generated on civic education philosophy, content, pedagogical approaches, and applications of instructional technology.
► We found out that the existing curriculum blends the minimalist interpretation of democratic civic education with the inclusive conception of ethno-cultural diversity.
► The implementation of the curriculum relies heavily on TV-broadcasted lessons that consume about 75% of the instructional time leaving little room for interactive learning crucial to nurturing active citizens.