Dereje T A D E S S E Birbirso
Language & critical social science educator/ professor, researcher, supervisor
Address: Hramaya University
College of Social Science and Humanity
Address: Hramaya University
College of Social Science and Humanity
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effective reflection and harboring of silence, each of which debilitated developing adequate skills of
planning appropriate lessons and presenting them meaningfully. Choosing a practitioner inquiry design
formulated based upon works of Schön (1983, 1987) and Brookfield (1986, 1995), this study inquired
into ways for effective reflection within the existing condition. Ten pre-service EFL student teachers
were selected purposefully to take part in the study. Reflective journaling was employed both as a
research method and strategy of reflection. The finding indicates that Schön’s theory of trainer-trainee
collaborative reflection upon problematic materials of their situations is not only a robust explanatory
theory but also practical and useful strategy of EFL reflective practicum.
inability to reflect in/on their practices at Haramaya University practicum context. The overall
aim of the study was to, firstly, critically analyze the problem in its context with the intention to
understand the facts of the situation of the problem and, secondly, make an inquiry into ways for
maximizing the student teachers’ ability to reflect in their context.
A qualitative paradigm and practitioner inquiry design were adopted. Grounded Theory Method
of data analysis was employed to systematically thematize, categorize and discover patterns and
processes in the data. Ten student teachers, as respondents and practitioners, as well as four of
their teacher educators, as informants, were selected by means of purposeful sampling, to take
part in the study. Participant observation methods that involve unobtrusive observation, complete
classroom observation, unstructured interview, reflective journaling and discussions and
practicum document gathering were used to collect qualitative data.
The findings of the Contextual Analysis showed that the core factor for the EFL student
teachers’ inability to reflect is mainly their lack of effective reflection tools for reflectionfor/
on/about-actions and lack of effective time for reflection-in-action. The data suggests that,
consequently, the central strategy of reflective practice they adopted was overdependence on and
replication of the existing school syllabi without critical reflection. Based on these Contextual
Analysis findings an Inquiry was next conducted, whereby participant student teachers were
engaged on reflective journaling for two semesters. The findings of the Inquiry showed
significant levels of improvement in their ability to reflect for/in/on action. For instance, the data
analysis showed that they steadily began to reduce non-reflective behaviors such as overadvocating
own actions, protectionism of self and peers, and exchange of distorted information,
each of which initially blocked reflectivity. Gradually, they began to take such reflective actions
as reflective observation of pupils’ behaviors, reflective planning of lessons and actions,
reflective classroom acts such as appreciative judgments of pupils’ behavior, revision of some
taken for granted assumptions, promotion of sharing of information in classrooms and effective
time management. Although some non-reflectivity behaviors such as context dilemma continued
to persist due to influence of macro factors, all the domains of EFL reflective skills—language
(English), teaching and inquiry—significantly improved.
(Proto)Indo-European and Oromo-Cush phonological, lexical and
grammatical items and roots. It was triggered by competing
debates and models on (Proto-)Indo-European ((P-)IE) origin, one
of which is the Ancient Model pointing to Africa. (P-)IE and closest
relatives, Eurasiatic and Anatolian, data was collected from the
literature. Pertinent Oromo corpora and native speaker data were
collected. They were subjected to the Comparative Model analysis.
Quite intriguing results showing significant level of resemblance,
both in form and meaning, and implications emerged.
(“Gypsy”) people. However, the contemporary mitochondria, DNA,
phylogenetic and population history research confirms the Classical Greek
writers such as Herodotus’ position that Europe is but peopled by people
from East Africa known as Ancient Cushites or Ethiopians or Egyptians.
The Roma are consistently clear—they count themselves to Ancient
Nubian-Africans. This paper hypothesized the Roma People cannot be
different from the Ancient African Cushites, who ruled, lived and civilized
the three oldest continents. Classical as well as contemporary Roma and
Oromo-Cush, as well as Ancient Egypto-Meroitic, linguistic and cultural
lexicons were collected and analyzed in the wider comparative culturalhistorical-
evolutionary perspectives. The findings indicate that there is
significant lexical, grammatical and cultural-historical similarity which
supports the Ancient Cushite origin of the Roma language and people. Key
implications have emerged. The Roma people cannot be different from the
whole Euroasians who populated Europe and Asia moving out of Africa in
the three Millennia preceding the Christian era as well as the first Millennia
of this era. The Roma people populated Euroasia in the same way and
time the rest peopled the two continents moving out of (East-North)
Africa. Europe is as much homeland to them as it is to the rest of their
friends. The whole Indo-European languages must have been the
offshoots of these pioneers of human civilizations. The continuing racism
against the Roma People is but an irrational and crazy existent in the
heart of the ‘Modern’ and ‘Civilized’ Europe.
effective reflection and harboring of silence, each of which debilitated developing adequate skills of
planning appropriate lessons and presenting them meaningfully. Choosing a practitioner inquiry design
formulated based upon works of Schön (1983, 1987) and Brookfield (1986, 1995), this study inquired
into ways for effective reflection within the existing condition. Ten pre-service EFL student teachers
were selected purposefully to take part in the study. Reflective journaling was employed both as a
research method and strategy of reflection. The finding indicates that Schön’s theory of trainer-trainee
collaborative reflection upon problematic materials of their situations is not only a robust explanatory
theory but also practical and useful strategy of EFL reflective practicum.
inability to reflect in/on their practices at Haramaya University practicum context. The overall
aim of the study was to, firstly, critically analyze the problem in its context with the intention to
understand the facts of the situation of the problem and, secondly, make an inquiry into ways for
maximizing the student teachers’ ability to reflect in their context.
A qualitative paradigm and practitioner inquiry design were adopted. Grounded Theory Method
of data analysis was employed to systematically thematize, categorize and discover patterns and
processes in the data. Ten student teachers, as respondents and practitioners, as well as four of
their teacher educators, as informants, were selected by means of purposeful sampling, to take
part in the study. Participant observation methods that involve unobtrusive observation, complete
classroom observation, unstructured interview, reflective journaling and discussions and
practicum document gathering were used to collect qualitative data.
The findings of the Contextual Analysis showed that the core factor for the EFL student
teachers’ inability to reflect is mainly their lack of effective reflection tools for reflectionfor/
on/about-actions and lack of effective time for reflection-in-action. The data suggests that,
consequently, the central strategy of reflective practice they adopted was overdependence on and
replication of the existing school syllabi without critical reflection. Based on these Contextual
Analysis findings an Inquiry was next conducted, whereby participant student teachers were
engaged on reflective journaling for two semesters. The findings of the Inquiry showed
significant levels of improvement in their ability to reflect for/in/on action. For instance, the data
analysis showed that they steadily began to reduce non-reflective behaviors such as overadvocating
own actions, protectionism of self and peers, and exchange of distorted information,
each of which initially blocked reflectivity. Gradually, they began to take such reflective actions
as reflective observation of pupils’ behaviors, reflective planning of lessons and actions,
reflective classroom acts such as appreciative judgments of pupils’ behavior, revision of some
taken for granted assumptions, promotion of sharing of information in classrooms and effective
time management. Although some non-reflectivity behaviors such as context dilemma continued
to persist due to influence of macro factors, all the domains of EFL reflective skills—language
(English), teaching and inquiry—significantly improved.
(Proto)Indo-European and Oromo-Cush phonological, lexical and
grammatical items and roots. It was triggered by competing
debates and models on (Proto-)Indo-European ((P-)IE) origin, one
of which is the Ancient Model pointing to Africa. (P-)IE and closest
relatives, Eurasiatic and Anatolian, data was collected from the
literature. Pertinent Oromo corpora and native speaker data were
collected. They were subjected to the Comparative Model analysis.
Quite intriguing results showing significant level of resemblance,
both in form and meaning, and implications emerged.
(“Gypsy”) people. However, the contemporary mitochondria, DNA,
phylogenetic and population history research confirms the Classical Greek
writers such as Herodotus’ position that Europe is but peopled by people
from East Africa known as Ancient Cushites or Ethiopians or Egyptians.
The Roma are consistently clear—they count themselves to Ancient
Nubian-Africans. This paper hypothesized the Roma People cannot be
different from the Ancient African Cushites, who ruled, lived and civilized
the three oldest continents. Classical as well as contemporary Roma and
Oromo-Cush, as well as Ancient Egypto-Meroitic, linguistic and cultural
lexicons were collected and analyzed in the wider comparative culturalhistorical-
evolutionary perspectives. The findings indicate that there is
significant lexical, grammatical and cultural-historical similarity which
supports the Ancient Cushite origin of the Roma language and people. Key
implications have emerged. The Roma people cannot be different from the
whole Euroasians who populated Europe and Asia moving out of Africa in
the three Millennia preceding the Christian era as well as the first Millennia
of this era. The Roma people populated Euroasia in the same way and
time the rest peopled the two continents moving out of (East-North)
Africa. Europe is as much homeland to them as it is to the rest of their
friends. The whole Indo-European languages must have been the
offshoots of these pioneers of human civilizations. The continuing racism
against the Roma People is but an irrational and crazy existent in the
heart of the ‘Modern’ and ‘Civilized’ Europe.
II. Academia/University in society
III. Intellectuals in society