Higher Diploma Program A Centrally Initiated and Successfully Institutionalized Professional Development Program For Teachers in Ethiopian Public

Cogent Education
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Higher diploma program: A centrally initiated

and successfully institutionalized professional
development program for teachers in Ethiopian
public universities
Dereje Taye Wondem
To cite this article: Dereje Taye Wondem (2022) Higher diploma program: A centrally initiated
and successfully institutionalized professional development program for teachers in Ethiopian
public universities, Cogent Education, 9:1, 2034243, DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2022.2034243
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2022.2034243
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Wondem, Cogent Education (2022), 9: 2034243
https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2022.2034243
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING | RESEARCH ARTICLE

Higher diploma program: A centrally initiated and
successfully institutionalized professional
development program for teachers in Ethiopian
Received: 06 September 2020 public universities
Accepted: 12 January 2022
Dereje Taye Wondem1*
*Corresponding author: Dereje Taye
Wondem, Teacher Education and
Curriculum Studies, Bahir Dar
Abstract: Higher Diploma Program (HDP) was introduced in 2003 as a professional
University, Ethiopia license program for practicing teacher educators in Ethiopian public universities.
E-mail: derejetaye68@gmail.com
Initially, it was introduced across seven public universities in Ethiopia by the federal
Reviewing editor: Ministry of Education. Gradually, the program has been adapted and institutiona
Kar-wai Tong, City University of
Hong Kong, Hong Kong lized as a mandatory pedagogical training program for all teachers in the 45 public
Additional information is available at universities in Ethiopia. The duration of study for HDP is 9 months, with two face-to-
the end of the article face sessions per week. It is not common to find such an extended pedagogical
training program being institutionalized and implemented across universities in the
nation. Hence, this study attempts to investigate the institutionalization process of
the HDP program across public universities in Ethiopia with a focus on the initiation
and early years’ implementation phases of the program. The paper analyses the
process on the basis of data collected through document reviews and interview. The
study applied key informant interview and data collected from seven respondents in
which one was from the Ministry of Education and the rest from the four HDP
implementing universities. The author also drew on his personal and professional
ABOUT THE AUTHOR PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Dereje Taye completed his First Degree in Ethiopian higher education sector has been
Pedagogical Science, Master’s Degree in under unprecedented expansion in the last 25
Curriculum and Instruction. He had been years. This expansion had brought a number of
a secondary school teacher for two years and reform initiatives that fundamentally challenge
senior education Advisor for 3 years. Moreover, the sector. Unlike many reform initiatives, HDP
he has been teaching teacher education courses has been successfully institutionalized in the
at undergraduate and graduate programs at Bair public universities across the nation. This study
Dar University for the last 17 years. He had also investigates the secret behind the successful
been working as a course chair, practicum coor institutionalization of HDP and draw lessons for
dinator, and dean at Bahir Dar University. He future reform initiatives in Ethiopian higher edu
served as teacher development consultant and cation sector. In general, the study shows that in
education policy advisor at the federal ministry of a top-down initiative like the HDP, extensive and
education for three years. He is now a lecturer in evidence-based preparation before embarking
Dereje Taye Wondem teacher education. on the implementation of the initiative always
pays off. Having a coherent and aligned political,
financial and expertise support from the top to
reform implementing institutions during the
initial implementation years is also vital for suc
cessful institutionalization of top-down reforms.
The study is also a good example that there is
a wealth of experience (successful or not) in
Ethiopian higher education that we can examine
and draw valuable lessons for future actions.
© 2022 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons
Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.
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experiences in the Ethiopian higher education sector in the last two decades. The
study identified characteristics of HDP that contribute to its institutionalization.
These include evidence-based program design and implementation, strong mod
eration system, systematic institutional capacity development, engaging leaders,
the preparation and use of tools or artifacts, and adaptability to ongoing changes.
These characteristics can be taken as lessons for the future policy reform initiatives
in the Ethiopian higher education sector.
Subjects: Higher Education Management; Teachers & Teacher Education; Continuing

Professional Development;
Keywords: Change management; Higher Diploma Program; program institutionalization;

Ethiopia
1. Introduction
Amid the rapid expansion of higher education, education, quality has remained a priority concern
of the Ethiopian government. In the last 25 years, the government has been aggressively engaged
in the expansion of public universities. By the turn of the century, the government opened five new
public universities by upgrading junior-level institutions which marks the beginning of the expan
sion. By 2000, Ethiopia had set a big plan to have 33 full-fledged public universities by the year
2014/15 compared to the only two by the end of the 1990s. It has exceeded that plan and now the
number of public universities in Ethiopia has reached 50 (MoE, 2020b). Undergraduate enrollment
has also increased from 42,132 in 1996/97 to 850,000 in 2017/18. The postgraduate enrollment
has also reached 58,202 in the same year. With the Growth Enrolment Ratio of 12.3%, the annual
intake has reached 142,842 by 2019/20. The number of academic staff recruited in the universities
grew from 4,847 in 2004/05 to 35,109 in 2019/20 (MoE, 2020b). This rapid expansion has caused
serious concerns on the quality of education in the institutions.
Staffing the rapidly expanding higher education sector with qualified teachers has been one
of the major challenges in many ways (Saint, 2004). Recognizing the critical role of competent
academic staff for the proper functioning of any higher education institution, the Ethiopian
government has been committed to recruit unprecedented number of staff within a short
period of time. However, the market supply of qualified lecturers could not be paralleled with
the rapid expansion of enrollment in the universities. As a result, the ministry of education has
been forced to hire new graduates who are below the standard for the position. For instance,
by 2009, 52% of the teachers in the Ethiopian public universities were qualified below
a master’s degree level, which was the minimum acceptable level, and only 9% were PhD
holders (Ayalew, Dawit, Tesfaye & Yalew, 2009). Moreover, even those who have a master’s
degrees or second degree did not get the pedagogical training that would qualify them to be
proper teachers (Yimam, 2009).
In order to address the serious gaps regarding the academic staff readiness for their roles in the
universities, different policy measures have been implemented. Massive upgrading programs were
launched to address the qualification gap by training the teachers in local universities and abroad
(ESDP VI & V). Addis Ababa University, which is the oldest university in the country, was mandated
to endeavor its focus on developing the capacity of the staff of the newly opening universities. The
first-generation universities had also been encouraged to open graduate programs mainly to
address this problem. Indian universities were the destinations of most of the staff that were
sent to attend their education abroad. Moreover, with a special agreement with the University of
South Africa (UNISA), several staff members have studied their master’s and doctoral studies. With
these aggressive measures of capacity development of university staff, the proportion of under
qualified teachers has decreased meaningfully. For instance, by 2020, teachers’ qualifications ratio
(first, second and third degrees) has reached 24:65:14 (MoE, 2020b).
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Teaching in higher education is always challenging and needs continuous learning on the part of
the teachers. More specifically, higher education teachers not only require mastery of their subject
matters but they also need to have the pedagogical knowledge and skills of leading and managing
their students’ learning (Brown, et. al., 2011; Knight, 2002; Ramsdon, 2003). This necessitates
establishing a system of professional support for university teachers to cope with challenges
associated with teaching. In this regard, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has been applying various
mechanisms mainly with the aim of acquainting teachers with general pedagogical principles and
tools of teaching (Yimam, 2009). The mechanisms range from providing short-term induction
trainings for novice university teachers to master level stand-alone programs on teaching in higher
education. Out of all these initiatives, however, it is only the Higher Diploma Program (HDP) that
has sustained to date with regard to developing the pedagogical capacity of teachers across the
Ethiopian public universities (MoEb, 2018a). HDP is even incorporated in the draft Education and
Training Policy as a formal PD program for all higher education teachers (MoE, 2020a)
HDP was initiated and launched centrally by the Ministry of Education. It was started initially as
a licensure program for only teacher educators in seven public universities in 2004. It is a 1-year
extended professional development program with two face-to-face two hours sessions every week.
Starting from 2011, HDP has been adapted and promoted into a professional development program
for all university teachers. The adapted version of HDP was first started by one public university in
2011 followed by the other public universities to expand the scope of the program by including
candidates from non-teacher education colleges and faculties. Nowadays, HDP is institutionalized
across 45 public universities in Ethiopia as a mandatory pedagogical training program for all staff in
the institutions. Currently, the universities are implementing it without any technical and financial
support from MoE as they have already developed the institutional capacity to run the program. So
far, a total of 11,401 university teachers have completed HDP (MoE, 2018b). In 2018, the government
has even taken the program as one of the seven pillars of its new and ambitious higher education
quality improvement initiative called Deliverology (Ministry of Education, 2017).
Institutionalization of such programs requires embedding the program into the structure of the
institutions through policy, budget, timetable, etc. (Fullan, 2016; Huberman & Miles, 1984). In this
regard, it can be said that HDP is institutionalized in Ethiopian public universities because currently
all the universities have recognized it as a requirement for all their staff. They annually allocate
budget and time for the program. They have already developed the technical as well as admin
istrative capacity to run the extended PD program as opposed to their heavy reliance on the MoE in
the initial years of its implementation. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has also incorporated the
program as one measure of quality instruction in the Ethiopian higher education institutions. This
program has changed the traditional one-shot and inconsistent pedagogical training approaches
into a year-long continuous professional development program (Yimam, 2009). Although some
studies showed that HDP has not achieved the expected outcomes in terms of changing teachers’
classroom practices, it has created a new platform and institutional culture for an extended PD
program in each institution. Moreover, studies revealed that teachers who have participated in HDP
have changed their attitude towards active learning and continuous assessment (e.g., Mengistu,
2017; MoE, 2012; Mulugeta, 2018).
As indicated above, HDP is a programme which was initiated centrally by MoE and first imple
mented in seven public universities, but it is now owned by 45 public universities. The content and
structure of the program is quite different from the traditional educational programs in higher
education. This could be taken as a valuable and successful experience in the recent history of
reforms in the Ethiopian higher education institutions compared to the previous failed attempts of
establishing PD system for staff in the universities. It is not also common to find such an extended
PD program for higher education teachers being given across all universities in the nation given the
different institutional and cultural barriers inherent in the universities (Botham, 2018; Ramsdon,
2003). This achievement of the program needs to be investigated as vital lessons can be drawn for
similar future initiatives. This study, then, attempts to examine the institutionalization process of
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the HDP program from its initial phase to its current form so as to draw lessons for the successful
implementation of centrally initiated reforms in higher education. Particularly, the study was
designed to answer the following research questions:
● How was HDP initiated, implemented and institutionalized across Ethiopian Public Universities?
● What aspects of the program have contributed to the institutionalization of HDP?
2. Literature review
Teaching refers to all the planning, preparation and actual classroom practices that teachers do to
help student learning (Brown, et. al., 2011; Knight, 2002). Researchers argue that teaching at any
educational level is a complex business with a day-to-day challenge and frustration to the teacher
(Brookfield, 1995; Darling-Hammond, 2006). Every day teaching demands linking what students
already know to new information, guiding learners understanding through different activities,
correcting misimpressions, providing learners with opportunities for the application of knowledge,
giving feedback that shapes performance, and addressing students’ distinctive learning needs
(Darling-Hammond, 2006). According to Cobb and Jackson (2011), such kind of teaching practices
are “complex, demanding, uncertain, and not reducible to predictable routines . . . ” (p. 8). This
nature of teaching necessitates knowing not only the subject matter but also the how of teaching
or the methodology that brings meaningful learning for the students.
In this regard, the nature of teaching in higher education institutions cannot be different.
Traditionally, teachers in higher education are believed to have high qualification and mastery of
the subject matter they teach. In these institutions, little emphasis has been mostly given to the
need to know more about the teaching methodology or pedagogy by most staff assuming that
they know more about teaching than they actually do (Ramsdon, 2003). The institutional culture
that gives low priority to teaching compared to research in higher education has also strengthened
the beliefs of the teachers in higher education (Botham, 2018). However, many researchers argue
that teaching at any level including in higher education is rather a complicated and detailed
subject (e.g., Ball & Cohen, 1999; Ramsdon, 2003; Yimam, 2009; Brown, et al. 2011). For instance,
in the words of Ramsdon (2003) “It takes many years of practice to learn how to do it well, and even
then, you will not have learned enough” p. 14. One cannot be sure about being a successful teacher
in higher education because teaching in higher education is a matter of trying to act on the basis
of experience and research evidence believing that it will result in supporting students’ learning
(Knight, 2002). In other words, teaching in most cases is challenging because of its complex and
unpredictable nature.
Dealing with such challenging task of teaching requires proper preparation and ongoing profes
sional development (Darling-Hammond, Hyler & Gardner, 2017; Schwille & Dembele, 2007; Brown,
et. al., 2011). Apart from certification through pre-service preparation, teachers need to have an
organized learning environment that encourages them to be reflective and life-long learners
(Brookfield, 1995; Saric & Steh, 2017). But, most people perceive teaching as mostly common
sense and see little need for sustained professional learning (Ball & Cohen, 1999). According to
Ramsdon (2003), due to the existing misconceptions about the complexity of teaching in higher
education, most lecturers do not know where to start improving it and they usually request for
a set of rules that will resolve all their teaching problems. Basically, identifying what the problem is
and what we do not know about it are important elements for improving our teaching practices
(Brookfield, 1995). This implies that proper support system should be organized for university
teachers so that the lecturers will have the chance to understand what it takes to be an effective
teacher and support students’ learning.
Theoretically, the situative and cognitive views of learning as interactive and social, based in the
discourse and community of practice, have been applied to teachers’ learning (Borko, 2004;
Putnam & Borko, 2000). This is consistent with the idea that formal and informal interactions
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among teachers can act as powerful mechanisms for teacher development. This, in other words,
indicates that being a teacher is not just an individual effort, becoming a better teacher is rather
both a social and a personal process. In the word of Darling-Hammond (2006) “ . . . the knowledge
base for teaching is unbounded, not finite, and collegially developed, not individually acquired and
owned” p.33. This conceptualization of teacher learning implies that professional teaching is
inherently collective, something to be developed with other teachers who are partners in the
learning and problem solving. This entails the need to give due attention to the systematic
organization of social interactions among teachers in educational institutions so as to ensure
the professional development of teachers.
Different studies as well as policy documents have revealed that the need for a professional
development program for Ethiopian higher education teachers has been imminent (e.g., FDRE,
2015; Fisher & Swindells, 1998; Yimam, 2009). An early study on the views of higher education
teachers in Ethiopia by Fisher and Swindells (1998) showed that most of the lecturers in the
Ethiopian higher education institutions did not get pedagogical trainings. The study which involved
80 participants through a questionnaire and an interview identified pedagogical training as one of
the top priorities for the teachers in the universities. Since then, Ethiopia has been engaged in
aggressively expanding public universities as well as massively recruiting staff for these institu
tions. However, these newly employed staff not only lacks pedagogical training but also most of
them were under qualified (Ayalew, Dawit, Tesfaye & Yalew 2009,; FDRE, 2010). In connection to
this, a study conducted by Ayalew et al (2009) confirmed that the teaching methods in the
universities were predominantly teacher-centered and specifically lecture based. This situation in
the higher education sector in Ethiopia has pushed the government to give due attention to
teacher professional development.
Consecutive education sector plans of the government have highlighted the need for
a systematic support of the university teachers amid the unprecedented expansion of the public
universities. For instance, the fourth Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP VI) (2010/2011–
2014/15), clearly articulated that education quality is a crucial challenge in the Ethiopian public
universities due to the unprecedented expansion of the sub-sector. In this plan, among other
things, providing certified trainings on teaching methodology in higher education for academic
staff had been planned as a strategy to address the problem. Similarly, in the six education sector
plan (ESDP V) 2015/16–2019/20), MOE further demonstrated its commitment to enhance the
supply of teachers who meet quality standards including completion of pedagogical trainings.
The strategy further sets the task of establishing and operating comprehensive Professional
Development (PD) centers in each university so as to reach 60% of the staff being professionally
certified (FDRE, 2015).
On the basis of the above premises related to the professional training of higher education
teachers, MoE and individual universities had been introducing different initiatives at different
times to address the problem (Yimam, 2009). For instance, Addis Ababa University in collaboration
with UNESCO had established a National Pedagogical Resource Center (NPRC) under the Institute
of Educational Research (IER). The center was established to provide short-term pedagogical
trainings as well as to conduct research on higher education teaching. From 2005 to 2009, the
center had managed to provide training for 229 teachers who came from the different public
universities in the country. The other initiative was the establishment of Academic Development
and Resource Centers (ADRC) in five public universities in 2006. The Netherlands government in
partnership with MoE had funded to develop the capacity of the centers through short and long-
term trainings to the centers’ staff as well as through procurement of materials for the centers.
These materials include books, computers and servers loaded with reference materials as well as
office furniture. These centers managed to offer short-term pedagogical trainings to university
teachers during the early years of their establishment.
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Different universities had also tried various programs designed to address the problem. For
example, Addis Ababa University, which was the one mandated by MoE to provide graduate-
level training to the staff of the newly established universities, had introduced a stand-alone
pedagogy course integrated with its graduate programs. Funded by the Netherlands government,
a new master's program on teaching in higher education was also launched at Bahir Dar University
(BDU) in 2006. Short-term pedagogical trainings were also given to newly deployed staff by
individual universities. However, these initiatives has been neither consistent across the universi
ties nor sustained for long so as to address the huge demand of pedagogical trainings for the
university staff that was created as a result of the boom in the Ethiopian higher education.
Unlike these initiatives, HDP was launched in 2003 in seven public universities targeting teacher
educators and has sustained in the system till now. Like many of the above initiatives, it was
initiated by the MoE and was being delivered by the universities under a close supervision from
MOE. In its early years, MoE had been providing strong financial and technical support for the
implementation of the program to these institutions. Currently, 45 public universities in the country
have fully embraced the program and could make it part of their formal structure (MoEb, 2018a).
This all happens against a university culture that oversimplifies the work of teaching and under
mines the need for professional learning for teachers (Ball & Cohen, 1999; Botham, 2018;
Ramsdon, 2003). Hence, this unique nature of HDP makes it worth studying it so as to draw
lessons for a successful implementation of similar initiatives in the future.
3. Conceptual framework
The successful institutionalization of an innovation is mostly challenging and is very much related
to capacity development and change of institutional culture (Fullan, 2016). HDP can be considered
as an innovation introduced across the Ethiopian public higher education. HDP is not like the
traditionally established education programs in the Ethiopian universities. It is a year-long teacher
professional development program for university teachers. Its content and approach are quite
different from the traditional undergraduate and graduate programs. It has five modules with 48
mandatory sessions, each session lasting 2 hours. It is assessed entirely on the candidate’s
performance and a “portfolio” of work. There is a strong emphasis on self-assessment with tutorial
support by the facilitator or HDP leader. Apart from this nature of HDP, it is not common for
university lecturers to attend such an extended professional development program like HDP as
this has not been part of the culture of the universities in Ethiopia. It is, in general, a kind of
program that requires special administrative and technical capacity so that it can be fully accom
modated by the universities. It can also be taken as something that requires a cultural change
because the main actors in the higher education system are required to change their expectations
about professional development for teachers in higher education (Botham, 2018; Ramsdon, 2003).
This nature of the program could make it not easily be acceptable by the existing university
system.
According to Fullan (2016), change is an ongoing process not a one-time event. Change cannot
happen by developing an innovation or passing a new legislation without thinking through what
would happen during initial implementation. For Fullan “successful change is a process that shapes
and reshapes good ideas as it builds capacity and ownership.” P.46. In this conceptualization of the
change process, there are two components: the ideas and capacity/ownership. If either factor is
absent, the change will fail. If you have a good idea but a poor process, it will not go anywhere.
And if one has a well-designed process, it will amount to nothing if the process is not fueled by
good ideas. When the two aspects supplement each other in a given situation, much higher
success will be achieved.
Accordingly, the idea of HDP should have not only a strong rationale for its introduction into the
Ethiopian higher education system but also should demonstrate the qualities of successful profes
sional development programs. In this regard, the literature has almost reached to a consensus
concerning the core features of PD programs that are associated with teachers’ learning (e.g.,
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Figure 1. Overview of the change

process (Fullan, 2016, p. 56).
Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Desimone, 2009). Darling-Hammond and her colleagues have
reviewed 35 successful PD programs and have come up with seven key features of these programs
that contribute to their success. These include: 1) content focus: the content of the PD is specific
and related to the day-to-day teaching practice of the teacher; 2) active learning: involves teachers
directly in designing and experiment teaching strategies; 3) support collaboration: gives space for
teachers to collaborate and share ideas with students in their learning; 4) use models of effective
practice: such as model lesson plans, unit plans,, observation of peer teachers, sample student
work and written or video recorded cases of teaching; 5) provides expert support: involving sharing
of expertise on content and teaching methods directly focused on teachers’ individual needs; 6)
offers feedback and reflection: provides systematic process of receiving input and making changes
in the teachers’ practices; and 7) sustained duration: provides sufficient time to learn and practice
new strategies, and further improve the practice through ongoing reflection. Previous similar
reviews of successful PD programs (e.g., Desimone, 2009; Wei et al., 2009) have also confirmed
that these characteristics had attribution to changing teachers’ practices.
With regard to the process of change, Fullan has developed a model that most successful
innovations in educational institutions follow. This model categorizes the process into three
phases: initiation, implementation and institutionalization (see, Figure 1). Someone may initiate
a certain program or direction of change. This program advances to a phase of attempted use or
implementation, which can be more or less successful. Then comes institutionalization or con
tinuation which is an extension of the implementation phase in which the new program is
sustained beyond the first year or two (the duration may vary). Institutionalization entails the
sustainability of an innovation after its initial implementation usually started with the support from
external forces. In the case of PD, these all go with outcomes in terms of change in teachers’ skills,
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knowledge or attitude or students’ learning or else change in the capacity of the organization in
dealing with similar issues and sustaining the PD initiatives.
According to the theory, there are several factors that may affect the change process through
out the three phases. The factors range from the quality dimensions of the programs to the
engagement of different stakeholders to policy and financial issues. Fullan (2016) argues that
the more factors supporting each phases of the change process, the more likely the change is to be
institutionalized. Moreover, as depicted in Figure 1, the process is not linear rather the three phases
are in continuous interaction and iterative. For instance, a decision made during initiation on the
use of a specific program may be significantly modified during implementation, and so on. Hence,
by studying the process through which HDP has passed in the three phases, this theory could allow
us to understand the institutionalization of HDP in the universities.
Moreover, Fullan’s argument on large-scale educational change in relation to “pressure, support

and capacity development” fits purpose of this study. Fullan argues that “for a top-down educa
tional change to be successful at large scale, pressure coupled with support is vital from the top”
(Fullan, 2001). Fullan adds to this point that the pressure should be positive not negative or
coercive. According to his argument, negative pressure is corrective and external. It does not
encourage people to act, rather it does just discourage. Positive pressure, on the other hand, is
encouraging and motivating, profoundly fair and reasonable, and accompanied by resource sup
port. For this is also related to developing the innovativeness capacity of institutions in responding
to new changes (Fullan, 2016), these elements of pressure, support and capacity development are
also used as conceptual framework to analyze the institutionalization process of the HDP program.
In general, the issues raised in this conceptual framework guide the research methodology and
analysis of this study.
4. Design of the study

This study aims to understand how HDP got started and gradually institutionalized into the
Ethiopian public universities. The research approach is qualitative as the study investigates the
process of institutionalization of the program into the universities over a period of time (Bryan,
2016). The study bases on data gathered mainly from document analysis and interviews. While the
documents helped to gain valuable insights, identify potential trends, and discuss how things got
to be the way they are, interview data allowed the researcher to obtain insights about the actual
experiences of those who participated in the initiation and implementation of the HDP program
(Cresswell, 2012; Gay et al., 2009). These were strengthened by critical observation and reflection
of the researcher. The brief account of the methodology is presented in the following sections.
4.1. Study situation

Under the guidance of the MoE, HDP started with seven public universities in 2003. Nationally, the
number of public universities running the program now reaches 46. The expansion was gradual
following the staged opening of new universities characterized by different phases/generations,
extending from first generation to fourth generation in about 20 years. The seven universities
where HDP had begun were first-generation universities. This was followed by the second-
generation universities which were 14. The third- and fourth-generation universities were 12 and
11 respectively. Accordingly, under the guidance of the MoE, HDP was started as a professional
development program for teacher educators in the first-generation universities and gradually
expanded to the second-generation universities. Later, HDP has been evolved into a mandatory
program for all university staff in all public universities including the third and fourth generations.
This study attempts to analyze how HDP was initiated and implemented in the first-generation
universities and later expanded to the rest of the public universities in Ethiopia. In each of the 46
universities, there were HDP Leaders (HDLs) and HDP Tutors (HDTs) who worked as a team to
facilitate the HDP sessions. Education College deans as well as HDP moderators were also part and
parcel of the HDP implementation program. Accordingly, in this study the initiation and
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implementation phases of the HDP were analyzed taking Bahir Dar University (1st generation) as
a case study and inferences were made on the expansion and institutionalization of the program
later in the remaining universities.
4.2. Study participants and data collection

Since the study was an in-depth analysis of the development of HDP from initiation to institutio
nalization, the sites of data collection were few (Yin, 1994). More specifically, four universities (one
from each generation) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) were included in the study. As rapid
expansion is one characteristics of the Ethiopian higher education since the turn of the century,
obtaining data from the universities established at different times or generations could give this
study a comprehensive picture of the overall institutionalization process of HDP in the higher
education system. Data were collected mainly through document analysis and interview as
detailed below. This may allow for triangulation of data as well as for depth of understanding of
the issue under study.
The files archived at MoE where the history of HDP from the initial stage to the current stage was
documented take the main source of data for this study. The documents were accessible in the
office that was being used by the HDP coordinating team at the MoE since the initial years of HDP.
These files address plans and reports of a wide array of activities that have been taking place from
the inception of HDP in 2003 until 2016. Among other things, the files incorporate annual HDP
plans and reports, HDP annual moderation reports, workshop plans and evaluation reports, and
HDP impact assessment reports. Documents in soft copies which consist of supplementary materi
als and guidelines, including HDP handbooks for the candidates as well as for the HDP leaders,
were also obtained from the MoE archive and used for this study. In addition to this, portfolios of
HDP candidates from the first two cohorts at the first-generation university were also referred in
the study.
One HDP leader and one HDP moderator who participated in the initial implementation of HDP
from the first-generation university (Bahir Dar University), the former dean of education college at
Bahir Dar university, three deans of education colleges from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation
universities and a key informant from the Ministry of Education were interviewed. Key informant
interviews could be used when there was an individual with unique knowledge of a topic, in this
case HDP (Bryan, 2016). In this regard, the key informant at MoE has been found to have a lived
experience on what has been going on at MoE during the initiation and implementation phases
of HDP.
Interviews with the seven participants were conducted through a face-to-face interaction with
the researcher. The semi-structured interview with the HDP leaders focused on their participation
in the initiation and implementation of HDP, their evaluation of HDP’s success and their reflections
on the reasons for the institutionalization of the HDP program. The interview with the education
college deans also focused on their participation during the initiation and early implementation
phase of the HDP, their perception on the impact of HDP in the institution, their views on the
reactions of the teachers who took HDP to the program, and their reflection on the reasons for the
institutionalization of HDP. The interview guide for the key informant at MoE gave attention to the
policy and strategic issues related to the initiation and implementation of HDP as well as to the
commitment of the MoE to support the institutions in implementing and institutionalizing HDP. The
initial interview with each of the participants took 30–45 minutes. During the analysis of the data,
the researcher got back to the participants for interview when a need for more information arises
(Cresswell, 2012).
The interview data gathered from the participants were triangulated with relevant HDP and
policy documents, and experience of the researcher. The researcher had attended HDP as
a candidate in the second cohort at Bahir Dar University. After completing HDP, the researcher
has also served as HDP tutor and leader for four consecutive years. Moreover, the researcher has
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a 17 year experience as a teacher trainer, researcher, and a senior leader (Dean of Faculty of
Education) at Bahir Dar University. He also worked as teacher development consultant at the
Federal Ministry of Education where the HDP program was hosted. This has allowed the researcher
to have a direct experience and close observation of the implementation of HDP both at institu
tional and national levels. The return to the participants to interview for more information after
reviewing HDP and policy documents had also a significant contribution for triangulation.
4.3. Data analysis

Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data obtained from the documents and the interview
together with the researcher’s experience taking the dimensions identified in the conceptual
framework as overarching themes or a priori codes (Miles et al., 2014). More specifically, Fullan’s
(2016) three phases of change (initiation, implementation and institutionalization) served as
a guide and an overarching framework for analysis. Taking these broad dimensions as themes,
the researcher then adapted O’Connor and Gibson (2003) step-by-step guide to qualitative data
analysis to identify the categories under each theme. The interview data were first transcribed and
coded keeping the priori codes in mind. As the documents obtained from the MOE and the
universities were too large, attempts were made to first categorize the documents by the year
of publication in the period from 2003 to 2016. From each category, the following documents were
selected: HDP Annual plans and reports, on-site HDP moderation reports, HDP leaders training
workshop reports, HDP candidates’ portfolio, and HDP leader guides and supplementary instruc
tional resources). From the selected sample documents, those pages that contained information
directly relevant to the research question were selected and the texts on each page were coded
the same way as the interview data.
However, as it was underlined about Fullan’s model, change is not a linear process rather it is
two-way ongoing process of interaction and adaptation. Taking this view into consideration,
attempts were made to identify key processes that were taking place during the three phases of
change in an interactive way that has contributed to the current state of HDP in the Ethiopian
higher education. It was also open to include other categories that may have emerged from the
review of the data, and hence, an “other” category was added. The author also drew on his
personal and professional experience in the Ethiopian teacher education system, in general, and
in HDP, in particular, in the analysis and interpretation of the data.
4.4. Limitations
The data were gathered from limited sources using purposive selection. The researcher’s roles and
bias, as a beneficiary and tutor and leader in the program as well as a consultant at MoE, may also
need to be mentioned. In response, the researcher has taken proper measures (indicated in the
methodology section) from formulating the research questions to collecting and analysing the
data. The key informants were selected on the basis of their relevant experience in the HDP. The
interviews made with the key informants were in-depth and conducted not only once but when
ever the need for more information arose during data analysis. Large volume of relevant HDP
documents were also systematically reviewed, coded and further substantiated by the policy and
strategy documents. The preliminary findings of the study were also shared with selected
researchers at Bahir Dar University and attempts were made to revise the manuscript based on
the feedbacks obtained from them.
5. Results and discussion

In this section, the results of the study are presented and discussed based on the research
questions. The section is organized along the themes that emerged through the analysis of the
data against the conceptual framework and the literature. These themes were as follows: evi
dence-based program design and implementation, strong moderation system, systematic institu
tional capacity development, engaging leaders, the preparation and use of tools or artifacts, and
adaptability to ongoing changes.
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5.1. Evidence based program design and implementation

Fullan underlines that the quality of the innovation during the initiation and implementation
stages play key roles for the institutionalization of the innovation (Fullan, 2016). In their review
of sustainable professional development (PD) programs in schools, Desimone and Stuckey (2014)
have also asserted that for the impacts of PD to be sustained and institutionalized, the PD must
have the core features of quality PD—content focus on school curriculum, active learning that
engage teachers, coherence with school plans, sufficient or extended duration, and collective
participation. The recent review of successful PD programs by Darling-Hammond et al. (2017)
has extended previous studies and come up with seven characteristics of PD that are impactful.
These characteristics include: being content focused on curriculum; incorporating active learning
using adult learning theory; supporting collaboration in job-embedded contexts; using models and
modeling of successful practice; providing coaching, mentoring or expert support; offering oppor
tunities for feedback and reflection; and extended duration. According to a recent review on the
evaluation of teachers’ professional development programs, these core elements of successful PD
could be used as frameworks for the design and evaluation of different PD initiatives (Merchie
et al., 2018).
When it is evaluated against these core elements of quality PD, HDP seems to stand strong. From
the review of the documents (e.g., HDP Handbook for candidates and HDL Guideline for leaders)
and the interview data as well as from the author’s experience, HDP design and implementation
feature many of these characteristics. The first two elements in this regard are related to content
focus and active learning. Content focus refers to the extent to which the PD addresses topics that
are relevant to the day-to-day practice of the teachers. On the other hand, active learning
concerns with the extent to which teachers are directly engaged in designing and trying out
new teaching methods particularly in providing opportunity to engage in learning in a manner
that should be designed for their students. In the design of the HDP, the two elements were
addressed complementing one another and being informed by the overall teacher education
system overhaul.
The objective of HDP includes enabling teacher educators to identify their own needs and
become reflective; and promoting teacher educators to become role models for their student
teachers in using appropriate active learning and continuous assessment methods (Ministry of
Education, 2003). The four modules of the program were as follows: Module 1: The reflective
teacher educator; Module 2: Developing Active learning; Module 3: Improving Assessment; and
Module 4: Action research: making a difference. These objectives and contents were derived from
the overall teacher education system reform (TESO) which was launched in 2003. TESO has
introduced a new paradigm which is constructivist and student centered into the teacher educa
tion system. This shift demands teacher education institutions to make significant changes in their
practice of teacher preparation (Darling-Hammond, 2006; Saric & Steh, 2017). It was also demand
ing for the teacher educators as they are required to make a shift from teacher-centered approach
to a more student centered and active learning approach. The TESO baseline study demonstrated
that teacher educators lack professional training on the basic skills and dispositions that promote
the basic tenets of the paradigm shift in the teacher education system (Ministry of Education,
2002). According to the study, with the exception of subject matter knowledge, the teacher
educators appeared to meet few of the requirements of a professional teacher educator developed
by the Ministry of Education. The literature review made by Saric and Steh (2017) has revealed that
teacher educators in such situation require a structured and organized learning environment so
that they will develop critical reflective practices and become models for their students.
HDP was designed to support the paradigm shift in the teacher education system by mainly
focusing on supporting the teacher educators to change their assumptions and practices towards
the new direction. In this regard, HDP covers contents that are directly relevant to the current
needs of the teacher educators. The design also encourages teacher educators to plan lessons
incorporating these contents, and reflect on them after conducting the lessons. The HDP handbook
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was prepared like a workbook where in every session the teacher educators are engaged reflecting
on their assumptions behind their teaching practices on the basis of reflective questions included.
In the interview data, the HDL have commended this saying that “one quality of HDP is that
throughout the program it allows the teacher educators to raise issues of relevance and challenges
in applying new teaching and assessment methods in their teaching”. He has also argued that this
feature of the program encourages reflective thinking. As depicted in the HDP handbook and HDL
guidelines, all HDP sessions were activity based and student centered with minimal or no lecture.
The guidelines seemed to encourage the candidates not only to reflect on their practices but also
to plan to use new methods of teaching and assessment in their teaching. This makes the content
focus of HDP consistent with the current demands of the teacher educators. The evidences also
● Commit themselves fully to the program

● Attend all taught sessions on time
● Participate Actively in group work
● Complete weekly lesson plans and evaluations, the reflective activities and other activities during taught
sessions
● Cooperate with the HDL and HDTs to ensure the smooth running of the HDP
● Prepare materials ready for the taught sessions as required
● Complete and hand in on time all assignments for the higher diploma
● Complete the module assessment and self-assessment at the end of each module
● Complete the Handbook for the final assessment on time
Source: HDP Handbook; MoE, 2004
confirmed the active engagement of the candidates in the program. The following box clearly
shows how engaging the HDP could be.
Box 1: Roles and Responsibilities of HDP Candidates
Collaboration, which is the third core feature of successful PD, was evident in the HDP practice.
The bi-annual moderation reports by MoE for the first 3 years consistently depicted that the HDP
candidates worked in teams in every session. The interview data as well as the author’s experience
showed that collaboration and group work were dominant features of the HDP program. In the
words of the HDL, “in HDP, the group is responsible for generating ideas, focusing discussions,
making mutual teaching observations, providing peer support and constructive feedback and pre
senting research findings.” The researcher has also witnessed that the candidates developed
confidence in reflecting on their assumptions and practices as well as on their colleagues’ works
as the result of the design of the program. The design of the HDP handbook and the HDL guideline
did not provide the chance for lecture rather it encouraged peer, small group and whole class
discussions and presentations. If candidates had the desire for more theoretical discussions,
instead of the leader lecturing, the candidates themselves could refer and read selected materials
available in the HDP library. This could give more time for discussion and collaboration in the HDP
sessions. Candidates were also assigned to work in pairs and/or small groups to work on the
different projects. For instance, pair of candidates observed each other’s lessons during their active
learning projects. Similarly, they conducted action research project in small groups. From this, one
could see that team work and collaboration characterized the HDP design and implementation.
This was consistent with a recent study about the views of teacher educators regarding their PD
needs and activities in which they underlined the importance of experiencing professional devel
opment through collaboration with peers and colleagues (MacPhail et al., 2019)
Using models of effective practice, which is the other feature of quality PD, refers to the
availability of curricular and instructional models that give clear vision for the candidates about
what best practices look like. This may include sample student work, lesson plans, unit plans,
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observations of peer teaching, and video or written cases of teaching. In this regard, the document
review showed that HDP has incorporated model lesson plans and lesson evaluations, written
cases of teaching, and peer observation. HDLs were also well-accomplished professionals and role
models in applying various active learning and continuous assessment methods during HDP
sessions. In this regard, the informant at MoE noted that rigorous recruitment process was
followed in the selection of the first HDLs who were all expatriates coming through the support
from non-government organizations, namely Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and International
Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH). Continuous moderation support and training were
also being given to the HDLs to help them play their responsibility as role models. According to the
third annual HDP report, a DVD that demonstrated good practice in active learning was also
produced and distributed to all HDP implementing institutions. The HDL interviewed has confirmed
the prevalence of these practices during the program implementation. The dean of the education
faculty has also characterized the first HDP leader at Bahir Dar University as “strong and real role
model”.
The fifth quality, offering feedback and reflection, characterizes HDP. According to the HDP
guideline, among other things, the HDL has the following responsibilities: continuously assess
candidates’ work on a weekly basis with written constructive feedback; observe and conduct
a minimum of 4 lesson observations for each candidate, including pre- and post-observation
discussions; conduct a minimum of 4 professional interviews with each candidate during the
program; and provide professional support for candidates outside of HDP. HDLs were re also giving
written feedback at the end of each module and at the end of the program. The candidates were
also required to complete self-assessment at the end of each module. Peer observation and
feedback were also requirements in the program. Inherent to every session is completion of
reflective activities that encourage the candidates to be more critical about their assumptions
about teaching. According to the interviewee, these feedback and reflective practices have been
evident in the program in the first three years. In later years, the HDL said, there were amend
ments on the number of requirements for the completion of HDP by candidates but still the basic
principles were maintained.
Clearly, HDP is an extended program which matches with the last feature of successful PD. It
lasts for one academic year covering 55 to 60 sessions across 32 weeks and provides time for
attending two-hour face-to-face sessions per week. All in all, one can argue that in design and
implementation, HDP incorporates most of the elements of high-quality professional development.
This was clearly demonstrated in the program guidelines and handbooks. This finding was also
consistent with a recent review of the literature on the desires of teachers about their professional
development (Matherson & Windle, 2017). The study revealed that teachers wanted professional
development programs that are engaging, interactive, and relevant for their teaching practice;
programs that show them a more practical method to deliver content; programs that is open to
address emerging teachers’ needs; and programs that can sustain over time. The implementation
of the HDP in its initial years matched with much of the design. In the literature, it is rare to find
this kind of match between design and implementation (Spilanne, 2002). This requires, at least, the
development of a shared understanding about HDP among the designers and implementers of the
program. The following sections partly touch this issue and try to argue that there were a lot of
things done to develop shared understanding among key stakeholders about HDP and its
implementation.
5.2. Strong moderation system—positive pressure and support

For a top-down educational change to be successful at large scale, pressure coupled with support
is vital from the top (Fullan, 2001). Fullan adds to this that the pressure should be positive and
constructive but not negative or coercive. According to his argument, negative pressure is correc
tive and external. It does not encourage people to act, rather it does just discourage. Positive
pressure, on the other hand, is encouraging and motivating, profoundly fair and reasonable, and
accompanied by resource support. Close supervision and support from institutional leaders have
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also shown to be impactful to the increased engagement of university teachers in professional

development programs like HDP (Botham, 2018).
The documents reviewed as well as the interview data revealed that the moderation system
established in the HDP program seemed to follow the positive pressure and support approach. HDP
was first launched in the seven universities and 19 regional teacher education colleges. The HDP
was a new type of post-graduate qualification in the Ethiopian higher education system. It is
assessed entirely on the candidate’s performance and a “portfolio” of work. There is a strong
emphasis on self-assessment with tutorial support by the HDL. In order for the universities to be
confident about the standards achieved in the HDP, the process of national moderation of the
course by a team from the MoE was introduced in the initial year. As outlined in the HDP guideline,
in the first 2 years, the MoE HDP team made 2 days visits twice a year to all the institutions running
the HDP program. These visits had three purposes. These are: (1) Support—particularly for the
Higher Diploma Leaders (HDLs), but also for others in anyway involved with the program; (2)
Monitoring—to ensure that all elements of the Higher Diploma Program (HDP) are being delivered
effectively and all procedures are being properly followed; and (3) Moderation—to ensure that the
quality and standard of the Higher Diploma Program is consistent between all Teacher Education
Institutions.
These visits include discussions with the Dean and the Higher Diploma Leaders, and interviews
with all the Higher Diploma Tutors (HDTs) and selected candidates. The team also observed the
delivery of HDP sessions in each institution. Portfolios of selected candidates were scrutinized, and
examples of good practice were identified. At the end of each visit, a formal report on progress
made in the institution towards meeting the objectives of the program was presented to discuss
with the Dean/ Principal and the HDLs. Action points for the TEI and HDL /HDT agreed to be
followed up during the next moderation visit. The support needed from the national office were
also identified and reported to the MoE. At the end of the year, examples of works from all TEIs
were brought to the national moderation and evaluation workshop organized by MoE. During these
end of year workshops, candidates’ handbook was being revised annually based on the modera
tion findings.
Starting from the second year of the program, the responsibility of moderating HDP started
devolving to the universities. The regional colleges were clustered under the seven universities into
regional groups based on proximity to the universities for moderation. The universities designated
experienced HDP staff as moderators. In the second and third year, the university moderators
started conducting moderation visits to the satellite colleges and conducted regional moderation
workshops in collaboration with MoE moderating team. In these workshops good practice and
achievement in the HDP under each cluster were being shared. Moderating universities were also
made to cross-moderate with one another and share good practices with. Gradually, the moder
ating universities took over the full responsibility of moderating the colleges under their clusters.
The role of the MoE had become over sighting the implementation through organizing consultative
workshops and trainings as well as providing more support to universities and colleges that were
newly starting the program in later years.
The key informants at BDU and MoE as well as the dean had similar evaluations regarding the
moderation system. In the words of the key informant at MoE, who was shadowing the expatriates
during the visit in the first 3 years, the moderation activity was “rigorous and intensive”. He
asserted that it was an educational experience for him as well as for the implementing institutions.
The informant at BDU also described the experience as constructive and guiding for his role as HDL
and HDC. Both the key informants at MoE and BDU used the word “role model” when they
described the expatriates’ impact on their respective role in the HDP. The moderation reports of
the first 3 years that were reviewed for this study also showed that the process was participatory
of all stakeholders including MoE and the implementing institutions. The reports clearly depicted
progresses made with recommendations from previous moderation visits as well as agreed upon
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points for next actions to be taken by each stakeholder including MoE. These action points were
identified in join consultation with the dean, the HDP team and the MoE team in each institution.
This was also confirmed in the interview with the dean as he acknowledged the importance of
participating in moderation visits and workshops for his role in the implementation of HDP.
5.3. Systematic institutional capacity development

In addition to the “pressure and support”, Fullan argues that the change management should
involve developing the capacity of the implementing institutions. In other words, the process of
developing capacity and ownership among implementers is a key feature of successfully institu
tionalized innovations. This implies that for the HDP program to be successfully institutionalized in
all TEIs all over the country, the design and implementation of HDP should have a capacity
development element. In this regard, the data collected for the study revealed many instances
of institutional capacity development. To begin with, the moderation system set by MoE was
inherently a capacity development process. Initially, the MoE HDP team, which had involved
Ethiopian experts from MoE, was being led by two experienced expatriates. The moderation visits
during the first 3 years were also being led by these expatriates. During this time, the Ethiopian
experts from MoE were made to shadow the process by participating in the visits. These experts
had also participated as co-organizers and co-facilitators of the national and regional moderation
workshops. Similarly, in the second and third year, university moderators were shadowing the MoE
team during the visits to the satellite regional colleges. Annual training workshops for moderators
were also conducted by MoE for consecutive years. These processes had resulted in the develop
ment of Ethiopian HDP moderators both at MoE and at the moderating universities. According to
the key informants, the consultation with deans, HDLs, HDTs and HDCs during the moderation
visits and workshops had also played a vital role in creating shared understanding about HDP and
the role and responsibilities of each stakeholder. Networking of TEIs was also another means of
system capacity development through sharing best practices by visits and workshops (Cobb &
Jackson, 2011).
Apart from the moderation system, MoE had done a lot of capacity development works in order
to ensure the quality and sustainability of the HDP program. To start with, the program was
launched in the seven universities and 19 regional colleges with well-accomplished expatriate
leaders. The informant from MoE has confirmed that these leaders were selected based on
rigorous recruitment process through the support from VSO and IFESH. The key informant from
BDU has also described the first leader as “knowledgeable, vibrant and demanding”. These leaders
were given 5 days training before they resumed work in the institutions. The support to these
leaders had also continued through moderation visits and training workshops. This was consistent
with Cobb et al.’s (2018) argument in that such kind of large-scale educational project, those who
lead the change must be accomplished experts.
Moreover, there have been systematic approaches of capacity development to transfer the
responsibility of running the HDP from the expatriates to Ethiopian staff. As mentioned earlier,
through team approach and shadowing, the HDP team at MoE had successfully developed the
capacity of the Ethiopian experts in moderating and organizing workshops and trainings at
regional and national levels. Similarly, university moderators had also developed their moderating
skills through shadowing the MoE moderators and participating in trainings and moderation
workshops. At the institution level, at least two staff were selected from the first HDP cohort in
each institution and made to work as HDP tutors alongside the expatriate leaders. As depicted in
Table 1, these tutors attended national training and workshops with the expatriate leaders. As the
HDP Tutors (HDTs) completed the HDP training, they took over the responsibility as HDP Leaders
(HDLs) for the next academic. This trend of developing the capacity of Ethiopian leaders had been
continued for consecutive years that, according to the annual reports which showed that in the
fifth year of the program, 90% percent of the HDLs became Ethiopians.
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Table 1. Summary of HDP activities 2004–5: Workshops and training

Dates Title/venue Participants Outcomes
September 22–25 2004 HDP Workshop for Higher Diploma 88 participants, including ✓ Roles and responsibilities of
Leaders and Tutors Kotebe College experienced and new volunteer & HDLs and HDTs identified
of Teacher Education Ethiopian HDLs, new HDTs, MoE ✓ HDLs were familiarised with the
teamled by MoE Moderation Team content, materials, methodol
and HDLs ogy and assessment of the HDP
✓ Strategies for dealing with
issues that might arise in deli
vering the HDP were identified
October and November 2004 Moderation Visits to all TEIs MOE moderation team, deans, ✓ Marked improvement in teach
HDLs, and HDTs of the respective ing and learning observed
TEIs ✓ On-job support were provided
to HDLs
✓ Action points for improvement
were identified
December 15–18 2004 Conference for VSO All VSO HDLs and HDP Moderation ✓ HDLs shared experience of the
volunteersSodere Team volunteersled by MoE first semester
Moderation Team ✓ Common issues were resolved
✓ Sustainability plans were devel
oped
December 23 2004 One day workshop for IFESH All IFESH HDLsled by MoE ✓ HDLs shared experience of the
volunteers Moderation Team first semester
✓ Common issues were resolved
✓ Sustainability plans were devel
oped
February 2005(dates varied) HDP Workshop for Higher Diploma Over 100 participants, including ✓ National standards for the HDP
Leaders and TutorsIn regional Deans, HDLs, HDTs and were applied to selected work
centres: Addis Ababa, Awassa, Bahir Moderatorsled by MoE Moderation from the first semester
Dar, Jimma, Mekelle Team members and HDLs ✓ TEIs in a university group had
the opportunity to work
together and plan for future
moderation
✓ Support for HDLs and HDTs was
provided in delivering and
assessing the HDP in their TEIs
✓ TEIs were able to plan for the
sustainability of their HDP
March—June 2005 “On the job” training for University Designated university moderators ✓ University moderators from
Moderators, working with the MoE from AAU, BDU, Dilla, Jimmaled by AAU, BDU, Dilla, Jimma are able
Team on Moderation visitsin TEIs MoE Moderation Team to carry out effective modera
tion visits
April 28–9 2005 Active Learning: preparation of Small group of VSO volunteersled ✓ Additional resource materials
resource materialsVSO, Addis by Satti (MoE Moderation Team) have been prepared for the HDP
May 18–202005 Training Workshop for University Designated university moderators ✓ An agreed standardised system
Moderators Addis from AAU, Alemaya,BDU, Dilla, for moderation developed
Jimmaled by Satti & Karen (MoE ✓ A moderation guide for all uni
Moderation Team) versities produced
✓ University moderators trained
in moderation skills
June 20–21 Workshop for training and formal Ethiopian HDLs and HDTs from ✓ Agreed roles and responsibilities
certification of HDLsMekelle Mekelle University and Mekelle of HDLs
University satellite TEIsled by VSO HDLs at ✓ Dealt with practical solutions to
Mekelle University resolving issues in TEIs
✓ Discussed how to meet further
training needs
✓ Awarded formal certificates to
recognise HDL status
(Continued)
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Dates Title/venue Participants Outcomes

June 17–23 2005(dates varied) HDP Moderation and Evaluation Over 100 participants, including ✓ Good practice and achievement
Workshop for Higher Diploma Deans, HDLs, HDTs and in the HDP was shared
Leaders and TutorsIn regional Moderatorsled by MoE Moderation ✓ Work of TEIs in the university
centres. Team members and HDLs group was moderated against
agreed criteria
✓ Paperwork for the TEI, MoE and
the awarding university was
completed
✓ Plans for 2005–6 for each TEI
and the university group were
drafted
June 27 2005 Workshop for University Deans/HDP Two representatives from each ✓ Universities discussed how they
Coordinators/ Moderators VSO, university, EQUIP Coordinatorled by would take responsibility for
Addis MoE Moderation Team HDP in next three years
✓ Integration of HDP with CPD
and ADRCs identified a key to
sustainability
✓ Recommendation made for
incentives and conditions for
Ethiopian HDLs and moderators
✓ Identified need to continue
national network such as this to
guide the HDP
The national workshops organized by the MoE were opportunities to share experience among
the TEIs and to address the needs identified by moderation visits and workshops. All the key
informants confirmed that these workshops were full of model practices with direct relevance to
all the participants. They mentioned how the workshops were being conducted with model lessons
and engaging activities. The author of this paper has also witnessed this as he had attended
several of these workshops for a number of years as HDT, HDL, and dean at Bahir Dar University.
This is promising given the fact that these kinds of ongoing capacity development workshops for
leaders, tutors and moderators would allow creating accomplished experts in implementing the
HDP in the respective institutions (Cobb et al., 2018).
5.4. Engaging leaders

For an innovation to be institutionalized in educational institutions, the support and advocacy from
the implementing institution leaders and from administrators at higher level from initiation
through implementation phases are pivotal. Strong partnership between institutions and district
or national level offices are features of successful educational changes. In the context of this
study, university leaders and MoE officials are potential factors for the successful implementation
of HDP. In this regard, the involvement of the leaders in HDP was manifested in many ways. At
national level, MoE had shown its commitment to the program by securing budget from donors to
run the HDP. It had also convinced VSO and IFESH to recruit well-accomplished HDP moderators
and leaders from abroad and assigned them to all HDP implementing institutions in the initial
years of the program. According to the key informant at MoE, the State Minster for General
Education was the main advocator of the program and he was very supportive to the team. One
office was dedicated for HDP program coordination at the Ministry of Education. Selected MoE
experts were also assigned to work fulltime alongside the expatriates. The key informant at MoE
also mentioned that the HDP team at MoE was not facing serious problems to get annual plans
approved by the officials.
At the university level, the dean’s involvement was significant in the implementation of the HDP.
In this case, the dean serves as “gatekeeper” of change, often determining the fate of the program
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as it comes from the outside (Fullan, 2016). The dean’s support is a strong driving force for the
successful implementation and institutionalization of the change. Such institutional leaders spe
cifically contribute to the success of PD programs through applying strategies that promote
participation in decision-making, collaboration, high teacher motivation, and constructive instruc
tional supervision (Botham, 2018; Tran et al., 2020). Cobb et al. (2018) have also shown that in PD
programs like the HDP, the moderators, leaders, and tutors effectiveness depends on the extent to
which the deans are providing not only resources but also professional guidance throughout the
implementation process. In this case, the key informant at BDU witnessed the strong support they
had gained from the dean. The dean had issued the directive that could enforce HDP as
a mandatory program to attend for every faculty under the college. He was the first dean to pay
reasonable salary for those who worked as leaders and tutors. 2 credit hours workload was also
reduced for all HDP candidates. Fixed training room and training resources were availed for the
HDP due to the dean’s positive attitude to the program. The author of this paper has also
witnessed this as he was working as tutor and leader in the program for 4 years starting
from second year. Otherwise, if the leaders were not active in facilitating the process, lack of
collaborative opportunities as well as rigid hierarchical mandates could hinder the program
implementation (Botham, 2018; Sprott, 2019).
These commitments of the leaders could emanate from different reasons. Overall, these leaders
were in charge of implementing the comprehensive teacher education reform that introduced
a paradigm shift to the overall approach in the system (Ministry of Education, 2003). HDP was
introduced as one of the six elements of this reform with a specific aim of helping the teacher
educators to align their practices to the new reform standards. This may initiate the leaders to be
interested to the HDP as it aligns with the new overall teacher education reform (Desimone &
Stuckey, 2014; Fullan, 2016). On the other hand, the different ways through which the leaders were
made to be involved from the initiation through the implementation phases of the program could
contribute to their commitment to the program. For instance, middle-level officials at MoE were
made to participate in the trainings, consultative and moderation workshops during the initial
years of the program. Quarterly, bi-annual, and annual reports on the progress of the HDP were
regularly prepared and presented to the state minister and concerned officials at the MoE.
Similarly, as it is evident in Table 1, the deans of the implementing institutions were made to
attend several trainings and moderation workshops organized by the MoE and moderating uni
versities. Moreover, according to the key informant, the deans of each institution were made to be
HDP candidates in the first year of the program. These practices could make the leaders to become
committed and allow the development of shared responsibilities for the institutionalization of the
program (Jackson et al., 2015).
5.5. The preparation and use of tools
Successful large-scale professional development programs include tools which are material enti
ties that are designed to be used by program participants to achieve the intended goal. These tools
play an important role by supporting members of a particular role group in developing well-
matched practices and by helping to ensure the alignment of the practices developed by members
of the different role groups like teachers, principals, coaches, district-level experts (Henrick et al.,
2018; Wenger, 1998). This is also consistent with Fullan’s idea of ensuring clarity of the new
program during initiation and implementation phases. In this regard, according to the key infor
mant at BDU, one commendable feature of HDP was found to be its wealth of resources that were
designed to be used by higher diploma candidates, tutors, leaders and moderators. As indicated
below in Figure 2, a resource pack was prepared by MoE team and disseminated to all HDP
implementing institutions. This CD pack contains a total of 335 files and 49 folders. The tools
that are in the CD include HDP handbook for candidates, Leader guidance notes with suggested
plans for each session, power point presentation for each session, moderation guidelines, assess
ment formats, tips on active learning and continuous assessment methods and sample lesson
plans. There was also a mini library dedicated to the HDP program with books relevant to the
program.
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Figure 2. Higher diploma pro

gram resource pack for HDLs
and HDTs.
Tools like sample candidates’ works and sample classroom posters were widely used in the HDP
trainings and workshops organized both at MoE and at moderating universities. This practice was
consistent with the view that professional development activities shall be organized around
artifacts of practice like sample students’ works and others (Borko, 2004). The workshops and
moderation visits focused on supporting the HDP leaders and tutors in changing their practices by
using the tools. This move was again in line with Cobb and Jackson (2011) recommendation that
the design of tools for professional learning should be coordinated with the development of
supports for their increasingly accomplished use.
From this feature of the program, one can argue that works done on the preparation of tools and
the support given to leaders and tutors on the use of the tools could contribute for the programs’
consistency across the institutions. According to Fullan (2016), specificity of objectives and contents
are keys to avoid false clarity among participants of the implementation. Fullan also recommends
that the work of clarity should continue throughout the implementation process. From the review of
these documents, one can see that these wealth of tools used in the program were helpful for clarity
of the intentions of the program. Moreover, as discussed above, the HDP program has been con
tinuously revised and implemented on the basis of feedback from the candidates, facilitators and
moderators and in line with changes in the education sector. The HDP moderations and workshops
were helpful to ensure greater clarity and specificity in the implementation of the program across
many institutions. These resources and their use in the HDP program could help to address Fullan’s
concern of the problem clarity when implementing such a complex program like HDP which is aimed
at bringing a paradigm shift in the teachers’ practices.
5.6. Adaptability to Ongoing developments in policy and practices

Starting with 7 universities and 19 regional colleges, Higher Diploma program has been gradually
institutionalized in all of the 45 public universities and 38 regional colleges in Ethiopia. According
to the documents and the interview data, from 2007 to 2011, the MoE has followed similar
processes as discussed above to introduce HDP into the 15 newly established public universities.
This trend has continued until 2016 with a gradually decreasing support and moderation from the
MoE. By 2011, a total of 6,056 teacher educators have already completed HDP. As of 2011, the
public universities have started to expand the program to include non-teacher educators. As
indicated in the annual reports, one public university had taken the initiative and adapted the
contents of the program and launched it as mandatory for the entire faculty in the university. This
experience has been shared with the rest of the public universities mainly through the workshops
organized by the MoE HDP team and also through the formal reporting channel of the university to
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the Ministry of education. Following this initiative, broadly maintaining the duration and the
methodological approach of the program, the rest of the public universities gradually embraced
HDP as a mandatory professional development program for all their academic staff. The State
Minster for Higher Education section under MoE has also recognized the program as a mandatory
professional development program for all staff in the public universities.
Apart from the strong initiation and implementation phases from 2004 to 2011 in the teacher
education programs, there could be a number of factors that may contribute for the adaptation and
institutionalization of HDP as a professional development program for all staff in the Ethiopian public
universities. First, due to the unprecedented expansion of higher education in Ethiopia and its accom
panying recruitment of mostly under qualified teachers, universities were in dire need of PD programs
for their staff. Between 2003 and 2017, the number of public universities in Ethiopia expanded from
seven to 45. During this period, more than 20 thousand new academic staff has been recruited for
these universities (MoE, 2018b). Due to the scarcity of qualified applicants in the market, most of the
recruited staff was under qualified in their discipline and with no pedagogical training. Cognizant of
this fact, the MoE has been aggressively working to address the problem with long-term and short-
term training programs. Reports showed that MoE has been successful in upgrading the qualification
of the staff in their respective fields (MoE, 2018a). However, although different initiatives have been
taken place with regard to the pedagogical skill trainings of the staff, none of them had been long-
lasting and successful (Yimam, 2009). This situation could necessitate reconsidering of adapting HDP
as one alternative solution to the problem by the MoE and the universities.
The expansion of teacher education programs and exposure of university leaders to HDP could
also contribute to the adaptation of the program. Between 2007 and 2011, public universities that
offer teacher training had increased from seven to 22. In Ethiopia, if a university hosts a teacher
training program, it is mandatory that the teacher educators should have HDP license. The MoE
also supports the teacher training program in each institution with financial package called
General Education Improvement Program (GEQIP). One element of GEQIP that has got funding is
HDP. Arguably also as most of the public universities in Ethiopia host teacher training programs,
the university leaders at different levels were either direct participants in the program or they were
aware of the program due to their participation in institutional and national consultative work
shops. On top of this, studies (e.g., Ayalew et al 2009; Yimam, 2009), conducted on the quality of
higher education in Ethiopia evaluated the practice of HDP in the teacher education programs
positively and recommended that it should be expanded to all academic staff in the public
universities.
Another factor for the expansion of HDP to all academic staff could be related to the institutional
capacity developed during the initial implementation years of HDP in the universities. As discussed
above, although HDP was centrally initiated by MoE as a license program for teacher educators
only, the program was gradually owned by the implementing universities and was adapted for all
academic staff. The practice in the initial years of the program has created the capacity of the
universities to plan, run and moderate a one-year professional development program, which is the
first of its kind in many ways, for university staff. Universities have got higher diploma leaders and
moderators who could assess the on-going needs of the staff and plan professional development
programs that maintain minimum standards. Recently established universities have even mana
ged to recruit staff from the regional colleges who were HDLs to launch their HDP programs
without the support from MoE. This situation in Fullan’s terms means the universities have devel
oped innovativeness which refers to the capacity to engage in continuous and new improvement.
In general, one can argue that this institutional capacity coupled with the dire need for profes
sional development program for the newly employed staff could lead the MoE and the universities
to adapt the program to the wider academic staff and thereby institutionalize it.
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6. Conclusion and implications
6.1. Conclusion
This study attempts to understand the main features of HDP during its initiation, implementation
and institutionalization phases. In this regard, guided by Fullan’s (2016) three phased theory of
change, the study identified six main themes that can characterize the institutionalization process
of the HDP in the Ethiopian public universities. The first theme in this regard is evidence-based
program design and implementation. HDP as a program and its implementation in its initial years
demonstrated the features of successful teacher professional development programs. With its
content, HDP focused on problems and issues that were close to the practice of teacher educators.
It was specifically designed to support teacher educators in changing their teaching practices into
student-centered and active learning methods which was demanded by the 2003 teacher educa
tion reform in Ethiopia. By its design and implementation, the program promoted collaboration
and team work as well as engagement of the candidates in designing and trying out new
strategies in their teaching. The HDP applied models of effective practice that included sample
lesson plans and lesson evaluations, written cases of teaching, peer-observation as well as role
modeling of new practices by HDP leaders during HDP sessions. Feedback and reflection was built-
in the HDP through self-reflection, group discussion, lesson observation by the HDP leaders, peer
observation andongoingand end of module assessment and feedback. Clearly, the HDP was an
extended program with 1-strong moderation system.
By the time HDP was introduced into the seven public universities, a moderation and support team
was established at MoE. The MoE team had conducted moderation visits to all the universities twice
a year. These visits had three purposes thatwere as follows: (1) supporting HDP leaders and others in
anyway involved with the program; (2) monitoring the program to ensure that all elements of the HDP
are being delivered effectively and all procedures are being properly followed; and (3) moderating to
ensure that the quality and standard of the HDP was consistent among all the universities. The
moderation system was so systematically organized that the universities got timely feedback as well
as professional and administrative support from the Ministry of Education. Networking of the univer
sities with the regional education colleges and among themselves was also part of the moderation
system. In general, the positive support and pressure by the ministry of education on the universities
was inherent in the HDP moderation system and contributed to the institutionalization of the program.
The third theme that emerged from this study about the institutionalization of the program was the
systematic institutional capacity development. The MoE has applied multiple approaches of developing
the institutional capacity of the universities so that they could take over the full responsibility of running
the program. Starting the program with expatriate leaders and moderators, the MoE has successfully
customized the program by developing Ethiopian moderators and leaders both at the Ministry of
Education and at the universities within three years. The mechanisms used for capacity development
included team work, shadowing and organizing consecutive training and experience sharing workshops
both at national and regional levels. The moderation system has also been inherently a capacity
development experience for the universities. The large number of leaders prepared through the HDP
system has later contributed to the establishment of the HDP program in the newly opening universities
as these universities hired teachers who were leaders in regional education colleges.
Involvement of institutional leaders in the initiation and implementation of the HDP has stood
up as the fourth theme of HDP institutionalization. Leaders at the Ministry of Education were
committed to the program since its initiation. Leaders both at the MoE and universities had
positive attitude to the program as HDP was part of the bigger policy reform in the Ethiopian
teacher education system. The HDP implementation design has also been successful in ensuring
the support of university leaders to the program. The leaders were made to attend moderation and
experience sharing workshops organized at national and regional levels. The deans of education
colleges were consulted during moderation visits and concerns raised were being shared for future
actions. The deans were also made to be HDP candidates in the first cohorts of the program. These
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circumstances have contributed to the strong commitment of the leaders in terms of providing
financial and administrative support to the HDP program.
The preparation and use of tools in the HDP was the fifth theme that came out of this study. The
HDP had a wealth of resources that were designed to be used by the candidates, tutors, leaders
and moderators. The resources included leader guidance notes with suggested plans for each
session, power point presentation for each session, moderation guidelines, assessment formats,
tips on active learning and continuous assessment methods and sample lesson plans. There was
also a mini library dedicated to the HDP program with books relevant to the program. The
resources involved guidelines that were highly scripted outlining concrete steps for the leaders.
The amount and nature of the resources allowed for shared understanding and clarity of the
program objectives, contents and activities among the program participants. These resources were
also updated on a continuous basis through moderation workshops and trainings.
Adaptability of the HDP to new demands in the higher education policy and practice in Ethiopian
was the sixth theme when HDP was seen from its institutionalization in all Ethiopian public
universities. Due to the unprecedented expansion of universities in Ethiopia, there was a huge
demand for professional development program for the newly employed staffs. Despite the ministry
of education’s attempts to apply various mechanisms to address this need, except HDP, none of
them could help to sustainably solve the problem. In connection to this, one possible reason for
the adaption of the HDP as a professional development program to the wider academic staff in the
universities could be because of the institutional capacity developed during the initial implemen
tation of the program. Moreover, the expansion of teacher education programs in the newly
opening universities and consequently the exposure of leaders to the HDP in the majority of the
universities have also contributed to the institutionalization of the program in the Ethiopian higher
education system. In general, it can be argued that the nationwide demand for professional
development for higher education teachers coupled with the institutional capacity developed
during the initial implementation years of HDP have resulted in the adaptation and institutiona
lization of HDP as a requirement for all academic staff in the Ethiopian public universities.
6.2. Implications
The findings of the study have many implications to teacher professional development initiatives as
well as to top-down education policy reforms. The first implication is the need for evidence-based
design and implementation of reforms. HDP was started with a need assessment for professional
development for teacher educators and the program was designed consulting the literature on
successful teacher professional development. This lays the foundation for later works and institu
tionalization of the program. The second implication is the importance of giving emphasis to the
implementation of the program in its initial years. The strong follow-up as well as professional and
administrative support from the Ministry of education contributed to enhance the capacity of the
universities to take over the program later. This was evident through assignment of well-
accomplished program leaders both at the MoE and the universities, organizing capacity develop
ment trainings and workshops as well as strong moderation systems. The third implication is that
Fullan’s interactive model of educational change could guide successful design and implementation
of top-down education reform. This study shows that the model is comprehensive enough to
understand those possible factors that should be considered during the three phases of the change
process. The model also enables to accommodate emerging developments and allows for the
adaptability of the reforms. The application of this theoretical framework could minimize the
repeated failure of institutionalizing top-down initiatives in the Ethiopian higher education system.
The fourth implication of this study has to do with documentation of the change process. Unlike
other initiatives, the Ministry of Education has well-documented archives of HDP files that depict
the full history of the program. This is significant as it allows us to investigate the past initiatives
with success or failure history and draw lessons from them. The fifth implication concerns to the
lesson that can be drawn from the successful work done by expatriates during the implementation
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of HDP. Volunteers from VSO and IFESH significantly contributed to the initiation and implementa
tion of the program through leading and sharing their expertise. This was visible in the initial years
of the program as they were actively engaged both at the MoE and at the HDP implementing
institutions. This can be taken as an example of work that demonstrates meaningful collaboration
between government and non-government organizations.
Studies indicate that HDP has not brought significant impact on the instructional practices of
teachers in universities. This could be understandable from the view that the required change on
the part of the teachers is demanding and complex and as result requires an extend opportunity for
practice. However, the capacity developed in the universities to sustain the program and the attitu
dinal change created on the part of university teachers regarding the importance of professional
development could create a favorable condition to ensure the provision of such extended opportu
nities even after completing HDP. Hence, as sixth implication, universities can build up on these
developments and organize further PD programs for those teachers who have already completed HDP.
Funding Bryan, A. (2016). Social Research Methods (4th ed.).

The author received no direct funding for this research. Oxford University Press.
Cobb, P., & Jackson, K. (2011). Towards an empirically
Author details grounded theory of action for improving the quality
Dereje Taye Wondem1 of mathematics teaching at scale. Mathematics
E-mail: derejetaye68@gmail.com Teacher Education and Development, 13(1), 6–33.
1
Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, Bahir Dar Cobb, P., Jackson, K., Henrick, E., & Smith, T. M. (2018).
University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Putting the pieces together. In P. Cobb, K. Jackson,
E. Henrick, & T. M. Smith, & the MIST Team (Eds.),
Disclosure statement Systems for instructional improvement: Creating
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the coherence from the classroom to the district central
author(s). office (pp. 221–240). Harvard Education Press.
Cresswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning,
Citation information conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualita
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initiated and successfully institutionalized professional Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Constructing 21st-Century
development program for teachers in Ethiopian public teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 53
universities, Dereje Taye Wondem, Cogent Education (3), 300–314. https://doi.org/10.1177/
(2022), 9: 2034243. 0022487105285962
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017).
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Higher diploma program: A centrally initiated

Dereje Taye Wondem

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2022.2034243

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PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING | RESEARCH ARTICLE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Subjects: Higher Education Management; Teachers & Teacher Education; Continuing

Keywords: Change management; Higher Diploma Program; program institutionalization;

Figure 1. Overview of the change

Moreover, Fullan’s argument on large-scale educational change in relation to “pressure, support

4. Design of the study

4.1. Study situation

4.2. Study participants and data collection

4.3. Data analysis

5. Results and discussion

5.1. Evidence based program design and implementation

● Commit themselves fully to the program

Box 1: Roles and Responsibilities of HDP Candidates

5.2. Strong moderation system—positive pressure and support

also shown to be impactful to the increased engagement of university teachers in professional

5.3. Systematic institutional capacity development

Table 1. Summary of HDP activities 2004–5: Workshops and training

Dates Title/venue Participants Outcomes

5.4. Engaging leaders

Figure 2. Higher diploma pro­

5.6. Adaptability to Ongoing developments in policy and practices

6. Conclusion and implications

Funding Bryan, A. (2016). Social Research Methods (4th ed.).

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Figure 2. Higher diploma pro