IMPLEMENTATION OF OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATION (OBE) IN AFGHAN UNIVERSITIES: LECTURERS’ VOICES

Year 2021, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 27 - 47, 19.06.2021

Sayeed Asif Akramy

Abstract

Outcome-Based Education (OBE) as a new teaching approach that concentrates on student-centered learning has recently come into Afghanistan's educational context. This qualitative study aimed to explore the attitudes of ten Afghan instructors towards the implementation of OBE in Afghanistan universities. For collecting the data, a semi-structured interview and observation were designed. After collecting the data, the data were categorized, coded, and then thematically analyzed. Therefore, four major themes were drawn: (a) beliefs regarding the essence of Outcome-Based Education (OBE), b) different interpretations on OBE, c) developing the classes’ outcomes based on Bloom's Taxonomy, and d) shifting teaching practices from teacher-centered to student-centered learning approach. The results revealed that instructors’ attitudes towards the imple-mentation of OBE in their classrooms are both positive and negative. The findings also revealed that implementing the principles of OBE in classes helps them better design and develop their teaching materials well and set the learning outcomes based on the needs and expectations of students. The instructors reported that OBE is applicable in all different types of classes in which teachers and students get involved in learning and teaching processes purposefully. Creating an interactive classroom, choosing authentic materials, setting clear learning outcomes, understanding the full concept of OBE, and applying its principles and premises through pair work and group-work activities were core issues to help teachers in having a shift from a teacher-centered approach to
student-centered learning.

Keywords

Afghan University, implementation;, Outcome-Based Education, OBE, SCL

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