THE PRACTICES OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS MANAGEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF WEST GUJI ZONE

<strong>ABSTRACT: </strong>The purpose of this study was to investigate the current practices of instructional materials management in secondary schools of West Guji Zone. To this end, 9 woredas and one town administrative were selected by multi-stage sampling for the reason that it was highly populated zone. Descriptive survey design was employed with quantitative and qualitative research approaches to collect and analyze data. Therefore, after the pilot testing was conducted on one school, 36 questionnaires were administered to 124 teachers and 30 administrative respondents. To support quantitative approach, 6 respondents were interviewed and their views were narrated and different documents were also analyzed skillfully. Statistical tools like frequency and percentage were used to analyze the personal characteristics of respondents. Similarly, descriptive statistical tools like mean, standard deviation were also used. Furthermore, inferential statistical tool t-test was used to check whether there was significance mean difference between the groups of respondent on the same item by using SPSS 20 versions. Consequently, some of the findings were in purchasing process instructional materials were not purchased within the planned time. Besides this, the quality of the materials itself was found less. Similarly, in the status of storing function, the storekeepers were found non- qualified and layman. On the other hand, the distribution of instructional materials from woreda to teachers in the school was found delaines. In inventory controlling also there were problems like lack of budget allocation, personnel skill gap and absence of timely managing and reporting the inventory process were the findings of this study. Lastly, budget allocation by woreda and school, less participation of society and parent for the management of instructional materials were the major factors affecting the management of instructional materials. Therefore, some of the recommendations need to be taken are; purchasers at different level should conscious about the total time taken and know certain criteria in judging the quality of instructional materials. Woreda education office is also recommended to fill skill gap personnel have and equip the man power. Similarly, regular inventory controlling should be regulated by internal and external auditing system and followed by immediate reporting. The distribution of instructional materials among schools should be supplied fairly and evenly. Generally, for the effective and efficient of instructional management stakeholders at different level need to be committed and confronted as these materials are basic inputs of teaching.