We analyzed the magnitude of land use land cover changes and identified drivers of those changes at Awash National Park, Ethiopia, using aerial photographs, satellite images and field observation. Scattered bushland-the most important habitat for the wild animals, declined drastically. Areas under grassland, farmland or open land increased over the study period. Policy and park border demarcation issues were identified as drivers of change before 1995 (before decentralization), whereas livestock grazing was indicated to be the leading driver of change after 1995. Major events and causes that largely explained these changes include immigration of the Ittu community, land tenure system, drought, poaching, use policy issues and regional economic and infrastructural development. Our study reveals that the sustainability of the park calls for an immediate action to reduce the ever increasing human and livestock pressure on park resources.

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In response to recent decentralization in Ethiopia, we investigated pressure exerted on Awash National Park (ANP), vis‐a‐vis park resources; causes of park‐related conflicts and the impact of policy on sustainable resources conservation before decentralization (pre‐1995) and after decentralization (post‐1995). The study's aim was to assess the implementation of sustainable resources conservation in terms of use policy and conflicts in protected areas. We sampled a total of 210 respondents by stratified random sampling and group discussion participants and key informants using purposive sampling technique. Our results show that while policy problems were perceived to be the main threats to the park pre‐1995, demand for pasture land and water, resource‐caused conflicts, expansion of private and state farms were identified as main threats to the park post‐1995. Before decentralization (pre‐1995), inequitable resource sharing and poor organizational structures were the main causes of ethnic conflicts, whereas after decentralization, increasing demand for various resources were the main causes of conflict. We recommend experiences from the Simen National Park be tested to the benefit of improving the state of ANP.

In Ethiopia, the undergraduate medical education is a six-year program, which has three major curricular components, including Pre-medical, preclinical and clinical years. Upon successful completion of every year pre-clinical and clinical courses, students are required to complete community-based training program (CBTP) courses that demand a field work in the nearby community settings. The main intent of these courses is to develop general competencies of the graduates so that they become more socially accountable at the same time ensuring opportunities for lifelong learning in the community through training and services. In a general sense, the learning assessment provides an opportunity for students to improve their skills, reduce anxiety over grading, and improve relationships between learners and teachers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the existing learning assessment tools applied in the CBTP courses and improve them so that they become aligned with the expected graduate competencies specified in the undergraduate medicine curriculum in the University studied. This study used a case study design for the in-depth analysis of the learning assessment tools of CBTP courses. Guided by this, first the study comprises an analysis of the existing assessment tools being practiced in a university studied. Then, three FGDs were held with instructors, department heads, and students who participated in CBTP course implementation of the undergraduate medicine program. This was followed by a consultative workshop with relevant experts in Community-based education (CBE), to identify essential items to be included in the redesigned assessment tools. As a result of this study, the study participants identified the learning domains that were aligned to the core competencies. The corresponding guidelines for each assessment methods were developed. The tools were piloted in the field and they were found very comprehensive and feasible for use in the university studied. The findings of this study were suggested that the redesigned assessment tools can address the basic problems of the existing assessment methods, which were found, fragmented and had higher degrees of subjectivity.

The study investigated the effect of integrating traditional medicine (TM) concepts with grade 9th microorganism and disease topics on students’ attitude towards biology. The study used a quasi-experimental pretest, posttest non-equivalent group design. two intact classes were selected in Chiro district of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The first class belonged to the treatment group where TM contents are integrated through 5E’s learning cycle with the topic Microorganism and Disease and the second was assigned as comparison group learning the same biology unit on Microorganisms and Disease using the usual approach. Biological Attitude Questionnaires (BAQ) was administered for both groups as pre- and post-tests. The findings showed that the integration of TM with the school biology enhanced students’ attitude towards biology as compared with teaching the topics without integration.