Data‐Driven Decision‐Making Practice in Higher Education Institutions in Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the practice of data‐driven decision‐making in higher education institutions in Ethiopia. It presents the results of a mixed‐methods investigation that was conducted at two public universities in Ethiopia. Data was collected via a survey questionnaire from 91 faculty members, nine ICT experts, four higher education registrar experts, and 194 graduating undergraduate students. The study also involved interviews with two directors from the university's education program relevance and enhancement office and four senior officers from library departments. The findings revealed that the majority of the instructors used manual data analysis and basic software, such as MS Excel, to analyze student performance, achievement, and assessment data. Institutions use many disconnected in‐house systems for different activities without intelligent tools or data warehouses to support data analytics. The results indicate deficiency in activities that promote data analytics and data‐driven decision‐making, such as capacity‐building training and leadership support within institutions.