Reading habits, experiences, and collaborations play significant roles in one’s academic success. When university students have strong reading experiences and mature reading habits, they can easily understand and extract messages and apply them in their fields of study. On the other hand, if they lack mature reading habits and appropriate reading experiences, they may not comprehend meaning, which can, in turn, lead to poor academic achievement. In Ethiopia, students who sat for the Ethiopian School Leaving Certificate have not been able to pass the exam for the last three years. Only 5% of test-takers passed. This has been the case for the past three years, suggesting that students lack appropriate reading habits or sufficient experience with reading. After joining university, students do not display the required mature reading habits and well-developed reading experience. This study examined the relationships between Adama Science and Technology students’ reading habits, experiences, collaboration skills, and academic achievement. It applied a quantitative method. A correlational design was used. The study used both primary and secondary sources. The data-gathering instruments were structured questionnaires and document analysis. The study sampled 200 students from a total of 4579. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, correlation, ANOVA, T-tests, and simple regression. The study found no statistically significant differences by gender or year of study, but significant differences by department and religion. Subjects’ reading habits, experiences, and collaborations showed positive relationships with each other and with academic achievement, though the strength of these relationships varied. Reading practice predicts both reading habits and reading collaborations.

The previous study that showed the major stumbling block to effectively teaching reading skills is teachers’ culture of banking on a centrally controlled, one-size-fits-all curriculum. This study investigates the impacts of differentiated instruction training (DIT) on English reading proficiency among high school teachers in Dire Dawa. DIT was intended to serve as an action plan to modernize and improve the traditional method. Using the pretest-posttest design, the research involved 157 teachers, analyzing changes in reading proficiency following a six-week intervention. The results revealed a significant improvement in reading proficiency, with teachers with higher educational qualifications and those with more teaching experience showing slightly greater gains. Qualitative feedback indicated enhanced engagement and confidence in reading tasks among teachers, particularly those with extensive experience. These results highlight the potential of differentiated instruction training as a useful instrument for professional development that can meet the diverse instructional demands of teachers and enhance their overall effectiveness as teachers. The study suggests adjusting support according to educators' expertise levels and differentiating and incorporating training into continuous training programs to maximize results.

This study examines teachers’ perceptions of professional status and selectivity in light of quantitative data and analyzes whether these perceptions differ by demographic and contextual variables. Using a general survey model as a quantitative research method, the study collected data through an online questionnaire administered to 520 teachers working at different educational levels and in different residential settings. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and ANOVA analyses were used in the data analysis process. Teachers’ perception of general status and selectivity was limited, with a mean score of M = 2.82 on a 5-point Likert scale, indicating a “low-to-moderate” tendency. Examination of the sub-dimensions revealed that participants reported the highest perception level in the dimension of “Professional Competence and Confidence” (M = 3.45), whereas the lowest perception clustered in the dimension of “Social Prestige and Respectability” (M = 2.24). The difference between these dimensions was found to be statistically significant (F = 18.62; p < .05). In terms of contextual variables, teachers working in villages and small towns reported higher perception scores (M = 3.55) compared to those working in city centers (M = 2.44), supporting the argument that socio-cultural environment plays a decisive role in professional status. On the other hand, the perception scores of expert teachers (M = 3.20) and head teachers/master teachers (M = 3.95) remaining below the expected levels indicate that the current career hierarchy has not yet generated sufficient momentum to strengthen professional prestige and that the system has limited social and professional recognition. As a result, the process should shift to a more selective, quality-oriented, and context-sensitive structure.