| dc.description.abstract | This study examined patterns of children’s work combined with schooling and its association
with school attendance in coffee and non-coffee picking seasons among primary school students
(grade5 to 8) in Sidama Coffee Livelihood Zones. Mixed methods were employed with a
concurrent triangulation design. A total of 240 school children, and three students and three
teachers were selected using multi-stage random and purposeful sampling respectively.
Questionnaire and interviews were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric
and parametric tests involving chi-square, t-test and bivariate correlation as well as verbatim,
quoted texts of the interviewees and thematic analysis were used to analyze quantitative and
qualitative data respectively. Findings show that combining work with school is a common
practice among students. The study found statistically significant difference between coffee and
non-coffee picking seasons in the regularity of children’s work (M=2.92, SD=1.07, t (218) =
18.68, p < .001), intensity of children’s work (M=2.92, SD=1.07, t (220) = 23.3, p < .001 and in
school attendance rates (M=3.17, SD=1.01, t (217) = -13.82, p < .001). Moderately statistical
significant correlations were obtained between school attendance and (a) average days worked
per week (r = .531, p < .001) and (b) average hours worked per day in the past 10 school
months (r = .394, p < .001). Qualitatively, findings revealed coffee picking season is the
greatest time waster for the students. The negative impacts of children’s work on school
attendance patterns were described by the students and teachers in relation to coffee picking
season. The results of this thesis can provide foundations for introducing flexible school
calendar in Sidama Zone coffee growing areas, and it can open up avenues of further research
in other coffee growing areas to make nation-wide policy decisions | en_US |
