https://journal.du.edu.et/index.php/dje <p><strong>DILLA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION</strong></p> <p><strong><em>eISSN: 3080-261X, ISSN: 3080-2601</em></strong></p> <p>Dilla Journal of Education (DJE) is a biannual open access and peer-reviewed academic journal published by Dilla University, Ethiopia. It covers all aspects of educational research.</p> <p><strong>DJE</strong> aims to publish high-quality research outputs that have impacts on the development of knowledge, problem-solving strategies; and fostering collaborations among researchers, educators, practitioners, policy makers, academia, &amp;educational scholars.</p> Dilla University en-US Dilla Journal of Education 3080-2601 https://journal.du.edu.et/index.php/dje/article/view/287 <p>Ethiopian higher education has grown rapidly, significantly expanding access while posing serious challenges to learning, such as congested classrooms and demanding teaching assignments. This study examined how third-year students at four public universities in the Amhara Region perceived the leadership styles of their instructors. In 2024, data were gathered from 321 students using a modified version of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X). Transformational leadership (M = 3.60, SD = 0.59) and transactional leadership (M = 3.73, SD = 0.52) are both evident, according to the findings, with transactional behaviors being rated slightly higher (paired-samples t = -4.97, p &lt; .001). Instructors usually integrate the two approaches, which indicates a significant positive correlation (r = .68, p &lt; .001). The results advocate for faculty development initiatives that strengthen transformational components of the current transactional framework and support an integrated leadership model appropriate for environments with limited resources. This study contributes to the expanding body of research on contextualized educational leadership in developing countries and offers the first comprehensive evidence from student perceptions on classroom leadership styles in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region.</p> Sisay Fekadie Molla Tesfaye Ketsela Woldeyesus Markos Tezera Taye Copyright (c) 2025 Dilla Journal of Education 2025-04-03 2025-04-03 4 1 1 9 10.20372/dje.v04i01.01 https://journal.du.edu.et/index.php/dje/article/view/399 <p><em>The purpose of this study was to analyze the physical environment, facilities, and risk factors impacting students with disabilities in six selected higher education institutions post the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia. The research utilized an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. The sample of this study was 193, including 181 students with disabilities, six university administrators, and six facilitators for students with disabilities from these universities. The data-gathering tools were questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observation. The information obtained from the questionnaire was analyzed using percentages. The data collected from semi-structured interviews and observations were also analyzed in narrative form. Subsequently, the quantitative findings were interpreted in light of the qualitative data following the research design.The study results showed that students with disabilities encounter various physical barriers in their environment, including inconvenient buildings, inaccessible ramps, open drainages, a lack of elevators, poles on road curves, and holes in walkways, which pose risks, especially for visually impaired individuals and wheelchair users. The study also identified facilities issues, including inaccessible toilets, limited access to water supply, low health services, and sanitation problems, which negatively impacted attendance and academic success, particularly for female students in universities post-pandemic. Moreover, findings of the study revealed that existing dormitories, bathrooms, and dining halls were not inclusive to students with disabilities, particularly in third-generation universities. Therefore, the universities should implement inclusive infrastructure design principles and risk management strategies to accommodate students with disabilities and minimize risk factors that influence their social inclusion and learning experiences. Finally, the effects of inclusive WASH on the enrollment, attendance, and academic performance of students with disabilities require further investigation.</em></p> Tefera Tirago Ababu Teshome Jemaledin Suti Copyright (c) 2026 Dilla Journal of Education 2025-04-09 2025-04-09 4 1 10 21 10.20372/dje.v04i01.02