GHANA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND TEACHING

Impact of Conditions of Service on Teachers’ Job Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Wukari Education Zone, Taraba State.

Obiweluozor Nkechi, Amaechi, Appolus Azunwanne — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In all the efforts by the Federal Government through several committees to review salary structure of civil servants, none of these committees looked into the salary structure of primary and secondary school teachers, which is the crux of this research; and the researchers feel that this is one of the reasons for the decline in quality of education at this level, which is affecting other levels. This paper examined the impact of conditions of service on teachers’ job performance in public secondary schools in Wukari Education Zone, Taraba State. Three research questions guided the study. The ex-post facto survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of this study consisted of all principals and teachers in all the two local government areas under Wukari Education Zone, namely: Ibbi and Wukari, with a total of 28 public secondary schools, and teacher strength of 462. Random sampling technique was used to select 15 Secondary Schools. 10 persons participated in each school, which gave a total of 150 respondents stratified along male and female. The instrument used for data collection was researcher-developed questionnaire titled “Conditions of Service on Teachers Performance Questionnaire (CSTPQ)” on a modified four-point Likert scale. The precision and internal consistency of the instrument was determined using Cronbach reliability method which gave rise to a coefficient ranging from 0.76 - 0.83. The instrument was face validated by two experts from the Faculty of Education, Taraba State University, Jalingo; with a validation index of 0.86. The data collected was analyzed using percentage scores, mean, and standard deviation. Chi Square statistic was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that teachers are the least paid civil servants in the State, they are not promoted as and when due, promotions were not implemented, and salaries are not paid promptly; all these negatively affected their performance. It was recommended that the State government should develop a consolidated salary structure for teachers, pay them promptly and promote and implement their promotion as and when due to enhance their job performance.

Legislating Mother Tongue Education in Ghana.

Helen Atipoka Adongo, Avea E. Nsoh — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Language is a critical element in education in every society. Ghana has witnessed numerous language policies since colonial times. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to legislate language use in school, especially after independence. The difficulty has been deciding on the roles of each of the over 80 indigenous Ghanaian languages and English. As a result, different governments have had different positions on the issue leading to frequent changes in policy. The situation has serious implications for teaching and learning in basic schools. Education committee reports and language policy related material constituted our main source of data. We employed content analysis as our methodology. It was discovered that the lack of a strong language policy legislation has been a major cause of the frequent policy changes in language education in Ghana. In order to sustain an effective language policy in education, it was proposed that government must have the will to legislate language policy which will properly define the roles of each language in school. Such a legislation should provide for an implementation plan with distinct benchmarks.

Social Studies Pedagogy in Ghana

Esinam, Mohammed Muntaka, Paul Tongkomah — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of Social Studies Education is to help the youth develop ability to make informed and reasoned decisions; facilitate their personal growth and development of their respective communities. Key features that distinguish Social Studies (SS) as a field of study is its intent to promote values and attitudes for civic competence. Relevant pedagogy is critical to the teaching and learning of the subject. As a result, the main purpose of this study is to examine pedagogy for the teaching and learning of Social Studies in Ghanaian Senior High Schools (GSHSs) using related empirical secondary literature. It was found among others that, the inquiry method, discussion method, project method, field trip, lecture method, problem-based approach, role play, simulations, resource persons and team-teaching approaches are pedagogical approaches considered more responsive to the teaching and learning of SS. Conclusions also pointed to the fact that pedagogy plays a significant role in teaching and learning and the successful achievement of the objectives of Social Studies lessons and requires that teachers employ and combine variety of pedagogical methods and strategies in lesson delivery. It was recommended that teachers of Social Studies should employ different methodologies to motivate and arouse learners' interest in the subject because students become more interested in a topic when a variety of teaching methods are used to achieve varied lesson objectives. It is also recommended among others that the Ministry of Education, the Curriculum Research Development Division (CRDD), Social Studies curriculum specialists, regional, district as well as heads of various second cycle institutions should organize workshops for teachers to update their knowledge in varied pedagogies to improve the teaching and learning of the subject.

Basic School Students’ Learning Outcomes Through Leadership Practices: Prospects of Effective Collaboration Between the University of Education and Basic Schools in Six Districts/Municipalities in The Central Region of Ghana

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated the collaboration between basic schools and the University of Education, Winneba through leadership practices for the purpose of improving learning outcomes in six districts/municipalities in the Central Region of Ghana. The researchers used concurrent triangulation mixed-method design. Questionnaire and interview guide were used as the research instruments to collect data from heads and teachers of basic schools in six districts/municipalities, and the Heads of Departments directly linked to basic education in the University of Education, Winneba. They employed a multi-stage sampling technique to select a sample size of four hundred and one (401) for the study. It was found that generally, basic school heads had a sense of shared leadership. They subscribed to visionary and transformational leadership styles, and teachers’ perceptions of their styles were positive. It was also observed the heads of the basic schools encountered numerous challenges which impede quality learning and the desired learning outcomes. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that school leadership could create opportunities for regular interactions with all stakeholders such as the past students, district assemblies and the Universities. The University of Education, Winneba could develop a policy to regularly engage basic schools in their catchment areas which would inure to their mutual benefit.

Skills and Usage of the Inquiry-Based Technique to Achieve the Learning Philosophy of the Social Studies Curriculum: Perspective of Junior High School Social Studies Teachers in Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District.

Clarke Ebow Yalley, Adwoa Dufie Adjei, Ernest Sarpong Akore — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Inquiry-based learning is a teaching method that encourages students to become active learners through asking questions, investigating and analyzing information, and drawing conclusions. As a result, Social Studies instruction has moved from the teacher-centred method to a learner centred method to encourage students to construct their own knowledge and ideas about contemporary persistent problems of the society. This shift in teaching method demands teaching technique that creates the enabling classroom environment that enhances the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills among learners. To effectively utilize the inquiry-based technique in the teaching of Social Studies, teachers must first develop their own skills in questioning, researching and analyzing data to guide learners question the truth and authenticate the accuracy, trustworthiness, validity and reliability of the information in the course of lesson delivery. The actualization of the relevance of the inquiry-based is dependent on the skills and competence of Social Studies teachers. It is therefore imperative to examine from the perspective of Junior High School Social Studies teachers; how the inquiry based technique is used to facilitate students’ acquisition of core competencies. The descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. Also, the census survey and convenience sampling were employed at different stages of the study. The study's findings revealed the existence of knowledge and practical gaps in possession of inquiry-based skills and usage among Social Studies teachers in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District of Ghana. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that Junior High Schools Social Studies teachers undergo a three week workshop to bridge the identified theoretical and practical gap. For meaningful learning to thrive, Social Studies teachers can facilitate discussions and guide students towards making connections between different information envisaged to ignite critical thinking, innovativeness, collaboration, communication, problem-solving, leadership traits, and curiosity among students

Free Senior High School Programme Implementation in Ghana: An Assessment

Cosmos Kwame Dzikunu, Seth Dade Ansah — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study explored the benefits and the challenges in the implementation of the free senior high school programme in Ghana. The study adopted the multi-site exploratory case study using interviews and an observation checklist for the investigation. The sample was made up of 38 respondents selected through purposive sampling techniques across four SHSs in Greater Accra and Central Regions. The results indicate that the key benefit of the policy was the removal of cost barriers through the absorption of fees approved by the GES council. All recurrent fee items that relate to utilities, examination fees, library fees, practical fees, entertainment fees, science development and teacher motivation fees were absorbed by the Government. Another benefit of the free SHS was the feeding of Day students alongside boarding students in the schools. There were infrastructural challenges of the Free SHS programme that included; classroom blocks, dormitories, staff accommodation, libraries, science laboratories, computer laboratories Information and communication technology connectivity (ICT) and places of convenience. Teacher output, punctuality, effective supervision, time on task, and assessment of students were compromised. It was also revealed that the textbooks supplied were only core subjects which included English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies and Integrated Science and were delayed in supply. The study recommends that key stakeholders such as teacher unions, policy think tanks, civil society organizations, parents and other relevant stakeholders should be engaged by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in round table discussions to build national consensus, acceptance and public confidence in the policy. It is recommended that government should forge partnerships with parents, PTAs, old student associations, and religious bodies to raise funds to support infrastructure development for the SHS programme. An increase in the Government’s share of the oil revenue should be allocated to the Free SHS programme.