International Journal of Psychology and Education

Resource Inputs of the Child Development Sponsorship Programme and their Role in Promoting Moral Development among Ghanaian Basic School Learners

Diana ADJEI-FIANKO — 2026-05-18

This study investigated how the resources of the Child Development Sponsorship Programme (CDSP) of Compassion International Ghana (CIG) contribute to the moral development of beneficiary children. Anchored in the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) Evaluation Model, with a focus on the input pillar, the research employed a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the role of human resources, infrastructure, curriculum and programme content in shaping children’s moral growth. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, observations and document review involving project directors, child development workers (i.e., health workers, social workers and account clerks), volunteer teachers and church leaders in selected centres across the Central and Greater Accra Regions. The findings indicate that moral development within the CDSP is not confined to classroom instruction but emerges from a holistic, resource-driven environment intentionally structured to nurture moral values. Human resource practices that emphasise Christian commitment, moral integrity and academic competence ensure that adults who work with children model ethical behaviour. Adequate infrastructure (i.e., including classrooms, libraries, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories, playgrounds and kitchen facilities) creates a safe and orderly environment where values such as respect, responsibility and cooperation are reinforced through daily routines. The CDSP curriculum, organised around spiritual, physical, cognitive and socio-emotional domains, embeds moral instruction across learning experiences and provides age-appropriate opportunities for children to practise empathy, make responsible decisions and develop strong moral judgment. Overall, the study concludes that CIG’s integrated use of personnel, facilities and a holistic curriculum create a consistent moral ecology that supports sustained character formation. These findings highlight the importance of aligning organisational structures, staff behaviour and curriculum design to promote meaningful moral development in child-focused programmes.

Female Headteachers’ Lived Experiences of Challenges in Public Basic Schools in Assin South Municipality, Ghana

Kweku ESIA-DONKOH — 2026-05-18

Anchored in the Standpoint Feminist Theory and complemented by the African Feminist Theory, this study examined the challenges faced by female headteachers in public basic schools in Ghana’s Assin South Municipality. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm and employing a phenomenological qualitative design, purposive sampling was used to select twelve full-time female headteachers with at least two years of experience in their current roles. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide that focused on school-related, student-related, and personal-related challenges. Trustworthiness was ensured through confirmability, credibility, dependability, and transferability, while ethical considerations included obtaining informed consent, maintaining confidentiality, ensuring anonymity, and encrypting data. The results revealed key school-related challenges, including teacher absenteeism, work overload, inadequate teaching and learning resources, low teacher motivation, and ineffective use of instructional time. Student-related challenges included a lack of commitment and irregular school attendance, indiscipline, and emotional burdens. Personal challenges identified were psychological pressure and tension, work-life imbalance, unclear educational policies and regulations, and discrimination and stereotyping. Addressing these interconnected challenges is crucial for strengthening female school leadership and enhancing educational quality. It is recommended that the Assin South Municipal Education Directorate develop and enforce gender-responsive policies, combat societal biases, and ensure clear communication on educational reforms to support female headteachers.

Investigating the Impacts of E-learning on Kindergarten Pupils' Learning at Rev. Wilson B Basic School in the Mfantseman Municipality, Ghana

Seth Dade ANSAH — 2026-05-18

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered daily activities, posing unprecedented challenges globally. In response, governments worldwide closed schools, impacting over 90% of enrolled learners. To ensure educational continuity, emergency remote learning strategies, often involving online solutions, were widely deployed. E-learning has since become an integral part of the curriculum in many Ghanaian schools. This study specifically investigated the impacts of e-learning on kindergarten pupils’ learning at Rev. Wilson B Basic School. Employing a descriptive survey design, data was collected using questionnaires from 24 respondents, comprising all pupils and teachers in the school. Key positive impacts identified included improvements in the quality of pupils’ learning, enhanced convenience and flexibility in learning (M=3.9, SD=1.0), and increased pupil motivation (M=3.9, SD=1.0). Conversely, negative impacts involved limiting human interaction between pupils and teachers, the lack of human contact affecting learning quality, and imposing financial burdens on parents and guardians. The study recommends that basic schools, especially kindergartens, leverage e-learning benefits by exposing pupils to the system. Furthermore, the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education must ensure the provision of appropriate teaching and learning materials to support e-learning implementation in Ghanaian basic schools.

Tutors’ Leadership Experiences in Public Colleges of Education Using Tengey’s (2018) Virtue-Based Leadership Concept

Kweku ESIA-DONKOH — 2026-05-18

This study explored the leadership experiences of tutors in public Colleges of Education (CoEs) using Tengey's (2018) leadership concept. Utilizing the interpretivist paradigm, this study employed a qualitative research approach and a phenomenological design to collect data from 40 eligible participants using purposive, maximum variation, and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide. The analysis concentrated on identifying themes. Tutors viewed leadership as a holistic, value-driven process rooted in personal virtues, ethical responsibilities, and strategic foresight, extending beyond formal roles to encompass relational and future-oriented influence. The leadership experiences of tutors in public CoEs reflect Tengey's (2018) concept of inclusive, value-driven leadership that extends beyond formal roles. These attributes include responsibility and accountability, moral discipline, courage and confidence, creativity and innovation, collaboration and influence, and future-oriented thinking. Systemic barriers to implementing Tengey's (2018) value-based leadership include limited forward thinking, dependence on formal authority, inadequate ethical discipline, and disregard for informal leadership contributions. The findings demonstrate a need for leadership development that enhances ethical awareness, promotes collaboration, and fosters innovation, while accounting for institutional and cultural constraints. Among other things, public CoEs in Ghana should establish systems to identify and foster leadership at all levels, extending beyond administrative roles.

Trajectories of Cognitive Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression as Predictors and Outcomes of Adolescent Risk Behaviors: Evidence from a Ghanaian Longitudinal Study

Samuel Ofori DANQUAH — 2026-05-18

This longitudinal study examined the developmental trajectories of emotion regulation strategies cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression and their predictive effects on adolescent risk behaviors over a 24-month period. The sample comprised 900 adolescents from both public and private schools in Ghana, assessed at three time points: baseline (T1), 12 months (T2), and 24 months (T3). Findings revealed that cognitive reappraisal, an adaptive strategy involving reframing emotional experiences, increased significantly over time (T1: M = 3.45; T2: M = 3.61; T3: M = 3.72), while expressive suppression, a maladaptive strategy characterized by inhibiting emotional expression, decreased (T1: M = 2.89; T2: M = 2.76; T3: M = 2.63). Longitudinal path analyses showed that higher cognitive reappraisal at T1 and T2 predicted reduced engagement in risk behaviors such as substance use, aggression, and risky sexual activity across subsequent time points (T1 to T2: ? = -0.24, p = 0.004; T2 to T3: ? = -0.27, p = 0.002). Conversely, greater expressive suppression predicted increased risk behaviors over time (T1 to T2: ? = 0.31, p = 0.001; T2 to T3: ? = 0.29, p = 0.003). Cross-lagged panel analysis further demonstrated bidirectional influences: effective emotion regulation at earlier time points predicted fewer risk behaviors later, while engagement in risk behaviors predicted subsequent declines in emotion regulation abilities (T1 to T2: ? = 0.15, p = 0.031; T2 to T3: ? = 0.18, p < 0.05). These results underscore the dynamic interplay between emotion regulation and adolescent risk behavior, highlighting cognitive reappraisal’s protective role and the risks associated with expressive suppression. The findings suggest that interventions fostering adaptive emotion regulation skills may be critical for reducing risk behaviors and promoting healthier adolescent development.