Journal of Educational Development and Practice
About the Journal The Journal of Educational Development and Practice (JED-P) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Institute of Education, School of Educational Development and Outreach, University of Cape Coast. The Journal provides a platform for the dissemination of high-quality research, theoretical analyses, and practical innovations in education and development. JED-P seeks to promote knowledge sharing, dialogue, and professional growth among scholars, educators, and practitioners within Ghana and beyond. Open Access Policy JED-P is committed to the principles of open access. All articles are freely available online immediately upon publication and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. This allows users to copy, distribute, remix, transform, and build upon published works, including for commercial purposes, provided proper credit is given to the original author(s). Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right to publish and disseminate it.
Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast
Effect of Students selected Context-Based Approach on Students’ Performance in Genetics
The quest to maximize students' learning in the sciences has been on high alert in the recent past. This has brought into focus how teachers enact the content prescribed by the curriculum. Various approaches have been suggested as probable solutions to cure students' weak learning attainment in the sciences. One approach gaining grounds in the literature as a means of effectively teaching science concepts leading to the maximization of students' learning is context-based teaching. This research sought to explore the effectiveness of student-selected context-based teaching approaches on students' achievement in genetics concepts in Ghanaian senior high schools. Using 107 biology students from three schools, pretest-posttest non-equivalent group design was used to identify which of the student-selected context-based teaching was effective in improving learning outcomes in genetics. Results indicate that the recent approach of students’ selected context-based teaching was more effective in improving the performance of students in genetics as compared to the modern and traditional approaches with a large effect size. It is recommended that biology instructors who use students' selected context-based approach to teach genetics should use the recent approach to context-based teaching, which has been demonstrated to be more successful in increasing students' genetics performance.
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Educational Development and Practice
Teacher Perceptions of Gender Stereotyping and how they Influence their Interactions with Boys and Girls in Early Childhood Education
This study considers the ways in which early childhood teachers relate with boys and girls on the basis of gender stereotypes as a result of the existence of the scarcity of awareness about perceptions of gender stereotyping in preschools. A case study research design was adopted where data were collected using semi-structured interviews from a sample size consisting of 8 preschool teachers, drawn from both public and private schools within the Ayawaso West municipality in Accra, Ghana. The findings reveal that the preschool teachers engage in practices that promote gender equality in their classrooms but unconsciously perpetuate gender stereotyping due to some practices underpinned by gender stereotypes.
Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of Educational Development and Practice
Socio-Cultural and Economic Barriers to Females’ Educational Attainment: Qualitative Evidence from Rural Communities In Ghana
Although significant progress has been made to rectify gender imbalances in education and development, socio-cultural and economic challenges still constitute barriers to females’ educational attainment. Using a qualitative research approach involving 16 participants and data collected through semi-structured interviews, we explored socio-cultural and economic factors that constitute barriers to females’ educational attainment in a rural district in Ghana. From the thematic analysis of the interview data, the findings showed that socio-cultural barriers – driven by traditional gender roles, cultural norms, along with economic barriers, including poverty and limited resources – hinder females’ educational attainment. Drawing on social norm and gender performance theories, we argue that socio-cultural and economic barriers are critical issues that shed light on the complex challenges females in rural communities face as they strive for educational attainment. We recommend the implementation of local-level awareness campaigns and community engagement initiatives to transform negative perceptions surrounding females’ education in rural communities.
Hands-On/Mind-On Activities and Intellectual Development of Preschool Children
Several research findings have revealed that the more stimulating the environment and activities exposed to a child is, the more the child develops and learns. Unfortunately, the method of teaching adopted in preschool education levels in Nigeria has not been making children develop in all the domains as expected. This study therefore investigated the effects of hands-on/mind-on activities on the intellectual development of Pre-school children using pretest-posttest control group quasi experimental design. The results reveals that there is a significant main effect of treatment on Pre-school Children's Intellectual Development (F (1. 18) = 15.270; P <0.005) among others.
Influence of the internet on the moral behavior of senior high school students in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana
The study investigated the influence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the moral behavior of students of Holy Child Senior High School in Cape Coast, Ghana. The study design was the Mixed Method Research type with a population consisting of 70 teachers, 1010 students, their parents and internet cafe operators in the Metropolis. A sample size of 300 was determined for the study comprising 200 students, 50 teachers, and 45 parents randomly selected, while five internet cafe operators in the Metropolis were purposively chosen. Although the students often abuse ICT/Internet by spending excessive hours on social media (i.e. Face/wok, Twitter and Skype), downloading music, watching movies including pornographic materials, and playing games, they disagreed with the assertion that ICT/lnternet has destroyed their moral fibre. It is recommended that parents and teachers should not blame the moral decay of students (adolescents) solely on the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) or internet but should effectively supervise, monitor and track the various websites that students visit.
Teacher factors as determinants of students’ performance in economics in Ogun State, Nigeria
Economics is one of the Social Science subjects in Nigeria. Hence, students are expected to pass the subject for them to be admitted into the Faculties of the Social Sciences and Administration il1 Nigerian Universities. However; the achievement of secondary students in Economics has not been encouraging, especially in Ogun State, Nigeria. Therefore, this study examined teacher-related factors as predictors of students' academic achievement in Economics in Ogun Slate, Nigeria. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Six hundred students and forty teachers were selected from two local government areas in Ogun State using simple random sampling and proportionate sampling techniques. The Economics students responded to Students’ Perceived Teacher Factors Questionnaire; (1'=0.81) and Economics Achievement Test, (r=0.84) while Economics leachers responded to teachers' demographic bio-data. Two research hypotheses were tested and analysed using multiple regression analysis. Result revealed that teachers' qualification (0.14), competence (0.92) and experience (0.14) independently and jointly contributed significantly to students' academic achievement in Economics (Rl = 0. 77, F = 46. 78, p< 0.05). Based on the findings, it was recommended that government and other education service providers may improve sludents' academic achievement in Economics by employing teachers with high qualification, competence and experience.
Assessment of mathematics anxiety of university undergraduate students
This study examined the influence of programme of study and gender on students' anxiety in mathematics. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. Preservice teachers from a University of Education in Nigeria were used. A total of 160 second year (200 Level) students (87 male and 73 female) were selected using stratified, proportionate random sampling. A questionnaire, titled items Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) with reliability coefficient of 0.90 was used. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the analysis. Results indicated a significant difference in the mathematics anxiety of respondents based on programme of study. F (6, 153) = 2.58, P < 0.05 and the t-test revealed that mathematics anxiety is gender invariant [t (160) = 1.266, P < 0.05}. Mathematics anxiety exhibited by male students [ = 58.89, S.D = 14.020] is higher than that exhibited by female students [ = 46.33, S.D = 10.537]. It is recommended that deliberate effort should be made to encourage students and give proper counselling to them on how to develop confidence in mathematics. Also, training of students should be geared towards building students' confidence in mathematics particularly at the foundation level.
Evaluation of Language Policy in Education in Two Speech Communities in Northern Ghana
The paper evaluates the implementation of language policy in education of two speech communities in Northern Ghana. The objective is 10 find out the knowledge levels of this policy and how it is implemented among different stakeholders such as teachers, educationists and school children. To achieve this, interviews and questionnaires are used to collect dataji-om these stakeholders. The paper reveals that there is a mismatch between the educational policies and implementations. It observes that LP in education recognises the importance of mother-tongue (MT) medium of instruction and bilingllal education, yet the constant flu ctuations of LP in education have hindered its successful implementation and this needs to be addressed. The study recommends that policy makers do not arbitrarily make policies that are not based on scientific or research evidence. Technocrats should be involved, thus allowing dialogue between policy makes and technocrats. It also recommends that political affiliations be put aside and afocus should be on a policy that will benefit the populace. The last recommendation is that not only should the Government of the day have the policy of language in education but also ensure that challenges and barriers to implementation are minimized.
Language immersion: A case of Cours Lumiere and University Basic School Pupils
Language immersion is considered as one of the best methods in current trends in language learning. Language immersion programme helps not only to learn how to speak a language flently, but also to connect people from different sociocultural backgrounds and beliefs. This paper seeks to investigate the impacts of a four-week immersion exchange programme for pupils of University of Cape Coast Basic School (UCCBS) in Ghana and Cours Lumiere (CL) in Togo. The study basically analyses feedbacks gathered from guest-pupils and their parents, both in Cape Coast (Ghana) and Lome (Togo) through questionnaire. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed in the data analysis to arrive at findings which suggest that learning a foreign language in the place where it is spoken facilitates the ability to learn while making the experience of the learner enjoyable, exciting, and memorable. The feedbacks from the respondents also suggest that the pupils have experienced total language immersion in their new environment. Based on the findings of this study, recolllll1endations (lre made so as to enhance the learning opportunities that this type of immersion programme can bring to pupils studying a foreign language
Investigating the factors that attract and retain international students at the University of Cape Coast (UCC)
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are changing in making its products 'fit' for the new age of diversity and globalization due to the new trends in demand for education. This study was undertaken to identify the factors that attract and retain international students in HEIs in Ghana. The total study population was 200 international students at University of Cape Coast (UCC) which was conveniently sampled to 171 students. Descriptive data analysis was used and the study sought using questionnaires and analysed with SPSS version 21. The study revealed that the cost of tuition and lack of scholarship opportunities prevent international students in studying in UCe. Yet, factors such as availability of peace and security, appreciable length of programmes, and job opportunities for programmes were some of the factors influencing international students ' stay at the host institution. The study, therefore, recommends that Policy makers and institutions should maintain reasonable education costs and scholarships as an advantage to attract intel'l1ational students. UCC and other tertiary institutions must continue to maintain peaceful, secure. and conducive environment for international students.
Students' Career Aspirations and Pedagogical Experiences in Ghanaian Universities
In this 21st Century, the role of higher education (HE) has shifted from the dominance of knowledge transmission to the development of relevant skills for national development and for solving society's problems. This study therefore explored students' career aspirations and their pedagogical experiences during their university education in selected private and public Ghanaian universities. To gather data for the study, interviews were held with 10 lecturers and one focus group discussion with six students in each of the eight departments selected from both the public and private universities. Using thematic analysis, the data reveal that students go to university with high expectations of acquiring skills that would make them marketable, and in some cases, entrepreneurial to enable them to establish their own businesses. However, while in some private universities and specific academic programmes, manageable class sizes and learning resources allow for participatory and practical activities, large classes in public universities and certain programmes lend themselves to the dominance of theoretical approaches and knowledge transmission. Thus, there are identified gaps between students' expectations and actual pedagogical experiences in higher education institutions. This may suggest that the type of university and academic programme one accesses determines the skills one acquires, and one's employability in Ghana. Accordingly, we suggest that Ghanaian universities focus more on creating the kind of teaching and learning environments that will foster the use of participatory and practical approaches and the development of students' critical thinking, innovative and problem-solving skills
Copyright (c) 2022 Journal of Educational Development and Practice
Teaching Practicum in Ghanaian Basic Schools: Exploring the Experiences of Student Teachers in Colleges of Education
The teaching practicum within the context of initial teacher education represents a pivotal medium for effecting the transition of student teachers from theoretical knowledge to practical application in the classroom. Notwithstanding its central role in the professional development of student teachers, empirical evidence on the perceived impact of teaching practicum on student teachers’ attitudes, professional skills, and associated challenges is underrepresented, especially in the global south, including Ghana. Using a qualitative study approach, this study draws on a focus group discussion conducted with 120 student teachers in 15 colleges of education in Ghana. The findings showed that student teachers developed positive attitudes towards teaching by recognising the need to respect diversity, act as change agents/role models and promote positive professional relationships. In addition, the participants reported a positive impact of the practicum on their pedagogical skills as well as their leadership and collaborative skills. Despite these perceived positive impacts, student teachers encountered several challenges, which were categorised into three levels: partner school, supervising tutors and mentors. The findings highlight ways in which the challenges could be addressed to maximise the benefits associated with teaching practicums.
Influence of Tutors’ Direct Teaching Practice on the Academic Achievement of Distance Education Students: Does Perceived Module Usefulness Matter?
In the print mode distance education, module usefulness is significant to teaching and learning. This study examined the role of perceived module usefulness in the relationship between tutors’ direct teaching practice and students’ academic performance. A descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach was used. The study covered Distance Education students in University of Cape Coast, Ghana. The study targeted Diploma in Basic Education students using a multi- stage sampling with a sample size of 380. Questionnaire was the main instrument used. Validity and reliability of the instrument were established. Multiple regression analysis with 1,000 bootstrap samples was used to test hypothesis 1. Simple mediation analysis through Structural Equation Modelling with 5,000 bootstrap samples was used to test hypothesis 2. Tutors’ direct teaching practice was a significant predictor of students’ CGPA, with students’ interaction having the largest contribution lagged by assessing students’ learning and delivery of lessons respectively. Module usefulness was a significant mediator in the relationship between tutors’ direct teaching practice and students’ academic achievement, b=.0279, Boot CI [.0094, .0467]. It is recommended that the management of the distance education programme should frequently organise seminars and workshops for tutors; deliver modules on-time and make module content useful for students’ consumption.
Teachers’ Perceived Influence of Finger-Counting Manipulative as Basis for a Solid Foundation in Mathematics
This paper sought to determine preschool, primary, and secondary school mathematics teachers’ and special educators’ views of finger-counting as the basis for a solid foundation in learning mathematics. One hundred participants were selected using purposive sampling. One research question and three hypotheses were raised to guide the study. The instrument used was adapted from Mutlu and titled the finger-counting questionnaire. It had a reliability index of 0.78. The descriptive survey design was employed. Data collected were analyzed using percentages, means, t-tests, and ANOVA statistics. The results showed that teachers perceived the influence of finger-counting to include the following: facilitating learning by touching, turning abstract into concrete thereby resulting in meaningful learning, making counting practical and accessible, facilitating retention and internalization, increasing numerical, arithmetic, and problem-solving skills, and improving attitudes toward mathematics. Findings also revealed that no differences exist among teachers on the perceived impact of finger-counting as the basis for a solid foundation in learning mathematics based on their gender and category. In conclusion, finger counting should be seen as an indispensable tool in teaching and learning mathematics. The researchers recommended that because people abandon finger-counting strategies once they develop cognitive and affective skills, finger-counting should be seen as a transition process rather than an obstacle to the development of mental arithmetic skills.
Dramatization and Foreign Language Learning Anxiety: The Case of French in Ghana
This paper seeks to investigate the perceived impact of dramatization on reducing foreign language learning anxiety among students studying French at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana. The study adopts a mixed approach to gather data from 54 randomly selected Level 100 students. The study is based on Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope’s (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis. The analysis reveals that the majority of the students initially had communication apprehension before the intervention, which consisted of using drama techniques to develop speaking skills. It further shows that the students had low levels of self- confidence, hence their anxiety. Tasks of dramatization performed in groups contributed significantly to developing the level of confidence of students. This intervention enhanced their pronunciation, listening, understanding, and speaking skills of the French language, thereby reducing their anxiety about learning the language. They also developed mechanisms to overcome their fear of the audience when speaking in public. The study therefore strongly recommends the use of drama to overcome learning anxiety in the French language classroom
Views of Students on Support Services at College of Distance Education, University Of Cape Coast
This study examined the views of distance education students on the kind of support services available at the College of Distance Education. Adopting the descriptive survey design, the study investigated the state of selected student support services at the College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast. The stratified and simple random sampling procedures were employed to select a sample size of 645 out of 3,678 students offering Bachelor of Education programme from study centres across the country. Questionnaire was used to collect data which were analysed with frequencies and means. Participants confirmed that relevant study materials were supplied at the beginning of each semester. In addition, course tutors were punctual to class and displayed mastery of subject matter. Findings of the study further revealed that though counselling and advisory services were available, there were no dedicated help line nor internet counselling platforms for students. Administrative and information services were also averagely offered to students. It was recommended that management take steps to improve on administrative and information, and counselling and advisory services to help students progress smoothly in their academic work through timely provision of information and introduction of e-counselling services
Academic Adjustment Needs of International Students of Universities in Southern Ghana
The study investigated the academic adjustment needs of regular undergraduate international students of universities in southern Ghana. The descriptive survey design of the quantitative research approach was employed for the study. The data were analysed using both descriptive (mean, standard deviation and rank) and inferential (Independent-samples t-test) statistics. The findings showed that the academic adjustment needs of international students were quite serious or weighty, and there was no significant difference in the academic adjustment needs of undergraduate regular international students on the basis of gender. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended, among other things, that policy makers and management of the universities must take into account the reality of the academic adjustment needs of regular undergraduate international students no matter their gender. They should also consider effective ways of making their stay in universities in southern Ghana less stressful.
Psychosocial Environment of Universities: How Satisfied are Academics with Work-Related Factors?
University academics are critical actors in knowledge production and human resource development through teaching and research. However, despite the significant roles of university academics in the knowledge society, the psychosocial work environment of universities particularly in developing nations has witnessed agitations, threats and strikes over one work-related issue or the other. The current study examined how academic staff of selected universities in Ghana perceived work-related factors in their psychosocial environment using the mixed methods explanatory sequential design. A sample of 376 academic staff were stratified and selected based on rank and gender. Structured questionnaire was employed to collect data for the quantitative phase of the study while semi-structured interview guide was used to gather the qualitative data. Results from the study showed that academic staff of universities were dissatisfied with criteria for promotion, salary, as well as training and development as they perceived these factors negatively in their psychosocial work environment. It was recommended that managements of universities in Ghana make pragmatic efforts to review conditions of service of academic staff in order to create favourable psychosocial work environments for university academics to promote effective teaching, research and innovation
First Year University Students’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards HIV/AIDS
The main purpose of the study was to investigate first year students’ knowledge, attitude, and practices towards HIV/AIDS. In achieving this objective, the descriptive research design was adopted. The study participants comprised 249 level 100 students. A questionnaire developed by Carey and Schroder (2002) was used to collect data on students’ HIV/AIDS knowledge. A researcher-designed instrument was used to collect data on students’ attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS and practices regarding HIV/AIDS. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the analyses. The findings of the study revealed that the respondents’ knowledge level on HIV/AIDS was low and their practices regarding the disease were also poor. However, the respondents had positive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS. The study recommends HIV/AIDS education course should be incorporated into the university’s curriculum to help increase students’ knowledge on HIV/AIDS and also enhance their practices.
Teacher Motivation in Less Endowed Senior High Schools in Tain District of Bono Region
The study sought to explore the factors that contribute to the graduate teacher’s motivation and retention in the less endowed public senior high schools in the Tain District in the Bono Region. It employed the qualitative research approach using the case study design to examine and interpret the perceptions and experiences of 21 graduate teachers in three less endowed senior high schools at the countryside. The findings revealed that inadequate remuneration, lack of opportunity for promotion and low prestige in teaching were the three most crucial factors which accounted for the drift of graduate teachers from the teaching service into other jobs. It recommended among others that, graduate teachers should be paid realistic and competitive wages in order to ensure higher teacher retention and improve upon their performance. There is the need to establish scholarship and incentive packages for all graduate teachers who accept posting to schools in the rural areas
Interrater Reliability Study of the Diploma in Basic Education Examination in English, Mathematics and Integrated Science conducted by the Institute of Education, UCC in Ghana
The study was conducted to determine the interrater reliability (ratter agreement) of the Diploma in Basic Education (DBE) examination conducted by the Institute of Education of UCC in Ghana. The population consisted of 13,352 first year students who were admitted for the 2015/2016 academic year to pursue the DBE programme and offered English, Core Mathematics and Integrated Science. Using the stratified random sampling technique, 600 scripts of each course were sampled from twelve Colleges of Education for the study. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and paired samples t-test were used for the analyses. The results showed a high interrater reliability in the three courses English (r=0.819 at 0.05α), Mathematics (r=0.878 at 0.05α) and Integrated Science (r=0.867at 0.05α) courses. In addition, the hypothesis testing revealed that the differences between raters in Mathematics and Integrated Science were not significant at 0.05α, p>0.05 indicating that the differences had no impact on total scores. However, in English the differences were found to be significant at 0.05α. It was recommended that the Institute of Education intensifies its coordination sessions with examiners with special emphasis on the English examiners. It was further suggested that team leaders should be more vigilant with vetting of scripts.
Untrained Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices in Public and Private Basic Schools in Mfantseman Municipality of Ghana
To gain a better understanding of untrained teacher beliefs and how that corresponds with their reported classroom practices, a survey was conducted with untrained teachers in public and private basic schools in Ghana. The study collected data through the survey design using a questionnaire which was administered to 188 untrained teachers in rural and urban basic schools. The data were analysed using Means and Standard Deviations to compare the teacher beliefs and practices in the two school types. Pearson-Correlation was used to find out any relationship between the teacher beliefs and their reported practices. Furthermore, Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to find out differences in beliefs, teaching practices and the school type. The results show that most of the untrained teachers held on to direct transmissive beliefs more than constructive beliefs. There were also inconsistencies in the relationship between beliefs and reported practices. However, there were statistically significant differences between the beliefs of untrained teachers in public and those in private schools about teaching and learning. Implication and recommendations for in-service teacher education programmes have been discussed.
Teachers’ efficacy beliefs in the implementation of senior high school economics curriculum
The purpose of this study was to assess the level of economics teachers’ efficacy beliefs in the implementation of Senior High School Economics curriculum. This study did not only assess the level of Economics teachers’ efficacy, beliefs, but also examined the differences in teacher efficacy beliefs across gender and professional qualifications. The study focused on Senior High School Economics teachers in the Western Region of Ghana. Descriptive survey design was used to determine the level of Economics teachers’ efficacy beliefs and the differences in teacher efficacy beliefs across gender and professional qualification. Simple random sampling was used to select 123 Economics teachers. The long form of Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) was used to collect the data and the data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation and T-test. The results showed that teachers have high efficacy beliefs in the implementation of Senior High School Economics curriculum. Again, there were no statistically significant differences in teacher efficacy level across gender and professional qualification. It was recommended that teachereducators, Ghana Education Service and school authorities should organize selfefficacy enhancement programmes for teachers so as to sustain or improve their efficacy beliefs.
Using phonics as a method of teaching reading in basic schools
This study examines the use of phonics as a method of teaching reading in basic schools within the framework of generative phonology proposed by Chomsky and Halle (1968) in the Sound Pattern of English (SPE) as discussed in Hawkins (1992). The study aims at describing the patterns of phonic sounds with the application of phonological rules. It describes naturally occurring phenomena (phonemes) without experimental manipulation. The data which is collected from some existing data on phonic teaching and learning and used in this paper are from both verbal and written sources. Participants selected include teachers (T), teacher-trainees (TT) and pupils (P). The study shows the relationship between phonic symbols and letters of the alphabet in English. It attempts to present consonants and vowels occurring in wordinitial, word-medial and word-final positions in English as the major sounds in the English language. Based on the synchronic data available, the paper hypothesizes that the voiceless dental fricative /0/ and the voiced dental fricative /6/ are the difficult sounds that are not easily pronounced in English words by the LI learner in Ghana. The study, therefore, suggests that both teachers and teacher-trainees should have some knowledge in phonic sounds, and that an introduction to phonetics and phonology should be considered as a course in the Colleges of Education.
Preparation for death and dying among pre-retirement civil servants in Nigeria: challenges for counselling
This nationwide study was done with the main purpose of finding out the level of preparation for death and dying among pre-retirement civil servants in Nigeria. A secondary purpose was to determine the influence of age on such preparation. The instrument used for data collection was tagged "Preparation for Death and Dying Questionnaire" (PDDQ). Its validity and reliability were duly established through the help of experts. The relevant data were collected through the employment of research assistants. The findings showed that the respondents were ill-prepared for death and dying. Also, significant age differences were observed in retiring civil servants' preparation for death and dying; younger pre-retirement civil servants had made less preparation for death and dying than their older counterparts. The critical challenges that these findings pose for counselling practice in Nigeria were then succinctly highlighted.
Attitude of primary school teachers towards assessment of pupils in the Cape Coast Metropolis
The purpose of the study was to determine the attitude of primary school teachers in the Cape Coast Metropolis towards assessment of their pupils. The stratified random sampling technique was used to sample 227 primary school teachers from 36 out of 65 schools in the metropolis for the study. The subjects responded to a questionnaire from which the data were collected. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and the independent t-test. The results showed that the teachers generally have positive altitude towards assessment of their pupils and that there is no significant difference between the attitudes of male and female teachers towards assessment. However, there arc some aspects of the components of assessment that the teachers were not well disposed to or comfortable with. In view of this it was recommended that the Metropolitan Education Directorate, in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast should conduct inservice training on assessment for re-orientation of the primary school teachers.
Gendered experiences of Ghanaian female academics and scientists
Although women’s roles in development are vital, they are generally marginalized in all spheres of society’s development including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This article explored the experiences of women in STEM domains in Ghana’s tertiary education and research institutions. Thirty participants (students, faculty, and research scientists) were selected through purposive/criterion sampling. Their experiences were elicited using semi-structured interviews. The interview data were thematically analysed using initial coding, axial, and selective coding under grounded theory. The findings confirmed that the Ghanaian society is still deeply patriarchal. On the STEM trajectories of the participants, gender discrimination was manifested in comments, structures, and practices. In the face of the gender discrimination experienced, the support system of the female faculty interviewed, enabled them to succeed in their professional and educational endeavours.
Exploring problem-solving skills among junior high school one students in mathematics at Akatsi South District, Ghana
The purpose of this study was to explore how Junior High School (JHS) 1 students solve word-problems in Mathematics. A total of 112 JHS 1 students were purposively selected from 41 public basic schools in the Akatsi South District of Ghana. Interview guide and test items comprising questions on word-problems in Mathematics on “Fractions”, “Perimeter” and “Area” were used to collect data. Percentages and frequency distribution tables as well as descriptive statistics (mean, mode, median and standard deviations) were used for data analysis. It was found that most of the students were able to read the word-problems in Mathematics but a majority of them could not read the concept names correctly. It was also found that a majority of the students could not solve the word-problems in Mathematics (fractions, perimeter and area) correctly resulting in very low performance. It is recommended that the Institute of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Ghana, should include problem-solving skills in Mathematics as a course in the curriculum of Colleges of Education in the country. The Institute of Education should collaborate with the Ghana Education Service to organize inservice training programmes for teachers to equip them with the skills and strategies needed to enforce the teaching and learning of Mathematics using problem-solving approach.
Preparing student teachers for teaching: an exploration of field experience in three Colleges of Education in Ghana
This study sought to understand the processes of providing practical experience to student-teachers in preparing them for teaching, and how the trainees perceive these. It used the mixed method approach to obtain data from 3 purposively sampled Colleges of Education and 12 schools of attachment in the Central Region of Ghana. Questionnaires were administered to 232 student-teachers; 12 focus group discussion sessions were held with mentees while an interview guide was used to elicit data from 24 mentors. The study found that there were no documented guidelines for the conduct of practicum, which meant uniformity in the approach was lacking; different processes and intensity of practicum organisation occurred in the colleges, and poor mentoring and supervision happened in most schools of attachment. Again, most mentors were untrained for their task, and the elements of partnership between teacher-training institutions and schools of attachment, which normally characterise practicum were not observed. This situation led to little articulation between the college preparation and activities of schools of attachment, and how one informs the work of the other. Moreover, student-teachers received very little professional guidance on how to develop their teaching competencies. Consequently, the study recommended that institutions should develop appropriate teaching standards and guidelines for practicum. Again, colleges should foster a strict adherence to the elements of partnership, while ensuring that qualified mentors are formally appointed, trained, incentivized and supported.
2014 revised social studies syllabus for colleges of education in Ghana-matters arising
The study examines the 2014 Revised Social Studies Syllabus for Colleges of Education in Ghana. Twelve tutors were sampled from six Colleges of Education in the Western and Central Regions of Ghana using the purposive sampling technique. The main research instrument used was an interview guide. Data collected were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative procedures. The structure and contents of the syllabus were first discussed followed by the data collected from the respondents. The study confirmed the perception held by many that social studies offered in the Colleges of Education in Ghana is integrated, based on the social sciences. It was revealed that the content areas of the subject are based on disciplines such as Geography, Economics, History, Sociology and Government. More so, inspite of the few gaps found between the syllabus and the JHS Social Studies syllabus, to a.very large extent, the Social Studies syllabus for the Colleges of Education is consistent with the JHS syllabus. Among the recommendations made was the need for tutors to adopt innovative approaches in teaching to enable them to complete the outline for each semester before End of Semester Examinations