Selected demographic variables as predictors of Ghanaian preservice teachers’ perceptions of the teacher licensure test

Abstract

This study examined Ghanaian preservice teachers’ perceptions of the newly introduced teacher licensure test in 2018. Data were obtained from an online survey of third-year preservice teachers selected from 16 of 46 public colleges of education in Ghana. By adapting an existing instrument, we created an 11-item scale, which was theoretically categorised into five components: utility of the test, college preparation, consequences, emphasis on the test, and other certification tests. The participants’ scores on each component were regressed on four predictor variables: information about the test, the student’s sex, prior teaching experience, and programme of study. The results showed that students’ sex was predictive of the utility of the test, college preparation, and emphasis on the test. Prior teaching experience was also predictive of the emphasis placed on the test and the need for other certification tests. Preservice teachers’ exposure to information about the test was associated with their perceptions of the utility of the test, the need for college preparation, and the use of other certification tests. Implications for teacher preparation and education are discussed, especially in relation to the identification of alternative certifications.