Journal of Educational Management

Prevalent factors of career uncertainties among Ghanaian senior high school students

Joy Olive Boye — 2023-12-01

Research has shown that career uncertainty is a major issue that distorts the career trajectories of many adolescents, specifically senior high school students, as many of them are unable to make career decisions that will place them on a firm path of career development. The study explored the most prevalent factors of career uncertainty related to Ghanaian high school students. The research design employed was a descriptive survey, and 426 students were selected for participation by means of multi-stage sampling. Data were gathered with a four-point Likert-type scale questionnaire on career uncertainty for senior high school students. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics. The results depicted that, among all the factors investigated to determine the career uncertainty of senior high school students, self-awareness, fear and anxiety in decision-making, inadequate career information, inadequate career counselling, peer pressure, family interference, and academic accomplishment challenges were the most prevalent factors of career uncertainty. The recommendations made were that school guidance coordinators need to be sensitive to issues of self-awareness, fear, and anxiety in decision-making, inadequate career information, inadequate career counselling, peer pressure, family interference, and academic accomplishment challenges throughout counselling sessions to facilitate well-informed and wise career decisions. It was recommended that all stakeholders in Ghana’s educational sector collaborate to formulate and implement policies that encourage students to plan, develop, and make career choices before the end of their high school years.

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

Kwame Akyeampong — 2024-02-23

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.

Exploring the internal quality assurance management practices at the University of Ghana

Fred Kofi Boateng — 2024-02-23

There is a dearth in literature on how quality assurance actors perceive the effectiveness of their own approaches to internal quality assurance practices in Ghana’s tertiary education system. This study, with the systems model as an analytical construct, used a constructivist-interpretivist approach to explore the internal quality assurance management practices at the University of Ghana. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used to gather data from the University of Ghana (UG). The themes that emerged from the data indicated that UG has a comprehensive quality assurance policy, policy implementation structure and quality assurance management system. The results show that there is lack of well–resourced quality assurance offices at the policy implementation staircases, inadequate quality assurance stakeholders’ involvement and neglect of quality assurance measures for educational outcome sub-system. The results imply that for UG to improve on its internal quality assurance management there is a need to establish well-resourced quality assurance offices at the policy implementation staircases. In addition, quality assurance actors should involve all stakeholders stipulated in the quality assurance policy documents.

Exploring staff perception of corporate governance practices of Universities in Ghana

Enoch Danso Okyere — 2023-12-01

Corporate governance practices of institutions such as universities have the impetus to influence the level of staff contentment. The study sought to explore staff contentment with the corporate governance practices of universities in Ghana. It adopted a qualitative phenomenological design and involved nine autonomous public universities and four autonomous private universities. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select 24 staff who represent pro-vice-chancellors (academic) and registrars for in-depth interviews, while focus group discussions were conducted with 95 staff, which were composed of senior members (academic), senior members (non-academic), senior staff, and junior staff. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. It was found that the staff of universities are content with almost all corporate governance practices of the universities except council size, composition, and the election of deans of faculty. To make sure that every member of staff is adequately represented on the councils through their unions, it is recommended that the management of universities, via the Minister of Education, review the statutes addressing the size and composition of the institutions. Moreover, it is recommended that universities institutionalize training programmes for all staff to prepare them to occupy leadership and management positions in the future. In conclusion, the existing policy regarding the election of the deans of faculty should be substituted with an appointment based on an individual's experience and qualifications.

Key Words: Corporate governance practices, staff contentment, autonomous universities, private universities, and public universities

Management of higher educational institutions in Ghana amid COVID-19 pandemic: The case of University of Cape Coast

Alfred Ghartey — 2023-12-01

Aptly described as the biggest challenge to have confronted humanity since World War II, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major damage in all spheres of life. Using Mitroff’s (2005) Crises Management Model, this paper focuses on higher education institutions and investigates how the senior management of a typical African higher education institution reacted to the pandemic. Deploying the qualitative case study approach with a phenomenological transcendental design, the study sought to explore the challenges the University of Cape Coast Management faced and the measures it adopted to manage the pandemic. The participants were comprised of seven management members. It was found that the university was not prepared for a pandemic of this nature. The study also found that the pandemic posed key challenges, namely, administrative, financial, and operational. Nonetheless, the university instituted some coping mechanisms that helped mitigate the impact of the pandemic. It is recommended that the university develop a comprehensive crisis response plan that provides standard operational guidelines regarding administrative work and teaching and also protocols for reducing the spread of infections. The paper proposes that the university create an emergency fund and build the capacity of its members to adopt appropriate technology to enhance teaching, learning, and administrative work.