Trainee Teachers Attitudes toward Macro-Teaching: Resource Impact and Mentors Perspectives

Macro-teaching is a technique used to prepare trainee teachers for the real classroom setting. This technique enables trainee teachers to experiment and learn relevant teaching skills through interactions with their lead mentors and mentors. This study assessed the attitude of trainee teachers towards macro-teaching from the perspective of lead mentors and mentors. The study also assessed the importance of school resources in macro-teaching exercise. Using a qualitative case study research design, and Braun and Clarke’s inductive thematic analysis approach 194 respondents’ responses were used for analysis. The study findings revealed a positive attitude among trainee teachers toward the macro-teaching exercise. It also revealed that school resources, particularly infrastructure and teaching and learning resources were inadequate and also not available in some public basic schools in the Bono East region. The findings found this to adversely affect trainee teachers’ competency development in the teaching profession. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education through the Ghana Education Service should provide school resources such as staff common rooms and reading materials for basic schools in the municipality to promote quality teaching and learning in schools

Accounting Teacher Trainees’ Perception of the Importance of Field Experience in Teaching: A Case of the University of Cape Coast

This was primarily designed to find out Accounting teacher trainees’ perception of the importance of field experience in teaching. The study was conducted at the Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, University of Cape Coast. A descriptive survey was used as research design. Simple random sampling technique was used to select Eighty-five (85) Accounting teacher trainees from the department. A set of well-structured and self-developed questionnaires were used to solicit data from the respondents and the instrument was administered personally. Data were analysed with the use of descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages). The study established that Accounting teacher trainees perceived field experience in teaching positively. It was also found out that Accounting teacher trainees engage in various activities apart from the teaching and learning of Accounting. The study also established that, field experience in teaching had benefited Accounting teacher trainees by helping them to decide whether or not to take on teaching as a profession, to build proper confidence, to plan, prepare and present lesson topics and to broaden their knowledge of the subject matter. However, despite the thorough preparation, students were faced with challenges which significantly affected their ability to accrue maximum benefits from the experience.Accordingly, it has been recommended among others that the Teaching Practice Unit should educate teacher trainees who are yet to embark on field experience in teaching on its benefits and should grade extra-curricular activities. Keywords: Mentors, Mentee, Lead mentors, Teacher trainee

Mentorship at post-secondary teacher training level in Ghana : a case study analysis of the perceptions and experiences of mentors, link tutors and trainees

The need to prepare teacher trainees to have a sound grounding in the theory and practice of teaching to make them effective practitioners has long been recognised by teacher educators. This need has given rise to designing and implementing schoolbased teacher education programmes in both developed and developing countries to help trainees acquire theoretical and professional experience. In Ghana this desire has led to the introduction and implementation of mentorship scheme at the postsecondary teacher training level with the idea of using mentor support and assessment to enhance trainees' professional development.The purpose of this research was to examine the implementation of the mentorship scheme in Ghana to find out the problems that have to do with the implementation. The research also examined the preparation and training given to the mentors, the guidance and support they provide to trainees and the impact of their support upon the professional development of trainees.A qualitative case study was conducted in two selected teacher training areas from the months of December 2002-February 2003 and July -September 2003. The selected case study areas were considered to be a fair representation of the teacher training system in Ghana. The field research included interviews with mentors, link tutors, trainees and key officials associated with the post-secondary teacher training system in Ghana. Findings from the multiple-site case study evidence were presented and analysed for their significance.The findings of the research suggest that problems continue to threaten the implementation process and the benefits derivable from using mentorship as an approach to initial teacher education in Ghana. The evidence from the findings were used as a basis for conclusions about improving the scheme at the post secondary teacher education level in Ghana.Recommendations to help improve the mentorship scheme are set out

Issues and challenges in education in Africa – the need for a ‘new’ teacher

Proceedings of the 3rd biannual International Conference on Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA) held at the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana, August 200

Anxieties Faced by History Student-Teachers during Teaching Practice

Teachers are important inputs in the educational enterprise. Their level of competence largely depends on the training they receive. Teaching practice is the grounds on which prospective teachers gather enough experiences to make them better and effective teachers in the future. However, due to the over-engaging and multi-tasking nature of the profession, student-teachers on teaching practice encounter a number of anxiety inducing factors that often wear them down. As such, they describe teaching practice as the most stressful component of their training. This paper attempts to discuss three of such anxiety-inducing areas to the History student-teacher which are heavy workload, classroom management, and lesson supervision. It also puts forward recommendations to ensure that such anxieties are overcome to enhance the successes of future teaching practices. Keywords: teaching practice, anxiety, student-teachers, heavy workload, classroom management, supervision

Distance education for teacher education in Ghana: an investigation into untrained teachers' experiences

Ghana, like many developing countries, has fewer trained, qualified teachers than the number the country needs to realise the Education For All goals of quality education by 2015. The failure of Ghana’s teacher education sector to turn out sufficient numbers of qualified trained teachers is as a result of numerous factors including existing Colleges of Education (CoEs) not having enough facilities to train the high number of untrained teachers (UTs) through the traditional campus-based model and difficulty of access to teacher education places. In response to these limitations, the Teacher Education Division, with the support of the CoEs, adopted an alternative pathway for initial teacher preparation known as Untrained Teachers’ Diploma in Basic Education (UTDBE) in the latter part of 2004. This model of initial teacher preparation differs from the traditional campus-based model as the training is largely non-residential with limited provision of face-to-face meetings. After four years of implementation, key stakeholders, notably the top hierarchy of Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education, were calling for the extension of the programme by way of admitting another cohort of students. However, it was clear from my perspective as a senior professional involved in Teacher Education and with seven years of professional knowledge and experience in Distance Teacher Education that there was a lack of in-depth, theoretically-informed research into the programme, particularly with respect to the views of UTs themselves. The study was therefore designed using an in-depth case study approach to discover the views of UT participants on how the UTDBE had influenced their professional development and the quality of their teaching and learning, with a particular interest in the view of six UTs who were the direct beneficiaries of the programme. The research methods adopted were predominantly qualitative, and included observations and analysis of documents, a series of interviews with selected UTs, including focus groups and one-on-one interviews in which UTs reflected on videos they had taken of their practice. The findings suggest the potential of the UTDBE as a source for teachers (especially, those in underserved communities and locations) to learn, develop, update their skills and knowledge and improve instructional practices consistent with learner-centred approaches and professional practices. In addition, the opportunity that the UTDBE offers UTs to teach as classroom teachers while completing their professional programmes seems to have given them the chance to at least integrate and relate theoretical knowledge and experiences from CoEs to the practical realities in the classrooms and schools. However, the data indicated a number of challenges facing the UTDBE programme which undoubtedly affected the extent to which it promoted professional and personal development and learner-centred practices. These included (i) inability of the programme to take advantage of professional learning experiences that might be possible ICTs were introduced (ii) weak district, school and college collaboration (iii) the difficulties and complexities in managing relations between UTs and mentors (iv) tutoring during residential face-to-face meeting devoted to large group lectures (v) the over-loaded nature of course content and the difficulty and loaded nature of the content of some modules (vi) inability of UTs to make maximum use of college facilities (vii) other mechanisms of professional development such as cluster meetings and lesson observation not being used to their full potential (viii) largely non-recognition of the ‘wisdom of practice’ of UTs and (ix) tensions in expectations between the different communities of practice of the different contexts of training and practice. The thesis therefore makes an important contribution to our knowledge about the development of alternative forms of teacher education in such contexts

PROGRAM EVALUATION OF MUSIC TEACHER EDUCATION IN GHANA: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE, POLICY, AND RESEARCH

The improvement of music teacher education programs is inevitably tied to improvement of the quality of music instruction in schools. As such, one of the essential avenues for improving educational programs is conducting regular program evaluations. Given the ever-evolving national standards for school music, along with the changing socio-cultural dynamics in Ghana, a corresponding review of the music teacher education programs is needed. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the music teacher education programs in Ghana. By overlaying the Content, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model as a conceptual framework, I sought the perspective of practicing music teachers. Using a concurrent mixed methods approach, I collected data primarily through a survey that featured both quantitative and qualitative measures. In addition, I reviewed the curricula and instructional materials used for music teacher education in Ghana. Results of this study indicated that while music teachers preferred practical and performance related activities, the programs emphasized theoretical and historical concepts. Practices that contributed to the success of the programs included support and commitment of faculty, experiential learning opportunities, and emphasis on African music. The lack of musical instruments, curricular misalignments, and inadequate training time were the major challenges that confronted the programs. Participants concluded that greater emphasis on practical courses would have been an added advantage to their music teaching practice. This study augments the limited research on music teacher education in Ghana; thereby informing policymakers, administrators, and music educators on how to plan, implement, and promote music education programs

Teacher Training in Ghana - Does it Count? Multi-Site Teacher Education Research Project (MUSTER), Country Report One

Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

How the use of information and communication technology enables school teachers to generate educational outcomes: case of South Africa

Problem Statement: ICT is said to improve educational efficiencies and aids in addressing educational shortcomings in the developing world context. Although ICT holds the potential to greatly improve teaching, why and how ICT has the probability of transforming teaching, for actors and within the developing world context remains uncertain. The potential impact of these tools may be affected by contextual and socio-cultural factors. Socio-cultural factors may have a negative consequence on students' learning and can increase educational inequalities, especially in developing countries. The challenge is that existing research does not clearly explain how educational outcomes are generated through the use of ICT within the social-cultural context of teachers. Purpose of the research: The objective of this study was to examine how educational outcomes are generated through the use of ICT in a developing world context, at a micro-level – an individual. The aim was to investigate how the use of ICT enables opportunities for school teachers to generate educational outcomes. Research approach: The study adopted an interpretive approach using a qualitative method. The study adopted a case study method. The study drew on the Capability Approach (CA) as supplemented by individual differences conceptual framework and taxonomy of ICT affordances as a theoretical lens to explain why and how ICT affects teaching, for whom and in what context. The study analysed the patterns between opportunities determined by affordances, individual differences that affect how ICT is used and educational outcomes. The study used a purposive sampling method to select seven schools. From the seven schools, fifteen teachers, seven principals, seven ICT coordinators or personnel in charge of ICT, and two heads of e-Learning in Western Cape education districts. Data was obtained through background documents, semistructured interviews and direct observations of teachers. Key findings: ICT enabled teachers to generate three outcomes: (i) teaching capability outcomes that led to improvements in content delivery, communication, and lesson preparation relating directly to teaching, (ii) basic human capability outcomes led to the needs of the teachers regarding their well-being being met (iii) communication capability outcomes led to teaching communities consisting of teachers that share resources and expertise. Individual differences of teachers, personal data (such as age, ICT skills training, education and level of expertise in the subject taught), social factors (rules and policies), shaping and influencing factors (such as personality type and role model) and environmental context (such as habits, customs, beliefs and cultural values) determined how teachers used ICT to enable capabilities. Various factors (such as infrastructure, learner engagement and excitement as well as ICT skills training) affected the choice of teachers to act on the opportunities afforded by ICT to generate educational outcomes. The value of the study: The study makes three contributions. First, the research suggests theoretical propositions for explaining how the use of ICT enables teachers to produce educational outcomes. The study developed a conceptual framework by integrating Amartya Sen's CA, individual differences conceptual framework and taxonomy of affordance to explain how educational outcomes are generated through the use of ICT in the developing world context. The study found the ICT artefact, features, supportive function (such as training and support) and affordances enabled opportunities, the teachers acted on these opportunities to generate efficiencies in teaching, their well-being and the broader educational community within the context of individual differences. Second, the study provides recommendations for planners and implementers to address issues on the actual realisation of ICT benefits by creating effective strategies that aim at improving implementation of ICT in schools. These strategies should look at the opportunities generated from ICT and how teachers use these opportunities to achieve educational outcomes. Additionally, recommendations were provided for e-Learning coordinators who wish to deploy ICT and integrate it into schools' curricula to equip teachers with all the components of TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge). Additionally, e-Learning coordinators should provide a space for teachers to experiment, highlighting existing practices and providing support to achieve their personal goals, which are part of their value system. Third, empirical evidence and theory in this thesis contribute to the knowledge of ICT in education assessments by offering a better explanation of the capability outcomes in ICT in the education field

Pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries

This rigorous literature review focused on pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices and teacher education in developing countries. It aimed to: 1. review existing evidence on the review topic to inform programme design and policy making undertaken by the DFID, other agencies and researchers 2. identify critical evidence gaps to guide the development of future research programme