Assessing Basic School Teachers’ Competence in the Application of Information and Communications Technology in Teaching: Implications for the New Ghanaian Curriculum

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provides access to information through telecommunication technologies to interact in the digital world and continues to evolve to bring remarkable changes in the educational system. ICT integration in teaching is quite complicated and challenging because teachers need to be equipped with the right competencies for teaching practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess basic school teachers’ competence in the application of Information and Communications Technology in teaching. The study used descriptive survey design by which simple random sample was used to select 285 teachers from Tano South municipality of Ahafo Region, Ghana. Data collection was done using closed-ended questionnaire. Data analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25). The study results revealed that teachers are instruments of change in educational establishments. They play significant roles in the implementation of ICT in education. Teachers’ competence in integration of ICT in the classroom would bring new, stimulating and fulfilling learning experiences to policy makers, educators and learners.  Based on these findings, it was recommended that teachers should be provided with administrative support to enable them integrate ICT into classroom activities in order to promote student learning. Teachers should be given regular-based ICT training workshops to possess the requisite knowledge and skills so that they can effectively support their students’ ICT usage in classrooms. Also, provision of ICT infrastructure and resources in schools should be given maximum premium since access is a necessary condition to the integration of ICT in education

Influence of Internet Usage on Academic Performance of College of Education Students: Rhetoric or Reality?

The study examined the influence of internet usage on the academic performance of College of Education students in Ghana as being rhetoric or reality. The study adopted descriptive survey design. All year groups (levels 100-400) of St. Joseph’s College of Education were considered as the main population for the study while stratified random sampling technique was used to select 132 respondents. Researchers’ designed questionnaire was used for data collection where Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25) was used for data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that Internet’s influence on the academic performance of the respondents used for the study is a clear-cut reality other than lip service. Internet provides opportunity to acquire special skills; improves their performance during examination; enhances students to study ahead of their teachers; improves students reading competence; promotes their computer skills towards academic activities among others. Nevertheless, few of the respondents reported that Internet usage distracts their attention and prevents them from attending lectures regularly. Based on that, it was recommended that school counselors with the support of the administrators organise enlightenment programmes for students on how to use the internet to improve academic performance. Students in the understudy institution should be encouraged to use the Internet in searching for information that will enhance and improve their academic performance. It is important also to expose the school counselors on training to computer appreciation so that they can give right counselling direction on Internet usage by students regarding their academic activities

Marrying Digital Performance Appraisal with Tutors’ Work Output: Evidence from Colleges of Education in Ghana

In this Digital Era teachers are required to develop professionalism in accordance with the development of time, science and technology, and the needs of society. Professional teachers should be able to understand the components of applicable educational concepts so as to appreciate the foundation and education policy, the development level of learners and learning approaches in accordance with the learning needs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of digital performance appraisal on teachers’ performance in Colleges of Education in Ghana. The study employed descriptive research design where simple random sample was used to choose 5 principals and 139 tutors from Colleges of Education in Ahafo and Bono regions of Ghana. Data for this study was collected using close-ended questionnaire. Data analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25). The study results indicated that teachers’ appraisal processes are phenomenal in determining the performance of the teacher. The appraiser and appraisee need to be in collaboration in order to ensure the process is successfully undertaken. Communication is very essential on how the teachers’ appraisal is conducted and perceived. Training has the greatest influence on the appraisal of teachers which also affects significantly the performance of the teachers. Recommendations for further studies were made to address the study results found

Relevance of Principals’ Technology Leadership and Management on 21st Century Teacher Preparation: A Reflection on Ghanaian Colleges of Education

This study aimed to identify the relevance of Principals’ Technology Leadership on Tutors’ Technology Integration in the Ghanaian Colleges of Education. This is a cross-sectional survey where simple random sampling was employed to select 13 principals and 229 tutors from the Colleges of Education in the Ashanti, Ahafo and Bono regions of Ghana. A two-part structured questionnaire guided by Principals’ Technology Leadership Assessment (PTLA), which is based on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)-Standards for Administrators [30] was used. Descriptive analysis was carried out using SPSS Version 25. Although the findings showed that the levels of Technology Leadership; the five constructs of ISTE [30], and Tutors’ Technology Integration were essential but, much needs to be done to improve relationship between Principals’ Technology Leadership and Tutors’ Technology Integration in the selected colleges in Ashanti, Ahafo and Bono regions of Ghana. Principals’ preparatory programmes should emphasize leadership based on technology to enhance the integration of technology in classrooms. Further research on professional development for principals is recommende

Management Information Systems and its Impact on Productivity in Higher Education: A Case of Colleges of Education in Ghana

The use of information technology in educational management has swiftly increased due to its efficiency and effectiveness. In the initial stages of its development, management information systems’ (MIS) main purpose was to improve the efficiency of school, office activities. Overall review of literature highlighted positive impact of MIS on school administration and management including better accessibility to information, more efficient administration, higher utilization of school resources, reduction in workload, better time management, and improvement in the quality of reports. In spite of all the successes chalked in the development of educational management; most educational institutions are confronted with numerous challenges especially in the area of Information and Communications Technology. A study into the Management Information Systems and its impact on productivity in higher educational institutions was undertaken among others to examine the relevance of MIS in improving educational management, assess ways MIS could improve capacities in data processing, storage, analysis and the timely supply of educational information to management and administrators to enhance quick and efficient decision making. Stratified and purposive sampling techniques were the main sampling techniques employed. Questionnaire and observational schedule were used to gather relevant data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25) was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that cost, lack of competent Information Technology staff to operate the system, lack of computer systems and accessories and inferiority complex (technology phobia) were the major constraints militating against the implementation of MIS in the understudy institutions. Recommendations together with suggestions for further studies were therefore made to arrest the challenges unearthed

Safety and immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in infants: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled trial in Guinea and Sierra Leone.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of the Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola virus (EBOV) vaccine regimen in infants aged 4-11 months in Guinea and Sierra Leone. METHODS: In this phase 2, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled trial, we randomly assigned healthy infants (1:1 in a sentinel cohort, 5:2 for the remaining infants via an interactive web response system) to receive Ad26.ZEBOV followed by MVA-BN-Filo (Ebola vaccine group) or two doses of meningococcal quadrivalent conjugate vaccine (control group) administered 56 days apart. Infants were recruited at two sites in west Africa: Conakry, Guinea, and Kambia, Sierra Leone. All infants received the meningococcal vaccine 8 months after being randomly assigned. The primary objective was safety. The secondary objective was immunogenicity, measured as EBOV glycoprotein-binding antibody concentration 21 days post-dose 2, using the Filovirus Animal Non-Clinical Group ELISA. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03929757) and the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR201905827924069). FINDINGS: From Aug 20 to Nov 29, 2019, 142 infants were screened and 108 were randomly assigned (Ebola vaccine n=75; control n=33). The most common solicited local adverse event was injection-site pain (Ebola vaccine 15 [20%] of 75; control four [12%] of 33). The most common solicited systemic adverse events with the Ebola vaccine were irritability (26 [35%] of 75), decreased appetite (18 [24%] of 75), pyrexia (16 [21%] of 75), and decreased activity (15 [20%] of 75). In the control group, ten (30%) of 33 had irritability, seven (21%) of 33 had decreased appetite, three (9%) of 33 had pyrexia, and five (15%) of 33 had decreased activity. The frequency of unsolicited adverse events was 83% (62 of 75 infants) in the Ebola vaccine group and 85% (28 of 33 infants) in the control group. No serious adverse events were vaccine-related. In the Ebola vaccine group, EBOV glycoprotein-binding antibody geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) at 21 days post-dose 2 were 27 700 ELISA units (EU)/mL (95% CI 20 477-37 470) in infants aged 4-8 months and 20 481 EU/mL (15 325-27 372) in infants aged 9-11 months. The responder rate was 100% (74 of 74 responded). In the control group, GMCs for both age groups were less than the lower limit of quantification and the responder rate was 3% (one of 33 responded). INTERPRETATION: Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo was well tolerated and induced strong humoral responses in infants younger than 1 year. There were no safety concerns related to vaccination. FUNDING: Janssen Vaccines & Prevention and Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking. TRANSLATION: For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section

Evaluation of the environmental polio surveillance system-Northern Region, Ghana, 2021.

BackgroundAcute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance is the gold standard in the polio eradication initiative. The environmental component of polio surveillance can detect circulating Polioviruses from sewage without relying on clinical presentation. The effectiveness of the Environmental Surveillance (ES) is crucial to global polio eradication. We assessed the usefulness and attributes of the ES system in the Northern region and determined if the system is meeting its objectives.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive cross-sectional evaluation in the Northern region from 2019 to 2020 using the updated US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline. We interviewed stakeholders, reviewed records, and observed surveillance activities from 29th March to 7th May, 2021. Quantitative data were analyzed manually as frequencies and proportions whiles thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data.ResultsOne of 48 (2.1%) samples collected tested positive for circulating vaccine-derived Poliovirus (cVDPV). The cVDPV detection triggered enhanced AFP surveillance that resulted in the identification of a case of AFP. Three rounds of polio vaccination campaigns were organized. All surveillance officers interviewed were willing to continue providing their services for the ES. Reporting form has few variables and is easy to complete. The completeness of forms was 97.9% (47/48). Samples collected were dispatched on the same day to the testing laboratory. The system's data was managed manually.ConclusionThe system was useful in detecting polio outbreaks. Data quality was good, the system was simple, flexible, acceptable, representative, and fairly stable. Sensitivity was high but predictive value positive was low. Timeliness in reporting was good but feedback from the national level could not be assessed. There is a need to improve on the feedback system and ensure that, the surveillance data is managed electronically

Questionnaire.

BackgroundAcute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance is the gold standard in the polio eradication initiative. The environmental component of polio surveillance can detect circulating Polioviruses from sewage without relying on clinical presentation. The effectiveness of the Environmental Surveillance (ES) is crucial to global polio eradication. We assessed the usefulness and attributes of the ES system in the Northern region and determined if the system is meeting its objectives.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive cross-sectional evaluation in the Northern region from 2019 to 2020 using the updated US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline. We interviewed stakeholders, reviewed records, and observed surveillance activities from 29th March to 7th May, 2021. Quantitative data were analyzed manually as frequencies and proportions whiles thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data.ResultsOne of 48 (2.1%) samples collected tested positive for circulating vaccine-derived Poliovirus (cVDPV). The cVDPV detection triggered enhanced AFP surveillance that resulted in the identification of a case of AFP. Three rounds of polio vaccination campaigns were organized. All surveillance officers interviewed were willing to continue providing their services for the ES. Reporting form has few variables and is easy to complete. The completeness of forms was 97.9% (47/48). Samples collected were dispatched on the same day to the testing laboratory. The system’s data was managed manually.ConclusionThe system was useful in detecting polio outbreaks. Data quality was good, the system was simple, flexible, acceptable, representative, and fairly stable. Sensitivity was high but predictive value positive was low. Timeliness in reporting was good but feedback from the national level could not be assessed. There is a need to improve on the feedback system and ensure that, the surveillance data is managed electronically.</div

Suspected and confirmed cases.

BackgroundAcute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance is the gold standard in the polio eradication initiative. The environmental component of polio surveillance can detect circulating Polioviruses from sewage without relying on clinical presentation. The effectiveness of the Environmental Surveillance (ES) is crucial to global polio eradication. We assessed the usefulness and attributes of the ES system in the Northern region and determined if the system is meeting its objectives.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive cross-sectional evaluation in the Northern region from 2019 to 2020 using the updated US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline. We interviewed stakeholders, reviewed records, and observed surveillance activities from 29th March to 7th May, 2021. Quantitative data were analyzed manually as frequencies and proportions whiles thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data.ResultsOne of 48 (2.1%) samples collected tested positive for circulating vaccine-derived Poliovirus (cVDPV). The cVDPV detection triggered enhanced AFP surveillance that resulted in the identification of a case of AFP. Three rounds of polio vaccination campaigns were organized. All surveillance officers interviewed were willing to continue providing their services for the ES. Reporting form has few variables and is easy to complete. The completeness of forms was 97.9% (47/48). Samples collected were dispatched on the same day to the testing laboratory. The system’s data was managed manually.ConclusionThe system was useful in detecting polio outbreaks. Data quality was good, the system was simple, flexible, acceptable, representative, and fairly stable. Sensitivity was high but predictive value positive was low. Timeliness in reporting was good but feedback from the national level could not be assessed. There is a need to improve on the feedback system and ensure that, the surveillance data is managed electronically.</div

AFP cases by month, Northern Region, 2019–2020.

BackgroundAcute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance is the gold standard in the polio eradication initiative. The environmental component of polio surveillance can detect circulating Polioviruses from sewage without relying on clinical presentation. The effectiveness of the Environmental Surveillance (ES) is crucial to global polio eradication. We assessed the usefulness and attributes of the ES system in the Northern region and determined if the system is meeting its objectives.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive cross-sectional evaluation in the Northern region from 2019 to 2020 using the updated US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline. We interviewed stakeholders, reviewed records, and observed surveillance activities from 29th March to 7th May, 2021. Quantitative data were analyzed manually as frequencies and proportions whiles thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data.ResultsOne of 48 (2.1%) samples collected tested positive for circulating vaccine-derived Poliovirus (cVDPV). The cVDPV detection triggered enhanced AFP surveillance that resulted in the identification of a case of AFP. Three rounds of polio vaccination campaigns were organized. All surveillance officers interviewed were willing to continue providing their services for the ES. Reporting form has few variables and is easy to complete. The completeness of forms was 97.9% (47/48). Samples collected were dispatched on the same day to the testing laboratory. The system’s data was managed manually.ConclusionThe system was useful in detecting polio outbreaks. Data quality was good, the system was simple, flexible, acceptable, representative, and fairly stable. Sensitivity was high but predictive value positive was low. Timeliness in reporting was good but feedback from the national level could not be assessed. There is a need to improve on the feedback system and ensure that, the surveillance data is managed electronically.</div