Perceptions of Frontline Supervisors on the Performance of Teachers Trained through the Regular or Distance Modes of Tuition

Abstract

From the pre-independence times through the independence era, the main mode of training pre-tertiary education teachers in Ghana  had been the regular “brick and wall campus” system. But in the last two decades, the distance system of education has also featured  prominently in the training of teachers in Ghana. However, there seem to be some perceived discrimination against teachers trained through the distance mode of education with the citing of unsatisfactory professional effectiveness as the reason, which is not backed by  any evidence. A descriptive mixed methods research design was used to examine the perceptions of frontline supervisors, who are likely  to be more familiar with teachers and their performance, about the professional effectiveness of pre-tertiary education teachers trained  through regular and distance modes of education. Questionnaire and semi-structured interview schedule were used in collecting the  data. A total sample size of 108 comprising all the 98 Headteachers, six Circuit Supervisors and four Deputy Directors of a municipality in  the Central Region of Ghana was used for the study. Findings from the study indicate that generally, the frontline supervisors perceive  teachers trained through regular mode of education to be professionally more effective than teachers trained through the distance mode  of education. The study concludes that even though the study participants’ perceptions do not suggest that distance education  trained teachers are not professionally effective, they do indicate that teachers trained through the regular mode of education are  considered as better options for deployment in classrooms or teacher assignments. The study suggests that further research is required  to validate these perceptions through direct measurement of professional effectiveness and also to identify the variables that account for  the possible differences in professional effectiveness among the teachers.