Ghana Journal of Higher Education

Editorial

Jonathan Narh Ayertey — 2024-07-01

No Abstract

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

Isaac Mepenedo — 2024-07-01

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.

A Review of the Multiple Regulatory Regime in 17 Tertiary Education in Ghana

Emmanuel Newman — 2024-07-01

Ghana like many other African countries has had more than one agency regulating its tertiary education sector. Thus, in that multiple regulatory environment, different regulatory institutions were responsible for policy and funding, accreditation and regulation of aspects of vocational and technical education. Consequently, the regulatory environment comprised agencies with overlapping mandates which tertiary education institutions were required to respond to, whether to commence operations or mount new programmes. The challenges in this arrangement included duplication of functions, high cost of education, and in the main, inefficiency and in effectiveness in the regulation and management of tertiary education. The Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) was enacted in Ghana as part of reforms to the education sector in 2020. This legislation merged the erstwhile National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board to form the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, as well as the merger of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training and the National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations to form the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. This paper discusses the state of affairs regarding the multiple regulations of tertiary education in Ghana prior to the mergers and the future of tertiary education regulation in Ghana in the light of reforms in tertiary education regulation and the regulatory practices in selected African countries.

Gender Dynamics in University Classrooms in Ghana Journal of Higher Education Volume 8 Ghana: The Academic, Social and Psychological Effect on the Quality of Student Learning

Maame Afua Nkrumah — 2024-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate how gender dynamics in university classrooms affect the quality of students’ learning experiences academically, socially and psychologically. The study was informed by the perception that gender biases are perpetuated in university classrooms. A case study approach involving 553 students randomly selected from four faculties of a University in Ghana was taken given that, the context of institutions differs. The quantitative data collected using a semi-structured questionnaire was analysed using descriptive and correlation analysis aided by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The qualitative data on the other hand was analysed using thematic analysis. The study showed that gender biases were often exhibited in areas such as classroom participation, lecturer-student relationships, discipline and assessment. Key academic, psychological and social effects identified included students’ inability to answer questions in class, loss of self-esteem, inferiority, shyness, timidity, feelings of exclusion and nervousness. The study is expected to help educators and stakeholders alike to better understand the gender dynamics present in tertiary classrooms so as to design and implement instructional interventions that mitigate such, and improve the quality of students’ learning experience.

An Examination of Leadership Styles by Gender in71 Tamale Technical University

Bawa Wumbie — 2024-07-01

There is a growing interest in the need to expand frontiers of leadership studies with particular reference to leadership styles that people practice in both public and private sector organisations. This is to ensure that the right leadership behavioural traits are identified and encouraged for practice among workers in organisations to enhance efficiency and productivity. This study examines leadership styles in the Tamale Technical University employees according to gender. Key issues examined include relationship between staff leadership styles i.e. leadership styles practiced by both male and female staff and how these leadership styles promote efficient performance and productivity. The study adopted a descriptive survey of non-experimental research method involving the use of both qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques. The study used purposive and stratified random sampling techniques for selection of respondents with a questionnaire as the research instrument. The study discovered that there is an association between the gender of staff and their leadership styles. The study also revealed that although both male and female employees in the university practiced transformational leadership characteristics than transactional behavioural traits, female staff slightly dominated their male counterparts in the practice of transformational leadership styles whilst the male staff also dominated the female staff in the practice of transactional leadership styles. The study concludes that behavioural traits of transformational leadership styles promote staff efficiency and productivity than transactional leadership styles. The study recommends that the university authority should encourage the practice of transformational leadership characteristics among its staff to ensure efficient performance and productivity.

The Effects of Teachers’ Pedagogical 93 Communicative Practices on Students’ Learning Experiences

Tebogo Mogashoa — 2024-07-01

This study examined the effects of teachers’ Pedagogical Communicative Practices (PCP) on students’ academic achievement. It employed the concurrent nested mixed methods design. A questionnaire and observation guide were used to collect data from 481 respondents (made up of two heads of schools, 54 teachers, and 425 students) selected from 34 senior high schools in the Ahafo, Bono and Bono East Regions of Ghana. These were analysed using means and standard deviation. Findings from the study showed that practices employed by teachers help students to feel comfortable in class, increase their participation and engagement, take risks, and achieve better academic performance. Teachers are seen as role models and mentors in the classroom. The selection of appropriate pedagogical communicative practices has much impact on students’ learning experiences and every action taken by teachers has a lasting effect on their students’ academic life and beyond. Teachers are expected to adopt practices that will instigate higher academic achievement and better social behaviour in the lives of their students.