PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF STAKEHOLDERS IN EDUCATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BASIC SCHOOLS IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA

Authors

  • Dandy George Dampson Department of Psychology and Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
  • Dominic Kwaku Danso Mensah Department of Educational Administration and Management, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2018.42.12051220

Keywords:

Urban, Rural, Professional Development, Programmes, Stakeholders

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to find out the professional development needs of teachers, head teachers and Circuit Supervisors (CS) in the Basic Schools in the Central Region of Ghana. The study employed the descriptive survey design. The simple random sampling technique was used to sample 209 teachers whilst the purposive sampling technique was also used to sample 29 head teachers and 11 CS for the study. A self-designed questionnaire with reliability co-efficient of 0.87 was used to collect data from the respondents. Data collected from the respondents was analysed into frequency counts and percentages.  The study established that the teachers, head teachers, and CS across both geographical locations of the study participate in staff development programmes. Nevertheless, the respondents in urban schools experience more participation than their colleagues in rural-urban schools. It was further revealed that the professional development needs of teachers, head teachers and Circuit Supervisors (CS) varies across the two sites of the study. The study, therefore, recommended that the types of professional development programmes should be tailored to meet the needs of stakeholders in education (i.e. teachers, head teachers, and circuit supervisors).

References

Akyeampong, K., & Lewin, K. M. (2002). From student teachers to newly qualified teachers in Ghana: insights into becoming a teacher. International Journal of Educational Development, 22(3-4), 339-352. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0738-0593(01)00059-1

Atuahene, F., & Owusu-Ansah, A. (2013). A descriptive assessment of higher education access, participation, equity, and disparity in Ghana. Sage Open, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013497725

Baffour-Awuah, P. (2011). Supervision of instruction in public primary schools in Ghana: Teacher's and headteacher's perspectives (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, Murdoch University).

Burns, M. (2015). Four barriers to teachers’ professional development in fragile contexts. Retrieved from https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/4-barriers-teachers-professional-development-fragile-contexts.

Bush, T., & Oduro, G. K. (2006). New principals in Africa: preparation, induction and practice. Journal of educational administration, 44(4), 359-375. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230610676587

Caparotta, C. (2012). Professional development needs of early childhood providers: A focus group study. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, University of Connecticut.

Chepkole, C. J., Koross, R., & Kiptoo-Tarus, P. (2017). Provision of in-service training needs of heads of department in the secondary schools in Kenya: A study of Marakwet West Sub County. European Journal of Education Studies, 3(11), 629-649.

Cobbold, C., & Dare, A. (2011). Supporting the continuing professional development of teachers in sub-Saharan Africa: An integrated teacher education model. Academic Leadership: The Online Journal, 9(1), 45-52.

Dampson, D. G. (2015) Teacher participation in decision¬-making in Ghanaian basic schools: a study of some selected basic schools in the Cape Coast Metropolitan area and Mfantseman Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Volume 1 and 2. Doctoral thesis. The University of Northampton.

Dampson, D. G, Antor, H., & Eshun, P., (2018) Improving Basic Schools through Continuous Professional Development: The Case of Amia-Ba Circuit of Ajumako Enyan Essiam District. Journal of Education and Practice. 9(8) pp. 104-112.

Esia-Donkoh, K. (2014). Attaining school and educational goals: Duties of headteachers of public basic schools in Ghana. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(1), 64-72.

Essel, R., Badu, E., Owusu-Boateng, W., & Saah, A. A. (2009). In-service training: An essential element in the professional development of teachers. Malaysian Journal of Distance Education, 11(2), 55-64.

Hussin, S., & Al Abri, S. (2015). Professional development needs of school principals in the context of educational reform. International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, 7(4), 90-97.

Jull, S., Sawffield, S., & MacBeath, J. (2012). Leadership for learning in Ghana: Shared leadership improving pedagogy in basic education. A paper presented at ECER 2012, Cadiz, Spain.

Odoom, D., Opoku, E., & Ayipah, D. N. (2016). Staff development needs at the Colleges of Education in Ghana: Evidence from the Agogo College. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 5(1), 127-137.

Oduro, G. (2009). The missing ingredient: Head teacher leadership development in Sub Saharan Africa. Paper delivered at the Conference for Commonwealth Educational Cooperation. Looking Ahead at 50.

Oduro, G. K., & MacBeath, J. (2003). Traditions and tensions in leadership: the Ghanaian experience. Cambridge Journal of Education, 33(3), 441-455. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764032000122050

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] (2009): Creating effective teaching and learning environments: First results from TALIS. Paris: OECD Publishers.

Osei, G. M. (2006). Teachers in Ghana: Issues of training, remuneration and effectiveness. International Journal of Educational Development, 26(1), 38-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2005.07.015

Sağır, M. (2014). Teachers’ professional development needs and the systems that meet them. Creative Education, 5(16), 1497-1511. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2014.516167

Smith, C., & Gillespie, M. (2007). Research on professional development and teacher change: Implications for adult basic education. Review of adult learning and literacy, 7(7), 205-244.

Downloads

Published

2018-09-17

How to Cite

Dampson, D. G., & Mensah, D. K. D. (2018). PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF STAKEHOLDERS IN EDUCATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BASIC SCHOOLS IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA. PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2), 1205–1220. https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2018.42.12051220