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This article investigates technologies used for knowledge sharing among rice farmers in the Eastern Region of Ghana and suggests ways by which the use of technologies may be enhance rice farming. The research was underpinned by the pragmatic paradigm where a concurrent triangulation mixed method design was adopted. The data was drawn from 101 survey respondents and nine interview participants, consisting of rice farmers, farm managers and extension officers. The findings revealed elementary use of technologies, tools and systems for knowledge sharing among the rice farmers. The main social media platform used for knowledge sharing was WhatsApp. The platforms that were used the least were Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Imo and Instagram. Findings have implications for integrating various tools, technologies and systems into knowledge sharing among rice farmers. There is a need to address the challenges in structural-level technological infrastructures, architecture and functionalities, in order to build the technological competence of rice farmers. Farmers' knowledge of technology is influenced by training, motivation, and personal experiences. Previous studies on use of technologies in knowledge sharing focused on organisation. This article examines technology within the context of rice farming.

School heads or principals have various roles in developing school quality, which can often be stressful. In this study we investigated principals' perceptions of quality schools, the practices performed to improve quality, and the stress and support factors involved. We adopted a qualitative inductive content analysis approach to analyse the transcribed data collected from 14 principals of senior high schools in the Volta region of Ghana. The findings show that principals perceive quality schools as having high academic performance, quality teachers, and adequate resources coordinated in a well-organised system. Furthermore, the results reveal practices that principals perform to improve school quality, such as promoting staff professional development, supporting students' intellectual and skills development, supervising teachers, and providing resources. On the other hand, supervision, non-cooperation of some teachers, inadequate resources, and administrative bureaucracy were revealed as causes of stress in improving school quality. Facing these challenges, the principals relied on their academic qualifications and experiences when engaging in practices to improve school quality. We recommend further research on the possibility of principals using technology to monitor the presence of teachers in classrooms from their offices.

The impact of Muslim parents on their daughters' sports and games in inclusion varies, spanning from progressive endorsement due to the physical and social advantages to reservations grounded in traditions and religious convictions. This has culminated in limited Muslim female inclusion in sporting events. This study explored the inclusion of female Muslim students in sports and games in Islamic schools using a qualitative research approach with 20 participants, which include 10 teachers and 10 parents. Concerning parents' and Islamic teachers' perceptions of Muslim females' inclusion in sports and games, three core thematic areas were revealed: positive influence on character development, school for Important Skills, and secret Code for Success, which favourably influences the diverse development of Muslim girls. Numerous considerations at individual levels of the Social Ecological Model (SEM) influence parental decisions about Muslim female sports inclusion. Individually, parental choices are induced by weighty factors, including religious convictions (prayer periods), cultural principles, and modesty concerns. The study further unearths how teachers shape the sports climate at the organisational level. The organisation's endeavours to provide inclusive and supportive settings for Muslim female girls are shown in the adaptation of activities, deliberate education and awareness promotion, partnership promotion and incorporation of scientific notions into sporting events. As sports are seen as important educational instruments for fostering the development of Muslim female students, they must be integrated into the curriculum. Stakeholders in the education sector must collaborate to guarantee Muslim female students receive a fair opportunity to excel in sports and games while respecting their cultural and religious beliefs utilising these synchronised initiatives.

This study explores university students' perceptions of how the classroom learning environment and Economics teachers' instructional practices promote learning in higher education (HE). The purpose of the study was to develop and empirically test a framework that characterises quality Economics instruction. Based on a literature review, a conceptual framework was built consisting of 75 attributes related to quality teaching and learning of Economics. To test the validity of the framework, a cross-sectional survey design was adopted to collect the data on students' evaluation of teachers' effectiveness in promoting students learning. The study respondents comprise 403 students sampled from four public universities in Ghana. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis suggests that the conceptual framework is valid and reliable and can effectively be used to evaluate quality Economics instruction in higher education. The results indicate key areas that are beneficial concerning student perceptions of teacher effectiveness in promoting student learning. These include planning and preparation, scaffolding of instruction, classroom communication, classroom management, classroom learning environment, and teacher characteristics. We argue that these factors are significant predictors of quality Economics instruction in HE and suggest a model that can be used as an effective evaluation tool or training toolkit for ensuring high-quality teaching involving Economics. HE authorities need to constantly evaluate Economics teaching in the key domain areas based on students' feedback to improve upon quality teaching and learning.

The mere mention of mathematics and its related courses such as quantitative research methods drive down shivers and create anxiety among most students. However, this phenomenon has not will been addressed among preservice teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between preservice teachers test anxiety and performance in quantitative research methods in education. And to achieve this purpose, a random sample of 313 preservice teachers from a teacher education University in Ghana were administered the test anxiety inventory (TAI) and the data analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed a significant inverse relationship between test anxiety and preservice teachers' performance. Similarly, factors such as the examiner, the exam format, previous failures, examination time, presence of invigilator, and lack of adequate preparations were identified as determinants of test anxiety. In terms of coping strategies, it was revealed that respondents adopted cognitive, and educational strategies to mitigate the effect of test anxiety.

This study delves into the intricate relationship between pre-service teachers' (PSTs') Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Fractions (MKTF) and its influence on their teaching practices. Grounded in the premise that MKTF domains exhibit interconnectivity, shaping the constructs of teaching practices, the study employed the mathematical task framework and the framework for mathematical knowledge for teaching. Utilizing the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Fractions test and the Teaching Practices test, data were collected from 171 PSTs. Regression analyses uncovered significant effects of MKTF domains on five teaching practice components, underscoring the pivotal role of a teacher's mathematical knowledge in effective teaching. Notably, among the six MKTF domains, the KCFS domain emerged as the most fundamental, strongly predicting various MKTF domains and influencing teaching practice constructs. This study underscores the significance of the KCFS domain in shaping both MKTF domains and instructional practices. The findings bear implications for the education of PSTs in Ghana and other nations facing similar educational landscapes.

This article provides a chronological analysis of the historical development of social studies in Ghana with a focus on the impact of international donor agencies. The influence of donor agencies on the introduction and implementation of social studies in the Ghanaian general education curriculum shows that post-colonial countries struggle with developing curriculum that is independent of colonial powers and germane to national needs. This article delves into the introduction and implementation process of social studies education highlighting five influential reforms in Ghana that happened between 1951 and 2007. This study provides an overview of Ghana's key educational reforms and the most important factors that influenced those reforms. Studying the past and present social studies education curriculum and its historical context in Ghana offers educational leaders insights and cautions to guide and inform future reforms in social studies education, ideally to avoid similar problems.

The present study explores the integration of critical thinking skills concepts in agricultural project management instruction at the undergraduate level, using the traditional classroom theoretical approach and a blended learning model. The study, encompassing 118 undergraduate students, compares the effectiveness of these methods in enhancing students' understanding, measured through examination scores, group presentations, and students' overall perceptions of the use of the methods. Students achieved a mean examination score of 64.82% under the traditional approach and 72.66% for the blended learning approach. Statistical analysis, including a t-test, revealed significant differences favoring the blended approach. Additionally, performance assessments using six criteria during presentations yielded varied mean scores. ANOVA analysis showed a significant difference among the groups, and post hoc tests highlighted distinctions between specific groups' means, emphasizing the effectiveness of blended learning in enhancing students understanding. Students' perceptions, gathered through a 5-point Likert scale, underscored satisfaction with the blended approach due to its flexibility, catering to diverse learning styles, and fostering critical thinking skills. We recommend institutions strengthen project management instruction by adopting blended learning, emphasizing critical thinking, and prioritizing continuous assessment and student-centric approaches since they cultivate an engaging learning experience, preparing students for managing future complexities on projects. [Note: The issue number (25) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct issue number is 24.]

Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) directors are crucial for sustainable quality ECCD centre management, leading to a focus on efficient 21st-century practices. Planning principles are essential for managing the complexity of early childhood education services. This paper aimed to explore how ECCD directors plan management activities in their centres in Ghana. The study was conducted in sixteen ECCD centres located in five metropolitan and municipal districts within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study involved 20 participants, including directors/head teachers and board members, selected using a purposive sampling strategy. Data were collected through interviews and document reviews. Although evidence from the study showed that ECCD directors put much effort into managing their centres, the study found that ECCD directors experience various challenges concerning applying the basic management principle of planning at their centres. In this article, the authors contend that planning is a crucial management function that sets achievable goals in line with the ECCD centre's vision and provides direction for actions to achieve ECCD goals. In addressing the identified challenges, the researchers developed a systems-based planning framework to guide directors in their planning roles at the ECCD centres. [Note: The page range (125-138) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 125-137.]

Background: Many studies have been done in the past to compare country-specific curricula to international standards. However, there is an apparent lack of literature that focusses on evaluating the alignment of country-specific early grade mathematics curriculum to the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF) for mathematics. Aim: This study aims to investigate how the domains of the national early grade mathematics curriculum and the Bachelor of Education curriculum for pre-service early grade teachers in the Colleges of Education (CoE) in Ghana align with the GPF for mathematics. Setting: The study was conducted in Ghana using the national early grade and Colleges of Education (CoE) curricula. Method: Document analysis was employed to compare the list of domains in the GPF to the lists of domains in the Ghanaian national early grade mathematics curriculum and the Bachelor of Education curriculum. Results: The results showed an alignment in the list of domains in GPF and the two curricula. The Bachelor of Education curriculum included theories of early-grade numeracy development which was absent in the GPF. The indicators in the two curricula were found to have exceeded the global minimum proficiency levels in the GPF. Conclusion: The results showed an alignment between the GPF and the two curricula signifies that the mathematics curriculum used for teaching early grade learners in Ghana meets international standards and can help learners compete on a global scale in mathematics learning. Contribution: The study provided valuable insights for policy-makers to consider while making decisions about curriculum standards and teacher training programmes. This is a significant step towards enhancing the quality of early grade mathematics education in Ghana.

School management committees' (SMCs) roles are crucial in the smooth, unfettered administration, development and provision of quality basic education. However, the preponderance of research evidence available indicates that in sub-Saharan Africa SMCs are not adequately involved in preparing and implementing school performance improvement plans (SPIPs). This study surveyed 298 SMC chairpersons and members in the South Tongu District (STD) of Ghana to investigate their knowledge and participation in SPIPs. The results showed that SMC members' limited knowledge of and low involvement in SPIP preparation and implementation were lower than the Ghana Education Service required, which hindered success and contribution to high quality teaching and learning in the schools. These results have implications for improving the quality of education for all by increasing their access to data, technical assistance, and financial resources at the basic school level. We recommend against this backdrop that the STD Education Directorate, in collaboration with the STD Assembly, conduct periodic training workshops, reward success, and provide clear guidelines and expectations to increase SMC members' knowledge and participation in successful SPIP preparation and implementation. Further research needs to focus on SMC members' capacity for sustained school improvement through education policy initiatives at the district and school levels.

The study compared two survey datasets from higher education students in Germany and Ghana regarding access to digital devices; perceived value of digital media, tools, and services used for learning; gap analysis of the actual and desired use of digital teaching and learning formats; and types of media usage profiles among students. The findings underscored commonalities between the two groups, revealing that students in both contexts are equipped with mobile devices, and are highly utilized for their learning. Similarly, both student groups exhibit a preference for utilizing external media, tools and services not owned nor administered by their respective universities. However, a stark contrast emerged in terms of the provision of, and expressed demand for digital teaching and learning formats, attributable to significant disparities in the underlying internet infrastructure and service provision between the two countries. The high intensity in the use of videos, social networks and messaging applications means majority of the students in both contexts were classified as entertainment users of media by means of a latent class analysis. While students in Germany showed differentiation between non-traditional and traditional students in terms of their media usage patterns, there was little differentiation among Ghanaian students. The study concludes by offering suggestions for enhancing support for non-traditional learning and improving digital education in Ghana and similar contexts.

Black African students are increasingly choosing the United States as their preferred destination, and many choose to study at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate reasons that may influence their identification and commitment to those PWIs. We interviewed 20 sub-Saharan Africans at two predominantly White Southeastern universities. Findings revealed that construed external image, overall satisfaction with the school, promotion of the institution, and willingness to maintain membership shape the extent to which Black African students are identified and committed to their university of choice. Furthermore, the study also found that prestige does not appear to influence Sub-Saharan African students' identification and commitment to a school in the United States, but race has mixed effects depending on how it gets interpreted by students. These findings suggest implications for research and practice for student affairs professionals to better serve and retain their international populations.

The aim of the study was meant to investigate the moderative role of pre-service teachers' interest on mathematics achievement, attitude and anxiety during teaching and learning process. The study was conducted at Akrokerri College of Education Adansi, Ghana on pre-service teachers with a population of 300. A sample of 206 pre-service teachers were involved in the study. Questionnaires were designed with regards to the four main constructs identified in the study. The questionnaires were analyzed using the structural equation model. The findings revealed that pre-service mathematics teachers' attitude has a direct positive effect on pre-service teachers 'mathematics achievement. Mathematics anxiety has a positive effect and is statistically insignificant on mathematics achievement. Finally, the moderating effect of mathematics interest on the relationship between mathematics attitude and mathematics achievement result was negative and it is statistically insignificant.

Student interest in studying history is in decline in Ghana, as it is in secondary schools in many other parts of the world. Can student interest be stimulated, and can they be better served, by a curriculum that includes a focus on community, belonging and co-creation? This article details a preliminary intervention of just such a learning unit in a high school in Central Region, Ghana. Using a framework aligned with the historically responsive literacy approach, this programme supported student-directed research into aspects of local and personal history. The evidence from this study suggests that student motivation did increase, justifying an expanded future study of greater length, with additional participants, and building on the lessons from this preliminary effort.

The development and acquisition of science process skills (SPS) in science education are closely linked to the development of 21st-century skills and improvements in academic performance. To help facilitate the development of SPS in learners, teachers should acquire and exhibit SPS. This study assesses the SPS acquired by final-year students in a college of education who are pursuing a bachelor's degree in education, using regression correlation to find relationships between their acquired SPS, entry qualifications and academic performance. A parametric achievement test was used to assess the SPS acquired by the student teachers and extant data were used to construct their entry qualifications and academic performance. The data for the study were collected from 236 student teachers in four science colleges affiliated with the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. The results indicated that SPS contributed more to better academic performance than did students' entry qualifications. However, the nature of assessment of academic performance was such that basic SPS was a better influencer of academic performance than integrated SPS. It is recommended that, aside from entry qualifications, SPS acquired by candidates aspiring to pursue science programmes in tertiary institutions should be considered for admissions, and academic assessment instruments should be improved to encourage acquisition and development of integrated SPS.

This paper seeks to gain insights into teachers' perceptions, and readiness to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) tools in mathematics instruction. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving surveys and interviews with a sample of high school mathematics teachers. The study involved 90 mathematics teachers working in three senior high schools in Kumasi metropolis in Ghana. The study revealed that teachers generally hold positive perceptions of the benefits of ICT tools in mathematics teaching. They strongly agree that ICT tools enhance students' understanding of mathematical concepts and improve their engagement and motivation in mathematics classes. Teachers also recognize the potential of ICT tools in promoting problem-solving skills and providing opportunities for differentiation and personalized learning. However, opinions regarding student-centered learning, exploration, and creativity through ICT tools were more varied, suggesting a need for further investigation and support in these areas. In addition teachers expressed the need for continuous training on specific tools, curriculum alignment, and assessment methods.

Effective school leadership calls for the sharing of leadership responsibility in the area of supervision of instruction and other related activities of an educational institution. Such leadership styles and practices ensure high curriculum coverage and tend to offer better learning opportunities for students. This study employed a concurrent mixed- method design to explore the influence of Colleges of Education (CoE) authorities' leadership styles and practices on school effectiveness of the two teacher education colleges in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The study comprised second-year and third-year students, tutors and leadership of the colleges. A sample size of three hundred and eight (308) was utilised. A simple random sampling technique was used to draw both second year students and tutors. A cluster sampling technique was also used to cluster the population of the third- year students and a simple random sampling technique was then subsequently used to draw the students who were out in the field for their internship. Intensity case sampling technique was used in sampling school leadership. Two instruments namely an in-depth interview guide and a questionnaire were used to elicit responses to address the research question. The interview guide gathered responses from college leadership and the questionnaire was administered to both students and staff. The study revealed that college authorities use human-centred approaches in the management and governance architecture of the colleges, delegate responsibility to subordinates and adopt participatory decision-making mechanisms that bring on board internal publics to the decision-making table. The study largely disconfirmed Douglas Mc Gregor theory X assumptions. The study recommends that college authorities should continue to engage students and staff in the governance and management of their respective colleges and also expand the frontiers of the existing collaborations among internal publics of the colleges. In light of the foregone, authorities should continue to utilise democratic, shared and transformational leadership styles.

This study aims to understand the effectiveness of online training for pre-service and in-service teachers by exploring any differences between pre-service and in-service teachers' satisfaction and learning following an online professional training video. Additionally, the study focused on evaluating any differences in satisfaction and learning of pre-service and in-service teachers based on age, experience, subject taught, and grade level, as well as nationality. An online 20-minute video session was shown to the participants and a survey questionnaire, based on the Kirkpatrick Model, was used to explore their reactions and learning. The study employed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with independent sample t-test and ANOVA techniques to compare the training outcomes in pre-service and in-service teachers' satisfaction and learning. The results showed that the teachers were highly satisfied with the video assessment, content, and content structure. Moreover, there was no significant difference found in satisfaction levels or learning between in-service and pre-service teachers. Furthermore, no impact of age, experience, grade taught, or subject taught was found, though nationality was found to impact satisfaction with the video. The study recommends the expansion of similar online professional development programs, considering the high levels of satisfaction among pre-service and in-service teachers alike. Personalization of content to accommodate diverse learner needs, learning preferences, and backgrounds is suggested to further enhance satisfaction and learning outcomes. Lastly, this study's findings emphasize the need to improve teacher training programs, especially in different geographic and cultural contexts, to increase teaching efficacy and address the unique challenges teachers face.

The study was a descriptive survey which sought to assess how Junior High School teachers in the Kwadaso Municipality in Ghana reflect on their practices in the classroom. The target population for the study was teachers in public Junior High Schools. Convenience sampling procedure was used to select 72 teachers. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.88. Means and standard deviations were used to analyse the data. The findings showed that teachers reflect their practices to ensure effective delivery of their lessons. Teachers practically reflected by talking about their classroom experiences with their colleagues. Teachers cognitively reflected by reading books related to effective teaching. Teachers should be encouraged by the Ghana Education Service to keep reflecting to improve their practices.

The study explored the extent learners' age variances impacted their achievement in a national education assessment in Ghana and how these were moderated by the types of schools (i.e., private and public) they attended. A multistage sampling method was used, and the data were analyzed using a multilevel modeling technique. The sample comprised 19,210 primary grade 3 and 17,088 primary grade 6 learners from 525 and 499 schools, respectively. Relatively younger learners outperformed their older peers in both subjects except for primary 3 mathematics achievement. Schools marginally reduced the age effect on both subjects except primary 3 mathematics achievement, where there was an increase. Moreover, there was a statistically insignificant difference in private and public schools' impact on age-linked effects on subjects except for primary 3 mathematics. The study concludes that being relatively overage for a specific grade level is not beneficial, especially for English language achievement. Hence, enrolling learners at the prescribed age and school term is highly recommended.

Context: Faced with deep challenges with access to formal education, many West African countries are increasingly taking steps to reform their informal apprenticeship systems to make them a quality skills development alternative for their teeming youth. A review of the literature shows that although different countries in the region are deploying different reform strategies, what is emerging as a dominant reform model is the "dual training model" (DTM), a collaborative arrangement in which the task of training apprentices is shared between informal trainers (master craftspersons, under their respective trade associations) and formal vocational training institutions (FVTIs). This paper presents an outcome-process evaluation of a DTM-based apprenticeship reform programme piloted in Ghana. Methods: Designed as a case study, the paper adopts an interpretivist approach, relying on diverse sources of data, both secondary and primary. Secondary data includes journal articles, attendance registers of participants, memorandums of understanding, relevant media reports, websites, and official reports by all relevant actors. The primary data originated from in-depth interviews with fourteen (14) key informants, as well as from overt and covert observations of respondents. Results: At the outcome level, the paper shows that the programme has largely failed in transferring new skills or in changing dominant poor practices among trainees, foundational objectives of the programme. At the process level, the paper revealed deep flaws in implementation; these are discussed in detail in an attempt to clarify the programme outcomes. Conclusion: The paper concludes that although the dual training model remains a potentially viable reform model in informal apprenticeships, its success ultimately depends on the quality of implementation, which in turn depends on the strength and quality of inter-stakeholder collaboration in programme design and implementation.

Researchers have revealed the advantages of experiential learning for students and professionals at all levels of the health care delivery system. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the use of head simulators in dental school in acquiring proficient periodontal knowledge, dental skills, and confidence by practicing oral health professionals. Of the 117 purposive sampled participants surveyed using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, 60 respondents used head simulators during their dental school education. On the effect of the head simulator enhancing knowledge. The findings regarding the effect of the head simulator in dental school revealed varying perspectives. A significant majority of participants agreed the head simulator had a beneficial effect on their skills. Among these findings, a third of participants strongly agreed the use of the head simulator notably enhanced their skills. When considering the influence on knowledge, the responses were more evenly distributed. Almost 40% of participants agreed the head simulator positively affected their knowledge, while almost 20% of participants generally disagreed. Examining the effect on confidence, findings also depicted varying viewpoints among the participants with 42% acknowledging the head simulator had a positive effect on their confidence. The findings suggest that head simulators positively affect dental education, particularly in enhancing knowledge, skills, and confidence.

This study aimed to investigate students' digital (ICT) skills, perceived relevance (usefulness), and actual use of digital (ICTs) skills for learning. Data were obtained via Google Forms from 325 students who were conveniently sampled from two public universities in Ghana. The results from the multivariate analysis of variance showed that age and marital status had significant multivariate effects on ICT (digital) skills. Further univariate analyses showed that younger students reported significantly lower skills related to multimedia, collaborative platforms, and graphics, whereas married students reported higher skills related to engagement in collaborative platforms. Bivariate correlation analyses showed that multimedia skills, software application skills, virtual reality environment skills, collaborative platform skills, and perceived usefulness of ICT were positively correlated with the actual use of ICT. However, further analysis using multiple linear regression showed that only multimedia skills significantly predicted actual ICT use. The implications of the findings for policy are discussed.

This is a qualitative study that employed exploratory design to inquire from 15 participants of Central University (Ghana) about their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. An in-depth interview was conducted, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that participants experienced fear expressed in four key domains reported under four key themes thus: Experiencing psychological distress; Burden of economic hardships; Fear of inefficient health system; and Educational disruptions and worries involved in online teaching and learning. The study concludes that the upsurge of COVID-19 has triggered psychological, economic, and educational conundrums that have to be addressed. This paper contributes to the growing body of studies on COVID-19 and effects on lecturers and students. The burgeoning evidence of the mental health distress following COVID-19 should be a wake-up call for universities and Ghana as a whole to invest both in infrastructure and manpower in this area of health care delivery. Vaccine hesitancy research must be conducted to improve upon health educational campaigns. The significant disruption from the pandemic is a fair warning to all stakeholders to make educational e-learning infrastructure resilient against similar future shocks. The implications of the findings for health and educational policies in Ghana are addressed.

Teaching and learning in higher education have increasingly become digitalized and associated with innovative pedagogical methodologies over the past decades. Following the sudden onset of the pandemic in March 2020, several studies tended to focus on traditional students' experiences with emergency remote education while literature is scarce on non-traditional students (or adult learners) pedagogical experiences in Distance Education contexts. Using a qualitative case study approach, this study explored how digital technologies mediated instructors' and adult learners' educational experiences during COVID-19 and their first-time experiences with blended learning. Between October 2021 and July 2022, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 adult learners and 20 instructors in three selected public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke's (2012) thematic analysis approach. The results showed that the transition to blended learning was supported by the adoption and integration of varied virtual online technologies. The themes highlight the positive and negative impacts of technology in mediating the educational experiences of instructors and adult learners in blended learning environments. The themes which reflected both instructors' and adult learners' experiences were enhanced course delivery and pedagogy, competency development, technological issues and poor-quality pedagogy. Blended learning facilitated by technology could be the 'new normal learning' post-pandemic for adult learners pursuing Distance Education in Ghana. The study recommends the implementation of agile strategies and policies by HEIs to ensure sustainable quality education in distance learning.

Ghana is one of the few countries with prior cost-sharing funding approaches to upper secondary education to have rolled out a completely free upper secondary education policy. Whilst the empirical foundation of the emerging body of studies on the policy includes policy makers, implementers and a reliance on policy documents, the perspectives of children who are the key beneficiaries of the policy has remained rarely explored. In this paper, I present children's experiences of access to upper secondary education and how that informs their perspective of the free SHS policy. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Approach as both a method for data collection and analysis, the study argues that children have contrasting views about the ability of the policy to enable equitable access to upper secondary education. Whilst children from wealthy families believe the policy enables equitable access, those from poor homes believe the policy is poor for poor people. Until the policy acknowledges the diversity among children and account for variations in tandem with the context specificity of each student, upper secondary education will remain an elusive goal to several children from poor social backgrounds despite the free and equitable aspiration of the policy.

The notions of indigenous knowledge and cultural philosophies are becoming ubiquitous in many social inquiries, and evaluation is no exception. Nonetheless, the pursuit to embed relevant indigenous philosophies in contemporary evaluation has yet to succeed. In this article, we discuss indigenous relational philosophies, approaches, and practices as they relate to evaluation. Using qualitative research approaches, we interviewed 43 Indigenous development leaders and other local representatives in three local government areas in Ghana. Utilizing evidence synthesis approaches through a triangulation process, we conclude that indigenous knowledge and other cultural ethos were distinct in community-based development evaluation processes. There was an elusive intersection between indigenous and contemporary evaluation paradigms. Indigenous evaluation has principles such as community spirit, mutual trust, self-organization, relational patterns or networks, "ubuntu" ideals, consensus building, and collective action that can complement contemporary evaluation for the effective and efficient evaluation of community development programs and social policies. We identify key indigenous elements and other indigenous relational assessment patterns to aid in the design of an indigenously driven relational evaluation framework. The evaluative competencies embedded in indigenous philosophies are vast, thus, a call for future research is proposed.

The paper examined and analysed the extent globalisation and its dimensions impinged Ghana's tertiary education policy landscape in global and national historical and contemporary perspectives. Historical and contemporary policy documents and articles, that help to understand how globalisation and its antecedents have interwoven and permeated the dynamics underpinning Ghana's tertiary education policy, were used as conduits for the analysis. Within the context of structural adjustment and democratisation juggernauts triggered by the West, neoliberal reforms were initiated in the early 1990s. They were characterised by the liberalisation of the sector for the establishment of private tertiary education institutions, creation of buffer agencies to ensure effective stakeholder control in policy and quality assurance of those institutions, initiating laissez-faire financial reforms and incorporating non-governmental financial responsibility. Nonetheless, they concomitantly spurred the tertiary education institutions to drift towards entrepreneurialism and innovation through activities such as research, fee policies and collaborations with vital stakeholders. Although the reforms were geared towards market, the Ghanaian system of tertiary education remains a quasi-market system with substantial governmental control.

This study examines the factors that influence the intention and actual use of e-learning in entrepreneurship education by undergraduate students. The paper relies on a predictive study design and the partial least squares structural equation modelling to analyse data from a cluster sample of 599 students from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. The results demonstrate that all the independent variables, assessed within a framework of an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, determine students' intention to use e-learning in entrepreneurship education. Of particular importance are the preponderant effects of hedonic motivation, facilitating conditions and social influence on students' intention as well as the effect of intention and facilitating conditions on actual use of e-learning. A key implication of the findings is that students' continuous acceptance and use of e-learning in undergraduate entrepreneurship course delivery is contingent upon adequate presence of all the examined predictors of technology usage.

Little is known about care providers' expectations for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disabilities (ID) in Ghana. This study used group concept mapping (n = 9) and a quantitative survey (n = 128) to explore and compare service providers' and parents' expectations for children with ASD or ID. Data were analyzed using hierarchical clustering procedures and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). Concept mapping results revealed several expectation clusters, including "independence," "love and acceptance," "equal social rights and opportunities," and "professional and caregiver training." MANOVA results revealed significant differences between parents, teachers, and healthcare providers in their perceptions of the importance and likelihood of a child achieving these expectations. Results are discussed in reference to the cultural context, and implications are outlined.

Any undergraduate student lacking the knowledge and skills for digital technology will find it challenging to succeed academically and thrive in the 21st-century higher education setting. This study employed a novel conceptual framework built from ecological theory to investigate the attributions of the knowledge and skill gap in digital literacy among Ghanaian undergraduate students. A phenomenological qualitative design with a purposive sampling technique was implemented to collect data from 16 undergraduates in a large public university in Ghana in a four-months period. The findings show several factors responsible for students' digital literacy knowledge and skills gap. Undergraduates have ascribed these reasons to various macro and micro factors. The students attributed their skills gap to personal, parental, institutional, and government factors, pointing to the need for concerted action from national and international policymakers and educators alike. This paper argues that university lecturers, administrators, the Ministry of Education, and policymakers in Ghana should collaboratively redesign comprehensive, persuasive, and integrated digital literacy approaches to benefit undergraduate students at all levels.

Despite initiatives by key actors in the last two decades, Early Childhood Development in Ghana, measured by physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional development of children up to 8 years of age, remains poor. This study aimed to assess Ghana's Early Childhood Development (ECD) status and determinants by analyzing the Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2017/18 data. Among the 3801 Ghanaian children (35-59 months; 1880 males), 42.7% were developmentally on track in literacy-numeracy, 93.6% in physical, 68.2% in social-emotional, 82.3% in learning, and about 67% in at least 3 of the 4 domains. Multiple logistic regression analyses suggest a positive association between ECD and female sex of children, their age, mothers' attendance in any ECD programs, mothers' educational qualification, and household wealth. On the other hand, evidence of a negative association was observed between ECD and child disability, stunting status of children, maternal disability, the number of days children were left alone for more than an hour, and residence in a rural area. The level of maternal education may be implicated in ECD policies as it affected several ECD domains.

Assessment practices play a crucial role in fostering student learning and guiding instructional decision-making. The ability to construct effective test items is of utmost importance in evaluating student learning and shaping instructional strategies. This study aims to investigate the skills of Ghanaian basic schoolteachers in test item construction. The study focused on the revised Bloom's taxonomy. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, and a questionnaire was developed and used to collect the needed data. The data were collected from 560 basic schoolteachers selected by using a simple random sampling technique. The participants comprised 280 male teachers and 280 female teachers. The data were collected and subjected to descriptive statistics analysis via mean, and standard deviation. While the p-value ([alpha] [less than or equal to] 0.05) was used to determine the differences in the teachers' test item construction skills, the independence t-test was used to compare the differences between the proficiency of male and female participants. The analysis revealed a notable contrast in how participants perceived their abilities in constructing test items, indicating a statistically significant difference. Specifically, female teachers demonstrated a stronger proficiency in test item construction skills compared to their male counterparts. Also, most teachers prioritised the lower levels within Bloom's taxonomy while crafting test items. Regular in-service training on test item construction was recommended at the district level for teachers to update and upgrade their skills.

Infants' preference for vowelharmony (VH, a phonotactic constraint that requires vowels in a word to be featurally similar) is thought to be language-specific: Monolingual infants learning VH languages show a listening preference for VH patterns by 6 months of age, while those learning non-VH languages do not (Gonzalez-Gomez et al., 2019; Van Kampen et al., 2008). We investigated sensitivity to advanced tongue root (ATR) harmony in Akan (Kwa, Niger-Congo) in 40 six-month-old multilingual infants (21 girls) in Ghana, West Africa (an understudied population), all learning Akan, Ghanaian English, and most of them several other understudied African languages (e.g., Ga, Ewe). We hypothesized that infants learning both ATR harmony and nonharmony languages would demonstrate sensitivity to ATR harmony. Using the central fixation procedure, infants were presented with disyllabic nonwords that were either harmonic (e.g., puti) or nonharmonic (e.g., pet[open-mid back rounded vowel]) based on their ATR features. Infants demonstrated sensitivity to ATR harmony with a familiarity preference, listening longer to harmonic syllable sequences than nonharmonic ones. The relative amount of exposure to (an) ATR harmony language(s) did not modulate the preference. These results shed light on our understanding of early multilingualism: they suggest that early sensitivity to VH in multilinguals may be similar to monolingual infants learning other types of VH, irrespective of simultaneous experience with non-VH languages. We conclude with reflections on studying infant language acquisition in multilingual Africa.

Background: Subnational actors and organizations are crucial mediators of policy implementation due to their proximity to schools. However, in low- and middle-income country contexts, little is known about their management practices and factors that shape the adoption of these practices to improve education delivery. Purpose: We explore the management context of five District Education Directorates in Ghana, and the factors that enable or constrain them to plan and implement policy. Participants: Forty-three interviews and focus groups with regional and district education officials, district political actors, and basic education school headteachers and teachers. Research Design: A qualitative study of semistructured interviews, focus groups, and education policy and planning documents. Analysis: To understand how policy implementation happens within complex, multitiered bureaucracies, our theoretical framework uses four management functions described in Williams et al. (2021) to explore two different paradigms of how to change public bureaucracies: target setting and prioritization; measurement and monitoring; accountability and incentives; and problem-solving. We coded and analyzed our data based on this framework and developed district-wide narrative memos to synthesize the findings. Findings: We identify three areas of (mis)alignment in management practices: across bureaucratic levels and among actors; around clear and consistent priorities for learning; in expected actions and availability of resources. These (mis)alignments can constrain or be leveraged by districts to improve education delivery in Ghana. Implications: We argue for better prioritization of goals toward learning and the efficient allocation of funds for management practices typical of effective organizations.

In modern society, children actively engage with social media platforms, and Ghana is not an exception to this trend. People have, however, placed an excessive amount of focus on the negative implications of using social media, which has overshadowed the positive effects that it has on children. This study examines the use of social media by children, including their preferred platforms, as well as the positive and negative consequences associated with their usage. This was a cross-sectional study that employed convenient and snowball sampling procedures for data collection and analysis. The study was conducted on 400 children aged 8 to 17 in Tema. The Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) is the study's underlying theory. The association between demographic characteristics and correlates of social media usage was examined using bivariate analysis, whereas the qualitative data analysis was guided by thematic analysis. The results show that 87.5% of children have ever used social media, with males being more likely than females to have done so (91.7% vs. 83.5%). The main reason social media platforms are used by children (87%) is for entertainment. TikTok has the highest usage percentage, making up 88.7% of all platforms, according to the findings. Some benefits of social media include communication, entertainment, and resources for creativity, research, and academic work. Also, the detrimental consequences of social media usage comprise exposure to sexually explicit material, addiction in children, and diminished academic achievement in children who become too engrossed in its usage. The study demonstrated that social media is widely used among children in Ghana. TikTok is the most popular social media platform among children, and it is their preferred platform. Parents are urged to encourage their children to use social media platforms for beneficial purposes, and media industry stakeholders should develop and implement initiatives to increase the benefits of social media for children. Regulation and supervision are necessary to mitigate the adverse consequences of children's social media usage.

Internationally and in Ghana, formal professional development is cited in many education policies as a focal lever for transforming pedagogy and engaging students in cognitively demanding learning processes with digital technologies. Yet, this expectation for technology integration has proven difficult to achieve for many teachers, often due to the nature of technology professional development programs, which in Ghana, have received limited research attention. In response, this qualitative study, based on interviews with 20 teachers, five education officials, and five headteachers, investigated formal technology professional development opportunities in Ghana, including teachers' knowledge needs and preferred training subject. Thematic analysis revealed the existence of professional learning communities, district-private partnership workshops, curriculum reform workshops, and cluster-based professional development programs. These in-service training avenues all prioritise equipping teachers with basic technical skills to use technologies as productivity tools. Teachers strongly prefer these skill sets, considering them prerequisites for supporting routine teacher-centred teaching tasks. Findings reveal that most professional development programs and teachers tend to overlook pedagogical transformation and innovation aspects of integrating technology. The study argues that technology professional development should shift from emphasising isolated technical skills training to equally prioritising pedagogical knowledge development for teachers to effectively facilitate student-centred learning and teaching with digital technologies.

Despite huge investments in Ghanaian universities for e-learning education, there exist lecturers who struggle with the adoption and use of open-source Learning Management Systems (LMSs) in teaching. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dominant drivers of the adoption and usage of LMS by faculty to enhance e-learning education in universities in Ghana. The study tested selected variables in Innovation Diffusion Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model, and some constructs pertaining to Image, Subjective Norms, and Facilitating conditions, based on data from a census of 435 lecturers, which secured 283 completed questionnaires. The fit indices revealed a good fit between the measurement model and the data: (X[superscript 2] = 383.23, df = 271, p < 0.05; SRMR = 0.046; TLI = 0.965; CFI = 0.971; RMSEA = 0.038. The SEM results showed that the hypothesized model appropriately matched the data: (X[superscript 2] = 360.39, df = 253, p < 0.05; SRMR = 0.048; CFI = 0.971; TLI = 0.964; RMSEA = 0.040. The results obtained from the test of hypotheses revealed that Perceived Ease of Use had a positive and significant relationship with Actual Use ([beta] = 0.45, p < 0.05). Compatibility also had a significantly positive relationship with Perceived Usefulness ([beta] = 0.62, p < 0.05). The study concludes that the responsibility of university authorities for providing ICT infrastructure, regular training, and other incentives to enable their faculty to appreciate and engage the e-learning environment is at the core of a successful adoption of educational technologies. Among others, the study recommends that university authorities provide continuous training in LMS use for their teaching staff, especially the slow adopters and non-users, to encourage greater adoption and use.

The current surge in the usage of Internet, multimedia, and educational technologies as well as the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed ICT-driven education globally. One of the tools deployed for ICT-mediated teaching and learning is the Learning Management System (LMS). Unfortunately, some lecturers' adoption or use of the LMS for teaching in Ghana appears to be below par, and if the apparent deficiencies are not tackled, e-learning education in the country could lag behind international standards in the foreseeable future. The purpose of the study was to explore factors influencing lecturers' use or non-use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in Ghanaian universities, in the hope of strengthening e-learning education in Ghana. Judgmental sampling was utilized to select twenty lecturers from the focal universities. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data, and the data were analysed thematically. The functionality the LMS, its ease of use and the user's prior knowledge of ICT were some of the factors influencing the adoption and use of the LMS for teaching. Then the nature of the course, technical and infrastructural deficiencies and the difficulty of use of the LMS account for the failure to use the LMS. The study concludes that factors that encourage LMS adoption and use must be given prominence so as to promote effective use of the system. Factors hampering the adoption and use of the system must be tackled or regulated. The study recommends that awareness creation, training and motivation must focus largely on Non-users. Also, challenges faced by Non-users and Users of the system must be addressed by university administrators in order to enhance the use of the system and increase the hybrid/online educational competitiveness of their respective universities.

Background: Aphasia, a common consequence of stroke, which affects both communication and social functioning, and in turn, quality of life, is on the rise due to increases in stroke prevalence and survival rate. The rehabilitation of post-stroke aphasia primarily falls within the purview of speech-language pathology and research supports the effectiveness of such services. However, provision of aphasia rehabilitation services in sub-Saharan Africa is associated with challenges. Aims: This study aimed to examine rehabilitation services for individuals with post-stroke aphasia in Ghana by exploring the roles of the stakeholder groups involved in the assessment and treatment of post-stroke aphasia in Ghana, as well as the challenges they encounter in providing or identifying services. The stakeholder groups included educational institutions, interdisciplinary healthcare professionals, and family caregivers of individuals with post-stroke aphasia. Methods & Procedures: A qualitative case study approach was used to collect and integrate from multiple sources data such as demographic information, interview responses and program syllabi to develop a holistic image. Fifteen respondents from the stroke and speech therapy units at Komfo Anokye and Korle-Bu Teaching Hospitals, University of Ghana, and University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana were purposively sampled. Interview questions were developed and centred on aphasia education and training, knowledge of speech-language pathology services, speech-language pathology service delivery, access to speech-language pathology services, challenges in both delivery and access to speech-language pathology services and suggestions for improving speech-language pathology services. In-person and virtual interviews were conducted after demographic information was collected. Interviews were analysed thematically, and demographic information and program syllabi were triangulated with the interview data collected. Outcomes & Results: All stakeholder groups identified concerns with current aphasia services in Ghana. Issues raised included the insufficient number of speech-language pathologists, lack of awareness of speech-language pathology services for post-stroke aphasia (among healthcare professionals and the public), absence of aphasia management information and clinical training in educational programming, lack of interest in speech-language pathology training programs, financial challenges, spiritual and traditional beliefs and geographic barriers (i.e., speech-language pathology services are currently available in only a few cities). Conclusions & Implications: These findings emphasised the need to improve post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation in Ghana. The process of data collection itself educated respondents on the importance of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation, and by identifying barriers, strategies to improving services, such as designing standardised aphasia assessments for the Ghanaian context, can now be initiated.

This study examines the experiences of the only three female headteachers leading boys' senior high schools (SHS) in Ghana to understand the uniqueness of their career journeys, on-the-job experiences and the leadership strategies. Qualitative phenomenological approach was used for the study. The three women were interviewed multiple times over a period of five months between November 2020 and March 2021. The data were inductively and deductively analysed to identify themes that help to tell their story. The results of this study show that early exposure to role models and socialisation into the power of positive thinking at the family, school and societal levels imprint values that inspired the participants to top leadership positions and the strategies they deployed -- blending of motherliness and professionalism, networking and ethical leadership. The female headteachers are bridge builders and transformational leaders who are suitable for leadership in the twenty-first century. This study identifies several implications for female headteachership including: initial preparation for aspirants of school leadership positions, ongoing professional development, and support of female school leaders. The Ministry of Education should provide women with more headteachership or leadership opportunities in schools.

While there is a substantial body of leaving care research, the theorization of care leaving has been more limited. Only a few studies have incorporated a life course perspective, mainly in Global North contexts where life course perspectives may differ significantly from those in the Global South, including Africa. Drawing on findings from a feasibility research study, this paper contributes to the emerging international literature on theorizing care leaving by applying a life course perspective to the experiences of youth leaving care in four African countries. The paper highlights how life course can be a useful conceptual framework for understanding the experiences of care leavers with an emphasis on four core concepts: biography, linked lives, waithood, and agency. Implications for policy and practice are outlined with a focus on interdependence, participatory practice, biography, and cultural transition planning alongside efforts to redress systemic, oppressive barriers facing care leavers in society.

Schools have been identified as important settings for promoting adolescent mental health and well-being. Little is known about counselling practices in Ghanaian senior high schools (SHSs). This study explored counselling practices in 11 SHSs in Ghana's capital, Accra. We used convenience sampling methods to select 15 school counsellors and interviewed them about access to and utilisation of counselling in SHSs. We also explored common presenting concerns and service challenges. Data were analysed thematically and showed that most of the counsellors had a master's or doctoral degree in guidance and counselling. According to our participants, students access counselling to address school (academic and career), home (e.g. parents' problems and livelihood issues) and peer relations concerns. Other students access counselling for emotional (including suicidal ideations and self-harm), drug use and conduct issues. Counsellors provide academic advice, career guidance, financial and emotional support. Findings revealed that counsellors are facing several challenges including role conflict, work overload, deficient resources, as well as negative perceptions of counselling. Findings have implications for the government, policy makers, SHS administrators, school psychologists and counsellors and students.

The adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Ghana has raised a lot of public concerns and mixed feelings among some Ghanaians. Our present study, therefore, explored the current knowledge of the general public on GMOs, their perceptions, and factors that influence their understanding of GMOs. A total of 200 Ghanaians were interviewed using an online semi-structured questionnaire to solicit information on their knowledge of GMOs. The findings of the study showed that most Ghanaians (183 out of 200) are aware of GMOs. Age and level of education significantly influenced consumers' awareness of GMOs. The results also revealed that most of the participants have a medium to a high level of knowledge of GMOs; however, limited information about GMOs is available to the public. About 61% of the respondents are willing to consume GMOs when made available in Ghana. Also, the findings of the study showed that the respondents would prefer GM-labelled products. The educational level of the respondents significantly influenced their knowledge and understanding of GMOs. The study recommends that scientists and various media platforms provide a platform to address the concerns of the public on GMOs and occasionally engage them in GMO-related issues and their role in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition.

Gaining ethical approval for qualitative health research and implementing all the planned research processes in a proposed study are not straightforward endeavours. The situation becomes more complex when qualitative research is conducted in a cross-national healthcare and academic context. Also, it is even exhausting when the study is student-based, as student researchers may be considered novices and inexperienced researchers, especially for field-based research. Our aim in this reflective paper is to present, reflect, and discuss the experiences of a doctoral researcher in dealing with two independent institutional review boards in Canada and Ghana during an interdisciplinary Ph.D. project and the ethical dilemmas encountered while collecting data in Ghana. Based on the researcher's experiences, it became apparent that consent and its documentation can have cultural implications in different settings; hence, institutional review boards must exercise reflexivity in their protocol review practice. Also, sharing research data with participants and institutional leaders while maintaining participant confidentiality and privacy in institutional ethnographic research requires sensitivity to bi-lateral ethical values. With the experiences shared in this paper, we advocate for a dialogic ethical review process in qualitative research where researchers and research ethics boards engage in ongoing dialogue rather than the usual prescriptive format research ethics reviews often assume.