Do support services provided in distance education context matter in trainee teacher performance?
Creators: name: Senyametor, Felix
name: Abreh, Might Kojo
name: Amponsah, Mark Kwaku Owusu
name: Mills, Clara Araba
name: Bakah, Marie Afua Baah
name: Abango, Mohammed Alhassan
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy

description: The quest to investigate the role of support services (SS) in trainee teacher performance for education programmes (EP) provided via distance education (DE) prior to this paper remained inconclusive. This paper demystifies the challenge by examining the impact of SS quality for both trainee teachers and tutors on learning outcomes, addressing two research questions: (i) the influence of the input variable on the output variable, and (ii) the predictive potential of SS in performance discourses. A hypothesis was also tested to determine outcome differences based on respondents’ sex. Using multi-stage sampling procedures, 329 tutors and 397 students were selected to respond to questionnaires and lesson observation sheets, following an explanatory design from a nationally recognized DE provider. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, independent samples t-test, and multiple linear regression. Three key findings emerged: (i) SS quality for trainee teachers and tutors positively relates to performance, (ii) a statistically significant difference exists between trainee teacher SS quality and performance based on sex, and (iii) 39% of the variation in trainee teacher performance is predicted by SS received, while tutor SS predicts 15%. These conclusions suggest a strong connection between SS and trainee teacher performance. Consistent with these findings, it is recommended that the DE service provider implement SS that meets the instructional needs of trainee teachers to enhance learning outcomes. Institutions in similar contexts can leverage these findings to review and redesign their education programmes to achieve optimal performance outcomes among teacher trainees. Our study explores the impact of support services on the performance of trainee teachers in distance education programs at the University of Cape Coast (UCC). It reveals that quality support services, such as academic counselling, skill training, and welfare support, significantly enhance trainee teacher performance. Interestingly, the study found no significant difference in support quality and performance based on sex. The findings suggest that trainee-teacher support services play a more substantial role in performance improvement than tutor support services. The research highlights the need for comprehensive support services to be integral to the educational process, emphasizing the importance of addressing human relationships, career development, and learning skills. Future research directions include examining the long-term impact of support services and exploring the role of technology in delivering these services, thus underscoring the critical role of support services in fostering effective teaching and learning in distance education settings.