Evaluation of Teacher Self-Efficacy in the Implementation of the Visual Art Component of Basic Design and Technology Curriculum

The desire for economic liberation of Ghanaians through the provision of skill-oriented education to raise the required human capital for economic transformation makes Visual Art cardinal to the educational dispensation in the country. However, majority of the JHS graduates churned out from the JHS exhibit negligible mastery in the fundamental skills they should have acquired while in school. The gross ineptitude of these JHS pupils in Visual Art competencies is attributable to the poor attitude of Visual Art teachers to the subject at the JHS level. Hence, most of the JHS graduates end up on the streets without any meaningful skills to earn a living. It is an undeniable fact that the success of any educational system in terms of learners’ academic attainment is heavily incumbent upon the quality of the teachers who implement the curriculum. The study was designed to evaluate the self-efficacy of Visual Art teachers in the implementation of the Visual Art component of Basic Design and Technology curriculum at the Junior High School, and their role on pupils’ academic achievement. The study was carried out in a public and a private Junior High Schools in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The qualitative research paradigm was utilized for the study with reference to multiple case study and descriptive research. A total of forty-seven (47) pupils, two (2) Visual Art teachers, and two (2) headteachers participated in the study. The participants were respectively selected with purposive and quota sampling techniques. The data elicited through questionnaire, interviews and observation of the participants were mainly analysed thematically and explicitly presented in the form of percentages, graphs and photographs with detailed textual explanations. The findings of the study revealed that the implementation of the Visual Art component of BDT at the JHS level suffered implementation infidelity, lack of instructional resources, delayed disbursement of capitation grant, lack of performance standards for teachers and pupils and capacity building programme for in-service Visual Art teachers. Also, the study disclosed that Visual Art teacher’ self-efficacy was influenced by teacher qualification and specialization in relation to the Visual Art option taught. The self-efficacy of Visual Art teachers were marginally low in their influence over school resources and community engagement in the activities of the school with emphasis on Visual Art. However, some Visual Art teachers have higher self efficacy in decision making, parents’ involvement in pupils’ learning, instructional delivery, discipline against disruptive behaviours and the creation of positive school climate while others have low self-efficacy in these variables. In furtherance, the study revealed that the self-efficacy of the Visual Art teachers greatly influenced the academic attainment of the pupils. Pupils taught by high efficacy Visual Art teachers produce high quality works which echoes pupils’ mastery and competence while pupils taught by low efficacy Visual Art teachers produced relatively lower quality standard of works. The study also brought to the fore that pupils taught by high efficacy Visual Art teachers developed higher affinity and interest in Visual Art than their peers taught by lower self-efficacy teachers. The study concluded that the implementation of Visual Art at the JHS level is impeded by; implementation inconsistencies, non-availability of instructional resources, absence of capacity building programme for teachers, and the non availability of performance standards for both teachers and pupils in Visual Art. The self efficacy of Visual Art teachers vary in strength and magnitude which is relative to the Visual Art teachers’ professionalism, specialization and contextual factors. The study established that the self-efficacy of the Visual Art teacher correlates positively with students’ interest and academic achievement. It is recommended that NaCCA organizes frequent follow-ups to the schools to address Visual Art implementation infidelities and government must provide Junior High Schools with Visual Art instructional resources. Again, Visual Art teachers must liaise with international bodies such as JICA, USAID and World Vision International to support the provision of Art resources. Finally, pupils’ achievement in Visual Art should be factored into the requirements for Visual Art teachers’ licensure and promotion to inspire and increase the effectiveness of low self-efficacy Visual Art teachers with pupils. I. G. iii

Source: KNUST