ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Challenges facing information and communication technology implementation at the primary schools

The importance of information and communication technology (ICT) in education in the 21st century cannot be overemphasized. A number of initiatives have been put in place in Ghana to ensure that information and communication technology is extensively used and taught at all levels of our education. The study utilized a descriptive survey design and employed cluster and simple random sampling technique to collect data from 525 pupils in 34 schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. The cluster was made up of six communities in the Metropolis, namely, Aboom, Bakaano, Cape Coast, Efutu, Ola, and Pedu/Abura. The sample was chosen on the basis of Cohen et al. recommendation for choosing representative samples. These two sampling techniques helped to arrive at a sample that was fairly representative of the population. The study addressed four research questions: (1) How available are the ICT facilities to pupils and teachers in Cape Coast Metropolis primary schools? (2) How does the use of ICT equipment affect the implementation of ICT programmes in primary schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis? (3) How does the attitude of primary school pupils affect the implementation of ICT in Cape Coast Metropolis? and (4) How does the attitude of teachers teaching ICT in the primary schools affect the implementation of ICT in the Cape Coast Metropolis? The analyses of responses from questionnaires revealed the unavailability of ICT equipment and pupils’ lack of access to ICT infrastructure. The study recommends that Ghana Education Service (GES) should institute technology and technical support units in the various schools to handle technology integration challenges.

Source: UCC
Challenges Facing Nursing Mothers in Distance Learning in the Upper West Region of Ghana: A Recipe for Policy Formulation.

It is obvious that women will love to have children for their husbands in the Ghanaian society. However, with the increasing responsibilities of women in society it has become a challenge for women to have children while fulfilling their new responsibilities in society. Before now the core role of women in society was to produce children, cook for their husbands, and respond to their sexual advances when needed. On the other hand, men work to bring resources home. The situation has changed in contemporary times whereby women have to work to support their husbands to keep the home financially. The purpose of the study is to identify and evaluate the educational challenges facing nursing mothers on distance education programs in the Upper West Region of Ghana. It is also to identify strategies and interventions in dealing with nursing mothers to create a healthy learning environment for academic success. The study adopted a case study design, and purposive sampling was used to select all available nursing mothers taking part in College of Distance Education University of Cape Coast distance education program. A questionnaire was used to gather information from thirty-one (31) nursing mothers. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis. The results show that nursing mothers face numerous challenges while seeking for further education. The major ones been the lack of accommodation for their babies and babysitters, and competing equally with other students in terms of time during the examination. The nursing mothers suggested separate room for them during examinations as well as extra time for the inconveniences the babies create during examinations.

Source: UCC
Challenges facing Senior High School Administrators in K.E.E.A municipality

The study was aimed at unearthing the challenges facing Senior High School Administrators with particular reference to the schools in Komenda. Edina- Eguafo·Abrem (K.E.E.A.) municipality of Central Region of Ghana. It further sought to find out how the challenges are affecting the general progress of the schools and how the various key stakeholders are supporting the schools. The views of 46 purposively sampled administrators were sought The administrators here included; headmasters, assistant headmasters/mistresses, senior housemasters/mistresses, accountants and heads of department of programmes being run in the schools. The instrument used to collect the data was questionnaire. The major findings indicate that the schools in question were under resourced in terms of physical facilities. This has resulted in poor teacher retention rate, students being indiscipline and consequently unsatisfactory academic performance. Based on the above findings, it was recommended that the government and its immediate stakeholders like board of governors, school communities and teachers should expedite their actions towards the schools. Again, since the government alone cannot shoulder all the needs of the schools effectively and timely as expected, it was further recommended that other stakeholders like Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), cooperate bodies, donor agencies etc. should be robed in, in order to ease the burden on the government in general and the school administrators in Particular.

Source: UCC
Challenges Facing Teachers in Teaching Information Communication Technology in Basic Schools: A Case Study in Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipality

The study was carried out to find the challenges that face teachers in teaching information communication technology in basic schools in Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) Municipality in the Central Region. A descriptive design was used to determine and report the findings of the study. The study covered six out of twelve public schools in Elmina circuit in KEEA Municipality. In all, 58 teachers were involved in the study. Questionnaires were the main instrument used in the collection of data for the study. Data collected was analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The result of the study shows that the schools do not have adequate ICT tools and equipment necessary for practical lessons. It is also an evident from the study that, most teachers do not have adequate skills to integrate ICT in their teaching and learning processes. It also indicated that most teachers do not have good attitudes towards the use of ICT in the teaching and learning processes and this may be because most teachers do not have requisite skills in handling IT tools and equipment. Moreover, the study shows that majority of the teachers have positive perception in relation to the use of ICT in the classroom. There is the need for the release of funds for purchasing and repairing ICT tools and equipment in basic schools. ICT laboratories should be built for our basic schools to accommodate enough students at time looking at their population size for effective and efficient teaching and learning environment. Finally, periodic conferences, workshops or seminars on ICT in education should be organized for the basic school teachers.

Source: UCC
Challenges facing teachers pursuing tertiary distance education: a case study of the University of Cape Coast

The conceptual frameworks that underpinned the study were Maslow's hierarchy of motivational needs and McLuhan's theory of technological determinism. The study examined the problems faced by teachers pursuing tertiary programmes through Distance Education in Ghana, with particular "reference to those of University of Cape Coast. The purpose was to find out how the teachers had accepted the distance education programme, as well as the usefulness of course materials to the students, how the students financed their education and whether the fees charged were affordable to the students. Additionally, the study sought to find out the students' support services and students' feedback systems put in place and how students perceived the performance of course tutors. Also investigated were how students combined their normal teaching with their studies and how the teaching practice of students was supervised. The survey, a descriptive type of research was adopted with a sample size of 354, comprising 324 students, 4 centre coordinators and 26 course tutors. The questionnaire was the main instrument employed to collect data from the respondents. A return rate of 95% was achieved. The instruments used for the analysis of the data were t-test and ANOVA in the SPSS package. The major findings indicated that teachers "had accepted the distance education programme. The majority of them (students) financed their education from their salaries. Some of them, however, took loans from their bankers to finance their education. The students found the fees to be affordable. They were of the view that the Ghana Education Service should pay part of the cost they bear on their education to serve as an incentive to motivate more teachers to enroll in the distance education programme as this will go a long way to solve the problem of shortage of teachers in the classrooms. The students requested that they be given the opportunity to access the SSNIT loan scheme. The students support services and feedback systems, in place were unstructured and ineffective. The students considered course tutors to be knowledgeable, as they employed varied methods in their lessons. The tutors gave enough reinforcements, involved the students in the lessons and made lessons lively. Most of the students found it difficult to combine their normal teaching work with their studies and this was affecting the teaching, studies and social life. Supervision of students teaching practice was yet to start; the two methods that the organisers plan to use for the supervision of the teaching practice are peer/micro teaching and observation of the teaching of the students in their normal classroom setting. The study concluded with recommendations for strengthening students support services and feedback systems. Other areas for further research were also recommended.

Source: UCC
The challenges facing technical institutes in practical skills training in the Upper East region of Ghna

One of the important features of technical institute programmes is its orientation towards the world of work and with its curriculum emphasizing practical skill acquisition necessary for the job market. The main purpose of the study was to explore and describe the challenges confronting technical institutes in practical skills acquisition in the two public technical institutes in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Specifically, the researcher sought to; examine the conditions under which practical skills training is provided, find out the factors which affect the participation of the youth in the technical programmes, assess the provision of supporting materials towards practical skills training, assess the implementation of the entrepreneurship skills training and industrial attachment. The descriptive survey was used for the study. A sample size of 284 was drawn from the two technical institutes. Data were collected through questionnaire. The findings of the study revealed that skill training at the technical institutes was ineffective. It also established that supply of training resources was inadequate. Ineffective teaching of entrepreneurship skills and lack of Industrial attachment programme were also found. All these constraints were found to have negative effect on practical skills acquisition and therefore posed challenges for the technical institutes. The recommendations made included regular and sufficient supply of educational resources (human, material and financial) effective teaching of entrepreneurship skills, and priority attention should be given to industrial attachment.

Source: UCC
Challenges facing the girl-child’s education and their coping strategies in the Ada East District, Ghana

The study aimed at examining the challenges facing the girl-child’s education and their coping strategies in the Ada East District. The convergent mixed method design was employed for this study. The population for the study comprised the Junior High pupils of schools in the Ada East District in Ghana. The population also comprised parents of the pupils, their teachers and District Education Officer. The stratified sampling technique was used to sample pupils in the basic schools in the Ada East District as the stratification variable. The parents and teachers were selected using a simple random sampling method. The District Education Officer was purposively sampled because the officer was in charge of the girl-child education in the district. The instruments used for data gathering were questionnaire and interview guide. The findings of the study revealed that the main challenges girls face in education in the Ada East District include teenage pregnancy, lack of financial support due to poverty and physiological changes. The study revealed that the government has instituted several intervention programmes, such as free education, to reduce the gender inequality gap. The study further revealed that there is no significant difference in the challenges facing the girl-child’s education on the basis of age. It was concluded that Guidance and Counselling coordinators should strengthen counselling services in the schools. The study also recommends that there should be a social intervention by the Government of Ghana and Non-Governmental Organisations to provide sanitary pads for girls, especially those in the rural areas of Ghana on monthly basis.

Source: UCC
Challenges facing transitional vocational placement and training of visually impaired students at Akropong school for the Blind in the Akuapem – North District

The major objective of this study was to find out the challenges facing the transitional vocational placement and training of visually impaired students at Akropong School for the Blind in the Akuapem – North District of the Eastern Region. Descriptive research design was used for the study. One hundred and fifteen (115) students were selected using simple random sampling technique. All the forty- five (45) teachers of the school were purposively chosen and twenty (20) parents were accidently selected. The views of teacher respondents were sampled through the use of questionnaire while those for parents were obtained through interview. Views of students were sampled by the use of questionnaire and interview. Observation of equipment and or materials, activities performed by students, and classroom environment were also made by the researcher. The major findings which adversely affect transitional vocational placement and training at Akropong School for the Blind were lack of teaching and learning materials, and lack of assessment of students for multiple handicapped conditions. Again, it was found out that, some teachers and some students look mean on students given vocational placement and also students were not giving on the job vocational training in the school. Based on the findings, it was recommended that, teachers should liaise with parents to help provide teaching and learning materials to promote teaching and learning of vocational courses in at Akropong School for the Blind.

Source: UCC
Challenges for agricultural education and training (AET) institutions in preparing growing student populations for productive careers in the agri-food system

Purpose – Agricultural education and training (AET) institutions will play a strategic role in helping to prepare Africa’s rapidly growing youth populations for productive careers in agriculture and related agri-businesses. The purpose of this paper is to examine the magnitude of skills and youth employment needs emanating from high-population growth rates. It then explores how agricultural education institutions are responding to these challenges in four different countries at different levels of food system development: South Africa tier 1, Tanzania in tier 2 and Malawi and Uganda in tier 3. Design/methodology/approach – Demographic and school enrolment data provide information on the magnitude of job market entrants at different levels of education while Living Standards Measurement Studies in the respective countries provide a snapshot of current skill requirements in different segments of the agri-food system. In order to evaluate AET responses, the authors have conducted country-level reviews of AET systems as well as in-depth assessments at key tertiary AET institutions in each of the four case study countries Findings – Growth rates in primary school enrolments are high in sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, because of budgetary constraints, transition rates decline rapidly – about 40 percent from primary to secondary and 7 percent from secondary to tertiary. As a result, substantial numbers of primary and secondary school graduates seek jobs. Research limitations/implications – The case study countries are limited to four. Had more financial resources and time been available, researchers could have spread further afield and in so doing increasing the precision of the results. Originality/value – Estimation of the number of primary and secondary school leavers seeking employment because of failure to proceed to the next level of education. Estimation of the level of education shares in the various components of the agri-food system

Source: UCC
Challenges heads of senior high schools face in the management of internally generated funds: A case study of selected schools in Sunyani municipality

The purpose of the study was to find out the types of activities that schools were engaged in to generate funds and how effectively and efficiently these income-generating activities were managed. The study was also interested in eliciting information on the benefits schools derived from these activities. The instrument used to collect data was a closed-ended questionnaire which was personally administered to selected groups of teachers and students, the head of school and the accountant. In all 36 questionnaires were given out and collected for analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the selected schools were involved in social and economic activities such as Speech Days, Anniversaries and Durbars which brought in funds to the Schools. The economic activities that the schools engaged in were agricultural, technical and catering activities. The schools were observed to operate under strict observance of financial administration regulations. The socio-economic benefits of the internally generated funds to these schools were: improvement in school-community relations; motivation of the teaching staff through incentives and provision of accommodation. Based on the findings, it is recommended that: Heads of school should attend workshops to keep them abreast with business ethics; students should be encouraged to take up hobbies and learn vocations by involving themselves in IGF activities; and IGF activities should be taken serious at the senior high school level as expansion of these activities could create avenues for apprenticeship and skills training for junior high school graduates.

Source: UCC
Challenges in administration of music education at senior high schools in the Cape Coast and Winneba Municipalities

Before the introduction of the Music and Dance programme into the basic schools in Ghana in 1998, Music education had over the years been part of the Cultural Studies programme and had existed as a course of study in the then Secondary Schools with well defined objectives of producing a well balanced individual in the society. Music education nowadays has not been attractive to students nor to the teachers who teach it. The occasional changes which are meant to serve as corrective measures in the educational system spark off certain administrative challenges in the areas of material, human and financial resources. The study sought to find out the specific issues that gave rise to the low interest shown by students, teachers and administrators towards Music education. Data was collected from 116 respondents drawn from seven sampled schools in the Cape Coast and Winneba municipalities of the Central Region of Ghana. Three sets of questionnaires and an interview guide were used in collecting data for the study. The main findings of the study were that some of the policies instituted by the policy makers, for instance, the status of the third rated subjects on the school curriculum which are also the non examinable subjects have worked negatively against music education. The Study Leave policy with the quota string was another hitch to music studies. It was also realized that most heads of schools offering

Source: UCC
Challenges in choosing senior high school programmes: Perspectives of teachers/counsellors and pupils in the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality, Ghana

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges junior high school pupils in La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality face in choosing programmes in their transition to senior high schools. The explanatory sequential design of the mixed approach was employed for the study. The population consisted of all the final year junior high school pupils and teachers/counsellors handling the final year pupils in the JHS in the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality. Through a systematic sampling procedure and census approach, 368 pupils and 117 teachers/counsellors were sampled respectively for the quantitative phase of the study. Further, 12 pupils and eight teachers/counsellors were conveniently selected for the qualitative phase of the study. Questionnaire and interview guide were used for data collection. The study revealed that fathers, mothers, siblings, finances and orientation at home were the major challenges JHS pupils faced from the home when selecting their SHS programme. Challenges which were from the schools included teacher interference, peer distractions, and academic performance in school. Based on the findings, it was recommended that parents and guardians should be enlightened by school heads on the relevance of pupils pursuing programmes in line with their interest rather than the parents imposing programmes on pupils to pursue at the SHS level.

Source: UCC
Challenges in maintaining discipline in Koforidua Senior High Technical school

The study sought to find out challenges in maintaining discipline in Koforidua Senior High Technical School. Simple random sampling method was used to select 170 students, while purposive sampling method was used to select 30 teachers, all from Koforidua Senior High Technical School. Questionnaire was prepared, validated and used to collect data for the study. Descriptive survey was the main method used in the study. The data were analysed using frequencies and percentages. Data collated and analysed indicated that effective discipline in schools promote effective teaching and learning. Some acts of indiscipline identified among students in the school included bullying, stealing, drunkenness, smoking and drug abuse. Suggestions made to curb indiscipline among students in Koforidua Senior High Technical School included the following: School authorities should use specialists from establishments such as the Police Service, the Narcotic Board and the Health Service as resource persons to educate students periodically on the consequences of some acts of indiscipline like stealing and use of hard drugs. Parents/guardians and all stakeholders should help the youth to have the capacity to resist negative peer pressure which is increasingly becoming a canker among the youth in schools and communities today.

Source: UCC