ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Student participation in decision-making in senior secondary schools in the Tano district of Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana

The study was prompted by an observation made by the researcher about the apparent absence of involving students of senior secondary in the Tano District of Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana in school decision-making. The study explored the nature of the existing structures of decision-making and the factors that discourage students from participating in school decision-making among others. The population for the study was made up of students, teachers and all headmasters from the six senior secondary schools in the Tano District. The sample consisted of 328 students, 66 teachers, and six headmasters from these schools. A set of questionnaire was prepared for each of the sampled respondents namely, students, teachers and headmasters. Frequencies and percentages were the main statistical tools employed for the analysis of the study data. The main findings among others are the following: 1. Students participate in school decision-making through the establishment of Students' Representative Council (SRC's). Their involvement is however, restricted to a few decisional areas. 2. Student participation in school decision-making has a lot of benefits to both students and school authorities. The following recommendations are made for future practice and research; 1. It is suggested that school authorities and students should brainstorm and assess the current level of student participation in school decision-making. 2. It is also suggested that the nature of the existing structures of decision in the sampled schools should be restructured.

Source: UCC
Student perception of their participation in decision-making: A case study of Dormaa Secondary School

This case study of student perception of their participation in decision-making in Dormaa Secondary School was prompted by an observation that the student leaders or prefects of the school do not sometimes perform their prefectorial duties as expected. The study explored the perceptions of students of their participation in decision-making, the actual and desired areas of student participation in decisionmaking, the degree of student satisfaction with their involvement in decision-making, as well as problems that student leaders or prefects face in their leadership roles. The sample for the study was made up of 320 second and third year students randomly selected from 16 classrooms. The views of the headmaster were also sought to balance the responses of the students. Background information on 30 selected teachers was also obtained from official records to find out the roles that they play to support the headmaster in the administration of the school. A questionnaire made up of 37 items was used to get responses from the students. A forty-three item interview guide was also used to interview the headmaster. The main findings are that: 1.The students have a good understanding of what participation in school decision-making is. 2. The students are actually involved in decision-making in many areas of the life of the school. These are at the class level, house level and student representative council level, and at the level of a number of school committees. 3. The male students are not satisfied with the degree of their involvement in school decision-making, but the females are satisfied. 4. The student leaders face two major problems as a result of their leadership roles in the school. These are increased workload and conflicts with their classmates. The problems did not show any gender differences among the students. 5. Some of the student leaders do not participate actively in decision-making because it robs them of their time for normal classes and private studies, which adversely affect their academic work. The issue of increased workload was also another reason for which some of the students showed low participation in decision-making. These reasons did not differ by gender among the students. On the basis of the findings of the study, the following recommendations are made for practice: 1. That the school authorities should establish a system of consultation with the students on issues that affect them. 2. That opportunities for exchange of ideas, such as open forum, should be regularly organised for the students. 3. The school authorities should encourage and strengthen the following centers which involve students in decision-making: class level, house level, SRC and school committees. 4.That the school authorities should establish a system of getting feedback from the students to ensure that the entire student body is aware of the activities of the SRC and various school committees.

Source: UCC
Student Support Services In The Colleges Of Education In The Central Region, Ghana

This study sought to explore the available services Colleges of Education in the Central Region provide to students. The convergent parallel mixed method design was deemed more appropriate for the study. The study used students, tutors and service personnel in all the Colleges of Education as the case to ascertain the availability of student support services. The study used two instruments (Student Support Service Questionnaire and Tutor/Personnel Interview Guide) to obtain data from 366 respondents (students=354, tutors/personnel=12). Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and means) and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. The study sought to answer three research questions. The study revealed that Colleges of Education in the Central Region provide a number of student support services such as guidance and counselling, academic advising, residence, orientation, and health services. The study further showed that student is utilising support services in various forms, from resolving emotional difficulties and getting over their personal problems, seeking care for acute illnesses, treatment for colds and viruses, and accessing safe, comfortable, and well maintained and supportive on-campus accommodation. Furthermore, the study revealed that student services are hindered by challenges preventing their effectiveness. These challenges include fear of being ridiculed by peers/colleagues, personnel of student services not approachable, and fear of being ridiculed by personnel at the student support services. The study recommended that management of Colleges of Education should intensify efforts to raise awareness, accessibility, and benefits of student support services through informational campaigns, frequent workshops, and orientation programmes.

Source: UCC
Student teachers’ views on home economics education and gender in Ghana and Finland

The diversity among students is to be recognised and respected, so gender needs to be taken into consideration (Lahelma, 2011). Through culturally responsive education (Gay, 2013), the contextual and relational aspects of learning can be emphasised, and, thus, gender can be acknowledged. The focus of this chapter is on the contextual understanding of gender in home economics education as it is perceived by university teacher students at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Finland is characterised by a seemingly gender-neutral approach to home economics education, whereas Ghana has a feminised approach. Following the researchers’ commitment as teacher educators to precipitate change and transformation in education, this empirical analysis draws on group discussions with future home economics teachers at two universities in these countries.

Source: UCC
Student-teacher perception of the state of discipline in senior secondary schools: A case study of Kwanyako Secondary School

The general purpose of this study was to find out the perceptions of students and teachers on the state of discipline in Kwanyako Senior Secondary School. Research questions formulated to direct the research focused on the perceptions of discipline, causes and remedies to indiscipline in schools to enlighten students and teachers on the roles they play in order to address the problem of indiscipline in the school. Simple random sampling was used to select 104 students, purposive sampling to select twenty members of staff including the Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster and Guidance and Counselling Co-ordinator with data analysed using simple percentages. The study revealed a congruence of opinions among the respondents on most of the disciplinary issues by expressing similar sentiments and proposing strategies to encourage discipline in students but frowned on the extreme punitive forms on indiscipline. A closer look at the student- related causes of disciplinary problems derived from responses revealed they are mostly orchestrated by students. To improve discipline in schools, all communication avenues should be effectively utilised in relation to students, demanding self control from students knowing the consequences of their behaviours. This will be achieved if guidance and counselling services are made a full-time responsibility in schools. It was therefore recommended that school administrators seeking to maintain discipline in their schools, should work on getting to know students individually, liaising with the community and some of its members serving as resource persons in extracurricular activities as well as school governance.

Source: UCC
Students And Administrators‟ Views On Students‟ Participation In Decision-Making Process At The Tamale Technical University.

The purpose of this study was to identify the views of students and administrators on students‟ participation in decision making in Tamale Technical University. The total population of respondents for the study was 1,867. This was made up of second- and third-year students and senior administrative staff. The sample was pegged at 280 (250 students and 30 administrative staff). It also employed the use of stratified and purposive sampling technique to select respondents from management and students. The study revealed that, students agreed to the existence of policies on students‟ participation in decision making process at Tamale Technical University. They disagreed however that, University management organizes forums to share policy guidelines on students‟ participation in decision-making process, contradicting management of TaTU who agreed to the statement. The study recommended that, students should be made privy can be used to decisions that concern them at the University to ensure a cordial working relationship between students and management. It also recommends that, the University policy document on students participation in decision-making should be made available to ensure stability and shared governance. The study suggests that, further research could be conducted to find out how management takes part in decision making process at the various Universities and whether this could have impact on involving students.

Source: UCC
Students Perception Of Information Communication Technology Infrastructure At The University Of Cape Coast

It is widely accepted that the potential revolution in facilitation that information and communication technology may bring may improve education at all levels. Most governments' investments in schools' ICT infrastructure are driven by a firm conviction in the transformative power of ICT to improve student learning. The study's overarching objective was to better understand how students at the University of Cape Coast see the variables that drive them to maintain their technology use. The study was guided by four (4) research questions. The study included a random selection of 326 undergraduates from selected departments across four colleges at the University of Cape Coast, out of a total population of 1,779. A questionnaire was utilised to collect information for a descriptive survey using a quantitative methodology. The results showed that students valued the perceived benefit of technology in the classroom quite highly. Again, the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean judgements for years three and four when it came to how conveniently students felt using technology for learning. While most participants gave the research excellent marks for perceived value, happiness, and convenience, many had poor views of the underlying ICT infrastructure, which might potentially slow down course development at times. Perceived utility (PU) was shown to be the most influential factor in whether or not participants adopted and used a new technology. It was recommended that the government take decisive action to strengthen ICT infrastructure and establish a strong telecommunications industry in order to address some fundamental ICT application difficulties and to boost the facilitation of ICT in schools. Constant attention should also be paid to the requirement for updating the information and communication technology infrastructure present on college campuses.

Source: UCC
Students perception of the administrative practices of heads of single sex schools in the Cape Coast

In the Cape Coast Municipality, there are single sex senior high schools and co-educational senior high schools. The study set out to investigate how students in the single sex senior high schools perceived the administrative functions of the heads. The purpose was to examine how the heads of the schools played their administrative roles. The research employed a descriptive survey. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to draw a sample size of 640 from five single sex senior high schools in the Cape Coast Municipality. For the data collection, the main instrument used was a questionnaire which comprised both open-ended and closed-ended items. The return rate of the retrieval of the questionnaire distributed was 91%. The major findings of the study indicated that the student perceived heads of single sex senior high schools of the Cape-Coast Municipality to perform their administrative duties to a great extent. Students of the girls’ schools perceived their heads are being more caring in their welfare than the heads of boys’ schools. Also the study revealed that the heads involved the students to some extent in the planning of activities of the school and in the execution of their administrative functions.

Source: UCC
Students' achievement in mathematics in the Liberia senior high school certificate examination(LSHSCE) and how it is influenced by teacher characteristics

The purpose of the study was to describe twelfth grade students' perception of the mathematics teachers' teaching style, to describe the mathematics teachers' perception of in-service education and training (INSET) programmes, and to investigate twelfth grade students' achievement in Liberia Senior High School Certificate Examination (LSHSCE) mathematics and how it is influenced by teacher characteristics. The study took place in fourteen purposively selected senior high schools in Nimba County, Liberia. The study involved 280 twelfth grade students and ten teachers teaching mathematics. Twenty students were randomly selected from each school. The study used questionnaires and data sheet to collect data. The data were analysed by means of frequency distribution, simple percentages, One Way Analysis of Yariance (ANOY A), the Duncan multiple-range test of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Excel gave graph for the past twelfth grade students' LSHSCE mathematics scores. The results showed that the students viewed the mathematics teachers' teaching style as a combination of teacher-centred and student-centred teaching styles, the relevant authorities ofNimba County School System kept low profile on the provision of INSET programmes for the mathematics teachers, the number of trained and qualified high school mathematics teachers was inadequate, and the mathematics teachers' characteristics positively influenced the students' achievement in LSHSCE mathematics. Based on the findings, a number of recommendations (e.g. provision of scholarships for high school graduates to train and qualify as mathematics teachers) for improving on teaching and learning of mathematics were made.

Source: UCC
Students' and teachers' perceived difficultties with Senior High School economics topics in Central Region,Ghana

The study focused on students and teachers perceived difficulties of topics in the senior high school economics syllabus in senior high schools in Central Region of. Ghana. Data was obtained with the Economics Students Questionnaire, Economics Teachers Questionnaire, administered to 468 students and 32 teachers respectively. Focus group interview protocol and Interview protocol were used to collect some qualitative data from students and teachers as a follow up after the survey. The data collection was done after senior high schools which offered economics in Central Region were categorized into high performing and low performing schools based on individual performance in WAEC examinations for four consecutive years and three schools under each school category randomly selected. Two final year classes were randomly selected. All economics teachers in the selected schools formed part of the study. Major topics students and teachers perceived to be difficult were: "Substitution and income effect", "National income accounting", "National income determination" and the "Multiplier concept and measurement of data". Both students and teachers cited some reasons for these difficulties and suggested measures to overcome such difficulties. Two hypotheses were tested to find out whether gender and the offering of mathematics have effect on students learning of economics. It was, therefore, recommended that the Ghana Education Service should consider the introduction of some economics concepts in the Junior High School curriculum for students to have some basic economics concepts before SHS.

Source: UCC
Students' and teachers' perception of discipline in Adonten Senior High School

This study investigated the students’ and teachers’ understanding of discipline. It also looked into those acts considered indiscipline by students and teachers, and the causes of indiscipline in the school. An enquiry was also made into the effects of indiscipline and measures that could be adopted to control indiscipline in the school. Students and staff of Adonten Senior Secondary School were selected as sample for the study. In all 84 students and 26 teachers constituted the sample. The study revealed that both students and teachers understand discipline as the state of order in the school. It also showed that students and teachers as well see stealing, sneaking out of school, fighting/quarrelling, possession of illegal kits and sexual misconduct as acts of indiscipline in the school. The study identified favouritism on the part of teachers and indiscriminate insulting of students as some of the causes of indiscipline in the school. Again, it was found that indiscipline in the school affects teaching and learning and the academic performance of students. The study further revealed that by suspending indiscipline students and making them sign bonds to be of good behaviour before their parents could curb indiscipline in the school. The offer of guidance and counseling services, praising of well-behaved students at school gatherings and writing of good comments in the terminal reports of self-discipline students to their parents were also identified as measures that could be used to promote discipline in the school. Male teachers should be advised to avoid engaging in immoral activities with female students.

Source: UCC
Students' and teachers' perceptions of school farm interventions by the development assistance to school farms (DASFA) in the central region, Ghana

This study examined the perceptions of teachers and students of school farm interventions by an agricultural education NOD known as Development Assistance to School Farms (DASFA). The population for the study was students and teachers who have participated in school farm activities supported by DASFA. Students of the Agro-Youth Clubs at Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Jukwa Senior Secondary School and their teachers, patrons, and farm assistants were purposively sampled because of their participation in all four of the agricultural enterprises examined. A descriptive survey design employing the Retrospective Pre-post Approach was used to examine competency perceptions of the students before and after the school farms and gardens project interventions. Teachers were surveyed through the use of questionnaires. Means and standard deviations were computed to describe students' perceived competency levels. Paired t-tests were computed to determine whether there were significant differences between perceived levels before and after the project interventions. The findings of the study indicated that significant gains were rna,' ~ in terms of students' acquisition of knowledge and skills in the four enterprises included in the study. Teachers indicated that the interventions were helpful in contributing to the delivery of the agriculture curriculum in their schools. Some problems reported include insufficient inputs and lack of incentives. Recommendations for improving the management of school farms included wider involvement and commitment, transparent record-keeping and the sharing of profits.

Source: UCC
Students' Attitudes Towards Social, Moral and Religious Issues: A Survey of Senior High Schools in the Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana

The purpose of this study was to find out the attitudes of senior high school students in the Brong Ahafo region towards social, moral and religious issues. It was also hypothesised that gender, subjects studied, type of school, environment, age, ethnicity and religious affiliation of students have an effect and predict their attitudes towards social, moral and religious issues. The study adopted the descriptive cross-sectional survey as a design. Participants for the study were 900 students from 20 senior high schools in the region. They were selected using the cluster and simple random sampling techniques. A questionnaire (Mensah's altitude scale for measuring social, moral and religious issues) with a Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.893 was used for data collection. Data collected were analysed with the; help of SPSS version 20. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools like frequency counts, percentages, means and standard deviation, Factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression were used for data analysis. It was found that students in senior high schools in the Brong Ahafo region had positive attitudes towards social, moral and religious issues. Also, it was found that students' demographic characteristics have significant influence and predict their attitudes towards social, moral and religious issues. Based on these findings, it was recommended that Brong Ahafo branch of Ghana Education Service endeavour to intensify education on social, moral and religious issues through subjects like citizenship education and religious and moral education.

Source: UCC