misconceptions about teaching in ghanamisconceptions about teaching in ghana

To these little ones, reading must be fun. Given that persons with disabilities have been marginalized in all spheres of life, including their families and caregivers (Naami, 2019), conscientious efforts must be made to ensure that persons with disabilities/organizations of persons with disabilities or individuals/organizations that have the capacity to represent them are at the decision-making table to ensure that their needs are adequately addressed (Agyire-Tettey et al., 2019). The 2012 Human Rights Watch report indicates that over 5 million persons with disabilities live in Ghana (United States Department of States, 2017). Misconception:Force is always in the direction of an object's motion.21 Transfer of Energy Concept: Objects come to the temperature of their surroundings. Interaction between the Components of ICF (World Health Organization, 2007). 1. true, instead, the Vocationalization of Ghana's education will put money into people's pockets (Anamuah-Mensah, 2004). Adjei, P., Akpalu, A., Laryea, R., Nkromah, K., Sottie, C., Ohene, S., et al. J. Findings of the study are expected to make useful contributions to information, education and communication strategies for dispelling myths and misconceptions about TB in Ghana. (2006) observed that most of pre-service teachers had misconceptions about photosynthesis and respiration in plants. The Colleges of Education award diploma qualifications, while the universities awards Bachelor of Education degrees and PGDE/certificates in education. As noted by Calles (2020) the process of truly integrating the SDGs in tertiary institutions is sine qua non. Maybe a better phrase is, Those who teach create those who do. Michael Jay, One of my favorites is, Those who cant, teach. Teachers must be well educated in their field of study, of course,but that is only the beginning. Agbenyega, J. S., Deppeler, J., and Harvey, D. (2005). Leeds: Disability Press. The student teacher is also expected by the curriculum to recognize what makes him/her an inclusive teacher. The observation checklist requires student teachers to identify traits of professionalism of their mentor teachers compared with theirs. Examples of how anthropomorphism is misleading. Your source for IT solutions and innovations to support school-wide success. Dis. Akyeampong, K. (2009). The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a comprehensive framework to describe health and health-related issues including disability. There is nothing like seeing your students succeed. (2019). Let us know at submissions@eschoolmedia.com. Nancy Barile is a National Board Certified Teacher, who has been teaching English Language Arts at a low-income, urban high school near Boston, MA for 22 years. Educ. According to the Colleges of Education Act of 2012, Act 847, the process of preparing teachers in Ghana to teach at the basic school level takes place at the College of Education (CoE). Your source for IT solutions and innovations to support school-wide success. The policy sets an agenda of child friendly schools, which implies schools in Ghana ought to look out for children; that is child-seeking and again they should focus attention on children; that is, schools should be child-centered. Assoc. There are two major case study designs: single-case study designs and multiple-case study designs. MCE Clears Negative Stereotypes Of TVET Education | News Ghana Disabil. The policy (2015, p. 6) defines a child with special educational needs [SEN] as: a child with disability, namely, visual, hearing, locomotor, and intellectual impairments. But the policy extends the concept SEN to cover those who are failing in school, for a wide variety of reasons that are known to be barriers to a childs optimal progress in learning and development. 4. And since the student teachers are required to Recognize how the teacher is a key influence on a learners self-esteem and, as a consequence, their learning potential, there is the need for student teachers to be grounded in disability awareness to understand persons with disabilities, their issues and needs and how best they could be helped. If you're in the same boat, here's a handy cheat sheet to help set your lunatic cousin Larry straight when he claims to know more than you do about your own vocation. In this paper, we have examined the preparedness of student teachers in Colleges of Education in Ghana in respect of the curriculum being delivered toward achieving inclusive education. Traditional beliefs and knowledge base about epilepsy among university students in Ghana. All Rights Reserved. (2003). Fontdevila, C., and Grek, S. (2020). In this paper, we use the social model of disability and anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals, to examine the preparedness of student teachers in meeting the needs of learners with diverse learning needs. But the section seems to relate more to learners with learning difficulties. (2015). She was also awarded the 2011 Massachusetts Commonwealth Award in Creative Leadership, and in 2007 was named a member of the 2007 USA Today All-Teacher Team. SDGs in Ghana; why they matter and how we can help. Barrett, P., Treves, A., Shmis, T., and Ambasz, D. (2019). Government of Ghana. 32:69. doi: 10.47985/dcidj.419. Copyright 2023 eSchoolMedia & eSchool News. Yin, R. K. (1994). One common belief about teachers is that we never work during the summer. Comp. The data sources were a face-to-face in-depth interview with the Quality Assurance Officer of the case and one site observation by the researchers. The key informant the affirmed that students are required to identify school facilities: When they go to the schools, they have to know the history of the partner schools and the facilities that are in the schools that will support teaching and learning. London: Results for Development Institute en Overseas Development Institute. The National Teacher Education Curriculum Framework, (NTECF): The Essential Elements of Initial Teacher Education. Therefore, it is very important to assess how student teachers at the Colleges of Education in Ghana are integrating inclusive education consistent with SDG 4. Ten common myths about teaching - eSchool News As part of the global communitys efforts to address social problems collectively, post the Millennium Development Goals era, the Sustainable Development Goals were birthed in 2015 (United Nations [UN], 2015). J. Curr. London: Macmillan. Received: 29 September 2022; Accepted: 16 January 2023; Published: 23 February 2023. The curriculum of the Colleges of Education in Ghana emphasis on the need for student teachers to reflect on their own beliefs and biases to enhance acceptance and conscientious efforts toward accommodating learners with disabilities to increase their inclusion. Confronting them is difficult for the student and the teacher. The Teaching Profession In Ghana: What Can Be Done To Improve It? Ghana developed an inclusive education policy in 2015 with an overarching goal of fostering equitable access to education for all children. Available at: http://UNCT-GH-SDGs-in-Ghana-Avocacy-Messages-2017%20(5).pdf (Accessed August 4, 2022). World Health Organization. Breaking the barriers: Ghanaians perspectives about the social model. The best way to answer this question is by sharing a few stories of your own. The requirements for a qualified teacher include all of the skills needed for the 21st-century workplace. Mary Montag, teacher, St. Teresas Academy. She graduated from Kenyon College in 2006 with a BA in English, and enjoys spending way too much time either reading or cooking. Curriculum in 2018, was written to reform education and the school curriculum. In the 24 years I've worked as a teacher, I've never had a single summer "off.". Royal Geographical Society - Resources for schools For years, governments and other national and international stakeholders have focused their attention on making sure that all children can attend school, and they have backed up that commitment with funding. Rather, impairment should be considered to enable provision of suitable accommodation for learners with disabilities. Available at: www.t-tel.org/hub.html (Accessed June 30, 2022). See response below: Whatever course that they take, we have components of misconceptions. Once you find one, you do your possible best to know the causes of the disability or how the person is being helped throughout his or her stay in the schoolWe specifically ask them to identify a child with the disability and even how the facilities and resources in the school support the child. (2021). However, we think it's more accurate . The inclusive education policy acknowledges that: all children can learn irrespective of differences in age, gender, ethnicity, language, and disability. by Nancy Barile, Award-Winning Teacher, M.A.Ed. Conclusion We conclude that although knowledge and awareness about Ebola is high among Ghanaians who participated in the study, there are still misconceptions about the disease. Stay up-to-date with the latest edtech tools, trends, and best practices for classroom, school and district success. Burnett, N., and Felsman, C. (2012). The importance of the SDGs. Dugbartey, A. T., and Barimah, K. B. SDGs Goal 4-Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (specifically, targets: 4.5, 4.6, 4.8), and the social model of disability guided the review. Also, the B.Ed. A. Wulff (Leiden: Brill), 96115. on the eve of Ghana's independence and charged with the "dissemination of truthful unbiased news". These questions, as far as I can tell, partly state some of the misconceptions about the teaching of CSE. United Nations Communications Groups [UNCG] (2017). ODS y educacin superior. (2018). 5. World report on disability online. The observation checklist and reflective journals do not make enough room for student teachers to self-reflect on disability, which could be a barrier to the education of persons with various forms of disabilities. Misconceptions as Barriers to Understanding Science To be effective, a science teacher should not underestimate the importance and the persistence of these barriers to true understanding. GhanaS free senior high school policy: evidence and insight from data. Although the 2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census reports, that persons with disabilities in Ghana constitute about 8% (2,098,138) of the countrys population of 30,832,019 (Ghana Statistical Service, 2012), other reports show otherwise. Colleges of Education are the settings where teachers are trained to develop required skills for effective inclusive education. The SDGs 4 set out to achieve inclusion and equality in education whilst the social model of disability provides us with the opportunity to identify barriers to inclusion and how to address them. 10, 7086. It must be noted that, although the student observation checklist contains some items on disability, the students were not required, in their reflective journals, to reflect on leaners with disabilities, their learning needs, and how they could be addressed to increase participation. The ICF and social model of disability, on the other hand, helped us identify barriers that could inhibit access of persons with disabilities to inclusive education in Ghana at the systemic (teaching training colleges) and unit (classrooms) levels and to identify what could be done to address issues at these levels. curriculum is used by Colleges of Education and other Universities offering education programs, as it was collaboratively produced by four teacher education universities with senior members of Colleges of Education (Ministry of Education National, 2017). Common Misconceptions About Teaching - Transition to Teach "Teachers Have a Paid Summer Vacation", Each year, teachers must take an unpaid furlough during July and August. Ministry of Education. doi: 10.1080/17508487.2016.1247737, Tamanja, E., and Pajibo, E. (2019). To achieve inclusive education, it is imperative that conscientious efforts are made to ensure that disability is mainstream, alongside other vulnerability/diversity variables, such as gender. The study employed the descriptive research design. Each period lasts 45 minutes and each grade is expected to receive an average of 45 periods of instruction a week covering all subjects (nine periods a day for all subjects). All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer|Privacy Policy|Contact Us|About. Chaturvedi, S. (2021). It was the first news agency . Junior High School Math/Science Teacher - peacecorps.gov 1. (2019). Leal Filho, W., Shiel, C., Pao, A., Mifsud, M., vila, L. V., Brandli, L. L., et al. Further, the student teachers in year three are tasked to identify learners who struggle to overcome barriers. The student reflective journal and the observation checklists identify barriers to learning. Geneva: World Health Organization. Although the various studies by Dodor et . Moria, A., and Morgado, B. How anthropomorphism hinders AI education - Raspberry Pi Foundation Myths and misconceptions about tuberculosis transmission in Ghana She holds a B.A. Naami, A. There is nothing like hearing a former student tell you about the positive change you've made in their life. Beliefs on epilepsy in Northern Ghana. Yes, this is what we want the students to know. (2018b). The SDGs target 4.8 outlines the need to build and upgrade educational facilities that are disability sensitive. Edulearn19 Proc. Educ. This has led to misconceptions and poor public image of TVET because many people still hold the view that TVET is good for students who cannot use their brains or students who do not qualify for admission into the universities. Maternal hypertensive mother's knowledge, attitudes and misconceptions 60, 281301. There are so many more misconceptions about teaching that I could easily write a Part II to this article. The GCM is built on the back of the 2015 Incheon Declaration and Education 2030 Framework for Action, which envisages a cooperation, monitoring and evaluation mechanism which has the Global Education Meeting (GEM) as the pivot of action (Mundial, Grupo Banco, and UNICEF, 2016). Unstructured questionnaires and Teacher observations were utilised in the process of generating the data. The education of students with disabilities is affected by attitudinal, pedagogical, institutional, informational, and environmental accessibility barriers (World Health Organization, 2011; Nakua et al., 2017; Braun and Naami, 2021). Common misconceptions of Africa are explored in the second lesson, through a range of activities which again highlight the wide diversity of opportunities, challenges and life styles. It could be an ice breaker or other warming up exercises that could exclude learners with disabilities. Epilepsy Behav. It seems everyone has an opinion about teachers and their profession these days and most of them arent teachers. However, in our nations current climate, saying the word teacher is like Forrest Gump opening a box of chocolates: you never know what youre going to get, as teachers too often are seen as a convenient scapegoat for the perceived problems that are plaguing public education. International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health: Children & Youth Version: ICF-CY. We, therefore, recommend the need for student teachers to be grounded in disability issues in order to understand learners with diverse disabilities, their unique needs and how best they could help them. Stein, S., de Oliveira Andreotti, V., and Sua, R. (2019). No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. In Ghana, a considerable milestone has been the integration of the SDGs into the medium-term development of Ghana. Clean. The aim of the study is to develop an understanding of the kinds and sources errors and misconceptions that characterise students' learning of school algebra. Next-Generation Data Strategies and Solutions, The Technology Tools, Skills, and Support Every Student Needs to Succeed, Strategies for Creating a Successful Collaborative Learning Environment, Virtual or In-Person, Do more with less with managed services for K12, The Earth Prize 2023 Winners Announcement, Latest Enhancements to Discovery Education Services Drive Deeper Student Engagement, KidWind and Toyota Join Forces to Bring Renewable Energy Education to West Virginia, ISTE and Capstone Collaborate on Childrens Books Championing Digital Citizenship, Ohio Department of Education Names Curriculum Associates i-Ready Assessment an Approved Dyslexia Screener for Grades K3, 6 benefits of immersive learning with the metaverse, Building a Successful Certification Program at Your Institution. In a world where competition for jobs, pay increases, and academic success continues to increase, certifications offer hope to candidates and educators. Teach. The components of the learning outcomes we analyzed in the light of the SDGs Goal 4 targets 4.5, 4.6, and 4.8 and the social model of disability (See Supplementary Tables S1S3). Vol. Disability should clearly be mentioned in the curriculum and the learning outcomes of the equity and inclusivity cross-cutting pillar and their targets as well as auxiliary materials of Colleges of Educations in Ghana. Afr. This serves as a baseline. (2011). 3. doi: 10.21083/ajote.v3i2.2728. S. Grek, C. Maroy, and A. Verger (Milton Park: Routledge), 4358. For instance, some Ghanaian teachers utilize proverbs and stories to contextualize their messages and some of these are negative toward persons with disabilities and teachers unconsciously make their statements without knowing that they are hurting some learners in the classroom. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version. eSchool News uses cookies to improve your experience. In a similar vein, the Government of Ghana has identified several factors that prevent persons with disabilities from attending school, including the general publics negative perception of people with disabilities, physical obstacles, the lack of adequate facilities for assessments, and a rigid curriculum, inadequate planning by regular teachers for students with special needs (Government of Ghana, 2003). Stud. CBR Incl. Ghana: Ghana Assembly Press. The 5 million figure collaborates with the World Health Organizations estimates that disability affects 1520% of every countrys population (World Health Organization, 2018). Data analysis was done by first transcribing the audiotaped interview into word format, then both inductive and deductive approaches were used for coding, pattern development, matching and building themes and subthemes. According to the Colleges of Education Act of 2012, Act 847, the process of preparing teachers in Ghana to teach at the basic school level takes place at the College of Education (CoE). Without the commitment and involvement of tertiary institutions and in the case of training institutions such as Colleges of Education, perhaps the SDGs 4 may not be sustainably attained. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Want to share a great resource? doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.032. Nancy Barile, Award-Winning Teacher, M.A.Ed. Stressful school atmosphere, teachers' lack of knowledge and bad attitude towards work can equally hinder the reading process at this level. (1994). J. Soc. Ghana 2012 human rights report. Educ. In spite of the progress that Ghana has made in improving access to school, several children cannot read or write. The site observation was taken to audit the accessibility of the physical environment. Disabil. Challenges and opportunities for inclusive education in Ghana. It further does not recognize learners with disabilities as a targeted category for student reflection. Copyright 2023 Naami and Mort. Avoiding anthropomorphism helps young people to open the closed box of AI applications. United Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural organization [UNESCO]. But how prepared are student teachers at Colleges of Education in Ghana. Global development and higher education. The author concluded that concept-changing texts were efficient in comprehension of photosynthesis and THE TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL AND SKILL TRAINING - Ministry of Education Ghana Education has long been recognized as a global priority. Nancy was a Top 50 Finalist for the Varkey Global Teacher Prize 2015. Revista Educacin Superior y Sociedad (ESS) 32, 167201. Wheelchair accessibility to public buildings in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana. Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation [UPIAS] (1976). Available at: http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report.pdf (Accessed June 17, 2017). Teachers in the U.S. do make far less than similarly educated professionals. We wanted to know more about how the student teacher is taught to reflect on disability. For example, in math, when you are teaching math, you will let them know that these and that are some of the misconceptions. Koomson et al (2000) also cites many activities which are involved in teaching. Clean. All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Also, emphasis was place more on the classroom environment, which is good. (2017). Finkelstein, V. (1988). "Teacher Unions Impede Education Reform". Presently, there are 48 Colleges of Education (CoE) in Ghana, up from 38 in 2014 (Buabeng et al., 2019) and in the 2018/2019 academic year, all Colleges of Education in Ghana were upgraded to University Colleges status to offer a four-year Bachelor of Education degree (Kokutse, 2018). Adera, B. Instruction has always been the decision of what to teach (curriculum) and how to teach (methods, materials, and activities). Figure 1 gives a pictorial illustration of how a particular health condition/disorder could affect the body functioning, activity and participation. Stay up to date on all the latest from Hey Teach: Get periodic emails that include exclusive content, special guides, and other great resources you wont find anywhere else! "Teacher Tenure Means Teachers Can't Be Fired", In 2016, I was outraged when a politician made an untrue statement about teacher tenure, so I turned to Facebook to express my anger. Is Your Network Prepared to Meet the Demands of a Tech-Rich Environment? Attitudes and Disabled People. 1, 78377846. Yin, R. K. (1981). 9, 8695. So, the student teacher could identify a television as a resource for learning, but their reflection report does not create room for them to report on whether the resource is beneficial to learners with disabilities. These include talking, and chalking, marking . The forms and the student handbooks were published by the government of Ghana under the Transformative Teacher Education and Learning (T-TELL), School Partnership Program with support from the British government. Coast, Ghana E-mail of the corresponding author: kodwo33@gmail.com Abstract The general objective of the study was to evaluate the perspectives, conceptions and misconceptions of students on Industrial Attachment. (2021). If you're a teacheror if you've even thought about being a teacheryou've probably heard a few of these common misconceptions about teaching. World 6:81. Ministry of Education National (2017). Top 7 Misconceptions About Ghana - Modern Ghana Educ. One of the profound characteristics of the SDGS is the fact that all the goals are interconnected. Teachers Standards for Ghana: Guidelines. But the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) program was introduced in 1995 as part of efforts to fulfill UNESCOs mission of free universal education for all by 2015 (Akyeampong, 2009). in Behavioral Science, a Masters in Education, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Education Leadership. Barnes, C. (1991). Naami, A. These misconceptions resulted in perceptions of stigma and discrimination towards people who may get Ebola or work with Ebola patients. The case study as a serious research strategy. Ethn. Or maybe like those of firefighters: brave, self-sacrificing! In response to the challenges confronting the education of students with disabilities in Ghana, stakeholders have made concerted efforts in the education sector to embrace the ideals of inclusive education. Western Governors University WGU. Beyond Knowledge and Awareness: Addressing Misconceptions in Ghana's Oftentimes we incautiously do things that exclude persons with disabilities in group settings. Republic of Ghana (2019). As the quality assurance officer of this particular institution, these are some of the questions I ask my coordinators. Completed worksheets of pupils on concept cartoons of selected science topics were discussed and analyzed to find . Ministry of Education. The SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (United Nations [UN], 2015). Buabeng et al. World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and Quality. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. ed. (2016). Consistent with Ghanas commitment to ensuring that all children are given the opportunity to exercise their rights through inclusive education, it ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and the Dakar Framework for Action. Una mirada desde la funcin de investigacin. Evolving Indian strategy on SDGs and scope for regional cooperation. Dev. But here's what teachers do make: a difference in the world. We employed a single-case exploratory study design to deepen our understanding of the preparedness of Ghanaian student teachers to implement inclusive education in one of the Colleges of Education in Ghana. So, its good that you are bringing some of these things out. Ghana, our work on SDGs in Ghana. 4 Articles, This article is part of the Research Topic, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1056630, United Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural organization [UNESCO], 1994, United Nations Communications Groups [UNCG], 2017, United Nations Development Programme [UNDP], 2021, Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation [UPIAS], 1976, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1056630/full#supplementary-material, https://www.ntu.eu/news-archive/the-importance-of-the-sustainable-development-goals/, http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Ghana/Ghana%20Education%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf, http://www.voiceghana.org/downloads/MoE_IE_Policy_Final_Draft1.pdf, https://mofep.gov.gh/sites/default/files/news/Ghana-SDGs-Budget-Report-July-2019.pdf, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf, http://UNCT-GH-SDGs-in-Ghana-Avocacy-Messages-2017%20(5).pdf, https://ghana.un.org/en/about/about-the-un, https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/204336.pdf, http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report.pdf, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs352/en/, Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), Department of Social Work, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.