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The Politics of Mental Health amidst COVID-19 in Ghana
Get PDFMuch scholarship has been devoted to the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the global economy and the health of people. Little attention has, so far, been given to the threat posed by COVID-19 to mental health, an important aspect of public health. This paper explores the multiplicity of ways the novel coronavirus exacerbates the challenge of mental health in Ghana. The paper argues that a looming COVID-19 induced mental health crisis could undermine the health and wellbeing of the people, hence the need for a timely political response through improved investment in mental health. Elite interviews with frontline stakeholders in mental health in Ghana focused on the extent to which Ghana’s overall response to COVID-19 prioritizes mental health and the implications thereof. Also, content analysis of 22 presidential updates on COVID-19 and other official documents, as well as participant observation, were used, to examine Ghana’s response to the pandemic. Findings suggest that government decisions and responses to COVID-19 were largely driven by science and rational politics. Specifically, the response to the mental health aspect of the pandemic was minimal with a bias mostly towards the clinical management and prevention of the pandemic. The paper concludes that the mental health aspect of the pandemic is critical to the holistic management of COVID-19 and must be prioritized to curtail possible post-COVID-19 mental health implications on the development of the health and wellbeing of the people. Immediate measurable actions by the government to address the medium to the long-term effect of COVID-19 induced mental health cases is, therefore, highly recommended
Effect of Assessment for Learning Strategy on Children’s Learning Outcomes in Mathematics in Private-Owned ECCE Centers in Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State
Get PDFResearch indicates that young children learn through play. Assessment for learning approach is aimed at improving the learning outcomes of children a non-intrusive way. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of assessment for learning strategy on children’s learning outcome in mathematics in private ECCE centers in Ilorin South local government of Kwara State. The design for the study was a non-randomized quasi-experimental design involving pre-test, post-test experimental control groups while the instrument for the study was a group assessment for learning module validated by two measurement experts. A pre-test and post-test control group design was implemented on the sampled from two schools. Children in the experimental groups were exposed to treatment using Group Assessment for Learning and Development approach for a period of 4 weeks; after which they were assessed. In order to test the hypotheses generated for the study; scores from both groups were analyzed using t-test and ANCOVA statistics. Children taught using assessment for learning strategy performed better than those taught using the traditional teaching strategy
Effect of Peer Assessment Skills Training on Ghanaian Senior High School Students' Achievement in Mathematics
Get PDFThe study investigated the effect of peer-assessment skill training on students’ achievement in Mathematics. The non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group 2x2x2 factorial quasiexperimental design was adopted for the study. Two public senior high schools were randomly sampled to participate in the study and a total of eighty-seven (87) students made up of forty-five (45) in the experimental groups and forty-two (42) in the control group were selected from Central Region of Ghana. Students participated in the study as intact classes. Two Mathematics achievement tests, with acceptable reliability coefficients of 0.79 and 0.83 were developed by the researcher for data collection. Again a peer-assessment module was developed by the researchers for the intervention. The module was content validated by three expects using percentage of agreement. ANCOVA and independent t- test were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were that: there was significant effect of peer-assessment skill training on students’ achievement in Mathematics. Again, there was no significant sex and age influence on students’ peer-assessment skill training group. Based on the findings, it was recommended that teachers should use peer-assessment skill strategy in teaching Mathematics lessons to bring about the much needed improvement in students’ performance in Mathematics
ANALYSIS OF LOCAL SYSTEMS’ CAPACITY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN GHANA: VIEWS OF COMMUNITY OPINION LEADERS
Get PDFThis paper presents data from focus group interviews among community opinion leaders from eight purposefully selected districts in Ghana, which formed part of a nation-wide evaluation of local systems’ capacity for the implementation of inclusive education. Participants discussed issues relating to disability and traditional and national laws, and the rights children with disabilities. Content and thematic analyses were adopted to analyze the data. The findings revealed that traditional laws were undocumented and largely silent on issues relating to disability, with the exception of executives of the organizations of persons with disabilities, community opinion leaders were ignorant about national laws and policies on the right of children with disabilities. Participants raised concerns about demand-driven issues such as insufficient special needs educators, inadequate special schools, lack of assistive devices, specialized equipment and materials, and inaccessible environments. Additionally, supplyrelated issues including poverty and negative attitudes were also raised as barriers to education of children with disabilities in participants’ communities. The study concluded that there were gaps in local systems’ capacity for the implementation of inclusive education. It was therefore recommended among others that measures should be taken to develop the capacities of local systems to facilitate the implementation of inclusive education nation-wide
The Role of Guidance and Counselling Services in Promoting the Study of Home Economics in Senior High Schools in Bolgatanga Municipality
Get PDFThe study examined the role of guidance and counselling services in promoting the study of home economics in the Bolgatanga Municipality. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Simple random and proportional representation methods were used to select a sample size of 200 students from a total of 332. Questionnaire was used to obtain data from the students. The results revealed that, improvement of knowledge on nutrition, development of good home management skills and self-reliant skills are the benefits of home economics. In addition, the results indicated that high cost and misconception that home economics is for female students are factors that militate against the study of home economics. Besides, the study showed that guidance and counselling services promote the study of home economics by managing and dispelling misconceptions, equip students with effective study skills and encourage the use of excursions to stimulate students’ interest in the study of home economics. The study recommended that cost of practical fees and equipment be provided by government to minimise the high cost associated with the study of home economics. Besides, counsellors should organize career seminars at secondary school levels to dispel misconceptions and motivate male students to pursue home economics programmes
Fee-Free Secondary Education in Ghana: Reflections on the Past, Realities and Feasible Choices
Get PDFIn 2017, the Government of Ghana introduced a Fee-Free Secondary Education policy that attracted intensive debate nationally. This paper is a reflective analysis rooted in both historical and contemporary expressions of education financing in Ghana. It considers the feasibility of the policy, its sustenance and draws on past policies and practices in Ghana and other country experiences. It reflects on past social interventions in Ghana and their outcomes. Findings suggest that a universal fee-free policy will be burdensome on government’s limited resources and affect the quality of education delivery. The paper concludes that a gradualist approach or phased implementation of the programme through means-testing and pro-poor targeting could lead to better management and practice of the policy
Left Behind Under Covid-19: The Limits and Impact of Online Education at the Basic School Level in Ghana
Get PDFThis study examines the impact of Covid-19 on access to online education or Distance Education at the basic school level. Specifically, it sought to analyse the differential access to online education due to digital divide resulting from the mechanism of income inequalities. The case study strategy within the qualitative approach was deployed for the study. Among other things, the study revealed that differences in income affected children’s access to online education during the school closures. While children from lower income groups had
access to online education, access doubled for children from high income groups. The
study also found that children accessed online lessons with different technological devices
such as smart phones, computers, laptops and tablets. It was further found that there are
variations in the multimedia used by schools in the delivery of lessons. The multimedia
commonly used by schools include WhatsApp, Zoom and Google classroom, all of which
were found to have different impact on the quality of online studie
Managements’ Leadership Style and Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teachers’ Attitude to Work in Offa Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria
Get PDFThe study investigated managements’ leadership style and ECE teachers’ attitude to work in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. Causal-comparative design of the correlation type was adopted. The population comprised all teachers in preschool and lower primary schools in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State. Simple random sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 200 teachers from 20 schools selected. Two self-developed instruments used for data collection were “Managements’ Leadership Styles Rating Scale” and “Teachers’ Attitude to Work Scale” with reliability coefficient of 0.81 and 0.73 respectively. The data collected were analyzed with descriptive statistics, T-test and Analysis of Variance. Leadership style had significant influence on teachers’ attitude to work and democratic leadership style produced better attitude to work among teachers. Therefore, it was recommended that school managers should employ appropriate leadership style to encourage better work attitude and excellent performance among their teachers. Also, they should regularly receive more leadership training to update their knowledge on leadership for improved management and relationship with the teachers.
 
Tutors' Participation in Decision-Making and Its Effects on Job Satisfaction in Nursing Training Colleges in Ghana
Get PDFThis study sought to examine the impact of academic staff participation in decision-making on their job satisfaction in Nursing Training Colleges in Ghana. The study adopted the descriptive research design. Two hundred and sixty tutors were selected using multistage stratified random sampling. The questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was face validated by researchers and content validated by senior researchers. The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient 0.89 was obtained for the research instruments. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, ANOVA, independent t-test, correlation and simple regression. The study found that the level of tutor’s participation in decision-making in the Nursing Training Colleges was moderate. Most tutors’ participated in decisions on students’ policies, curriculum and instructional development and college planning. The level of job satisfaction among the tutor’s was moderate for freedom to use their own judgment and feeling of accomplishment from job. Tutor’s participation in decision-making was directly related to sex, age, education, and rank. The study also found that contextual factors – knowledge; tutor - management relationship and college politics had direct relationship with tutors’ participation in decision-making and impacted positively on their job satisfaction due to demographic and contextual factors. The study recommends among others increased level of participation of tutors in decision-making in the Nursing Training Colleges in Ghana