thesis on education in ghana

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Exploring public knowledge on technical vocational education in Ghana

• Original Paper
• Open access
• Published: 08 May 2024
• Volume 4 , article number  98 , ( 2024 )

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• Abubakar-Zagoon Adams 1 ,
• Emmanuel Intsiful   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6033-1424 2 &
• Haruna Zagoon-Sayeed 3  

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The study examined the public’s knowledge of Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) in the Ayawaso-West Municipality, located in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Qualitative methods were employed to investigate the societal understanding of TVET, utilizing key informant interviews and focus group discussions. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select thirty-six (36) participants. Key informant interviews involved twelve individuals, consisting of ten parents and two school personnel. Additionally, three focus group discussions were conducted, with eight students participating in each group. Data was analysed through the lens of Solomon Eliot Asch’s theory of impression formation, which centres on beliefs and information availability. The limited public information and beliefs surrounding TVET serve as the foundation for downgrading the subsector. As the theory suggests, societal or public actions are based on the beliefs and information available to them. The results revealed two main themes: awareness and misconceptions regarding TVET. It was further revealed that while people are familiar with TVET and understand its importance, there exist misconceptions that TVET is only intended for specific groups within society. The study recommends that the government should actively engage in public awareness campaigns to highlight the significance of TVET.

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Introduction

Education is one of the most crucial factors for development in every aspect. Without significant investments in human capital, no country can achieve long-term economic development (Ozturk 2008 ). Education can be categorized into two forms: grammar-based education (literacy) and technical and vocational education (TVET). In the twenty-first century, TVET has been recognized as a vital necessity for business, industry, and the workplace. Consequently, it has become a global paradigm shift (Indarta et al. 2021 ). TVET is an educational program that places a strong emphasis on learning through formal and informal training, aiming to create a skilled workforce (Boeren et al. 2017 ; Nooruddin 2017 ). According to UNESCO ( 2016 ), TVET education encompasses general education, technology, and science-related studies with a strong connection to the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding, and knowledge relevant to various sectors of life and the economy. The contribution of TVET to shaping development on a global, regional, and national scale cannot be overstated. Bhurtel ( 2015 ) pointed out that investment in TVET has contributed significantly to the socioeconomic development of many nations. It is considered essential for promoting employment, self-employment, and poverty reduction. McGrath et al. ( 2018 ) argue that the Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) prioritize TVET as a key means to alleviate poverty and unemployment. TVET is a crucial component of SDG 4, which focuses on education, and it is widely recognized that it plays a pivotal role in driving global transformation. Supporting young people in acquiring professional skills through TVET programmes is an important component of development initiatives in many nations. Against this backdrop, the African Union (AU) has created a continental strategy through the African Union Commission (AUC) to resuscitate TVET in Africa through the implementation of the Plan of Action (Africa Union 2018 ).

In Ghana, since the colonial era, successive governments have been committed to making TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) part of Ghana’s educational system. The 1992 Constitution of Ghana includes technical and vocational education in its definition of secondary education. The constitution further states that technical and vocational education should be universally accessible and progressively free (The Constitution of Ghana, 1992, Act. 25). The aim of focusing on TVET has been to equip Ghanaian youth with technical and vocational skills, such as catering, needlework, carpentry, masonry, blacksmithing, and other skills, to enable them to become skilled craftsmen and valuable citizens (Dasmani 2011 ).

To give practical meaning to the above constitutional provision and improve the image of TVET in Ghana, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) was established in 2006. COTVET’s mandate includes providing infrastructure, training teachers, conducting research, and promoting the global agenda to enhance the subsector (COTVET handbook, 2016). Over the years, many scholars have examined COTVET’s role in promoting TVET in Ghana. Some studies (e.g. Gondwe and Walenkamp 2011 ; Yangben and Seniwoliba 2014 ) have highlighted general issues that affect TVET education, such as insufficient funding, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of qualified staff. Other studies (Ansah and Kissi 2013 ; Okae-Adjei 2017 ) have explored public perceptions of Technical and Vocational Education in Ghana, but these studies focused only on the tertiary level. Some of their findings include: TVET is perceived as providing students with limited managerial skills, requiring significant financial investment, and being viewed negatively by employers at the Polytechnic level as a program for academically weak students. Employers perceive TVET graduates as unprepared to be resourceful and self-reliant, lacking essential communication skills, as well as problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.

The Ghanaian government has recently prioritized equipping TVET institutions with the necessary infrastructure, funding, tools, policy guidance, and teacher training to make them more appealing and conducive places for youth to study, and to bridge the unemployment gap (Council for Technical and Vocational Education (COTVET) 2020 ). However, the subsector continues to experience low enrolment, as many parents prefer their children, and even students themselves, to attend grammar-based schools. Findings from the Ghana Education Strategy Plan 2018–2030 revealed that only 2.1% of students selected TVET (Ghana Ministry of Education 2018 ). This suggests that many in society fail to recognize the importance of and demand for TVET in the global economy. Therefore, this study aims to explore public knowledge of TVET and the reasons behind the public’s lack of enrolment in the TVET subsector in Ghana.

Literature review

Historical background of tvet.

TVET had its link to the industrialization revolution in the early days in Europe and North America as a result of the deficiency of skilled manpower gap in the industries. The concept was to provide technical manpower to operate in industries (Tikly 2013 ). As it has been indicated by Cavanagh et al. ( 2013 ), TVET was to serve two urgent needs. It was to give short periods of training to young and old to work and as long-term training for people as a permanent income generation source. It has been pointed out that just after World War II, TVET was recognized as part of the convention of human capital development approaches and backed by international agencies like the World Bank and others (Allais and Wedekind 2020 ). Over the past years, many names have been used to qualify some components of TVET. Some of them were apprenticeship training, vocational education, technical education, technical-vocational education (TVE), occupational education (OE), vocational education and training (VET), career and technical education (CTE), workforce education (WE), workplace education (WE), continued vocational education and training (CVET), Professional and Vocational Education (PVE) etc. (Agrawal 2013 ). By consensus in 1999 in Seoul, South Korea, all the above components were fused into the name Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). This was done with the mindset to promote “Education for All” (EFA) and “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD) and as a way of strengthening and updating critical points to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Joshi and Yadav 2016 ).

In recent years, the concept of “work-based learning” has garnered increased interest in European policy debates. This is because structured vocational education and training (TVET) programs that incorporate extended periods of practical learning within businesses have shown effectiveness in integrating young people into the labour market, as stated by the European Commission ( 2013 ). From a socio-economic and labour market perspective, TVET is considered a pathway to careers, thus supporting the replication of economic activity fields in society. It also pertains to the skills, competencies, and attitudes required by businesses and their job processes. TVET allows employees to meet their employer’s needs while also enabling them to acquire expertise, with workplaces serving as “training slots.” Consequently, companies cater to both the demand and supply sides of the skills market (Green 2013 ).

Regarding the transition from school to the workplace and overall socioeconomic categorization, the position of TVET and the range of approaches encompassed by the term vary. Individuals enrolled in specific forms of TVET, at particular stages in their life course, may have either limited or promising job prospects compared to individuals with a similar duration of general schooling. Their situation may or may not be better than that of individuals with no education after compulsory schooling (Njenga 2020 ).

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), According to Boateng ( 2012 ); “Technical and Vocational education refers to the educational processes that involve the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition of practical skills and knowledge aimed at discovering and developing the individual for employment in various sectors of economic and social life” (p 108). Also, according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2016 , p. 25); “…educational programmes that are designed for learners to acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies specific for a particular occupation or trade or class of occupations or trades. Such programmes may have work-based components (e.g., apprenticeships). Successful completion of such programmes leads to labour-market relevant vocational qualifications which are acknowledged as occupationally oriented by the relevant national authorities and/or the labour market.”

TVET, in its widest sense, encompasses both formal and informal technical education, vocational education, technical programmes, on-the-job training, and apprenticeship training (Gyimah 2020 ). It has the potential to make individuals or groups of people self-dependent after acquiring the knowledge and skills. The interest of TVET is to make individuals available for specific work and can become an avenue to reduce unemployment and other verses in the country.

Purpose of technical and vocational education

Globally, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been established with a purpose. As it has been stated by Ansah and Kissi ( 2013 ), the; motives behind TVET is to boost people to have technical know-how which focuses on the socioeconomic and industrial development of any country. The focus of equipping the people is to make them self-employed. It has been argued that TVET is only meant for youth preparation to acquire knowledge and skills that can make them potential enough in societies to live a meaningful life (Ajufo 2013 ). TVET is a specialised education that is intended to prepare people by developing their skills and knowledge, human strengths, cognitive understanding, attitudes, and behavioural patterns in the ability to properly prepare learners for the future of employment or to place them basically for self-employment after graduation (Duhu and Mbaga 2016 ). TVET was identified as one of the crucial disciplines when it comes to shaping development in the global economy (Gyimah 2020 ). According to David ( 2015 ), a country cannot separate its economic development from Technical and Vocational Education Training and therefore there have been a lot of adjustments in many countries of their TVET system to reflect on socio-economic development to create decent jobs. For instance, it is argued that TVET provides the opportunity for obtaining existing employable skills in the working environment. Skilled employees are highly needed in African countries’ economy especially the hands-on skills in 38 subdivisions of the economy such as the building and construction industry, power and energy plants, water distribution and sanitation systems and large public works (Afeti 2017 ).

According to Palmer ( 2020 ), both developed and developing countries have identified unemployment as a fundamental hindrance to their economy and the social life of their citizenry. The rate of unemployment among youth across the globe calls for action to intensify the concern for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (Maclean and Pavlova 2013 ; UNESCO/UNEVOC 2013 ; World Bank 2013 ; Palgrave Macmillan 2016 ; Kerre 2017 ). It is revealed that worldwide, youth unemployment has something to do with “skills mismatched” as a result of education that is acquired purely on theoretical base which does not meet the technical and vocational requirements of employers (Biavaschi et al. 2013 ; UNESCO/UNEVOC 2013 ).

TVET in Ghana and policy framework

In the 1830s, the activities of missionaries on the Gold Coast presented the country with TVET education (Amedorme and Fiagbe 2013 ). Children were given training in the area of blacksmithing, masonry and carpentry in the missionary schools. Between 1914 and 1927, the then Governor Sir Gordon Guggisberg strengthened the education system and demanded for the provision of literacy inclusion of TVET for the citizenry to equip them with skills and shape their behaviour (Aboagye 2021 ). According to Ansah and Kissi ( 2013 ), the Ghanaian government recognises the role of TVET in industrialization and thus emphasises TVET in the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategic Plan (GPRS). The Ghana Vision 2020’s basic identification and ideology is to adjust TVET with national dreams and ambitions, as well as local and global needs. TVET was made part of the education system which cut across from primary to tertiary both in public and private institutions. The practice of TVET in Ghana comes in two-fold—formal and informal. The formal TVET takes place in the classroom setting and comes with certification at the end of completion while the informal TVET uses the apprenticeship approach such as job training and skills activities and that does not come with a formal certificate (Aryeetey et al. 2011 ; Gondwe and Walenkamp 2011 ). The importance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) on the international and national policy agenda keeps rising (Marope et al. 2015 ).

Tracing from the 2003–2015, Education Strategic Plan (ESP), the strategic plan came out with two main volumes. The first aspect focuses on the policies, targets and strategies and the second aspect considers the work programme of the strategic plan (Nkrumah and Sinha 2020 ). In the strategic plan, ten key policy goals were outlined which came under four group focus areas “Equitable Access to Education, Quality of Education, Educational Management and Science and Technology (Nkrumah and Sinha 2020 ). Regarding TVET, the Plan sought to provide “extension of opportunities for young people, including out-of-school children, dropouts and ‘normal’ school leavers to engage in technical and vocational opportunities” the plan aimed to “ensure relevant education and training for employability and allow for diversification of the technical and vocational curriculum (e.g. to include agriculture and business studies) (Nkrumah and Sinha 2020 ). In 2010, the Education Strategic Plan adopted the existing one and extended from 2010 to 2020 (Amankwah-Amoah and Sarpong 2016 ). TVET subsector has been backed by law in their operation in Ghana; the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) Act of 1970; the National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations (NABPTEX) Act, 1994 (Act 492), the Children’s Act, 1998, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) Act, 2006 (Act 718), and the Polytechnic Act, 2007 (Act 745) (Ansah and Kissi 2013 ).

According to Darvas and Palmer ( 2014 ), in 2007 there were education reforms that made TVET one of the priorities in Ghana. The purpose of the reforms aimed at making TVET a priority for students to gain hands-on skills for the job market through the support of public and private sector agencies. It was pointed out that, an education bill was introduced which opened up new structures and institutional roles and responsibilities to improve education. The policy was initiated to attract both small-scale and large-scale industries to participate in TVET. In 2006, the Ghanaian Parliament passed the TVET Policy Act (Act 718) authorising the establishment of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) with the mandate of developing national policies on skill development at the pre-tertiary and tertiary levels of education to cover formal and inform segments of the economy; it will comprise coordinating, harmonizing and supervision for both private and public TVET activities, ensure quality and equity in accessing TVET; promotes cooperation with international agencies and development partners (Pongo and Obinnim ( 2015 ). COTVET and its allied agencies, such as the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), and other stakeholders, such as the Opportunity Industrialisation Centre (OIC) and Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES), should work together more effectively to reform the TVET sector (Darvas and Palmer 2014 ). “The new radical reform introduces Competent Base Training (CBT) as a mode of TVET delivery in Ghana,” Anane ( 2013 , pp. 117–127) noted. In partnership with leading employers, COTVET’s CBT programme is being developed as a new outcome-based qualification that is both exciting and innovative. Individuals who complete this new programme will be prepared for self-employment as well as the type of workers the industry needs.

Boahin and Hofman ( 2014 ), point out that TVET in Ghana must be delivered in a high-quality manner for it to contribute to the country’s economic and social development. To achieve COTVET’s vision of harmonising and institutionalising a quality CBT-TVET system in Ghana, it has established three standing committees to develop a TVET qualification framework, determine training standards and competencies, and provide registration and accreditation. National TVET Qualification Committee (NTVETQC), Training Quality Assurance Committee (TQAC), and Industrial Training Advisory Committee (ITAC) are three of the committees (ITAC). COTVET has organised several training and workshop sessions to enable the standing committees and board members to prepare plans for the full transition to CBT-TVET shortly. The TQAC has finalised its guidelines for registering and accrediting pilot institutions, as well as for TVET providers who will be implementing CBT in the future. Also, the NTVETQC has completed some documents that serve as guidelines for awarding bodies. For TVET funding sustainability, a Skill Development Fund (SDF) has also been established.

Again, COTVET also designs a strategic Plan for TVET transformation 2018–2022. This strategic plan sought to; advance equitable access for all in TVET; advance quality in learning and teaching at all levels and delivery of the service in TVET should be attained and managed properly. Under this strategic government has established competency-based training which has given 146 TVET institutions training; there has been retooling of schools, and offices across Ghana including classroom blocks; over 13,000 individuals have been given free apprenticeship training; a policy on apprenticeship has been drafted; there have been TVET ambassadors put in place for the rebranding of the sub-sector; in other to avoid skill, the COTVET conducted a skills gap analysis to identify the need of the sector for the benefit of the economy; hundred (100) JHS schools have been put on the piloting of TVET Career Guidance and Counselling to achieve self-actualization with a strong motive of creating awareness and providing information about the prospect of TVET. It has stated that two hundred (200) million dollars have been approved by the Cabinet and parliament for creating jobs and skill development across the country from 2021 (Council for Technical and Vocational Education (COTVET) 2020 ).

Furthermore, in the current Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018–2030 due to the unconducive learning environment and poor infrastructure, some of the students turn to withdraw after a few days on admission. Some of the classrooms are just pavilions surrounded by bushes, others are without windows and doors, and furniture is not in usable shape, paying attention to the senior secondary level by allowing students to either pursue technical and vocational or academic track in senior high school level. The document emphasizes TVET with the strategic goal of strengthening competency-based skills development in TVET to reflect the needs of the economy of Ghana. The strategic plan has identified access as a key component of the TVET reform to address the limited accessibility challenges. For instance, in 2016/2017 there were only 120 public institutions and private institutions kept declining in number therefore TVET subsector retooled and refurbished the existing facilities and built 20 model TVET institutions in the space of 10 years across the country. The document sought to address poor coordination and therefore all TVET activities that fall under 15 ministries would be considered under the Ministry of Education in the new TVET policy of the National TVET Qualifications Framework under the supervision of COTVET. It emphasises the restructuring of the TVET curriculum and creates avenues to train more teachers (Ghana Ministry of Education 2018 ).

Impediment of TVET promotion

TVET across the globe point out its significance to socio-economic but challenges have been the obstacle to that effect. Many scholars over the years have examined the council’s mandate for promoting TVET Ghana. Some findings have indicated that Ghana has myriads of challenges associated with TVET. For instance, most of these studies (e.g. Gondwe and Walenkamp 2011 ; Yangben and Seniwoliba 2014 ) have focused on general issues that affect TVET education such as poor funding, poor infrastructure, and low capacity of staff among others. Despite the relevance of e-learning in the teaching and learning of VTE in Nigeria, according to Dumbiri and Nwadiani’s ( 2020 ) findings on the challenges facing the application of e-learning facilities, teachers are not utilizing it. This is primarily because there aren’t any e-learning facilities or the available facilities are inadequate. In addition, stakeholders aren’t creating an environment that will allow it to flourish. According to a study by Abdul-Aziz et al. ( 2020 ) aimed at identifying the pull and push factors affecting student enrolment in the TVET program at community colleges in Malaysia, both push and pull factors significantly affect student enrolment in TVET institutions. The study identified career prospects as the main pull factor and students’ interests as the main push factors. High levels of student attrition that prevent TVET Colleges from accomplishing its objectives are the principal difficulties faced by TVET Colleges and the Department of Higher Education and Training in general in South Africa. Dissatisfaction with the programs provided, insufficient student induction, and insufficient student work placement are some of the causes of the high attrition rate at TVET Colleges (Zulu and Mutereko 2020 ). The results of a study on gender inclusion in TVET conducted in Kenya by Cheruiyot and Munyi ( 2019 ) revealed several barriers to the implementation of sustainable gender equity interventions, including insufficient funding for activities geared toward enhancing gender equity, a lack of gender awareness among students, staff, and institution managers, unfavourable attitudes toward gender issues, and a lack of clear gender policy guidelines. The main issues facing the TVET sector in Ethiopia included the unwillingness of businesses to offer TVET trainees real-world training based on a cooperative training program. It was determined that despite increased access and equity in TVET, the sector’s growth would be negatively impacted by the low regard in which TVET is held by the general public, the lack of real company-based practical training for TVET trainees, and the lack of required competences among TVET trainers (Wirtu 2020 ).

Theoretical framework

The study adopted the theory of impression formation. The impression formation theory, put forth by Solomon Eliot Asch in 1907, was used in this investigation. “Making an impression” refers to a subconscious and spontaneous process of forming judgments about unfamiliar people or the environment. These beliefs influence how people interact with others and their environment, even if they are typically based on obscure facts about the subject (Prinzhorn 2013 ). Individuals are said to gather information, arrange it, and then eventually integrate it to construct cohesive and coherent situational impressions of other individuals. What information people consider important and deserving of their attention is shaped by their internalized expectations for particular situations. Additionally, these assumptions affect how people interpret this data. When people interact face-to-face, social cues like others’ physical attributes, verbal and nonverbal cues, and the social context in which the interaction takes place combine with information from the perceivers’ memories to affect how they form initial impressions of both others and themselves. The foundation for later attributions is laid by these initial impressions (Choo et al. 2013 ). This notion underlies some of the discussion surrounding the TVET sub-sector; many people lack adequate knowledge of TVET. There has been a particular attitude toward the students in the TVET subsector as a result of the public’s lack of knowledge about the subsector.

Decision-making is influenced by impressions in every person’s life. When choosing an educational course, many parents take the job pattern and societal perceptions into account. Think about what students aspire to accomplish or the kind of career that parents want their children to have once they graduate using this idea (impressions). This theory includes the idea that people’s mental expectations for particular events influence the information they see as important and deserving of their attention. Additionally, these assumptions affect how people interpret this data. People usually judge others quickly and based on scant information. Given that the public either has or lacks sufficient knowledge about TVET and its significance for national development, these theories are relevant to this study because applying theories allows for a better understanding of the people’s opinion of TVET.

The theory explains how members of society think and behave when they have little or no information of a problem or circumstance. Based on what individuals know, whether true or false, in the context of public perception of TVET. This theory is appropriate in this situation since it explains how people acquired and applied information. Therefore, the impression creation theory was the ideal fit to determine how the public is perceived. There have been numerous studies conducted on the challenges and benefits associated with the TVET subsector. However, certain challenges, such as infrastructure, funding, equipment, and teacher training, have been extensively understudied. The Government of Ghana has progressively addressed these challenges (Gondwe and Walenkamp 2011 ; Yangben and Seniwoliba 2014 ; Ghana Ministry of Education 2018 ; Council for Technical and Vocational Education (COTVET) 2020 ). These benefits include improved socio-economic and industrial development, self-employment, and poverty reduction (Ajufo 2013 ; Ansah and Kissi 2013 ; David 2015 ; Duhu and Mbaga 2016 ; Afeti 2017 ; Gyimah 2020 ; Palmer 2020 ). However, few or no further studies have been conducted to ascertain the level of public knowledge regarding the TVET subsector, which could help explain the low enrolment in the TVET subsector.

Research approach

Gathering, analysing and interpreting of data from the field is crucial to the study as it provides the bases of addressing the problem of the study. This study sought to examining public knowledge on TVET. In this context the study adopted qualitative research method to explore the phenomenon. Qualitative research method, according to (Dick 2015 ), gives account on human thoughts, feelings, interpretation which are in line with what individual have seen and experiences and to give meaning to such phenomenon and therefore qualitative method answer the question “why”. This does not deal with hypothesis and therefore its base is inductive reasoning. On the path of qualitative method, phenomenology approach was used. This approach seeks to explain or describe individual or group of live experienced and feelings with phenomenon based on reality (subjective views). This explored the views of respondents on knowledge about TVET. The two data were used in gathering data which were primary and secondary. The primary data were the data gathered from the field (respondents) interview guide which was open-ended questions were used and this was done in a face-to-face manner.

Simple size and sampling procedure

The study sought to explore the students, school staff and parent’s knowledge on TVET subsector. This unit inquiry was carefully selected due to their involvement in the cycle of the TVET subsector. Participants were selected based on life experience, feelings and reality on tag perception about TVET them. Thirty-six (36) participants in total, including both males and females, were chosen for this study. This comprises two (2) school officers, twelve (12) males and female student each and five (5) male and female parent each. The parents were selected from student who participated in study but only ten (10) shown interested to participate. They were individuals who, in the researcher’s opinion, satisfied the study’s inclusion requirements. The participants students were selected from the Plumbing, Electrical, Catering, and Dress Making departments of training, as well as students from all levels (Forms 1–3), as well as gender, were included in the criteria. The school’s principal and the department head of teachers. In order to determine their perspective on perception, the study looked at parents of first-year students and parents of third-year students. The third-year students’ parents gave this as their justification: since their children had been in the school for three years, they had heard a lot from the public or society and could therefore express their opinions from the time they enrolled them till the present. Parents of new students were asked for their opinions on TVET and were encouraged to send their children there. This provided a more complete picture of the experiences shared by parents and students, or staff in TVET institutions, with the Ayawaso West Municipality. TVET students and their parents were matched. The study focused on The Opportunity Industrialization Centre’s. The study selected Opportunity Industrialization Centre’s with these reasons, it is cited in one elite society in Greater Accra Region, Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly. Out of the several schools in the Municipality, it is only TVET and Government second-cycle school schools according Ministry of Finance (2019) report and most of the students are not resident.

Sampling technique is the process used in selecting the sample size (respondent) to participate in the study. Due to the nature of the study being qualitative, the study adopted non-probability sample. In a non-probability sample, some units in the population are more likely to be chosen than others, according to Creswell ( 2014 ). Purposive sampling, a well-known non-probability sampling technique, was used in this study. The adopted purposive sampling. Purposive sampling, according to Rahi ( 2017 ), is the procedure where the researcher uses his or her judgment to choose a group of people who are acquainted with the issue at hand. The researcher had the chance to communicate directly with the major players in the TVET educational sector thanks to the use of purposeful sampling. By evaluating only data from a subgroup rather than all potential cases or elements Saunders and Shlomo ( 2021 ) recommend using sampling techniques to reduce the amount of data that must be collected.

Data analysis

With the aid of an interview guide, face-to-face key informant interviews were conducted with the chosen personnel and the parents of some focused group discussion participants. Semi-structured, open-ended questions were included in the interview guide. Based on the goals of the research, the guide was created. The public knowledge of TVET was covered in the personnel questions, along with the factors that contributed to that perception. Parents’ knowledge on TVET were both topics covered in the study. While the interviews with the teacher and head teacher were conducted in English, those with the parents were primarily conducted in Twi, a Ghanaian language (one of the Ghanaian languages). The school officials and the parents were both interviewed for between 40 and 60 min. With the experts’ and parents’ permission, all interviews were audio recorded. Interviews were conducted in English while being verbatim transcribed. Two experts and ten parents made up the twelve (12) Key Informant Interviews that were conducted. Additionally, three focus group discussions were held. Students from all class levels and from the fields of fashion design, electrical, catering, plumbing, and auto mechanics made up each group. There were eight (8) participants in each group. The groups were mixed, all-female, and all-male (males and females). The focused group discussion focused on gathering data regarding public perceptions of TVET education and students, as well as student knowledge. The choice to enrol in TVET was discussed during the focus group discussion. The length of each group discussion varied from 60 to 90 minutes. The interviews were conducted in English.

For this study, the data were manually analysed, and a thematic analysis was used. Creswell ( 2014 ) asserts that the thematic analysis accurately captures the participants’ experiences, meanings, and realities. Thematic analysis was an appropriate method of analysis because it supported qualitative data analyses that were ideal for informing policy development. Gaining unexpected insight into the situation of the public’s perception of TVET was made possible by thematic analysis. The participants’ sub-themes and the data collected revealed three main themes. The difficulties affecting the promotion of TVET were thoroughly understood. It made it possible to interpret the data using the knowledge and experience of the study participants, which is consistent with the inductive paradigm approach that the study emphasized. The principles for theme development proposed by Vaismoradi et al. ( 2016 ) were applied in this study. The interviews were transcribed, read, coded, and highlighted to reveal the meanings behind the accounts. It was also built, with the theme of the analysis established, and it was classified, compared, labelled, translated, defined, and described. The transcription reveals themes that were not predetermined.

Ethical consideration

Social researchers frequently strive to comprehend social processes by acquiring data from research participants. The collection of data from participants in social research must be done most compassionately and equitably. This means that researchers must address ethical considerations when studying subjects and handling data collected. The term ethics, according to Frankel, Wallen, and Hyun ( 2012 ), refers to problems of right and wrong. According to Bryman ( 2012 ), talks regarding research ethics put us into a realm where the role of values in the research process becomes a matter of concern and revolves around issues. Drawing on Bryman’s guide to ethical consideration, the following procedures were followed: Protecting participants from harm, responders must feel safe and be in the correct state of mind to answer the questions, Informed Consent, the researcher sought the informed consent of the respondents before conducting the research. Such informed consent allowed the participants to decide whether or not to participate. Right to Privacy, Participants were first and foremost notified of their right to privacy. The right to privacy means that a participant has the freedom to choose when and where he or she will engage in a study, The Right to Freedom of Choice and Expression, was necessary to ensure that the researcher did not interfere with the respondents’ choices and ideas. As a result, the researcher protected the participants’ right to free choice and expression, Confidentiality, and confidentiality a critical ethical problem to consider. Assuring participants about the safety of their comments is part of maintaining confidentiality and Anonymity, another ethical aspect that was considered was the safeguarding of the participants’ anonymity. The right to anonymity was granted to avoid disclosing the identities of the participants, which could have harmed them.

Two major themes that emerged from the thematic analysis were the focus of the analysis. (i) Awareness on TVET in Ghana, and (ii) Misconception on TVET in Ghana.

Awareness on TVET in Ghana

Meaningfully, all the participants provided enough information of their knowledge about TVET and its significance in socio-economic with being employment and contributing to development. However, the majority of the respondents attribute their knowledge of TVET to the informal sector. The concept of TVET is not something that is discussed in public discourse for people to really understand and therefore those who attend TVET are those who probably have some of their family or friends in the subsector. Because the students and parents do not have a fair knowledge about the subsector they resist when there is a recommendation for a student to attend or for a parent to allow his or her ward to attend, as participant shared their views.

Technical and vocational education is a place whereby a child goes to acquire a skill to help him or her to have handiwork so he can work without waiting for someone to search for a job for him or her (Female Parent).

In another shed a parent interview said that;

The rapid growth of the economy and infrastructure in China is the work of those who have technical and vocational training. We go there as Ghanaians to import things from there that take a lot of money into the country. I think such money would have stayed here if we had paid attention to our TVET (Female Parent).

A parent’s response to is in line with the student’s declaration during a focus group discussion. Students considered that TVET affords one the comfort of independence when it comes to employment. It is a combination of the classroom and practical aspects of learning as one can compare to the grammar-based school.

TVET will also let you try your hands on what you are learning so that when you finish your training you can work with it. Maybe you want to learn how to become a carpenter, mason, plumber, fashion designer, and so on. It is only in TVET schools that you can get such skills. (Female Student).

Parents revealed that TVET employment is in multiple and therefore if is there a lot of awareness and encouragement in public there would be been reduction in unemployment in society especially among the youth.

The TVET sector creates jobs, and it will make unemployment go down in the country. The unemployed graduate menace in the country would have been curbed if they had had technical and vocational skills. The number of unemployed graduates in the country may have been reduced or would not have existed if they had had hands-on skills. TVET creates a chain of employment. For example, when there is construction going on, there will be a need for plumbers, electricians, masons, and carpenters in their numbers. These people will buy the materials that they will use to work from the market. Those people will also spend the money somewhere else. This puts money in people’s pockets. At the end of it, the money goes back to the government in the form of taxes for development (Male Parent).

Contributing to the knowledge of TVET in Ghana, key stakeholders as school staff advance discussion of the awareness of the TVET and provide the motive behind the introduction of TVET in Ghana education as they revealed that;

TVET has been part of the Ghanaian education system since the colonial regime. When grammar-based education was introduced in Ghana, the missionaries also opened up vocational institutions to give training or skills to people who were old or mature and could not read and write in those days, serving as a source of livelihood for them. After independence, TVET was accepted in the formal education system to equip the youth with hands-on skills to make them productive and as well as earn an income (School principal).

Expending the discussion tutor also said;

TVET has been established by the government as part of our formal education for such schools to try to train some Ghanaian youth and make them relevant to national development through job creation (Tutor).

Interestingly, participants’ awareness of TVET revealed there is a wide difference between TVET and grammar-based schools. One who has had training in a TVET subsector is exposed to the world of jobs and independence.

The difference between a grammar-based school and TVET is that if two of them finish school, the one with a TVET certificate right from day one is coming to work because of the skills he has learned, but the other one needs to continue schooling before he can get a job to do. Vocational and technical schools give ideas about how to fix a car, lay a block, to do carpentry work. The one who went to a grammar-based school does not have an idea about how to do something at that stage, even if he or she continues his or her education. It is not likely he will get a job (Male Student).

A parent’s view is in line with the student’s view raised as revealed that grammar-based school has a long period of learning before one can be of master in the field study. Such a long period does not even guarantee employment to the one who completes from grammar-based. At least the one who completes TVET could start something immediately because of the practical aspect of the training.

TVET and grammar-based education come with great differences. For instance, while TVET students do in their learning stages, grammar-based students do not go through the same when learning. Since they are technical and vocational students, their training is directed toward getting handiwork even as they finish the second cycle of education. However, grammar-based education gives a long learning duration and one can fully gain employment only after he or she has advanced his or her studies. Can they fulfil the requirements for formal employment? (Male parent).

In expanding the debate, a parent raised an argument that TVET is more proactive in solving the current situation, especially in the crises. While TVET professionals were inventing and providing protective gear to prevent COVID it was obvious that grammar-based students or professionals were not in the picture as she had to this to say;

TVET solves problems. Let’s say this COVID-19, the way it was killing people and when we needed to protect ourselves, TVET people designed things like a veronica bucket to get water flowing to enable us to wash our hands freely, they sewed nose masks and produced liquid soaps. If not, some of these things that TVET people did, like some of us will be dead and we will not get people to work for the government or money to do certain things for the country (Female Parent).

In another shed the awareness of the TVET among the public was the source of the knowledge on the TVET. Significantly, participants became aware of TVET from those who are known in the informal sector. In that perspective, some parents were reluctant to allow their wards to attend such an institute while some students were uncomfortable accepting such a decision from parents as views were shared;

I did not know about TVET. All that I knew was secondary until one day, my son told me he wanted to become a plumber. I asked what they did, and he said they fixed water pipes. Not knowing, my boy had been following a friend who is a plumber. I did not accept his wish for the first time until he brought my brother, who is his uncle and knows much about education, to explain it to me further (Male Parent).

Many interviews with parents indicated that some parents were not aware of the TVET in the formal sector that being in the classroom setting but thought that TVET is all about the informal subsector where it does not involve reading and writing as well as the parent share her in line male parent.

A friend of mine came to the house and saw my daughter home after she completed JHS. So, he asked whether I had gotten to school yet, and I responded no. He then takes her to vocational school. My daughter is there, and she is doing very well just a year after she enrolled. She can bake (Female Parent).

A student gave his view revealed that he did not have any information from anyone and relaxing to accept his father’s decision nearly resulted in misunderstanding because in the basic school, the discussion around from some of the teachers was all about grammar-based school as he had this to say;

For me, I did not know anything. Hmmm, it was my father who said to me after JHS that, these days, getting a job after university is not even easy. Therefore, you should learn something that will help you get your job. I was in the house one day and he brought a form for me to fill out, and it was for technical school. I needed to obey my father, so I asked him which course I should choose, and he said plumbing. I was very disappointed. Because I wanted to be in secondary school when I came home from school, friends would also say I should have gone to a proper school, but it did not happen. Right now, I’m happy because I get some money even though I have not finished school, thanks to my father (Male Student).

In the student revelation a parent is dragged with her daughter on the idea that she is interested in attending TVET. The parent did not understand the concept of TVET and it took her uncle to convince me (mother) about the importance of TVET as she had this to say;

I thought hands-on skills did not need any formal education. When she told me about her interest in studying at a TVET centre, I did not know anything like that and I insisted that her to attending a grammar-based school. she wanted and inform her uncle about it so per the explanation the uncle gave me knew about it (Female Parent).

The participants exhibited some level of awareness concerning the TVET. However, from the findings, there is a link that those who are aware of TVET are people who have come in contact with the subsector. Those who are not brought some reluctance in their acceptance of patronaging in the subsector. From the scenario, people could have enrolled on the TVET subsector if there had been public information on the importance and encouraged the people to consider TVET, the expectation of gaining employment after completion would have been met. Because society has failed to promote TVET the concern of TVET making TVET a higher priority cannot be met. When society becomes aware of a phenomenon like TVET being known as a game changer in the socio-economic space it will call for more interest and, in the end, government will achieve the essence of promoting TVET. Again, a parent could help assist their wards in choosing a career that would make them achieve their passion.

The public lack the awareness about TVET has been seen in the light of deepening of the misconception about TVET. As the below the views shared the participants on the issues on misconception surrounding TVET.

Conclusion and implications

The global seriousness attached to TVET cannot be underestimated as a paradigm shift in promoting employment, especially in developing countries like Ghana. Despite the Ghanaian government’s willingness to make TVET attractive to young people, the reality on the ground is that there are misconceptions surrounding TVET, hindering the government’s efforts and resulting in the subsector recording the lowest enrolment. This not only leads to a loss in enrolment for the country but also poses significant challenges for the government in terms of employment issues.

A segment of the public is aware of the significance of TVET in socio-economic development. These sections include students, artisans (parents), and tutors in the subsector. However, many parents remain unaware of the importance of TVET and consequently do not enrol their children in this field. This exacerbates the issue of unemployment, as the government’s attempts to solve unemployment may inadvertently increase it.

Furthermore, those already in the subsector and those considering joining it may be discouraged due to negative perceptions. It is therefore crucial for stakeholders to engage the public in a TVET awareness campaign and showcase the importance of TVET in socio-economic development.

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Acknowledgements

Japan Motor Company Limited.

This was funded by Japan Motor Company Limited. Japan Motors Company Limited is into automatic therefore its passion for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is incredulous. To make a case for why TVET is important in shaping a country’s industrialization, the company do assist and sponsors individuals or groups who have studies to conduct in TVET perspective on how to promote TVET in Ghana.

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Adams, AZ., Intsiful, E. & Zagoon-Sayeed, H. Exploring public knowledge on technical vocational education in Ghana. SN Soc Sci 4 , 98 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-024-00898-6

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IU professor leads study abroad program to advance inclusive education in Ghana

Tina O’Neal , an expert in urban and special education, is leading six urban education students on an inaugural short-term study abroad program to Ghana during the last two weeks of May. This new partnership with the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis, the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology will offer professional development opportunities in inclusive education to Ghanaian educators while broadening IU students’ perspectives on urban education in a global context.

“The world is becoming more urbanized, and cities are becoming more dense in population,” said Tambra Jackson , dean of the IU School of Education in Indianapolis. “There are unique challenges in urban centers, and those extend to education.

“A common barrier is resources, and that is not just a United States problem; it is a global issue. The work we do focused on urban education is an international issue, and we have an opportunity to share our expertise and learn from others around the world.”

“In 2015, Ghana enacted an inclusive education policy , similar to the United States Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,” O’Neal said. “However, they need professional development for their teachers and resources on how to meet the needs of diverse learners.”

Ghana’s inclusive education policy is especially focused on learners who have special needs, including those with disabilities, who are economically disadvantaged or who are part of a linguistic, ethnic, gender, geographic or religious minority. As a result, all aspects of education, including the curriculum and teaching methods, present opportunities for promoting inclusion.

For two weeks O’Neal will be traveling with five undergraduates and one graduate student from the IU School of Education in Indianapolis. The undergrads will observe and interview Ghanian teachers as part of an independent study that they will present upon returning to campus. The graduate assistant is helping O’Neal with logistics and administrative support, undergraduate student engagement, assessment and evaluation, and communication. Some of their site visits include Demonstration School for the Deaf (Demodeaf)-Mampong, Echoing Hills Village Orphanage and Rehabilitation Centre, Empower Challenged Children, Garden City Special School, Future Leaders School and University Basic School, Legon.

Supported by a Sustainable Development Goals Grant from the IU Indianapolis Office of International Affairs , O’Neal and Jackson went on an exploratory trip in July 2023 to lay a foundation for the study abroad program and establish relationships with K-12 schools and universities. After the trip, the office named O’Neal a 2023-24 faculty fellow, which helped the School of Education expand its study abroad initiatives overall.

As O’Neal designed the Ghana Study Abroad program, she knew it was important for IU education students to understand and appreciate the country’s history and culture.

IU education students were required to take the Intro to African Studies course taught by Oladele Omosegbon to prepare for the trip to Ghana. They also had preparation meetings with O’Neal, who would invite lecturers such as Nana Amoah-Ramey, assistant professor of African studies at IU Bloomington, and Eric Kyere , associate professor of social work, to speak with participants.

“I’ve learned so much through the classes and prep work,” said Elyse Beard, an elementary urban education student. “This was my first time learning in depth about the history of the Atlantic slave trade, African history and Ghanaian culture.”

For Anija Brame, an English and secondary urban education student, this experience is also personal.

“My experience in high school opened me up to the idea of pursuing a career education, especially because I want to improve education for minority students,” she said. “Learning about the Black diaspora and how students of other cultures are being taught is helping me become the educator I aspire to be.”

Ebony Crowe, an urban education studies Ph.D. candidate, is the graduate assistant for this program. She is also helping with a study called “Navigating New Horizons: Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Inclusive Education Practices in Accra and Cape Coast, Ghana . ”

“In my work, I aim to investigate the experiences and perceptions of pre-service teachers regarding inclusive education practices for students with disabilities in Ghana,” Crowe said. “I explore how these educators, while studying abroad, interpret and engage with inclusive education methods in a different cultural context.

“My study assesses the differences and similarities in inclusive practices between Ghana and the United States, aiming to enrich the pre-service teachers’ understanding and approaches to teaching diverse learners. Additionally, it will contribute to broader discussions on global education and the preparation of teachers for diverse educational settings.”

“The Ghana Study Abroad program is a perfect match to our mission, and we have been raising funds to support students,” Jackson said. “Funding is a major obstacle for students in urban areas, so we wanted to make sure this trip was affordable for them. The Dean’s Fund played an important role in making sure we can get them to Ghana.”

After this trip, O’Neal plans to keep the partnership going. They have a three-year agreement with partners in Ghana to expand the program’s scope with each cycle, providing additional opportunities for IU students and current educators to understand urban education in a global context and for IU faculty to conduct inclusive education research.

“IU has decided that international work is important to the work we are trying to do,” Jackson said. “We have the strategic pillar of ‘Service to the State and Beyond,’ and this is the beyond.”

Nikki Livingston

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Ball State University

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May 16, 2024

Dr. Michael T. Ndemanu , associate professor of multicultural education and social foundations at Ball State University’s Teachers College , has been awarded the prestigious Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship , which is offered by the Institute of International Education .

For the project supported by this fellowship, Dr. Ndemanu will spend two months in Ghana this Summer collaborating with faculty and students from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to establish a Center for Transformative Education. The goal of the center is to advance educational practices, and create new opportunities for community engagement and learning.

“The fellowship is not only a recognition of my past contributions to transformative education, but also a thrilling new opportunity to impact education globally,” said Dr. Ndemanu.

A 2021 and 2022 Fulbright scholar, Dr. Ndemanu’s work at Ball State focuses on transformative education, multicultural education and social foundations in education.  This work emphasizes the dynamics of cultural competencies and cross-cutting pedagogic skills—which prepare students to learn not just for retention, but also for knowledge transfer and application in real-life contexts.   

'A small seed of curiosity can grow and mature into a full-fledged thesis project'

Valerie Hu: Biology & Society

A&S Communications

Biology & Society Sunnyvale, Calif.

What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you? 

When I came to Cornell, I knew I wanted to get involved in initiatives that aligned with my personal values of justice and mercy and served a community beyond the one on campus. I joined the Parole Preparation Project (now Cornell University Parole Initiative) and began working with an incarcerated person in preparation for a Parole Board hearing that determines whether he can be released on parole. Along with two other student volunteers, I liaised with community partners to establish a plan for re-entry, gathered various legal and medical documents for the parole packet, and met regularly with the parole applicant in a maximum-security correctional facility to practice for his hearing. Three and a half years later, I now consider the incarcerated applicant I work with not only a teammate and coworker, but also a friend. Through working together, we have found common ground in the pursuit of justice, the importance of family and the role of faith and prayer in guiding our lives. This year, I became a teaching assistant for the Cornell Prison Education Program, going to Auburn Correctional Facility once a week to teach incarcerated students within a French club and an anthropology course, which has allowed me to explore my interests in the intersection of education and incarceration. Due to Cornell’s resources and investment in community engagement, I had the unique opportunity to work within facilities that reveal the immense inequalities in America’s criminal legal system and to play a role in working toward a more equitable world.

What Cornell memory do you treasure the most?         

The Cornell memories I treasure the most are the evenings I’ve hosted potlucks or dinners with large groups of people at my apartment because they embody the best parts of my time at Cornell: community and bringing people together. I’ve invited close friends and acquaintances from my classes, faith community, work and clubs, many of whom do not know each other and otherwise wouldn’t cross paths, and new friendships have been formed. On these evenings, my kitchen and living room are full of conversations and laughter, and the area sometimes gets so warm because of the number of people that we have to open a window even in the winter, while we share food and discover unlikely common ground.

What are the most valuable skills you gained from your Arts & Sciences education?     

I learned how to critically examine the things I see and learn, rather than take them at face value and accept the status quo. I came into college accustomed to the type of learning that consisted of knowing facts and successfully regurgitating them on a test or essay. My eyes were opened to the beauty of academic discourse and debate in one of my first classes at Cornell. For each class topic, we read multiple scientific articles that built upon each other or disagreed with one another. As we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each scientist’s research findings, I developed critical thinking and analysis skills. I learned not to take at face value every piece of information I am given within the context of a classroom, but gained the courage and confidence to challenge and critique other viewpoints while developing my own.    

What have you accomplished as a Cornell student that you are most proud of?

While working as an investigator at the public defender’s office in D.C., I wondered about a paradoxical observation I made: that people who have had negative experiences with the police seem to call the police a lot. At the beginning of my junior year, I had the opportunity to turn that curiosity into a semester-long research paper for Professor Joseph Margulies’ Crime and Punishment class. I began interviewing young people who have had negative encounters with law enforcement about times they have called the police. The class project evolved beyond the semester into an independent study, and eventually into my senior honors thesis. I’m most proud of my research because I learned that a small seed of curiosity can grow and mature into a full-fledged thesis project. Through my thesis, I’ve been able to combine my interests in social justice with academic pursuits, and I learned how to conduct research that has implications for public policy and social change.

Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most?     

Cru has undoubtedly influenced my Cornell education more than anything else. I came into college with an abundance of questions about meaning and purpose, both generally and personally. Through the Cru community, I have become close friends with people from so many more backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences than I thought possible. Together, we have wrestled with difficult and existential questions. The diverse set of friends offering input and encouragement has been invaluable to my growth, as I figure out who I am and why I’m here. We have also supported each other through some of the most challenging times of sorrow and loss that tested the strength and genuineness of our beliefs. The Cru community has taught me to be resilient in the face of difficulties and to find hope in something bigger than myself. I learned how to allow my personal values to fuel every pursuit —academic, extracurricular, spiritual and personal — and every moment of my life, from the biggest highlights to the utterly mundane.

Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series.  Read more about the Class of 202 4.

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THESES & DISSERTATIONS

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• Concerns and Responses Toward Travel Vaccination Among International Tourists in Ghana  Adongo, Charles Atanga ( University of Cape Coast , 2019-04 ) People's concern toward vaccination is increasingly a major contributor to poor vaccine uptake, coverage and disease outbreaks. Despite poor vaccine uptake among international tourists attributed to concerns, research ...
• Hydrochemistry of the Ayensu River Basin in the Central Region of Ghana  Avi, Christian Kwadzo ( University of Cape Coast , 2016-09 ) The focus of this work was to use the hydrochemical and isotopic composition of groundwater and surface water resources to establish the hydrochemistry, recharge mechanism, and interrelationship between surface and ...
• The Impact of Cocoa Life Project Interventions of World Vision Ghana on Beneficiaries in the Wassa East District, Western Region  Odoom, Daniel ( University of Cape Coast , 2019-12 ) This study examined the Impact of Cocoa Life Project interventions of World Vision Ghana (WVG) on beneficiaries in the Wassa East District (WED) using the mixed methods approach in a descriptive survey and exploratory ...
• Students' Attitudes Towards Social, Moral and Religious Issues: A Survey of Senior High Schools in the Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana  Mensah, Eric ( University of Cape Coast , 2015-11 ) 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 ...
• A Study on the Fishery, Aspects of the Biology and Culture of the West African Mangrove Oyster, Crassostrea Tulipa in the Densu Delta, Ghana  Osei, Isaac Kofi ( University of Cape Coast , 2020-06 ) The study investigated the oyster fishery, aspects of the biology and the culture of Crassosfrea tulipa in the Densu Delta, Ghana, from May 2017 to October 2018. Almost all the oyster fisherfolk sampled were females, ...
• Splashability Models of Some Tropical Soils  Anane-Fenin, Kofi ( University of Cape Coast , 2002-11 ) Falling raindrops are the major agents responsible for initiating soil erosion. They cause soil detachment from its original position. The collision between dry soil particles and raindrop is essentially a modelled ...
• Symbolism of Clothing as an Element of Cultural Tourism: A Study of Three Selected Ghanaian Kings  GAVOR, MODESTA EFUA ( University of Cape Coast , 2015-12 ) In Ghana the clothing of kings is one of its artistic cultural expressions. The clothing items of traditional rulers and their narratives are collective memories of various kingdoms which can be interpreted in ways that ...
• Symbolism of Clothing as an Element of Cultural Tourism: A Study of Three Selected Ghanaian Kings  Unknown author ( University of Cape Coast , 2015-12 ) In Ghana the clothing of kings is one of its artistic cultural expressions. The clothing items of traditional rulers and their narratives are collective memories of various kingdoms which can be interpreted in ways that ...
• Design And Fabrication Of An Electronic Instrument For Testing And Characterizatlon Of Photomultiplier Tubes To Improve The Image Quality Of LFOV Siemens Gamma Camera  OBENG, PAUL KWAMENA ( University of Cape Coast , 2014-04 ) A photomultiplier tube (PMT) electronic instrument was designed and fabricated. High voltage (-2000 V) and low voltage supplies (+8, ± 12 V) were also designed and constructed for the instrument. 40 PMTs were tested for ...
• Effect of Deficit Irrigation on Growth, Yield, Quality and Storage of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum; cv. Pectomech  Agbemafle, Robert ; Agbemafle, Robert ( University of Cape Coast , 2015-03 ) The study was conducted to investigate the effect of deficit irrigation on growth and quality of tomato after harvest and during storage. Four treatments (100% ETc, 90% ETc, 80% ETc and 70% ETc) with three replicalions ...
• Algebra Teaching Knowledge of Basic School Mathematics Teachers  Osei, Williams ( University of Cape Coast , 2020-08 ) This study is situated on the fact that, teachers’ knowledge of algebra for teaching affects students’ algebra knowledge, hence their general performance in mathematics. In view of this, the algebra teaching knowledge level ...
• Determinants of career progression among female lecturers in the University of Cape Coast, Ghana: The moderating role of socio-cultural factors  Onomah, Jennifer ( University of Cape Coast , 2021-04 ) The study examined the effect of individual factors, organizational factors and socio-cultural factors on female lecturers’ career progression in the University of Cape Coast. The sequential explanatory research design ...
• Adoption of Computerized Accounting Information System And Financial Performance of Metropolitan, Municipal And District Assemblies in Ghana: the Role of Internal Control Systems  Tahiru, Zuwera ( University of Cape Coast , 2020-01 ) ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to explore the factors that influence the adoption of computerized accounting information system (CAIS) among MMDAs in Ghana. It also sought to examine how the identified factors ...
• Non-financial Rewards and Employees’ Job Satisfaction: Evidence From Selected Manufacturing Firms in Greater Accra Region  Adibo, Yayra ( University of Cape Coast , 2022-07 ) ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to examine the role of non-financial rewards on employees’ job satisfaction in some manufacturing firms in Greater Accra region. This study adopted the descriptive quantitative ...
• Effects of Exchange Rate, Inflation and Interest Rate on Economic Growth in Ghana  Yeboah, Frank Yaw ( University of Cape Coast , 2017-06 ) ABSTRACT This study therefore investigates the effect of Ghana’s exchange rate, inflation, and interest rate on economic growth over the period 1980 to 2015 using quarterly time series data. It examines the extent to ...
• School Children as Agents of Water Supply, Sanitation And Hygiene Behaviour Change Practices in the Asikuma-odoben-brakwa District of Ghana  Otami, Juliette Dufie ( University of Cape Coast , 2022-05 ) ABSTRACT Elimination of water related diseases requires behaviour change regarding water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices. These behaviours are transferrable to generations though are difficult to change. ...
• Recruitment and Selection Practices and Performance Of Distance Education Tutors at University of Cape Coast  Quarcoe, Williams ( University of Cape Coast , 2022-02 ) ABSTRACT The research was to find out the recruitment and selection practices and performance of Distance Education tutors at University of Cape Coast. The specific objectives that directed the study were; to ascertain ...
• Effectiveness of School Supervision in Public and Private Basic Schools in the Okaikoi North Municipality In the Accra Metropolis  Adjei, Vida Boafoa ( University of Cape Coast , 2021-09 ) ABSTRACT Supervision is an important activity that ensures the quality of education, not only in private but public schools as well. This study sought to investigate the effectiveness of supervision in basic schools ...
• Exploring the Linguistic Landscape of Ho Through Multimodal Analysis of Billboards  Azidor Wonder, Calvins ( University of Cape Coast , 2021-11 ) The study of the linguistic landscape is crucial as far as regulating and negotiating linguistic diversity are concerned but not much work has been done in this area in Ghana. The few works done in the area of linguistic ...
• Factors Affecting Female Shs Students’ Decision to Pursue Accounting as a Career: Evidence From Some Selected Schools in the Sekondi-takoradi Metropolis  Annan-Kittoe, Margaret ( University of Cape Coast , 2019-05 ) The continuous decline in female students’ enrolment in accounting courses in Ghana has been witnessed and attributed to various factors. It is in this light that, the study seeks to assess the factors that influence ...

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School of Education

Study room dedicated to alumna.

By Catherine Winkler

Friday, May 17, 2024

One of the study rooms in the renovated Education Library has been named for alumna Barbara Domek thanks to a gift from her and her husband.

Domek is a two-time IU School of Education graduate. She received her bachelor’s in elementary education in 1971 and her master’s in elementary education in 1973. Her teaching career spans 19 years and includes working as an instructional aide, teacher, and reading specialist. Since the majority of Barbara’s career was centered around reading literacy, she understands the importance of a space like the Education Library. She hopes current and future students will appreciate and take advantage of the resources available in the new space.

We are grateful to Barbara Domek and her husband, Dick Domek, a three-time IU Jacobs School of Music graduate, for their gift to the IU School of Education.

For more on how you can support future educators, including naming a study room, please visit our Giving page or contact devalum@iu.edu .

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Tema Metro Education Directorate celebrates International Boys’ Day  

Kristodia Otibu Asiedu/Zainab Abdul-Hamid 

Tema, May 17, GNA- The Tema Metro Education Directorate has held a heroes’ conference for members of the Tema boys’ clubs in commemoration of this year’s International Boys’ Day. 

The conference aimed at putting the spotlight on the health and well-being of boys, particularly those in Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS). 

The theme for the celebration is “Focus on Boys’ Health and Well-Being” to acknowledge a need for the boys to identify their self-worth to live positive lifestyles to enhance their health and general well-being. 

Mr. Samuel Atuahene Antwi, the Nutrition Officer at the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, speaking at the event, stressed the importance of nutritional education, saying it provided a lot of information about their health. 

Mr. Antwi stated that healthy eating was not only about preventing illness but also about ensuring optimal cognitive function and emotional stability, which are essential for academic success. 

He encouraged the young boys to prioritise their spending on nutritious food and healthy habits rather than on clothing and other non-essential items, emphasizing the importance of investing in their well-being. 

The boys were strongly encouraged to report any sexual abuse they might encounter and were also advised to be goal-driven and to cultivate a clear sense of purpose in their lives. 

Ms. Olivia Bosompemaa, the Tema Metro Girls’ Education Officer, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), that this year’s theme encourages boys to recognise their unique abilities and pursue their dreams without fear of expressing vulnerabilities. 

Ms. Bosompemaa said that societal expectations often discouraged boys from sharing their problems, which could negatively impact their academic performance and overall well-being. 

“We want boys to feel supported and to have the courage to share their issues so they can achieve their goals,” she said. 

She also called for support and funding for the unit to help reach out to more boys, saying that the initiative has brought a lot of improvement in the conduct of the boys who participated. 

“If we had more funding, we could reach more boys and bring resources to schools,” she said.  

She added that parents must support and provide for their boys to be healthy and have a sound mind to concentrate in school. 

“Parents need to provide for their children’s basic needs, especially food and school supplies, to help them excel,” she said. 

Some students expressed their joy, saying that such events provided them with a lot of knowledge on how to groom themselves and plan their lives. 

Other students said they have been able to build a little confidence, adding that the event also provided a platform for networking. 

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