PanAf

1
PanAf Ghana

• Phase 1 Research
• Report / Results / Recommendations

2
Introduction to research team

• Partner institution University of Education,
  Winneba, Ghana
• Focal Point Prof. D. K. Mereku, Ph.D.
• Primary Researcher Issifu Yidana, Ph.D.
• Secondary Researcher Mr. Wisdom Hordzi
• Others in Research Team / Assistants
• Messrs J. B. Williams, I. Tete-Mensah , T.
  Akorlie
• Mrs. W. Tete-Mensah

3
Overview of Participating Schools
Institution Size (Females ) Level/Type Mixed/ Single-sex Type of Location
University of Education, Winneba, Winneba 24, 982 (36) Teacher Training (advanced/Public) Mixed Urban
Senior High Secondary-Technical, Obrachire 810 (39) Secondary/Technical (upper/Public) Mixed Non-urban
Asuasi Technical Institute, Asuasi 647 (2.6) Secondary/Technical (upper/Public) Single-sex (mixed) Non-urban
Ayirebi Junior High, Akyem-Ayirebi 200 (41) Secondary (lower/Public)- Mixed Non-urban
Tamale Senior High Secondary School, Tamale 1,794 (28) Secondary (upper/Public) Mixed Urban
4
Overview of Results

• General state of pedagogical integration of ICTs
• State of integration in Ghana is low
• Impact on Educators/Learners could not be
  established as very few teachers actually use ICT
• No examples of ICT-based productions by learners
  were obtained, because many schools still lack
  computer accessories
• Highlighted successes in pedagogical integration
  of ICTs
• limited impact was observed in educators and
  learners involved in department-based ICT courses
  (Math, Music, Arts, ICTE, ICT) FM Radio Lectures

5
Overview of Research Results (Contd)

• Specific challenges in pedagogical integration of
  ICTs
• Limited ICT facilities and resources (Computers,
  Accessories, and multimedia digital Equipment)
  high students per computer ratios
• Limited access time for student ICT use
• Unreliable power supply and poor maintenance
  culture, resulting in high down-time of equipment
• Lack of efficient connectivity, Limited Internet
  Connectivity
• Lack of management support, motivation and
  incentives for innovative educators
• Lack of computers and presentation equipment in
  classrooms
• Lack of Subject-based Software
• Lack of institutional ICT Policies

6
Data Analysis

• Policy
• Vision 2015
• Thrusting Ghana into a middle income country
• ICT4AD (2003)
• Development and deployment of ICTs to modernize
  the educational system of Ghana
• Anamuah-Mensahs Educational Review Committee
  Report (2006)
• ICT in Education Policy (2006)
• e-Readiness assessment of second cycle
  institutions in Ghana Report (2009)

7
Data Analysis (contd)

• Access to / connectivity of computers in schools
• Inadéquate obsolète stand-alone PCs,
  no/unreliable Internet connectivity
• Pedagogical use of ICTs by educators/learners
• Educators of across the curriculum, except the
  Core ICT course, did not use ICTs for instruction
• No examples of ICT-based productions by learners
  were obtained, because many schools still lack
  computer accessories and use obsolete computers
  (low speed and storage capacities)
• Tertiary Level
• Some limited impact was observed in educators and
  learners involved in department-based ICT courses
  (Math, Music, Arts, ICTE, ICT) FM Radio
  Lectures

8
Data Analysis (contd)

• Reported impact of ICTs on teaching / learning
• Impact on Educators could not be established as
  very few teachers actually use ICT in their
  instruction
• Impact was minimal at the tertiary level, based
  on Academic Departments innovativeness
• Managerial use / impact of ICTs
• Largely in processing and storage of students and
  personnel data and information (Admissions,
  Student Academic Records, Personnel Records,
  Payroll, etc)

9
Data Analysis (contd)

• Themes of particular interest (gender, language,
  special needs)
• At the tertiary level, a proportional gap of
  0.56 was observed for male/female learners ICT
  use (average hours/week) for academic purposes in
  favour of males
• At the tertiary level, male educators average
  ICT use for academic purposes was three times
  that of female educators (824)
• For educators at the secondary level, not much
  difference was observed between female and male,
  since ICT is not generally being used across the
  curriculum
• No significant impact of native language on ICT
  use by Educators/Learners
• Other results to highlight Continuing TPD
  Activities
• Pre-tertiary level, under 5 of female educators
  had TPD activities not exceeding 50 hours
  (overall was 10)
• Tertiary Level, almost all the female educators
  had up to 50 hours of TPD activities

10
Policy Dialogue

• Overview of policy dialogue workshop
• Participants, Objectives, Presentation, Group
  Discussions
• Recommendations ensuing from policy dialogue
  workshop
• Ghana Education Service (GES) should establish a
  reward system to recognize innovative teachers
  who use ICT
• The Ministries of Education (MOE) and
  Communication (MOC) should collaborate to assist
  educators to acquire their own computers
• MOE, GES Schools Management should make
  budgetary allocations annually to acquire,
  maintain, replace, and expand ICT facilities and
  resources in schools
• Continuing TPD programmes should be made formal
  in institutions to equip educators with skills
  and knowledge in ICT Integration and interactive
  tutorial packages should be developed to
  facilitate this process.

11
Policy Dialogue (Contd)

• Next steps (how the dialogue will continue)
• Find means and strategies to support heads of
  institution to address identified challenges
• Identify software packages that can be adopted
  for teaching the core subjects at various levels
  (Mathematics, Science, English Language, Social
  Studies)
• Design model lessons that use appropriate modern
  instructional strategies (e.g., PBL, IBL,
  Connected Learning, and Authentic Assessment
  models) and develop these into multimedia
  packages (CDROMs) to guide formal TPD programmes

12
Conclusion

• Review successes and challenges in the
  pedagogical integration of ICTs
• The contextual conditions that facilitate ICT
  integration and use by educators were inadequate
• Not much can be said about successes
• What does this say about the countrys education
  system more generally?
• Generally, the e-Readiness across all educational
  levels in Ghana is low
• Some tertiary and private insitutions have
  started making serious efforts to address the
  challenges in the pedagogical integration of ICTs
  

13
Conclusion (contd)

• What recommendations (supported by the data) for
  change to ICT4ED policy and practice?
• Identify, in the various subjects, specific
  content areas where ICT tools (hardware/software)
  can be integrated into the teaching and learning
  processes
• Select four core courses (Mathematics, English
  Language, Integrated Science, and Social Studies)
  to determine which software packages can be used
  to teach these subjects and train teachers to use
  them
• Design model lessons that use appropriate modern
  instructional strategies (i.e. those that
  facilitate and meet the diverse learning styles
  and needs of digital learners) and develop these
  into multimedia packages (CDROMs) to guide formal
  TPD programmes
• Review pre-service programmes to equip trainees
  with skills and knowledge to effectively
  Integrate ICT in their instructional activities

14
Conclusion (contd)

• What is missing in order to substantially improve
  teaching and learning through ICTs?
• National minimum ICT standards and benchmarks
• ICT policy at the institutional level
• ICT focused teacher education curriculum (both
  pre- in- service), which emphasises
• Subject-based software
• multimedia packages using modern instructional
  strategies
• interactive tutorials for TPD of teachers

15
PanAf Phase 2

• General reflections on scientific publication
• The PanAF data on the observatory could used to
  write refereed papers for dissémination of
  findings to the general readership/community
• Postgraduate students should be encouraged to
  replicate the study in other schools
• General reflections on potential partnerships
• PaNAf/Sponsors, ERNWACA, UEW, MOE/GES, MOC ICT
  Service Providers could collaborate to address
  the myriad of challenges in the pedagogical
  integration of ICTs
• General reflections on additional research
• Follow-up intervention, using phase 1
  participating institutions (Helping these
  institutions to address some of the challenges)