Tutors’ Perception about Teacher Trainees’ Appraisal of Tutors’ Performance as Part of Quality Teaching and Learning in the Colleges of Education in Ghana (Published)
The study intended to explore the perception of the college tutors about the performance appraisal of tutors by the student teachers as part of quality teaching and learning in the Colleges of Education in Ghana as well as improving the tutors’ performance and development. . Sixty seven (67) tutors were randomly selected from three Colleges of Education to constitute the sample for the study. A questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The study found that college tutors generally acknowledged the relevance of performance appraisal to their job goals and development. Secondly, college tutors perceived performance appraisal feedback as irregular and unconstructive and did not reflect their actual performance. Thirdly, college tutors perceived the performance appraisal processes as being unfair because they were left out in the discussion of the assessment procedures claiming that performance appraisal by the student teachers alone is not enough, Fourthly, college tutors perceived that the student teachers judgment were affected by hallo and horn effect. Last but not least, college tutors somehow did not take their performance appraisal by the student teachers alone very seriously. It was recommended that assessment procedures and items leading to appraising the performance of the college tutors should be discussed with them to enable them state their positions openly in order to satisfy their needs. Also, there should be the need for triangulation of the assessment processes leading to appraising the performance of the college tutors to ensure checks and balances as well as validity of the results. Finally, performance appraisal feedback should be made regular, constructive, fair and useful to enable college tutors receive and support the programme as genuinely helping them to improve their performance and development.
Keywords: Appraisal, Perception, Performance, Quality, Teaching and Learning
Pre-Service Teachers’ Perception of the Use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Three Colleges of Education in Ghana (Published)
The study sought to explore pre-service teachers’ perception about the use of ICT in the teaching and learning of Mathematics. Two hundred and forty two (242) level 200 teacher trainees offering the special Science and Mathematics programmes at Akatsi College of Education and St. Francis College of Education in the Volta region and OLA College of Education in the Central region of Ghana were conveniently sampled for the study. A questionnaire divided into three thematic areas namely perceived barriers in the use of ICT, current pedagogical practices and professional development and training needs of tutors was used to collect data. The study found that the use of ICT could help facilitate the teaching and learning of Mathematics. The study also revealed the inability of college tutors to integrate ICT into the teaching and learning of Mathematics. It was concluded that college tutors need special ICT training courses to be able to effectively use ICT to facilitate the teaching and learning of Mathematics. Consequently the study recommended among others that the National Council for Tertiary Education in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other stake holders of Education should organize special ICT training courses for college tutors in the field from time to time to equip them with those special skills and knowledge needed to enable them integrate ICT into the teaching and learning of Mathematics in order to facilitate the processes.
Keywords: Information and Communication Technology, Mathematics, Teaching and Learning
Pre-Service Teachers’ Perception of the Use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Three Colleges of Education in Ghana (Review Completed - Accepted)
The study sought to explore pre-service teachers’ perception about the use of ICT in the teaching and learning of Mathematics. Two hundred and forty two (242) level 200 teacher trainees offering the special Science and Mathematics programmes at Akatsi College of Education and St. Francis College of Education in the Volta region and OLA College of Education in the Central region of Ghana were conveniently sampled for the study. A questionnaire divided into three thematic areas namely perceived barriers in the use of ICT, current pedagogical practices and professional development and training needs of tutors was used to collect data. The study found that the use of ICT could help facilitate the teaching and learning of Mathematics. The study also revealed the inability of college tutors to integrate ICT into the teaching and learning of Mathematics. It was concluded that college tutors need special ICT training courses to be able to effectively use ICT to facilitate the teaching and learning of Mathematics. Consequently the study recommended among others that the National Council for Tertiary Education in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other stake holders of Education should organize special ICT training courses for college tutors in the field from time to time to equip them with those special skills and knowledge needed to enable them integrate ICT into the teaching and learning of Mathematics in order to facilitate the processes.
Keywords: Information and Communication Technology, Mathematics, Teaching and Learning
Pre-Service Teachers’ Use of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Teaching and Learning Mathematics at Basic Seven in Akatsi District, Ghana (Published)
The purpose of the study is to explore how pre-service teachers’ use their Pedagogical Content Knowledge (teachers’ knowledge of content and students’ thinking process) to identify and diagnose students’ misconceptions in comparing, adding, multiplying and dividing fractions. Pre-service teachers were expected to identify students’ misconceptions, give reasons of students’ misconceptions, and ask specific questions to diagnose students’ thinking processes that lead to the misconceptions. A total of 72 pre-service teachers teaching Mathematics were purposively selected out of 320 students from the schools of practice. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and means. The study revealed that about 60% of the pre-service teachers could identify the students’ misconceptions but only 17% of them could articulate the reasons for students’ misconceptions clearly. Also about 58% of the pre-service teachers asked probing questions instead of specific questions to diagnose students’ misconceptions and only about 14% of them asked specific questions. It was concluded that most of the pre-service teachers were able to identify students’ misconception but could not give reasons for the students’ misconceptions. In addition, majority of the pre-service teachers could not ask specific questions to diagnose students’ misconceptions. It was recommended that teacher training institutions integrate pedagogical content knowledge in to the curriculum to equip pre-service teachers with skills that would enable them to analyze students’ thinking processes.
Keywords: Akatsi District, Ghana, Knowledge, Mathematics, Pedagogical Content, Pre-Service, Teaching and Learning