Browsing by Author "Cobbinah, J.E."
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Item Challenges Associated with Recruitment of Professional Doctorate Degree Holders into Ghanaian Universities(World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2017) Cobbinah, J.E.; Aryeh-Adjei, A.A.Over the years, entry into the academia in any Ghanaian university requires an advanced research degree, more preferably traditional doctorate (PhD or DPhil). It is however argued that PhD is more research intensive, so since university teaching involves a lot of research, those having traditional doctorate have good research background to teach in a university and are thus recruited as lecturers. However, in the last ten years, a reasonable number of academics enter Ghanaian universities with professional doctorate degrees, which hitherto was considered to be only suitable for industry, because it gives individuals with just basic research skills needed for professional practice, unlike the traditional PhD which is research intensive degree. Currently, there are a reasonable number of professional doctorate degree holders with qualifications like DBA, EdD, PsychD, DPharm, EngD, among others in various departments in many Ghanaian universities. Maybe, because such degree holders also use the title Dr, some university authorities put them at par with their counterparts with traditional doctorate, although some lecturers with PhD seem to look down upon those with traditional doctorate degrees and this has created some tension amongst those academics. This makes their promotions and holding of university academic positions very problematic in some ways. This paper therefore seeks to investigate the types of professional doctorate degree holders working as lecturers in some selected universities in Ghana and the challenges associated with their recruitment, acceptability and proper integration into universities’ teaching and learning. The paper adopted qualitative research methodology. In all, respondents from three state-owned and privately owned universities were involved in the study. Administrators, lecturers, heads of departments and deans of faculty were interviewed to assess the challenges associated with the recruitment of professional doctorate degree holders and any problems they face in the departments they work. It became evident that, although some lecturers enter the academia with professional doctorate degrees, their counterparts seem not to give them the recognition and respect they deserve. Although there is little or no evidence that professional doctorate degree holders are under performing, recruiting professional doctorate degree holders does not only become a challenge, but also their progression into the university’s promotion ladder become very slow compared to their counterparts with traditional PhD degrees.Item Power Relations in Community Participation: Does It Really Matter(Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 2015) Cobbinah, J.E.Power relations in community participation is also another concept that appears in many development discourses, but the extent to which it is hindering development practice seems to be overlooked. The purpose of this article is to examine the concept of power relations and how it has been influencing participatory practice in rural community development. It aims at looking at why people must be concerned about the use of power and finds ways of addressing the excessive use of power and power relations that seriously hinder active participatory practice. This article presents results of data gathered from community members in the western region of Ghana. Using a case study approach, the study adopted interpretivists and social constructivists philosophical perspectives. The data was gathered using focus group discussions and one-to-one informal interviews. It is argued that, while development organisations and the district assemblies are encouraging participation, they are finding it difficult to relinquish power to enhance effective participatory practice. Participation continues to reflect in most rural development programmes, but there are key barriers to effective participation and the conflict of power and power relations are still problems affecting participatory practice. Addressing issues of power relations will not only make local people very proactive, but also enhance their readiness to participate in community development activities.Item Pre-Marital Counselling and Sustainability of Marriages in Contemporary Ghanaian Society(International Journal of Political Activism and Engagement, 2019) Cobbinah, J.E.; Osei-Tutu, E.M.Marriages in Ghana are usually preceded by counseling. It is believed that premarital counseling helps to sustain marriages because it gives couples the initial skills needed to enable them to start their marriage and solve minor problems that may be encountered in the relationship. This study was aimed at assessing the significance of premarital counseling to the sustenance of marriage. The study adopted a mixed methodological approach in gathering the data. Data was gathered from 112 individuals from three different suburbs of the capital city of Ghana. The results showed that although pre-marital counseling was observed to be important for would-be couples, it does not help sustain all marriages. Married couples that were given pre-marital counseling were getting separated as well as those who never had pre-marital counseling. It is therefore recommended that although premarital counseling may be necessary, it is not sufficient to sustain marriages. Therefore, counseling should continue even after marriage.Item School Self-Evaluation and the Nature of Support System for Basic Schools in Ghana(SAGE, 2021) Cobbinah, J.E.; Eshun, E.S.Studies have suggested that the effective use of school self-evaluation is one of the best ways of improving schools. Several countries use school self-evaluation as an accountability measure and quality assurance framework to improve schools’ and students’ academic performance. This article examines teachers’ understanding of school self-evaluation, the usage of school self-evaluation, and the nature of support systems that may be available to basic schools in Ghana. Interview data were gathered from teachers and headteachers to ascertain their perspectives on the application of school self-evaluation and any support systems that may be available in schools. The results show that schools have their own ways of evaluating performance, and school self-evaluation is not used as a tool to evaluate the school’s performance. It became evident that teachers do not have in-depth knowledge about school self-evaluation. The teachers agreed that authorities must organize training workshops for them to enhance their understanding and usage of school self-evaluation to improve performance in their schools.