Department of Adult Education and Human Resource Studies
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Item The ‘shadow pandemic’ in online learning: perspectives of visually impaired students from Ghana and Egypt(Disability & Society, 2023) Amponsah, S.The emergence of COVID-19 accelerated the integration of digital technologies in teaching and learning to expand access to education. However, one cannot ascertain if someone is visually impaired Students learning online benefited from this innovation, a phenomenon this netnographic study explored. Social media tools were used to interview 12 visually impaired students from a Ghanaian and an Egyptian higher education institution. Analysis of the data revealed multiple ‘shadows’ in the students’ experiences. The findings further revealed that the studied institutions prioritized physical access and also used lopsided crippling discourse. Lastly, the support systems that enhanced The studies of visually impaired students came to light. The study findings have consequences for this cohort of students. so this study recommends agile and futuristic policies to reverse the trend. Finally, it is recommended that the capabilities of faculty and staff be enhanced to effectively accommodate visually impaired students in virtual spaces.Item COVID-19 Pandemic and the Shift to Digital Learning: Experiences of Students in a Community College in Ghana(Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 2021) Addae, D.; Amponsah, S.; Gborti, B.J.The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impelled many countries all over the world to institute sweeping measures to help reduce infection rates and ultimately its utter elimination. One of the many measures is the closure of schools which concomitantly implied that other innovative strategies to the delivery of subject matter to students while they remain at home be employed in order to avert the likely disruption to the academic calendar of schools. In Ghana, many higher education institutions have turned to the use of digital tools to facilitate teaching and learning. While this was an inevitable move given the prevailing circumstances, it represents a major shift in the teaching and learning experiences of many students in the country due to their familiarization with the traditional face-to-face classroom sessions. This present study explored the unique experiences of 15 conveniently selected students from a two-year college in the country with regard to the sudden shift to digital learning necessitated by the pandemic. This paper identified three main experiences: 1. the use of unregulated social media platforms for learning; 2. high data costs for surfing the internet coupled with instability of internet; and 3. empathy from the lecturers contributed to students’ online learning engagement. These findings serve as an invitation for profound reflection on the unique place of technology-mediated teaching and learn ing in higher education in current and future pandemics.Item The Centrality of Glocalisation in Sustaining Development Education in Ghana and Nigeria(Springer, Cham, 2023) Amponsah, S.; Babarinde, K.Since the attainment of independence from their colonial masters in 1957 and 1960, the Ghanaian and Nigerian education systems have undergone several reforms to conform to the times. Incidentally, all the reforms seem to drive the values of education towards Western philosophies. Indigenous knowledge systems, content and African forms of delivery have eluded the two countries’ educational systems. To bring back authentic African content into development education, this paper advocates for the incorporation of local content and delivery styles to ensure learners carry the ‘knowledge of their fathers’ into the future and immortalise such knowledge for posterity. In pushing this agenda, we did a content analysis of the various educational reforms in Ghana and Nigeria. Based on what exists in the literature, we theorized that in respect of SDG 4 and the bid to sustain education as a contribution to development education, glocalisation should be the prime focus. Consequently, we noted that policy directives, decolonization of the various curricula used in education and the implementation of the recommendations from earlier studies and declarations are imperatives to this call.Item Professional development among in-service teachers: motivational factors, pathways and coping strategies(Taylor & Francis Group, 2021) Amponsah, S.; Ampadu, E.; Thomas, M.While research indicates that teachers’ continuing professional development (TCPD) is highly significant for the successful implementation of effective classroom instruction, few research studies to date have explored the role of TCPD in Ghana. This paper aims to map the pathways of TCPD for in-service teachers in Ghana while exploring the motivations and coping strategies of these adult learners. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design in which 45 students enrolled in an MA Education programme were trained to collect data from 352 in-service teachers in 310 schools using a semi-structured questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The data from the study were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results from the study show that subject matter, knowledge of curriculum, and assessment knowledge were the three most important factors behind the teachers’ motivation to participate in CPD. Moreover, the analysis of the coping strategies of the in-service teachers suggests that there was little or no institutional support for them. In addition to this, despite the significant role mentorship plays in ensuring effective teaching and learning, the overwhelming majority of the teachers saw mentoring and exchange programmes as one of the least important forms of CPD opportunities available. Recommendations from the study indicate that teachers’ professional autonomy and the disparity between the professional values and skills demanded in 21st-century education cannot be under-estimated and that more research is required on how to design CPD programmes that will provide Ghanaian in-service teachers with the creative and innovative skills they require.Item COVID-19 Pandemic and the Shift to Digital Learning: Experiences of Students in a Community College in Ghana(Taylor & Francis Group, 2021) Addae, D.; Amponsah, S.; Gborti, B.J.The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impelled many countries all over the world to institute sweeping measures to help reduce infection rates and ultimately its utter elimination. One of the many measures is the closure of schools which concomitantly implied that other innovative strategies to the delivery of subject matter to students while they remain at home be employed in order to avert the likely disruption to the academic calendar of schools. In Ghana, many higher education institutions have turned to the use of digital tools to facilitate teaching and learning. While this was an inevitable move given the prevailing circumstances, it represents a major shift in the teaching and learning experiences of many students in the country due to their familiarization with the traditional face-to-face classroom sessions. This present study explored the unique experiences of 15 conveniently selected students from a two-year college in the country with regard to the sudden shift to digital learning necessitated by the pandemic. This paper identified three main experiences: 1. the use of unregulated social media platforms for learning; 2. high data costs for surfing the internet coupled with instability of internet; and 3. empathy from the lecturers contributed to students’ online learning engagement. These findings serve as an invitation for profound reflection on the unique place of technology-mediated teaching and learning in higher education in current and future pandemics.Item Ghanaian mature students’ motivation to pursue degree programmes through distance education(International Review of Education, 2018-10) Amponsah, S.; Torto, B.A.; Badu-Nyarko, S.K.Mature distance education students in Ghana, like part-time students all over the world, need to be motivated in order to enjoy their studies and succeed in what they do. In order to come up with incentives for such learners to join and complete a course, universities have to be aware of the characteristics and the socio-economic background of this group of learners and use an approach that best suits their needs at any given time. Based on Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci’s self-determination theory, the authors of this article investigate the factors that motivate mature students to engage in distance education and how their motivation is sustained throughout their studies. Using a survey questionnaire, the authors collected data from 210 mature distance education students (106 males and 104 females; aged 30+) of the University of Ghana. Interestingly, some of the authors’ findings depart from the norm in terms of adult learners’ motivations and what extant literature holds as typified in the work of Ryan and Deci. Adult learners more generally are described in the literature as being mainly intrinsically motivated (e.g. by the desire to learn for its own sake, for the enjoyment it provides, or the feelings of accomplishment it evokes). Interestingly, this survey reveals that mature distance education students who were enrolled in a higher education programme offered by the University of Ghana were mainly extrinsically motivated, giving career development as their top reason for course selection. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V., and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.Item Lin’s creative pedagogy framework as a strategy for fostering creative learning in Ghanaian schools(Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2019-03) Amponsah, S.; Kwesi, A.B.; Ernest, A.Educating students who have higher order thinking skills and making sure they develop conceptual understanding of the various concepts learnt in school makes it imperative for educators, to help students develop creative learning strategies. It is for this reason, among others, that the concept of creative learning has been identified as the way to mould the 21st-century learner, and compelling evidence can be adduced from the Finnish and Singaporean models of creative learning environment. Apart from these models from these two countries, extant literature has proved that children can live more independently when they are allowed to use their creative abilities and when this is enhanced in the school setting. We, in this light, gleaned and reviewed relevant literature pertaining to fostering creative learning and its concomitant challenges. In the end, we positioned Lin’s creative pedagogy as a framework that is instrumental in fostering creative learning in Ghanaian classrooms and that in spite of the challenges that may arise from implementing this framework, there are inherent strategies that are helpful in making learners creative.Item Economic and social development. In The United Nations: Working to Reduce the Impact of the Economic Crisis on Human Rights, Development and the Environment. United Nations Office in Geneva(Information Service Press and External Relations Office, 2009) Amponsah, S.Item Investigating the Use of Student Teams Achievement Division in Teaching English First Additional Language in Kwazulu Natal Secondary Schools(African Journal of Pedagogy and Curriculum, 2014-03) Amponsah, S.The Department of Basic Education (DBE) emphasizes inclusivity as a central part of organizing, planning and teaching at school (DBE, 2010). This calls for teachers who are well equipped and are able to exhibit a sound understanding of teaching techniques in order to overcome the barriers to learning through diversity in teaching. One learning technique that can guarantee effective teaching and learning and that caters for all learners in the English First Additonal Language (EFAL) class is the Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD). Hence this research looks into how EFAL teachers apply the technique in their classrooms. A sample of 262 EFAL teachers from four districts in the Kwazulu-Natal Province participated in this study. The cross-sectional survey approach was used in this study, allowing for the use of a likert scale survey questionnaire to be used for data collection. Result of the research indicated STAD is established as the strongest cooperative learning strategy and thus beneficial in the teaching of EFAL. (PDF) Investigating The Use Of Student Teams Achievement Division In Teaching English First Additional Language In Kwazulu-Natal Secondary Schools. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325975870_Investigating_The_Use_Of_Student_Teams_Achievement_Division_In_Teaching_English_First_Additional_Language_In_Kwazulu-Natal_Secondary_Schools [accessed Sep 25 2018].Item Exploring the Experiences of Rural College Students in a Global Village(Asian Journal of Education and E-learning, 2015-06) Amponsah, S.For the past few years, the concept of the world becoming a 'global village', as a result of much reliance on information technology (IT) has taken centre stage in the language and works of many people. The concept has caught up well with people in developed countries but in the developing countries, the same may only be said for those blessed to be residing in the urban centres. The purpose of this research is to get into the world of first semester students of Esayidi Technical and Vocational Education and Training College (Umzimkhulu Campus) in order to explore their experiences in a global village and establish the extent they use IT tools for communication and educational purposes. An explorative survey research approach was used to explore the experiences of the forty participants employed for this study. The participants were recruited by means of the lottery sampling system and the social media questionnaire tool was used to collect data from them which was descriptively analysed. Findings from the study indicated that the participants in this study mostly resided and schooled in rural areas so had not been exposed to the concept of a global village but were gradually making use of ICT tools for communication and educational purposes since enrolling at the college. (PDF) Exploring the Experiences of Rural College Students in a Global Village. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299368867_Exploring_the_Experiences_of_Rural_College_Students_in_a_Global_Village [accessed Sep 25 2018].