Providing quality teacher education for women in Ghana through open and distance learning

Abstract

Open distance learning (ODL) is of special relevance to the training of teachers who should respond efficiently to frequent and fast changes of knowledge. ODL has emerged as a tool for widening access to higher education for women. Compared to other professions, women are dominant in teaching. They find the profession very convenient for their roles in society. Teaching also creates opportunity for women to enhance themselves in formal education and in public life. Meanwhile like all other professions, women form the minority in the teaching profession as compared to their male counterparts. This is because gender disaggregated data on education has shown that compared to their male counterparts women have generally attained low level of formal education. Several reasons have attributed to this low level of formal education among women. The uniqueness of open and distance learning as widening access and bringing education to the door step of people makes it critical for using ODL to bridge the gender gap in teacher education for women. This paper explores the unique nature of ODL for providing quality teacher education for women in Ghana and the issues to consider in the process.