Abakah, Ellen
3 Publications in AERD
Author Publications
Export PDFContinuing professional development (CPD) at a distance: Teachers' reflections on enhancing distance education (DE) provision
By Abakah, Ellen
In Ghana, continuing professional development (CPD) initiatives for teachers are fragmented, with limited participation opportunities for all subject teachers, resulting in a high reliance on distance education (DE) programs. This qualitative study investigates teachers' experiences with DE upgrading programs and their thoughts on improving. Data was gathered from 32 participants in the Ekumfi district of Ghana. The findings show that, despite the constraints, teachers in Ghana are taking an agentic stance in using DE for their professional development. However, while DE programs provide reliable paths to updating professional knowledge, they are insufficient as a CPD tool to assist teachers' learning for improvements in classroom practice. Teachers' DE experiences reveal a rigid program structure with content that is unreflective of current educational concerns and the utilization of didactic teaching and learning approaches. These are detrimental to active learning and unlikely to result in effective teacher improvement. To strengthen DE as an effective CPD tool in Ghana, the study recommends regularizing other CPD avenues, revising DE upgrading programs for teachers, and systematising mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating teachers' competencies before and afterDE participation. © 2023 The Author(s)
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Practices Among Basic School Teachers in the Central Region of Ghana
By Abakah, Ellen
This paper reports on an exploratory study regarding the current continuing professional development (CPD) situation of basic schoolteachers in Ghana. The study investigates the teachers' CPD needs, frequency and nature of CPD provisions, and barriers to teachers' participation in CPD activities. Using a cross-sectional survey involving 456 teachers, the study found that teachers required to be developed in areas of ICT skills for teaching, research and dissemination, and teaching students with special learning needs. It was also revealed that the predominant CPD practices were workshops, in-service training, and continuing education. However, these practices were seldom provided and rarely met the development needs of the teachers. Teachers' participation in CPD activities were also found to be minimal due to factors such as non-available CPD offerings, lack of pre-requisite information on CPD activities and lack of schools' support. The study concludes that the current CPD situation of teachers in Ghana reflects a lack of implemented CPD policy framework. There is therefore the need for a broader CPD policy framework that will guide the provision, participation, and CPD practices of teachers in Ghana.
Exploring the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Needs of Basic Schoolteachers in Ghana
By Abakah, Ellen
This study aims to understand teachers' perceptions of their professional development needs and examine how these needs are utilised to design CPD interventions for teachers in Ghana. The study uses a qualitative case study research approach to collect data from 25 teachers and five key informants in in-depth interviews. The results demonstrate teachers' on-going learning needs in pedagogical content knowledge, technology integration in teaching and learning, and school and student management practices. Teachers also revealed that existing CPD interventions inadequately address their specific development needs. Teachers expressed their lack of voice and self-directedness in CPD program planning, design, and implementation, which they attributed as a significant cause of CPD ineffectiveness. Thus, the study recommends that teachers' learning needs be formed as the pivot around which CPD is organised to increase teacher participation and CPD program effectiveness.
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