Agyei, Douglas Darko

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

Transferring and sustaining technological innovations after professional development: Insights from school leaders and teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa

By Agyei, Douglas Darko

Desiring technology-related change promotes reform-oriented technology integration to create a lasting impact on education. Nonetheless, most technology projects in Sub-Saharan Africa least achieved this target. Research points to quality professional development (PD) as a significant influence in achieving this. This follow-up study is on a cohort of 6,351 school leaders and teachers from six Sub-Saharan African countries who participated in a digital instructional PD targeted at building their capacity to embed ICT into school organisation and curriculum practices. The study sought to evaluate the impact of the PD programme in relation to the quality and the extent of the participants’ transfer of the programme’s ideas from capacity building to school organisation and classroom practices. A semi-structured survey instrument and diaries, kept to maintain records of activities and events during the period of implementation, were data channels. Findings revealed that stakeholder groups expressed general satisfaction with content and processes of the training programme; however, essential conditions to support transfer of the training’s ideas to school level seemed inadequate during the period of implementation. Implications of the study for effective technology-related PD that have sustainable impact on educational practices particularly in Sub-Saharan regions and similar contexts are discussed in this article. © 2022. Douglas Darko Agyei.

General Read More

Mathematics teachers' use of ICT in classroom instruction: Exploring the will-skill-tool-pedagogy model in the Ghanaian context

By Sawyerr, Annie

This study models the essential factors for a teacher to effectively incorporate ICT into mathematics instruction. An attempt is made to understand how the parameters; will (positive attitudes), skill (ICT competence), tool (access to ICT tools) and pedagogy (teaching style and confidence in skill) (WSTP) vary among mathematics teachers and predict the impact on ICT integration. Well validated instruments spanning the areas of attitudes, competencies, access, pedagogy and technology integration proficiencies were used to collect data from 92 mathematics teachers. Based on the conduct of Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the results showed significant positive correlations among the will, skill, tool and pedagogy parameters and the stages of adoption of teachers' use of ICT. The predictive ability of the factors indicated 21% proportion of variance explained by WSTP in the adoption of ICT. Further, the results indicated that Tool was the strongest predictor of ICT integration. Thus, the study asserts that if mathematics teachers in the context will integrate ICT effectively in teaching, then increasing access to ICT tools should be a priority of Ghanaian senior high schools. Further, insights into understanding ICT usage in the mathematics classroom contexts are discussed.

General Read More