Ernest Kofi Davis
6 Publications in AERD
Author Publications
Export PDFExploring values implicit in Ghanaian Senior High School mathematics textbooks
By Nicholas Essien
Values are pivotal in mathematics education. Coming to grips with values in mathematics as a means of understanding them well enough to enculturate children in the subject has been highlighted in the literature. Valuing in mathematics has been positioned as the key driver of both the content of the mathematics curriculum and its teaching. This study explored values implicit in Ghanaian Senior High School mathematics textbooks. A sample of four best-selling Ghanaian Senior High School Form 1 Core Mathematics textbooks were purposely selected for this study. Using a checklist, the study explored mathematical values and mathematics educational values implicit in these textbooks. Findings from the study revealed that mathematical values of Objectism, Progress and Openness were emphasized more in the textbooks, while mathematics educational values namely Formalist View, Theoretical Knowledge, Instrumental learning, Accessibility and Evaluation were also emphasized more. How these values were conveyed is presented and the implications of the results of the study for policy and practice are also discussed, especially the need to use an array of mathematics books rather than only one to teach students in order to expose them to the values they need to become life-long learners in mathematics. © The Author(s) 2024.
An exploration of Ghanaian students’ valuing in mathematics: How does it evolve across school levels?
By Ernest Kofi Davis
A total of 1,256 students selected through stratified random sampling from 18 primary and public secondary schools as a fair sample across urban and rural settings in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana responded to the ‘what I find important (in my mathematics learning)’ questionnaire. Section A contained 64 Likert type questions, and section B contained 10 continua dimension questions in which respondents provided weighted responses on their valuing in relation to learning mathematics, using a slider scale. In this paper, section B was visually analyzed in MS Excel, using the radar chart function to explore the evolution of values in mathematics across school levels. Findings suggested that the students’ values in mathematics evolve as they progress through school, shifting from learning content to learning environment to learning approaches. © 2023 by the authors; licensee Modestum. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The attributes senior high school mathematics teachers and their students value in mathematics learning
By Ernest Kofi Davis
Valuing in mathematics is one of the areas in mathematics education that has attracted the attention of mathematics education researchers in recent times. While efforts have been made to research the attributes students value in their mathematics learning, the same cannot be said about attributes teachers and their students value in mathematics learning, and value alignment in mathematics learning between teachers and students. This paper reports on a study that sought to explore what teachers and their students value and the alignment between attributes teachers and their students value in learners’ mathematics learning. A survey of what students and their teachers value in learners’ mathematics learning was conducted with 690 senior high school students and 66 teachers from nine schools, using adapted What I Find Important in my mathematics learning questionnaires. A multistage sampling procedure involving the use of stratified random sampling and purposive sampling procedures was used to select the research participants. The data obtained from the study were then analysed, using frequency counts, mean and standard deviation and principal component analysis. The results from the study revealed that the senior high school mathematics teachers valued Authority, Engagement, Strategy and Communication in students’ mathematics learning, while the students valued Authority, Relevance, Understanding, Engagement, Strategies, ICT and Achievement in their own mathematics learning; an indication of a gap in valuing among the two groups of research participants. Implications of the findings for mathematics teaching and learning as well as in-service and pre-service education programmes are provided. © The Author(s) 2023.
Senior High School Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions and Use of Continuous Assessment
By Ernest Kofi Davis
This study sought to ascertain how Senior High School mathematics teachers perceived Continuous Assessment (CA) and used CA scores. It also explored relationships between teachers’ perceptions of CA and their use of CA scores as well as the difficulties mathematics teachers faced administering CA. One hundred sixty (160) Senior High School mathematics teachers from two districts in the Central Region of Ghana participated in the study. Questionnaires were administered to the research participants in 16 Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the two districts. The data collected was analyzed, using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results from the study revealed that the participants perceived CA primarily as a means of generating grades and providing feedback. The majority of the participants used their students’ CA scores for the purpose of generating end-of-term grades. Teachers’ teaching experience and professional status were found to have effect on their perception of CA and the use of CA scores. A strong positive correlation was found to exist between teachers’ perception and their use of CA as well as their teaching experience and the use of CA scores. The implications of the findings for policy and continuous professional development of mathematics teachers have been provided. © The Author(s) 2023.
Strategies and Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge of Addition of Unlike Denominator Fractions: The Case of Grade 8 Children in Two Districts of the Central Region of Ghana
By Ebo Amuah
This study investigated children’s knowledge of the addition of fractions with unlike denominators. It focussed on the strategies used by children to add fractions with unlike denominators. A cross-sectional survey of Grade 8 children in schools in two districts in Ghana was used. A test on the addition of fractions with unlike denominators was administered to 543 high-, average- and low-achieving children, and their responses were categorised based on the characterisation of correct strategies by Braithwaite et al. and Siegler and Pykes. Cluster bar charts and analysis of variance were used to analyse the data. The results showed that the children’s use of correct strategies for adding proper fractions with unlike denominators was higher than their use of correct strategies for adding improper fractions with unlike denominators. Thus, the children’s procedural knowledge of the addition of proper fractions with unlike denominators was higher than that of improper fractions with unlike denominators. Conceptual knowledge of the addition of fractions with unlike denominators was much lower than procedural knowledge of the same. The less advantaged (females, rural and low achievers) used fewer correct strategies and demonstrated less procedural and conceptual knowledge. Among other recommendations, curricula and classroom teaching should emphasise conceptual knowledge and its support for procedural knowledge of the addition of fractions with unlike denominators. Research interventions focussed on the less advantaged are advised. © 2023 Southern African Association for Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (SAARMSTE).
Exploring Headteachers, Teachers and Learners' Perceptions of Instructional Effectiveness of Distance Trained Teachers
By Vincent Mensah Minadz
This study examined the perceptions of headteachers, teachers, and learners regarding instructional effectiveness of University of Cape Coast distance trained teachers. The convergent parallel mixed-method design was employed to conduct the study. Research participants comprising 25 headteachers, 667 distance trained teachers, and 138 learners were selected through purposive sampling, stratified random sampling, and simple random sampling techniques respectively. Mean and standard deviations, independent sample t-test, and thematic analysis were employed to analyse the data. The study revealed that headteachers, teachers and learners perceived distance trained teachers as instructionally effective because they demonstrated professional knowledge, professional practice and professional values and attitudes in their instructions. Results also indicated that there was statistically significant difference between male and female teachers with regard to perceived instructional effectiveness. It is recommended that stakeholders such as parents and prospective applicants should consider UCC distance education programme as an alternative to the conventional education. © 2022 Society for Research and Knowledge Management. All rights reserved.
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