Abstract
Almost all pre-service teachers from Colleges of Education in Ghana, whether from the regular or distance mode, teach in the basic schools. This research employed survey to examine pre-service teachers’ evaluation of teaching (ET) on teaching and learning in the regular and distance modes of teacher education in Ghana. The analytical cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Four hundred and fifty-five (455) pre-service teachers of Accra College of Education and the College of Distance Education at Papafio Hills, both of University of Cape Coast were used as the sample for the survey. Questionnaire of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α) of 0.81 was used to solicit views regarding students’ evaluation of teaching and learning. Frequency and percentages were used to describe the data. They have the belief that tutors are competent in subject matter knowledge, pedagogy and assessment. Empirically, tutors’ knowledge of subject matter was rated ‘good’ by majority of distance (89.57%) and regular (51.17%) students. Organization of lessons by the college tutors was also judged as good by majority of the distance (73.07%) and regular (61.67%) students. Teacher assessment by college tutors was rated “good” and constructive by majority (66.0%) of the distance students, and a few regular students (36.8%). Similarly, pre-service teachers in the two colleges have positive self-efficacy in learning. Evidence from the study shows that, majority of the male (64.56%) and female (53.25%) students in the distance mode as well as female students in the regular mode (52.25%) did not find it stressful using mathematics and science textbooks to work on homework, except a few male students (48.41%) in the regular mode. Pre-service teachers have the belief that College of Education tutors in Ghana are competent in subject matter knowledge and pedagogy to teach in both regular and distance education programmes. Pre-service teachers in Ghanaian College of Education have self-efficacy in learning core courses in regular and distance education programmes. This study concludes that distance education programmes are equally effective and efficient means of education and training of pre-service teachers in Ghana just as the regular or traditional mode of teacher education and training. It is therefore recommended that, policy makers including the Ministry of Education and the National Council on Tertiary Education in liaison with Ghanaian universities should give similar attention to distance education just as it is done to the regular pre-service teacher education programmes in Ghanaian colleges of education.
Highlights
In Ghana, teacher training and education have gone through a lot of reforms in a bid to revamp the sector in terms of producing competent and effective teachers
It is recommended that, policy makers including the Ministry of Education and the National Council on Tertiary Education in liaison with Ghanaian universities should give similar attention to distance education just as it is done to the regular pre-service teacher education programmes in Ghanaian colleges of education
There are many empirical studies regarding the debate on this phenomenon worldwide (Bernard, Abrami, Lou, Borokhovski, Wade, Wozney, & Huang, 2004; Cavanaugh, 2001; Crankson, Agyeman, & Narh-Kert, 2020; Cybinski & Selvanathan, 2005; Deka & McMurry, 2006; Machtmes & Asher, 2000; Narh-Kert, Agyeman, & Crankson, 2021; Shachar & Neumann, 2003), there is very little study about it in Ghana. It is against this backdrop that this study looks at pre-service teachers’ evaluation of teaching (ET) on teaching and learning in the regular and distance modes of teacher education
Summary
In Ghana, teacher training and education have gone through a lot of reforms in a bid to revamp the sector in terms of producing competent and effective teachers. Effective teaching requires an understanding of the underlying meaning of concepts and procedures, as well as justifications for the ideas and procedures presented and the ability to make connections among topics (Ball, Sleep, Boerst, & Bass, 2009; Narh-Kert, 2020; Narh-Kert & Ampadu, 2021). Teachers for the basic school level are trained by Colleges of Education (CoEs) and the context of this study is the evaluation of teachers who teach the teachers for the basic schools in Ghana. This study is of the view that, the evaluation will inform the participants and the readers of the results as it shapes their own teacher professional practice
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