Pre-Service Teachers’ Evaluation of Teaching and Learning of Core Courses in Regular and Distance Education Programmes in Ghanaian Colleges of Education

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.