Pedagogical practices of creative arts teachers in Ghana.

Abstract

Within the context of Ghanaian art education, the introduction of creative arts as a mandatory subject for learners from lower-primary to junior high school represents a significant milestone. However, even after the 2018 nationwide in-service training for classroom teachers in preparation for new the curriculum implementation, concerns have arisen from stakeholders regarding challenges in its effective execution. Research in Ghanaian basic school art education also shows primary school teachers often lack specialised creative arts education, as they are mainly trained as generalists. To address this, institutions like the University of Education, Winneba, and other colleges of education in Ghana have introduced diverse creative arts degree programs, either partially or comprehensively, to cultivate competent educators for successful delivery of the creative arts curriculum. However, the production of qualified teachers through these institutions will require substantial time. Additionally, there is a dearth of national data on the pedagogical approaches, assessment strategies, and competency levels of current generalist classroom teachers in areas such as lesson planning, instructional delivery, and classroom management. Consequently, this research employs a post-positivist mixed approach to investigate the present pedagogical competencies of these generalist classroom teachers, aiming to inform target in-service training initiatives while the nation awaits an adequate supply of qualified educators from teacher education institutions. Employing exploratory, descriptive, and mixed methods case study designs, data was collected through documents reviews, observations and interviews involving a total of 27 participants, comprising 18 learners and nine teachers engaged in focused group and individual interviews, respectively. Data was also gathered through observations of the visual art component of creative arts lessons in urban, rural, and deprived localities across the southern, central, and northern zones of Ghana. Analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data employed a rigorous combination of critical and parallel content analysis approaches. To enhance descriptive discourse, the utilisation of SPSS and ATLAS.ti software tools provided additional insights. Findings reveal that teachers in deprived communities are relatively resourceful than their rural and urban counterparts. While teachers demonstrate proficiency in classroom and learner behaviour management, a comprehensive lack of pedagogical competencies is evident in effective lesson planning, delivery, and assessment. Teachers heavily rely on grandfather lesson plans, inaccurate textbooks, and outdated instructional materials instead of the prescribed curriculum and teachers’ resource pack for lesson planning, delivery, and assessment. Notably absent is the integration of ICT or digital technology for instruction. Assessment predominantly comprises low-order theorybased questions that fail to stimulate critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving competencies, which are central tenets of the curriculum. There is apprehension that the ambitious goals of the standards-based creative arts curriculum may remain unrealised due to the ineffective pedagogical and assessment strategies employed by classroom teachers. An immediate classroom-based pedagogical intervention through in-service trainings are recommended as remedy, given the protracted time required for producing quality creative arts educators. The study introduces an analytical framework for subsequent scholarly exploration. Concluding remarks encompass detailed reflections on limitations, and directions for future research within the sphere of art education.