Doctoral

Experiences of pre-service social studies teachers on supported teaching in schools (STS) in colleges of education in the Eastern and Greater Accra Regions of Ghana

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Experiences of pre-service social studies teachers on supported teaching in schools (STS) in colleges of education in the Eastern and Greater Accra Regions of Ghana Anim, C. This study explored the perspectives and lived experiences of pre-service Social Studies teachers regarding the Supported Teaching in School (STS) programme implemented in Colleges of Education in Ghana's Eastern and Greater Accra Regions. Based on Danielson's (1996) Framework for Professional Development, it used a pragmatist research paradigm with a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The sample for the quantitative phase included 487 participants selected through census sampling, while 15 participants were chosen via convenience sampling for the qualitative phase. Out of 487 questionnaires distributed, 397 were returned and analysed, resulting in an 81.5% response rate. Data collection involved questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) with SPSS version 28, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results indicated that pre-service Social Studies teachers experienced the STS programme differently. Content and pedagogical application were most prominent, whereas resource utilisation was less so. The programme offered benefits such as gaining professional knowledge, vocational satisfaction, learning and professional growth, and socio-emotional gains. The study also identified potential advantages, including serving as a model for reforming teacher education in Ghana, reducing new teachers’ attrition due to unpreparedness, promoting reflective practice, and influencing policy decisions on teacher education structure and content. It aligns with global trends emphasising practice-based experiences. Challenges identified included geographical and cultural barriers; lack of teaching aids; negative attitudes and expectations; difficulties in assessing and evaluating the programme; limited understanding of the programme; and weak mentor-mentee relationships. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the Colleges of Education in these regions collaborate with teacher education experts to develop professional development and refresher training programs on the STS. Such initiatives are essential to sustain, enhance, and strengthen the programme's various facets as outlined in the study. A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Social Studies Education) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION FACULTY OF LIBERAL AND SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA AUGUST, 2025

Mediation and conflict resolution in Ghanaian courts: Practitioners and their clients experiences in the Twifo Praso District Court.

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Mediation and conflict resolution in Ghanaian courts: Practitioners and their clients experiences in the Twifo Praso District Court. Asaah-Junior, S.K This study explored mediation as a tool for resolving conflicts from the experiences of mediation practitioners and their clients in the Twifo Praso District Court. The study was based on procedural fairness and justice theories. It followed a qualitative approach, adopting an exploratory single case study design with 30 participants selected through census and convenience sampling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data derived from a semi-structured interview guide, observational guide and documentary analysis. The findings indicate that mediation is defined differently by various participants, depending on their socio-cultural, socio-legal, and role and style dimensions. These definitions significantly influenced practitioners to employ expansive protocols, alternating between initial joint sessions and initial caucusing. Furthermore, factors such as relationship building, economic considerations, and time constraints influence participants' choice of mediation as a dispute resolution model in the Twifo Praso Court. Moreover, the study found that parties assessed procedural fairness based on factors such as the first speaker dilemma, confidentiality, and neutrality, particularly when considering portions of parties' demands in generating settlements. The findings indicate that the program is effective as it has successfully been able to clear backlog cases and achieved a settlement rate of 80%, surpassing the national rate of 45%. Therefore, the study recommends procedural fairness and educational initiatives for parties involved in mediation. In contrast, practitioners' training should be based on an integrative approach and the incorporation of comediation. Subsequently, the study has contributed to developing mediation practice as a conflict resolution model in Ghana. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION, FACULTY OF LIBERAL AND SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA JUNE, 2024

Development of conceptual website design model for University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Development of conceptual website design model for University of Education, Winneba, Ghana Opoku, N. University’s website functions as a virtual front door that serves as a critical point of interaction for students, prospective students, alumni, faculty, and the global academic community. Beyond providing information to its community, a university website reflects the institution’s identity and a strategic asset for communication. As the first point of contact for many prospective students and stakeholders, the design, development and functionality of a university website plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions about the institution and influencing decision-making. Despite the increasing reliance on platform for communication, preliminary investigation suggests that many Ghanaian university websites failed usability test and lack modern design standards. Again, there is no conceptual model that guide the design and development of university website. Hence, the study focused on developing a conceptual model that outlines the essential components of effective university website design and test it in the development of prototype website for the University of Education, Winneba. The study employed qualitative descriptive design to describe the experiences of users when interacting with university website and provide a snapshot of the existing selected universities websites. Again, a studio-based research designs was used to produce a prototype UEW website through creative design processes. The research employed the purposive and convenience sampling techniques with a total sample of six websites, two experts and fourteen (14) participants from selected Ghanaian universities. Observations, focus group discussions and interviews were used for data collection. Thematic, visual, and content analysis were employed to analyse data from the field. Findings from the study revealed that many selected Ghanaian universities’ websites fall short in structure, content, accessibility, and modern digital standards. It emerged from the study that many users experience “click fatigue” when locating basic information on university website. Users reported search functionality failures, by returning zero results for programme specific information such as courses description on the university web. The study concluded that the conceptual model developed has proven to be a robust and effective framework for guiding the creation of functional and user-centred university websites. The application of the model was used in developing UniSite WordPress theme and further used to develop a prototype UEW website demonstrated its practical relevance and adaptability. The study recommends the adoption of the proposed conceptual model as a standard guideline for designing Ghanaian university website. Again, web designers and developers should adopt the UniSite WordPress theme for designing university website to reduce time and resources required to design, develop, deploy and maintain the university website due to its functionality and user-friendliness. A thesis in the Centre for Research in Culture and Creative Arts, The School of Creative Arts, submitted to School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Arts and Culture) in the University of Education, Winneba. JUNE, 2025

Comparative effect of collaborative peer and video-based microteaching models on selected female preservice teachers’ science teaching efficacy

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Comparative effect of collaborative peer and video-based microteaching models on selected female preservice teachers’ science teaching efficacy Awortwe, L. microteaching models in enhancing the science teaching efficacy of selected Ghanaian female preservice teachers. A comparative research design with purposive (criterion-based) sampling was used to select two intact classes comprising fifty-six (56) second-year Early Grade preservice teachers from the Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, Aburi. Participants were assigned to two treatment groups: collaborative peer microteaching and video-based microteaching, with twenty-eight (28) participants in each group. Over a period of six weeks, participants engaged in their respective microteaching sessions. Data was collected using the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (STEBI-B), the Perception of the Collaborative Peer Microteaching Model (PCPM) questionnaire, and a focus group interview. The STEBI-B was administered as a pre-intervention and post-intervention assessment to measure science teaching efficacy before and after the interventions. Paired-sample ttests showed significant improvements in STEBI-B scores for both the collaborative peer group (t(27) = −3.167, p = 0.004 < .05) and the video-based group (t(27) = −7.906, p = 0.000 < .05), with the larger t-value indicating that the video-based microteaching model was comparatively more effective. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) further confirmed that when the collaborative peer and video-based microteaching groups’ pre-intervention STEBI-B assessments are controlled, the video-based microteaching was comparatively more effective in enhancing female preservice teachers’ levels of science teaching efficacy. A two-way ANCOVA also revealed that age, prior teaching experiences, and their interaction had no statistically significant effect on participants’ STEBI-B scores. Additionally, responses from the PCPM questionnaire and focus group interviews indicated that participants generally perceived both microteaching models as effective in enhancing their science teaching efficacy. A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Science Education) Department of Science Education Faculty of Science Education AUGUST, 2025