Abstract:
According to Beyer (1997), the most important goal of schooling is learning and learning is a
consequence of thinking. Students’ success in school is heavily dependent on their inclination as well
as their ability to think skillfully. Promoting critical thinking skills in learners has attracted the attention of
educators but little consideration is given to how teachers should be trained to promote it in schools.
Educational planners, especially in African countries including Ghana have given little thought to how
teacher training institutions should prepare pre-service teachers to enhance students’ critical thinking
skills (Acheampong, 2001; Hill, 2000). Improving the quality of students’ thinking in schools requires
skillful teaching. Such a skill does not emerge without preparation. The challenge to pre-service teacher
institutions in Ghana therefore, is to pursue training programs that prepare pre-service teachers to
develop their students’ critical thinking skills. Pre-service teachers need to be prepared to teach their
students to think critically but teacher preparation in Ghana is devoid of the application of activities or
strategies that develop the thinking skills of student-teachers (Ghana Education service/Teacher
Education Division/Overseas Development Agency, 1993). Though there has been a plethora of
studies on the negative effects of poor teaching strategies and classroom environment on students’
thinking, it is essential to investigate this phenomenon in a particular context and setting to serve the
local professionals. It is significant to investigate such a problem in a setting where there are lack of
teachers, where there are lack of textbooks and technology, where there are large class sizes, a setting
where the academically “weak” are recruited for training and in a setting where the culture of the society
bestows on the teacher absolute powers in the classroom. There is therefore, the need to investigate
the present state of affairs in Ghanaian teacher institutions and what can be done to promote better
thinking.
Method
The study sought to answer these questions: How do the teaching strategies employed by Ghanaian
initial teacher educators and the classroom ecology they create affects the thinking skills of pre-service
teachers? And what can be done to improve pre-service teachers’ thinking through teaching methods
and classroom ecology? The study employed a qualitative case study approach to investigate the
problem at Akatakyiman Teacher Training College (a pseudonym) in Ghana. Teachers in science,
mathematics and social studies and students were interviewed and observed.
