Revisiting free compulsory universal basic education (FCUBE) in Ghana. The aim of this module is to introduce students to the huge variation in geography that exists within the complex continent of Africa Key Stage Three, Module, Global perspectives, geopolitics and development, Urbanisation, migration and society Sections Overview Africa: scale and diversity Dealing with common misconceptions of Africa April 26, 2023. However, in our nations current climate, saying the word teacher is like Forrest Gump opening a box of chocolates: you never know what youre going to get, as teachers too often are seen as a convenient scapegoat for the perceived problems that are plaguing public education. by Nancy Barile, Award-Winning Teacher, M.A.Ed. School of Education, Western Sydney University, Australia, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), Norway. The government has found the SDGs to align with the current national vision of Ghana Beyond Aid, a long-term economic and social transformation strategy for national development (Republic of Ghana, 2019). Braun, A. M. B., and Naami, A. I created a meme about the misconception, and almost immediately, a former classmate of mine wrote, "It also makes it almost impossible to get rid of bad teachers.". Awareness of oneself is vital to bracketing biases and prejudices against vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities. Although the various studies by Dodor et . The inclusive education policy acknowledges that: all children can learn irrespective of differences in age, gender, ethnicity, language, and disability. London: University World News, The Global Window on Higher Education. Edulearn19 Proc. It is important that persons with disabilities are explicitly mentioned in targets and indicators to ensure that their needs are adequately addressed. Neubauer, C., and Calame, M. (2017). Adjei, P., Akpalu, A., Laryea, R., Nkromah, K., Sottie, C., Ohene, S., et al. Initially, myths were largely on causes and vulnerability. What are some of the misconceptions and prejudices about teaching and how can they be addressed ? Weekly on Wednesday. In this paper, we used two analytical perspectives, the SDGs Goal 4 and the social model of disability, to understand whether or not student teachers are adequately prepared to deliver inclusive education in Ghana. The upgrading of teacher training institutions to colleges of education: Issues and prospects. The policy sets an agenda of child friendly schools, which implies schools in Ghana ought to look out for children; that is child-seeking and again they should focus attention on children; that is, schools should be child-centered. Revista Educacin Superior y Sociedad (ESS) 32, 167201. National Teachers Standards Guidelines for Ghana: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike. That the student teacher reflection is aimed at increasing their disability sensitivity and inclusion is fallacious. The case study as a serious research strategy. We established that the curriculum and auxiliary teaching materials do not adequately address leaners with disabilities and their needs. Cc: Ellis Ferdinand As someone who has supported many people into work, both as a recruiter and an employment specialist, I am here to tell you that you absolutely can teach! So, when they go out, they will observe the teacher to see if they are exhibiting these qualities. ), can be reviewed. Inclusion in the policy sets out to create an education system that is responsive to learner diversity and to ensure that all learners have the best possible opportunities to learn. The components of the learning outcomes we analyzed in the light of the SDGs Goal 4 targets 4.5, 4.6, and 4.8 and the social model of disability (See Supplementary Tables S1S3). doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.032. The construction of SDG4: reconciling democratic imperatives and technocratic expertise in the making of global education data? in World Yearbook of Education 2021. eds. If you're a teacheror if you've even thought about being a teacheryou've probably heard a few of these common misconceptions about teaching. This study investigated the use of concept cartoons to diagnose and remedy pupils' misconceptions in selected science concepts. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.07.034, PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar. These outcomes were: Year one: awareness of self and learners as unique individuals, Year two: teachers values and attitudes impacting on pupils learning, how diversity impacts on learning, Year three: being a team member, co-teaching, and co-planning, planning for individualized instruction, Year four: teaching all learners; learners, school, and community. United States Department of States. Prod. Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. My students have gone on to become doctors, nurses, legislators, activists, business owners, musicians, social workers, and yesteachers. 1. High. The key informant the affirmed that students are required to identify school facilities: When they go to the schools, they have to know the history of the partner schools and the facilities that are in the schools that will support teaching and learning. Yin, R. K. (1994). Disability and Health. It was widely speculated that black people had some immunity against COVID-19. London: Results for Development Institute en Overseas Development Institute. Available at: http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Ghana/Ghana%20Education%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf (Accessed July 28, 2022). Obviously, we did not get adequate information about how the student teacher is prepared on the equity and inclusivity outcome. 5. Similarly, it is common for teachers to use illustrative examples on the board or PowerPoint slides and ask students to see even though they have students with visual impairments. Dis. There is nothing like hearing a former student tell you about the positive change you've made in their life. doi: 10.36251/josi.149, Nakua, E., Yarfi, C., and Ashigbi, E. (2017). Student teachers according to the Ministry of Education National (2018b) are individuals admitted to the Colleges of Education professionally trained and prepared to impart knowledge at the basic education levels. This paper is framed on a case study methodology within the context of utilizing the social model of disability to examine the curricula of Colleges of Education in Ghana by investigating whether the student teacher is prepared enough to promote inclusive education. Education has long been recognized as a global priority. For years, governments and other national and international stakeholders have focused their attention on making sure that all children can attend school, and they have backed up that commitment with funding. Mundial, Grupo Banco, and UNICEF. Naami, A. The policy (Ministry of Education, 2015: p. 6) defines a child with special educational needs [SEN] as: a child with disability, namely, visual, hearing, locomotor, and intellectual impairments. Throughout the curriculum and other auxiliary documents, there are phrases and statements such as How much time was spent helping this student? Did the teacher spend time helping them Did the student(s) with learning needs successfully complete the activities/tasks assigned in the lesson? These questions amply testify that the focus of curriculum and other auxiliary documents are on learners with learning difficulties to the neglect of other categories of disabilities. However, we think it's more accurate . The curriculum of Colleges of Education in Ghana rightly states the need to identify barriers to learning and working with stakeholders to address these barriers, which is also listed in the student reflective journals. Teaching should therefore involve the full participation of pupils. Breaking the barriers: Ghanaians perspectives about the social model. Corruption - African leaders are generally perceived to be corrupt. The GCM is a global tool for education and a global multi-stakeholder mechanism for education in the 2030 Agenda, with the governance mechanism for the GCM, being the High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC) that is mandated to take strategic decisions and action for education (20222023 members). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Want to share a great resource? Teaching is the profession that makes all others possible, and what it lacks in salary, it makes up for in job satisfaction. (2018). Ghana developed an inclusive education policy in 2015 with an overarching goal of fostering equitable access to education for all children. The student teacher is required to reflect on seven questions listed under this theme but none of them captures disability. Education has long been recognized as a global priority. London: Hurst Co. Barnes, C., and Mercer, G. (2005). I was shocked that my Facebook friend didn't understand teacher tenure either, so I posted its legal definition. Your source for IT solutions and innovations to support school-wide success. Examples of how anthropomorphism is misleading. CBR Incl. But here's what teachers do make: a difference in the world. Assoc. Soc. But the section seems to relate more to learners with learning difficulties. Although the students are also asked to find out if there were students with learning needs in the classroom, and whether the teacher provided support and the kind of support provided. eds. Agbenyega, J. S., Deppeler, J., and Harvey, D. (2005). 68, 95115. The overarching goal of the Inclusive Education (IE) policy is to ensure that schools identify children with different learning needs and adopt appropriate curricula that will meet their learning requirements (Ofori, 2018). Figure 1 gives a pictorial illustration of how a particular health condition/disorder could affect the body functioning, activity and participation. See response below: Whatever course that they take, we have components of misconceptions. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Colleges of Education are the settings where teachers are trained to develop required skills for effective inclusive education. Ghana is no exception. Stein, S., de Oliveira Andreotti, V., and Sua, R. (2019). For example, in math, when you are teaching math, you will let them know that these and that are some of the misconceptions. Buabeng et al. Prior to the 2018/2019 academic year, the Colleges of Education awarded diploma qualifications, while the universities awarded Bachelor of Education degrees and Post Graduate Diploma in Education PGDE/certificates in education. In a similar vein, the Government of Ghana has identified several factors that prevent persons with disabilities from attending school, including the general publics negative perception of people with disabilities, physical obstacles, the lack of adequate facilities for assessments, and a rigid curriculum, inadequate planning by regular teachers for students with special needs (Government of Ghana, 2003). (2018). So, we probed further and the narrative was: Yes, for example, so when you go to the school, we want you to try and see if you can find a child with special needs. Available at: https://www.ntu.eu/news-archive/the-importance-of-the-sustainable-development-goals/ (Accessed May 3, 2022). Umm.Not.So.Much. Clean. They are supposed to identify school facilities (e.g., football field, toilet, office space, tennis court, buildings etc. Educ. We evaluated the four learning outcomes under the equity and inclusivity of the cross-cutting pillar. Moria, A., and Morgado, B. Available at: https://ghana.un.org/en/about/about-the-un (Accessed August 10, 2022). Finkelstein, V. (1980). Available at: http://UNCT-GH-SDGs-in-Ghana-Avocacy-Messages-2017%20(5).pdf (Accessed August 4, 2022). The ICF and social model of disability, on the other hand, helped us identify barriers that could inhibit access of persons with disabilities to inclusive education in Ghana at the systemic (teaching training colleges) and unit (classrooms) levels and to identify what could be done to address issues at these levels. Shakespeare, T., and Watson, N. (2010). As the quality assurance officer of this particular institution, these are some of the questions I ask my coordinators. World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and Quality. ), but not the accessibility of these facilities. Target 4.a calls for the upgrading of educational facilities so that they are child-and disability-sensitive and to promote inclusive learning environments (United Nations [UN], 2015). Teachers share the 12 biggest misconceptions people have about their job Rachel Gillett Sep 15, 2016, 7:37 AM PDT 'Bad Teacher'/Sony Pictures With more than 4 million teachers in the US,. He noted that: For example, go to the new schools, yes, we are building nice laboratories, but they are not accessible for learners and student teachers with disabilities. From our observation, the entire school environment was not accessible. The Social Model of Disability: Europe and the Majority World. The Ghana news Agency (GNA) was established on March 5, 1957, i.e. Consistent with achieving improvement in the quality of teachers, the B.Ed. Class sizes range from about 20 students to 45 or more. AN managed the project, including research planning, methodology, the design of the research instruments, fieldwork, data analysis, writing of results and assembled, wrote, and edited the first draft of the manuscript. The main body of the module focuses on a comparison between two contrasting countries in Africa: Sudan and Ghana. If your Aunt Sally really wants to help, she can vote for legislation that ensures teachers are paid fairly. Rather, impairment should be considered to enable provision of suitable accommodation for learners with disabilities. Without the commitment and involvement of tertiary institutions and in the case of training institutions such as Colleges of Education, perhaps the SDGs 4 may not be sustainably attained. 60, 281301. 10, 7086. As part of the global communitys efforts to address social problems collectively, post the Millennium Development Goals era, the Sustainable Development Goals were birthed in 2015 (United Nations [UN], 2015). University-Level Upgrade for Teacher-Training Colleges. Politicians often like to say that teacher unions are part of the education problem, but as someone who has been teaching for decades, I can tell you that teacher unions are good for both teachers and students. Educ. Plenty of studies conclude that higher teacher pay leads to better teacher quality, which leads to improved student performance. Dev. J. South and South-West Asia Development Papers, 2101. Ministry of Education National (2017). Certification helps to build a skilled workforce that meets the needs of local employers and government tech initiatives. Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation [UPIAS] (1976). But the curriculum does not adequately address other categories of learners with disabilities who may require other forms of support as stated in the inclusive education policy. United Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural organization [UNESCO]. Access of the surroundings of the classroom and school facilities should be target for reflection given that inaccessible school environment affects learning outcomes (Moria and Morgado, 2018; Braun and Naami, 2021). Once you find one, you do your possible best to know the causes of the disability or how the person is being helped throughout his or her stay in the schoolWe specifically ask them to identify a child with the disability and even how the facilities and resources in the school support the child. Social Policy and Disabled People: From Exclusion to Inclusion. Front. In their observation checklist, it is important that the students also identify whether what they identify are accessible to all learners particularly, persons with disabilities. (2017). For example, Did the teacher ask learners with disabilities questions, and how did the teacher react to their responses? This will help identify the teachers perceptions, including biases and prejudices against learners with disabilities. doi: 10.1080/17508487.2016.1247737, Tamanja, E., and Pajibo, E. (2019). Many attend mandatory professional development, and some work to get their master's degree. The policy defines inclusion in its broadest sense as ensuring access and learning for all children: especially those disadvantaged from linguistic, ethnic, gender, geographic or religious minority, from an economically impoverished background as well as children with special needs including those with disabilities. A large number of pupils struggle to meet the proficiency cut-off point for English and Mathematics between grades four and six. Ministry of Education. They want to learn and are interested in making a contribution to the world. doi: 10.1080/1034912X.2019.1651833, Buabeng, I., Ntow, F. D., and Otami, C. D. (2019). But how prepared are student teachers at Colleges of Education in Ghana. Or maybe like those of firefighters: brave, self-sacrificing! Those who can't do, teach. To achieve inclusive education, it is imperative that conscientious efforts are made to ensure that disability is mainstream, alongside other vulnerability/diversity variables, such as gender. If so, what were some of the teachers actions that seemed to promote or not promote participation? These questions aim at understanding how the teacher manages the classroom environment. doi: 10.1177/107554708100300106. doi: 10.1080/03050060902920534. 4 Articles, This article is part of the Research Topic, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1056630, United Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural organization [UNESCO], 1994, United Nations Communications Groups [UNCG], 2017, United Nations Development Programme [UNDP], 2021, Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation [UPIAS], 1976, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1056630/full#supplementary-material, https://www.ntu.eu/news-archive/the-importance-of-the-sustainable-development-goals/, http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Ghana/Ghana%20Education%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf, http://www.voiceghana.org/downloads/MoE_IE_Policy_Final_Draft1.pdf, https://mofep.gov.gh/sites/default/files/news/Ghana-SDGs-Budget-Report-July-2019.pdf, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf, http://UNCT-GH-SDGs-in-Ghana-Avocacy-Messages-2017%20(5).pdf, https://ghana.un.org/en/about/about-the-un, https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/204336.pdf, http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report.pdf, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs352/en/, Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), Department of Social Work, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. ODS y educacin superior. In this paper, we have examined the preparedness of student teachers in Colleges of Education in Ghana in respect of the curriculum being delivered toward achieving inclusive education. The curriculum of the Colleges of Education in Ghana emphasis on the need for student teachers to reflect on their own beliefs and biases to enhance acceptance and conscientious efforts toward accommodating learners with disabilities to increase their inclusion. The barriers also do not allow of first-hand experiences of inclusive education. 5, 115. "Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action: Towards Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All, UNICEF. Teach. Disability should clearly be mentioned in the curriculum and the learning outcomes of the equity and inclusivity cross-cutting pillar and their targets as well as auxiliary materials of Colleges of Educations in Ghana. Available at: https://mofep.gov.gh/sites/default/files/news/Ghana-SDGs-Budget-Report-July-2019.pdf. Perhaps it would be a different matter if the conceptions of teaching were like those of NASA engineers: smart, genius! Nancy Barile is a National Board Certified Teacher, who has been teaching English Language Arts at a low-income, urban high school near Boston, MA for 22 years. It further states that all children have the right to access basic education and that the education system should be dynamic to adapt to the needs of children. Kassah, A. K., Kassah, L. L., and Agbota, T. K. (2012). Assuming there is a learner with a mobility disability who uses a wheelchair in a school, will his/her characteristic of having an impairment be considered the barrier or some known access barriers such as storey building without elevators and staircase without accessible ramps? Examples of the disabling environment are societal structures, values, culture, environmental constructs (Geffen, 2013), inadequate access to healthcare, transportation, physical and institutional barriers (Barnes and Mercer, 2005; Naami, 2014). The HLSC therefore engages with the wider United Nations SDG structure at global and regional levels (Chaturvedi, 2021). "The one misconception I would like to clarify is around the phrase, 'Those who can cannot do, teach.' The importance of the SDGs. Welcome to the Ministry of Education Changing Ghana Through Education. doi: 10.5430/jct.v9n1p86. The B.Ed. The Togo slippery frog was thought to be extinct. The Politics of Disablement. Curriculum in 2018, was written to reform education and the school curriculum. Physiotherapy 74, 650652. Before working at eSchool Media, Meris worked as an assistant editor for The World and I, an online curriculum publication. Stud. Ghana, our work on SDGs in Ghana. The interview with the key informant was done in English, conducted in the participants office, and lasted for an hour. Crit. For years, governments and other national and international stakeholders have focused their attention on making sure that all children can attend school, and they have backed up that commitment with reforms (Barrett et al., 2019). Ghanas 2019 SDGs Budget Report. We suggest that questions on disability are directly asked. Sometimes I just give these folks a little rundown of my week. The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. Johnstone, C. J., Schuelka, M. J., and Swadek, G. (2020). As our own founding fathers knew, we need checks and balances in our schools. Traditional beliefs and knowledge base about epilepsy among university students in Ghana. The author concluded that concept-changing texts were efficient in comprehension of photosynthesis and Ironically, the final question suggests the above reflections would have been helpful to increase disability sensitivity and inclusion. Confronting them is difficult for the student and the teacher. The inclusive policy of Ghana envisions the curriculum to be functional and consider the childs cultural background, family/community resources, values, interests, aspirations, future goals, and opportunities. See Appendix A for details of the interview guide. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). J. Disabil. In in view of the above, there has been a rising awareness and activism for the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular mainstream classrooms, but the reality in many underdeveloped nations including Ghana is still a gloomy picture (Adera and Asimeng-Boahene, 2011). Attitudes and Disabled People. 25, 2139. For example, in week five the learning activity for student teachers requires Observation of how socio-economic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds influence the way learners (a boy and a girl) learn. The statement above does not recognize disability as one of the backgrounds that influences learning. "Teacher Unions Impede Education Reform". Unlike gender which was given much attention and detailed reflection in the Colleges of Education curriculum. (2015). doi: 10.4102/ajod.v6i0.341. It could be an ice breaker or other warming up exercises that could exclude learners with disabilities. For example, in observing how a lesson is taught in week three of the student teacher observation checklist, the students are asked to identify How many girls and boys were called by the teacher to answer questions in class? and How did the teacher react to boys and girls differently if their responses to a question was not right? These two questions run through most of the weeks classroom observation. Your source for IT solutions and innovations to support school-wide success. How to Respond to the 6 Biggest Misconceptions About Teaching by Nancy Barile, Award-Winning Teacher, M.A.Ed. Also, the B.Ed. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a comprehensive framework to describe health and health-related issues including disability. J. Soc. Comp. Of course, the known architectural barriers are the impediments as postulated by the social model of disabilities. Interaction between the Components of ICF (World Health Organization, 2007). (2021). Ghana: Ghana Assembly Press. Previously, the University of Cape Coast and University of Education, Winneba, had the traditional mandate to prepare teachers to teach at various educational levels including the basic school level (Buabeng et al., 2019). Higher Education for Sustainable Development Goals. Article 8 of the CRPD outlines measures that states parties could adopt to ensure that persons with disabilities are able to access education, including vocational training and lifelong learning. In fact, persons with disabilities still face challenges accessing education. Let us know at submissions@eschoolmedia.com. The policy (2015, p. 6) defines a child with special educational needs [SEN] as: a child with disability, namely, visual, hearing, locomotor, and intellectual impairments. But the policy extends the concept SEN to cover those who are failing in school, for a wide variety of reasons that are known to be barriers to a childs optimal progress in learning and development. Global pressing problems and the sustainable development goals. These misconceptions resulted in perceptions of stigma and discrimination towards people who may get Ebola or work with Ebola patients. World Health Organization. As Neubauer and Calame (2017) argues, the SDGs ought to be recognized as a unique opportunity to strengthen and intensify the dynamics of sustainability in higher education institutions all over the world. Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Vol 5. This has the potential of influencing the learning experience of such students in the classroom. For educators, it is crucial to not only understand what the metaverse is and its uses within education but to also realize the benefits of immersive learning with the metaverse. According to the Colleges of Education Act of 2012, Act 847, the process of preparing teachers in Ghana to teach at the basic school level takes place at the College of Education (CoE). is tom llamas related to lorenzo llamas,
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