Policies, targets, and strategies Education Strategic Plan 20032015 May. International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health: Children & Youth Version: ICF-CY. Instruction has always been the decision of what to teach (curriculum) and how to teach (methods, materials, and activities). For example, ICF combines both the social and the medical models of disability. Is Your Network Prepared to Meet the Demands of a Tech-Rich Environment? 42, 1323. Also, emphasis was place more on the classroom environment, which is good. Goal four of the SDGs calls for inclusive and equitable quality education for all (Johnstone et al., 2020). Front. Educ. 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). Curriculum in 2018 was written to reform education and the school curriculum. Amandas Ong. I explained that tenure is a right to due process, so a teacher can't be fired without the administration presenting evidence that the teacher was incompetent or unprofessional. In Ghana the role and importance of technical and vocational education and training ( TVET) are not clearly understood by the citizenry. Or maybe like those of firefighters: brave, self-sacrificing! The barriers also do not allow of first-hand experiences of inclusive education. Global development and higher education. 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). Two forms, student reflective journal and daily portfolio sheet comprise of the portfolio, which is usually returned to their tutors for grading. University culture and sustainability: designing and implementing an enabling framework. J. Res. Daily Monday-Friday. Thus, there should be more exercises to enable the student teachers to strengthen their reflection on disability to improve acceptance of persons with disabilities. The Curriculum College of Education in Ghana also recognizes effective class management as sine qua non for classroom participation. In 2015, a policy on inclusive education was developed and adopted by the country toward fulfilling the aspirations of the 1992 constitution, which guarantees education as a fundamental human right. 60, 281301. The metaverse is a tool that blends experiences typically associated with either the virtual or physical worlds. The best way to answer this question is by sharing a few stories of your own. We wanted to know more about how the student teacher is taught to reflect on disability. Adera, B. Although the 2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census reports, that persons with disabilities in Ghana constitute about 8% (2,098,138) of the countrys population of 30,832,019 (Ghana Statistical Service, 2012), other reports show otherwise. Teachers in the U.S. do make far less than similarly educated professionals. Burnett, N., and Felsman, C. (2012). Plenty of studies conclude that higher teacher pay leads to better teacher quality, which leads to improved student performance. See Appendix A for details of the interview guide. The study explicitly followed a qualitative approach to research specifically a case study design. We cannot overemphasize the importance of education in creating sustainable societies. Cc: Ellis Ferdinand She graduated from Kenyon College in 2006 with a BA in English, and enjoys spending way too much time either reading or cooking. Central Region of Ghana. World Health Organization. The upgrading of teacher training institutions to colleges of education: Issues and prospects. The Jophus Anamuah-Mensah Educational Reform report (2007) presented the structure of education in Ghana to consist of two to threeyears of nursery school, six compulsory years of primary school, three compulsory years of junior high school and another threeyears of senior high school. Conclusion We conclude that although knowledge and awareness about Ebola is high among Ghanaians who participated in the study, there are still misconceptions about the disease. "Teacher Tenure Means Teachers Can't Be Fired", In 2016, I was outraged when a politician made an untrue statement about teacher tenure, so I turned to Facebook to express my anger. What are some of the misconceptions and prejudices about teaching and how can they be addressed ? The Politics of Disablement. 4. 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. We use a case study design when the researcher seeks to answer the how and why Questions and could be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory (Yin, 1994). These misconceptions resulted in perceptions of stigma and discrimination towards people who may get Ebola or work with Ebola patients. 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. 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). The Togo slippery frog was thought to be extinct. In two different studies conducted in sub-Saharan countries, 66.3% to 99.7% were reported to have misconceptions about the etiology of TB, 27.6%-90% likewise misunderstood the symptoms of TB, 0.1% . Herp-Ghana. World 6:81. Therefore, it is very important to assess how student teachers at the Colleges of Education in Ghana are integrating inclusive education consistent with SDG 4. Abuse of disabled children in Ghana. How to Respond to the 6 Biggest Misconceptions About Teaching by Nancy Barile, Award-Winning Teacher, M.A.Ed. The first 9years constitute basic education and are free and compulsory. As our own founding fathers knew, we need checks and balances in our schools. 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. World report on disability online. Vol. Most teachers I know work other jobs during the summer months. It is noteworthy that disability is listed on the observation checklist and reflective journals of student teachers as part of their preparedness on the equity and inclusivity outcome. 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. All these barriers could inhibit access of persons with disabilities in the school and impact on their learning. If you're in the same boat, here's a handy cheat sheet to help set your lunatic cousin Larry straight when he claims to know more than you do about your own vocation. Ministry of Education. 29, 316321. It could be an ice breaker or other warming up exercises that could exclude learners with disabilities. The site observation was taken to audit the accessibility of the physical environment. Ofori, E. A. If your head doesn't explode upon hearing this comment, take the time to explain the endless lesson planning and grading teachers do after school, at home, and on the weekends. Educ. It was widely speculated that black people had some immunity against COVID-19. Evolving Indian strategy on SDGs and scope for regional cooperation. A case study design was employed for this study. Lack of oral competence of both teachers and the children in the target language equally hinder the child's reading progress. Misconceptions about GMOs in Ghana due to weak education, study reveals. doi: 10.1080/03050060902920534. 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. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs352/en/ (Accessed May 15, 2022). Here are 10 misconceptions about teachers and teaching that emerged from readers (responses edited for brevity): 1. Stressful school atmosphere, teachers' lack of knowledge and bad attitude towards work can equally hinder the reading process at this level. United Nations Communications Groups [UNCG] (2017). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. The policy further envisions professional development of teachers in pedagogical skills that meets the needs of children with special needs using child-centered approaches. It further does not recognize learners with disabilities as a targeted category for student reflection. Why are in-service teachers not writing Exams to acquire the License. Stay up to date on all the latest from Hey Teach: Get periodic emails that include exclusive content, special guides, and other great resources you wont find anywhere else! They contend that the GCM at best, is an ecosystem that consists of all global education actors that participates in the Global Education Meeting and have agreed to work cooperatively in support of SDG 4. Coast, Ghana E-mail of the corresponding author: kodwo33@gmail.com Abstract The general objective of the study was to evaluate the perspectives, conceptions and misconceptions of students on Industrial Attachment. The observation checklist and reflective journals do not make enough room for student teachers to self-reflect on disability, which could be a barrier to the education of persons with various forms of disabilities. Wheelchair accessibility to public buildings in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Emmanuel College in Boston, MA. 2.2 Misconceptions about TVET education The misconceptions surrounding TVET Education are more negative than positive (Fusheini et al., 2021, Fusheini, . Data analysis was done by first transcribing the audiotaped interview into word format, then both inductive and deductive approaches were used for coding, pattern development, matching and building themes and subthemes. Physiotherapy 74, 650652. J. Disabil. S. Grek, C. Maroy, and A. Verger (Milton Park: Routledge), 4358. Oliver, M. (1990). 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. Finkelstein, V. (1980). 23, 15. SDGs in Ghana; why they matter and how we can help. London: Macmillan. The sample was made up of one hundred and fifty-five students (155) from Aggrey Memorial . Curriculum in 2018, was written to reform education and the school curriculum. School of Education, Western Sydney University, Australia, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), Norway. The number of persons with disabilities is likely to grow as incidences such as chronic ailments, falls, injuries, conflicts, accidents, and aging continue to occur (Howard and Rhule, 2021; World Health Organization, 2021). J. Soc. The policy also highlights a flexible curriculum in which schools: owe a responsibility to teach all children, exhibit no discrimination, utilize early intervention practices, ensure childrens participation, involve NGOs, agencies, parents, and government, develop positive attitudes, conduct monitoring and evaluation, have a policy on Persons with Disabilities, and develop assessment practices. Unpublished thesis submitted to the University of Iceland. Take the example of a smart speaker. In my view, it is good the government has assured Ghanaians that the CSE will not be. Disability and health: Fact sheet. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.309. doi: 10.1080/17508487.2016.1247737, Tamanja, E., and Pajibo, E. (2019). The National Teacher Education Curriculum Framework, (NTECF): The Essential Elements of Initial Teacher Education. Presently, there are 48 Colleges of Education (CoE) in Ghana, up from 38 in 2014 (Buabeng et al., 2019) and in the 2018/2019 academic year, all Colleges of Education in Ghana were upgraded to University Colleges status to offer a four-year Bachelor of Education degree (Kokutse, 2018). B. 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). Here, Jo discusses common misconceptions that may prevent career changers from entering the teaching profession. Ghanas 2019 SDGs Budget Report. The B.Ed. In addition, alternative assessment procedures are seriously encouraged in all educational institutions to respond to the diverse needs of all learners. We established that the curriculum and auxiliary teaching materials do not adequately address leaners with disabilities and their needs. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.07.034, PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar. Int. Also, the condition was perceived to cause severe disease. true, instead, the Vocationalization of Ghana's education will put money into people's pockets (Anamuah-Mensah, 2004). It must be noted that, although the student observation checklist contains some items on disability, the students were not required, in their reflective journals, to reflect on leaners with disabilities, their learning needs, and how they could be addressed to increase participation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, Keywords: Ghana, inclusive education, persons with disabilities, student teacher, teacher preparedness, Citation: Naami A and Mort KS-T (2023) Inclusive education in Ghana: How prepared are the teachers? The Equality Act 2010 and the Social Model of Disability. However, they posit that persons with disabilities are disabled more by their environment and other processes than their perceived impairments (Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation [UPIAS], 1976). Attitudinal barriers are cited as major barriers to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of life in Ghana (Kassah et al., 2012; Adjei et al., 2013; Dugbartey and Barimah, 2013; Naami, 2014). Although this is a good attempt, it does not adequately address the end goal of being an inclusive teacher. The GCM is built on the back of the 2015 Incheon Declaration and Education 2030 Framework for Action, which envisages a cooperation, monitoring and evaluation mechanism which has the Global Education Meeting (GEM) as the pivot of action (Mundial, Grupo Banco, and UNICEF, 2016). Dugbartey, A. T., and Barimah, K. B. Afr. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. 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. Tertiary institutions such as universities, Colleges of Education and nursing training institutions have been recognized as drivers toward achieving the SDGs particularly, SDG 4, considering the formative roles they play in molding the future of young people in countries (Machado and Davim, 2022). The construction of SDG4: reconciling democratic imperatives and technocratic expertise in the making of global education data? in World Yearbook of Education 2021. eds. But now, the University for Development Studies (UDS) and the University of Ghana, and other private universities have programs in teacher education (Newman, 2013; Ministry of Education, 2018a). (2019). 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. Leal Filho, W., Shiel, C., Pao, A., Mifsud, M., vila, L. V., Brandli, L. L., et al. By submitting you will receive emails from Hey Teach! Disabled People in Britain and Discrimination: A Case for Anti-Discrimination Legislation. Educ. Braun, A. M. B., and Naami, A. (2019). 1, 78377846. Available at: http://UNCT-GH-SDGs-in-Ghana-Avocacy-Messages-2017%20(5).pdf (Accessed August 4, 2022). The FCUBE concentrated on enhancing the standard of instruction and learning, expanding educational access, and promoting the involvement of all school-age children, including the formation of local educational organizations to facilitate effective management of education (Agbenyega et al., 2005). We suggest that questions on disability are directly asked. on the eve of Ghana's independence and charged with the "dissemination of truthful unbiased news". Kokutse, F. (2018). Examples of how anthropomorphism is misleading. We also reviewed the Four-Year Bachelor of Education degree curriculum (Developed by the University of Ghana), student reflective journal and the daily portfolio sheet. So, when they go out, they will observe the teacher to see if they are exhibiting these qualities. The Policy further requires a multi-disciplinary assessment procedure at all levels of education to meet the needs of all pupils/students. (2003). London: Results for Development Institute en Overseas Development Institute. Nancy was a Top 50 Finalist for the Varkey Global Teacher Prize 2015. Figure 1. (2007). The lower part of the diagram further illustrates the impact of contextual factors such as environmental (e.g., social, physical, transportation, and information barriers) and personal factors (e.g., education, gender, social background, and profession). Revisiting free compulsory universal basic education (FCUBE) in Ghana. (2017). 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. 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. Available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf (Accessed July 29, 2022). 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. Her work has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Guardian, Scholastic, Inc., the College Board, the Center for Teaching Quality, and Education Week. Inclusive education policy. Available at: http://www.voiceghana.org/downloads/MoE_IE_Policy_Final_Draft1.pdf (Accessed November 25, 2022). But how prepared are student teachers at Colleges of Education in Ghana. 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. 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. Beyond models: understanding the complexity of disabled peoples lives in New Directions in the Sociology of Chronic and Disabling Conditions. 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. Yin, R. K. (1981). Science, Language Arts, History), K-12 educators have committed themselves to developing skills in how to engage and foster growth of young people around the content and processes that comprise that area of expertise. 9, 8695. Knowledge 3, 97114. Misconceptions are often deeply held, largely unexplained, and sometimes strongly defended. Misconception:Some materials are intrinsically cold.22 Concept: Light propagates and interacts with matter, and it is passively detected. All Rights Reserved. Stay up-to-date with the latest edtech tools, trends, and best practices for classroom, school and district success. Avoiding anthropomorphism helps young people to open the closed box of AI applications. This view has gained currency among several scholars (Adams et al., 2018; Leal Filho et al., 2019; Stein et al., 2019). The 5 million figure collaborates with the World Health Organizations estimates that disability affects 1520% of every countrys population (World Health Organization, 2018). Visit our Privacy Policyfor more information. Completed worksheets of pupils on concept cartoons of selected science topics were discussed and analyzed to find . ODS y educacin superior. 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. Colleges of Education are the settings where teachers are trained to develop required skills for effective inclusive education. Dev. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. The forms and the student handbooks were published by the government of Ghana under the Transformative Teacher Education and Learning (T-TELL), School Partnership Program with support from the British government. The policy is novel to the teaching profession in Ghana and those already in the service are given the privilege to just register on the teachers portal for the License to be issued to them. Education has long been recognized as a global priority. You can also describe the numerous meetings and committee work you're involved in. Ghana: Ghana Assembly Press. For example, in math, when you are teaching math, you will let them know that these and that are some of the misconceptions. If your Aunt Sally really wants to help, she can vote for legislation that ensures teachers are paid fairly. To these little ones, reading must be fun. Koomson et al (2000) also cites many activities which are involved in teaching. 12, 2832. eds. Beyond 2015, within the modern/colonial global imaginary? There is nothing like seeing your students succeed. 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. University surroundings and infrastructures that are accessible and inclusive for all: listening to students with disabilities. 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. The school and its environment must be safe and accessible for all learners. Bentzen, L. (2015). Prod. There were storey buildings with no elevators, most of the entrances to the buildings were inhibited with steps and not ramps. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a comprehensive framework to describe health and health-related issues including disability. Adjei, P., Akpalu, A., Laryea, R., Nkromah, K., Sottie, C., Ohene, S., et al. Dev. The case study as a serious research strategy. My students have gone on to become doctors, nurses, legislators, activists, business owners, musicians, social workers, and yesteachers. Barrett, P., Treves, A., Shmis, T., and Ambasz, D. (2019). Consistent with Ghanas commitment to ensuring that all children are given the opportunity to exercise their rights through inclusive education, it ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and the Dakar Framework for Action. Breaking the barriers: Ghanaians perspectives about the social model. However, disability is not mentioned in the four learning outcomes of the equity and inclusivity of the cross-cutting pillar and their targets. I wrote an entire paragraph to which my former classmate responded: "We can agree to disagree." Consistent with achieving improvement in the quality of teachers, the B.Ed. Particularly, the target 4.5 calls for the elimination of gender disparities and inequities in education, specifically highlighting the need to ensure access to education for persons with disabilities. She was also awarded the 2011 Massachusetts Commonwealth Award in Creative Leadership, and in 2007 was named a member of the 2007 USA Today All-Teacher Team. (2012). Unstructured questionnaires and Teacher observations were utilised in the process of generating the data. J. I can't attend a single event without one or two of these comments popping up. National Teachers Standards Guidelines for Ghana: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike. To deny or not to deny disability. 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). The inclusive education policy acknowledges that: all children can learn irrespective of differences in age, gender, ethnicity, language, and disability. "Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action: Towards Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All, UNICEF. The aim of the study is to develop an understanding of the kinds and sources errors and misconceptions that characterise students' learning of school algebra. The multiple data collection sources allowed data triangulations, increased rigor, and credibility of the study as well as a deeper and holistic understanding of the phenomenon (Yin, 2009). The importance of the SDGs. Of course, the known architectural barriers are the impediments as postulated by the social model of disabilities. (2021). But the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) program was introduced in 1995 as part of efforts to fulfill UNESCOs mission of free universal education for all by 2015 (Akyeampong, 2009). Using the curriculum to promote inclusive education? Ghana developed an inclusive education policy in 2015 with an overarching goal of fostering equitable access to education for all children. One of the key roles of the HLSC is to ensure the systematic alignment of approaches for education-related targets within the wider United Nations SDG structure. But here's what teachers do make: a difference in the world. Awareness of oneself is vital to bracketing biases and prejudices against vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities.
Columbia High School Student Murdered,
James Bonham Obituary,
Articles M