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Volume 10 Number 3 September 2024

Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Use of Teaching Learning Resources in the Implementation of Play-Based Activities within the Hemang Lower Denkyira District of Ghana


Authors: Justina Adu ; Isaac Awortwe ; Esther Owusu
Pages: 61-72
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/rje.103.61.72
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to assess ECE Teachers’ use of teaching learning resources in the implementation of play-based activities within the Hemang Lower Denkyira District. The study adopted the qualitative research approach. The case study design was adopted for this study. Semi-structured interview guide and observation checklist were the instruments utilized to collect data from ten (10) participants, nine (9) professional Early Childhood Education Teachers and one (1) District Early Childhood Coordinator for this study. The purposive sampling was used in selecting the participants for the study. The data were analyzed thematically with the help of Taguette, an online qualitative analysis software. The findings of the study revealed that, Early Childhood Centres do not have audio materials like Bluetooth speakers for oral and listening activities. The study also found that, most schools have no access to electricity and so lack television set and computers to aid in audio-visual lessons. Lastly, it was revealed from the study that, most Early childhood teachers used improvised materials instead of realia to enhance first hand experiences of learners. The study hence recommends that; The Stakeholders of education such as; Parent Association (PA), School Management Council (SMC), Headteachers, Teachers and the Mission units should resource Early Childhood Centres with enough, varieties, and developmentally appropriate play resources/materials and equipment to facilitate play-based pedagogies at the early childhood centres. It could be concluded from the study that; teachers’ ability to meaningfully use TLRs in their lessons and to create the necessary environment and opportunities for their children to have access to the TLRs and to manipulate them is central to the successful implementation of play-based pedagogy. Therefore, relevant resources/materials such as Audio, audio-visual and concrete materials are to be provided to promote play-based pedagogies at the early childhood centres.

Understanding Mental Health of Urban Adolescents: An Explanatory Study on Primary School Students


Authors: Jia Liu
Pages: 55-60
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/rje.103.55.60
Abstract
To understand the mental health status of primary school students in urban villages in Shenzhen, the Mental Health Diagnostic Test (MHT) for Primary and Secondary School Students was used to conduct psychological tests on 565 students in grades 4-6 using the school psychological assessment system. The test measures the student’s psychological state from eight aspects: learning anxiety, anxiety about people, loneliness tendency, self-blame tendency, allergy tendency, physical symptoms, fear tendency, and impulsive tendency. The test results show that the mental health status of students in grades 4-6 is generally good, and the warning students account for 6.0% of the number of people tested. The three items with the highest detection rates are learning anxiety, allergy tendencies, and self-blame tendencies. The school pays special attention to the student’s mental health status being warned and puts forward targeted suggestions, achieving good results.

Nature and Determinants of Emotional Intelligence among Social Studies Teachers in Public Senior High Schools in the Central Region of Ghana


Authors: Joseph Bentil ; Robert Andrews Ghanney
Pages: 39-54
DOI: doi.org/10.32861/rje.103.39.54
Abstract
Emotional intelligence (hereafter as EI) is highlighted in literature to be crucial attribute for teacher effectiveness in coping with changes and pressure in the work environment especially in the growing emphasis on acquisition of 21st century competencies among students. Hence, in response to the mounting concerns, teachers’ level of EI has become pertinent more than ever before. However, there are controversies in literature on the influence of demographic characteristics and their impact on levels of EI amongst teachers. Therefore, this study investigated the level of EI as well as how demographic characteristics (sex, age, academic qualification and years of experience) influence EI among Social Studies teachers in public Senior High Schools in the Central Region of Ghana. Bar-On (2007) mixed model of EI guided the study. The cross-sectional descriptive survey research design within the positivists’ quantitative methodology was used to collect quantitative data with the main instrument being structured questionnaire. Data were collected from all the 380 Social Studies using the census sampling technique. With the aid of the version 28 of Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS) descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics such as independent samples t-test and one-way between groups ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that Social Studies teachers had high level of EI. Specifically, even though Social Studies teachers indicated several dimensions of EI, they had very high emotional intelligence in interpersonal relationship and intrapersonal relationship and high EI in stress management, adaptability and general mood. The study further revealed that whereas sex and academic qualification did not account for any statistical significance, age and years of teaching experience statistically significantly influenced Social Studies teachers level of EI. Therefore, the study recommended that Ghana Education Service through the Central Regional Directorates of Education should consider age and years of teaching experience when organising training programmes and interventions that have the potential of sustaining the high levels of EI to improve their effectiveness in the teaching and learning of Social Studies.