International programmes and research on effective activity-based learning (ABL): What can Ghana learn from international best practices?

Hope Pius Nudzor; George Kweku Toku Oduro; Nii Addyc

Authors

Hope Pius Nudzor Institute for Educational Planning and Administration College of Education Studies University of Cape Coast
George Kweku Toku Oduro Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana
Nii Addyc Desautels Faculty of Management McGill University, Montreal

Keywords:

Keywords, ABL, ABL pedagogy, active learning pedagogies, Ghana’s basic education system, teaching and learning, classroom practices

Abstract

Despite tremendous success in improving access and enrolment of pupils in the Ghanaian basic education system in recent times, learning outcomes still remain below expected levels. Through a systematic review international programmes and research on activity based learning (ABL), this article highlights exemplary practices which could help improve the quality of teaching, raise student learning and close achievement gaps for Ghanaian pupils. The article finds that Ghana has been the testing ground for many initiatives aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning. However, owing to the litany of problems associated with these initiatives, the article contends forcefully that Ghana now needs to focus on drawing lessons from international best practices on ABL pedagogies to adopt to uncover what is working and not working to set the foundation for developing a new national approach to ABL, which should have the potential to transform the education landscape in Ghana.

Keywords: ABL; ABL pedagogy; active learning pedagogies; Ghana’s basic education system; teaching and learning; classroom practices

Author Biographies

Hope Pius Nudzor, Institute for Educational Planning and Administration College of Education Studies University of Cape Coast

Hope Pius Nudzor is currently a Senior Research Fellow in the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), University of Cape Coast, where he has been employed in the past five years. He obtained his PhD in Educational and Professional Studies from Strathclyde University in 2007. Thereafter, he became a Post-Doctoral Teaching Fellow and UK’s ESRC Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with Liverpool Hope University in 2008/2009 and Strathclyde University and 2009/2010 academic years respectively. Hope has written extensively on education policy success/failure, particularly in sub-Saharan African countries. He has also written on youth studies, particularly the group of young people referred to as NEET (i.e. not in education, employment or training) as well as on qualitative research methodology.
George Kweku Toku Oduro, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana

George T. K. Oduro is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His prize winning doctoral thesis from the University of Cambridge, UK, focused on the Professional Development of Headteachers in Ghana. He has taught at all levels of Ghana’s educational system in both rural and urban contexts. His professional development concerns lie in leadership strategies for improving the quality of teaching and learning in schools. He is a Leadership and Management training facilitator for the British Council Connecting Classrooms Project and the Local Director of the Leadership for Learning (Ghana-Cambridge) programme. George is a Fellow of the Centre for Commonwealth Education; the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust; and the All Saints’ Educational Trust.
Nii Addyc, Desautels Faculty of Management McGill University, Montreal

Nii Addy had his undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, where he studied Engineering and Economics. Upon graduating, he worked on energy-efficiency programmes with ICF Consulting in Washington DC and then after a couple of years obtained a Masters degree in Public Affairs (Development Studies concentration) at Princeton University. Subsequently, he worked at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., where he participated in evaluations of various education and social programmes, and also served as consultant with organizations such as the World Bank. After a number of years of service, Nii enrolled and completed his PhD in the Stanford’s School of Education where he specialized in International Comparative Education and Organization Studies. He is currently an Assistant Professor (Research) at the Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Canada. His is interested in exploring organizational aspects of education policymaking. His long-term goals include fostering international collaborations and training transnational professionals, especially those interested in the African Diaspora.