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2. Equivalent Years of Schooling: A Metric to Communicate Learning Gains in Concrete Terms. Policy Research Working Paper 8752
- Author
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World Bank, Evans, David K., and Yuan, Fei
- Abstract
In the past decade, hundreds of impact evaluation studies have measured the learning outcomes of education interventions in developing countries. The impact magnitudes are often reported in terms of "standard deviations," making them difficult to communicate to policy makers beyond education specialists. This paper proposes two approaches to demonstrate the effectiveness of learning interventions, one in "equivalent years of schooling" and another in the net present value of potential increased lifetime earnings. The results show that in a sample of low- and middle-income countries, one standard deviation gain in literacy skill is associated with between 4.7 and 6.8 additional years of schooling, depending on the estimation method. In other words, over the course of a business-as-usual school year, students learn between 0.15 and 0.21 standard deviation of literacy ability. Using that metric to translate the impact of interventions, a median structured pedagogy intervention increases learning by the equivalent of between 0.6 and 0.9 year of business-as-usual schooling. The results further show that even modest gains in standard deviations of learning--if sustained over time--may have sizeable impacts on individual earnings and poverty reduction, and that conversion into a non-education metric should help policy makers and non-specialists better understand the potential benefits of increased learning. [This paper is a product of the Office of the Chief Economist, Africa Region and the World Development Report 2018 Team.]
- Published
- 2019
3. A Global Partnership from the Perspective of the Southern School: Perceptions, Pedagogies, and the Power of Love. Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning. Practitioner Research Fund Paper 5
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University College London (UCL) (United Kingdom), Development Education Research Centre (DERC) and Reid, Keri
- Abstract
Our partnership with a Ghanaian school is often used to promote International School Partnership (ISP) programmes. This study aims to explore our 'success story' from the perspective of our colleagues in Ghana. Do they consider our partnership to be successful or is our partner school merely serving a dominant Northern global citizenship agenda? The research considers teacher understandings and applications of global citizenship education (GCE) within a partnership context, from the perspective of teachers in the Global South through an ethnographically-informed case study approach. Findings show that teachers in Ghana highlighted many successful aspects of learning and teaching around GCE within our ISP context. There is evidence of teachers taking a 'writerly approach' to our partnership work which creates space for a wider perspective of global citizenship and GCE. Data also highlights challenges around equity and the place of 'restorative justice' is discussed. Perhaps the most surprising and significant outcome of the study was the importance of relationships and emotions within ISPs, and the impact it has on perceptions of 'success'.
- Published
- 2022
4. Disability and Inclusive Education: Stocktake of Education Sector Plans and GPE-Funded Grants. Working Paper #3
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Global Partnership for Education (GPE)
- Abstract
This report was commissioned by the Global Partnership for Education's Secretariat to take stock of how disability and inclusive education are in included in education sector plans (ESPs) in 51 countries, including GPE-funded programs, such as education sector program implementation grants (ESPIGs), program documents (PADs), implementation progress reports (IPRs) Education Sector Analysis (ESA), if applicable, and other relevant GPE program documents. Moreover, a plethora of key international reports and monitoring reports was reviewed. This report documents progress and highlights the need to step up support to GPE partner countries on disability and inclusive education, to improve consideration of issues around disability and inclusion in education sector analysis and sector planning processes to better promote the achievement of GPE 2020 strategic goal 2, and to fulfill the transformative vision of Agenda 2030. This means ensuring that girls and boys with disabilities are not only able to access their right to a quality education in a nurturing environment, but also, through education, become empowered to participate fully in society, and enjoy full realization of their rights and capabilities. [This report was written with Louise Banham and Eleni Papakosta.]
- Published
- 2018
5. Effectiveness of Interactive Satellite-Transmitted Instruction: Experimental Evidence from Ghanaian Primary Schools. CEPA Working Paper No. 17-08
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Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA) at Stanford University, Johnston, Jamie, and Ksoll, Christopher
- Abstract
In lower- and middle-income countries, including Ghana, students in rural areas dramatically underperform their urban peers. Rural schools struggle to attract and retain professionally trained teachers (GES 2012; World Bank 2012). We explore one potential solution to the problem of teacher recruitment: distance instruction. Through a cluster randomized controlled trial, we estimate the impact of a program that broadcasts live instruction via satellite to rural primary school students. The program equipped classrooms in 70 randomly selected Ghanaian schools with the technology required to connect to a studio in Accra. An additional 77 schools served as the control. Instructors in Accra provided math and English lessons to classrooms in the treatment group. The model is interactive, and students in satellite classes could communicate in real time with their remote teachers. We estimate significant gains (p<0.05) in rural students' numeracy and foundational literacy skills. We find no impact on attendance and classroom time-on-task (as measured through unannounced classroom observations), suggesting that these gains may result from improved instructional quality rather than from increased instruction time.
- Published
- 2017
6. Opportunity to Learn: A High Impact Strategy for Improving Educational Outcomes in Developing Countries. Working Paper
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Academy for Educational Development, Gillies, John, and Quijada, Jessica Jester
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This paper reports that the basic opportunity to learn does not exist in many countries, and that a concerted management focus to assure that schools provide basic elements of an opportunity to learn (OTL) could potentially yield big improvements in learning. The paper assesses: (1) what basic factors create the opportunity to learn; and (2) to what extent is the lack of these basic elements a problem in developing countries? Elements of a foundational opportunity to learn are identified as: (1) The school is open and located near the student; (2) Minimum instructional time of 850-1000 hours annually; (3) Teacher absenteeism and tardiness; (4) Student absenteeism and tardiness; (5) Appropriate class size and student-teacher ratios; (6) Learning materials are available to every student and regularly used; (7) Time-on-Task; and (8) Learning to read. General strategies suggested for addressing OTL include incorporating OTL issues and awareness in activities and assistance programs such as teacher and principal training; incorporating OTL measures in management and information systems at the school level; and raising awareness by tracking an OTL Index). (Contains 6 figures and 5 tables.) [This paper was written for EQUIP2: Educational Policy, Systems Development, and Management, one of three USAID-funded Leader with Associates Cooperative Agreements under the umbrella heading Educational Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP).]
- Published
- 2008
7. Quality Teaching: Building a Flexible and Dynamic Approach. GEC Working Paper Series. Number 2
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Academy for Educational Development, AED Global Education Center, Leu, Elizabeth, Hays, Frances, LeCzel, Donna Kay, and O'Grady, Barbara
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Good basic education depends on several factors working in harmony. The first is that students be healthy, safe, and ready to learn. Other essentials include an enabling policy environment and transparent management; a curriculum that reflects the society's values and aspirations for learning; and community support for education and parents' involvement in the lives of schools (UNESCO 2004; UNICEF 2000). The most important element of all, according to much current research and program experience, is the quality of teachers (ADEA 2004; Anderson 2002; Boyle, While, and Boyle 2003; Lewin and Stuart 2003; USAID 2002). Over the last two decades, the Academy for Educational Development (AED) has worked extensively with programs that address all of these crucial areas of basic education. This paper focuses on AED's approaches that address the heart of education: strengthening the quality of teachers and teaching through ongoing professional development at the local level. This paper summarizes the context and rationale for evolving approaches to teacher professional development, describe AED's early programs in this context, and outline a basic framework of AED's flexible and dynamic approach to decentralized, school- and cluster-based teacher professional development programs. The final section consists of six case studies showing how the approach has been adapted to strengthen teacher skills, morale, and professional commitment in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Uganda, Ghana, Namibia, and Ethiopia.
- Published
- 2005
8. Meeting EFA: Reaching the Underserved through Complementary Models of Effective Schooling. Working Paper
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Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC., DeStefano, Joseph, Moore, Audrey-Marie Schuh, Balwanz, David, and Hartwell, Ash
- Abstract
In 2004, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Educational Quality Improvement Program 2 (EQUIP2) began investigating community-based schools as a mechanism for reaching the underserved populations. The team identified nine models that successfully organized schooling in regions least served by the formal education system. These complementary education approaches rely on community, non-governmental, and ministry collaboration and present a promising response to the challenge of meeting the EFA goals of universal access, completion, and learning. Complementary Education models work in support of the formal public system, offering students an alternative route to achieving the same educational outcomes as students in the government schools. The programs are designed to feed students into the government system at various entry points and are large enough to exhibit many of the same characteristics as mainstream schools. Over time, the models have increased rates of attendance, completion, and learning among the populations they serve. This EQUIP2 working paper synthesizes the findings from the nine case studies of successful complementary education programs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mali, and Zambia. The research demonstrated that the programs are more cost-effective than government schools in delivering education services and that they achieve higher learning outcomes through adjustments in school size and location, curriculum and language of instruction, school management and governance arrangements, and teaching staff and instructional support services.
- Published
- 2007
9. Recruiting, Retaining, and Retraining Secondary School Teachers and Principals in Sub-Saharan Africa. Secondary Education in Africa (SEIA) Thematic Study #4. GEC Working Paper Series 2005/#3
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Academy for Educational Development, AED Global Education Center, Mulkeen, Aidan, Chapman, David W., and DeJaeghere, Joan G.
- Abstract
Expanding and rethinking the nature of secondary education in Sub-Saharan African countries, traditionally reserved for elites and few others, are becoming crucial to successful individual and national participation in the global economy. As governments and donors turn their attention increasingly to secondary education, policies are being established to create more widely accessible, more relevant, and higher quality secondary education. This presents a particular challenge, since secondary education sub-systems are unlikely to be infused with large amounts of additional funding in the near future. Improving the quality of secondary education, therefore, must include policies that use current resources creatively and more effectively. Teachers and principals are the most expensive and, possibly, the most critical components in establishing quality in education systems. New and more effective approaches to the preparation, deployment, utilization, compensation, and conditions of service for teachers, accompanied by more effective school leadership, are therefore needed to achieve higher standards of secondary education in Africa. This study used an extensive literature review and subsequent field studies in Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Uganda to identify current trends, challenges, and opportunities in the recruitment, retention, and retraining of secondary teachers and principals in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study also suggests ways of attracting teachers to the profession, retaining teachers and principals in the profession, and providing support to strengthen teachers' and principals' effectiveness. Insufficient data and information that differentiate lower and upper secondary education is a limitation of the study, especially in the context of the present growing interest in the lower or junior secondary level. There is a similar dearth of information in the literature on secondary principals and on gender issues as they relate to secondary teachers and principals. The findings of the study and the recommendations are intended to provide policymakers and other stakeholders with material for policy development and for the development of strategies for increasing the quality and effectiveness of secondary teachers and principals. (Contains 17 tables and 9 figures.) [This paper was written with Elizabeth Leu and Karen Bryner. It was prepared for the World Bank through the Academy for Educational Development and funded by the Irish Trust Fund.]
- Published
- 2005
10. Learning To Compete: Education, Training & Enterprise in Ghana, Kenya & South Africa. Education Research Paper.
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Department for International Development, London (England)., Afenyadu, Dela, King, Kenneth, McGrath, Simon, Oketch, Henry, Rogerson, Christian, and Visser, Kobus
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A multinational, multidisciplinary team examined the impact of globalization on education, training, and small and medium sized enterprise development in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. The study focused on the following issues: developing a learner-led competitiveness approach; building learning enterprises; education for microenterprises and macroeconomic growth; and training for self-employment and competitiveness. The study documented the importance of learning-led competitiveness and identified obstacles to development of learning enterprises in all three countries. The following are among the 12 recommendations offered to national governments and international agencies with development concerns: (1) insert learning-led competitiveness into development debates; (2) understand the implications of globalization better; (3) address the range of barriers to development of learning enterprises; (4) consider interenterprise linkages and the role of learning therein; (5) place learning-led competitiveness at the heart of small enterprise development policy; (6) broaden the universal primary education vision; (7) construct a curriculum for competitiveness; (8) improve public training's ability to support competitive self-employment; (9) empower training providers to be more market responsive; and (10) emphasize skills transfer from large to small firms. (The bibliography lists 139 references. Brief profiles and addresses of the research team members and a list of project papers are appended.) (MN)
- Published
- 2001
11. School Report Cards: Some Recent Experiences. Working Paper
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Academy for Educational Development (AED), Educational Quality Improvement Program 2 (EQUIP2), Cameron, Laurie, Moses, Kurt D., and Gillies, John
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Decentralization and an increased emphasis on community and parent participation represent significant education reform trends over the past decade. These reforms take place in the context of increased emphasis within Education for All (EFA) on improving education quality and outcomes and on strengthening accountability for results. They require that substantial information be available to local and regional stakeholders, school officials, and communities in order to increase transparency, establish a basis for accountability, and provide tools for effective management at the local level. Parents, teachers, school officials, and other stakeholders must be able to assess school performance and status. A number of countries are experimenting with school-level information systems known as "school report cards" to increase accountability and transparency. These systems have different formats and purposes, ranging from strict accountability systems that measure student performance to participatory diagnostic and management tools that support school managers. Efforts are relatively novel, and substantial evaluation information is not yet available. The purpose of this report is to present the various types of school report cards and information systems currently being used and establish a typology for understanding the range of audiences and purposes for such systems, as well as the continuum of cost and sophistication involved.
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- 2006
12. Educational Decentralization and Behavior Change Needs in Indonesia. Working Paper.
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Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC. and Cohen, Joseph
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This working paper examines behavior change as a key element in creating an enabling environment to sustain educational reform in Indonesia. It recommends elevating the importance of a formalized behavior change framework and methodology so that future plans for educational reform in Indonesia will include social marketing as a planned subcomponent. Six chapters focus on the following: (1) "An Introduction and Behavior Change Theory"; (2) "A Model for Behavior Change in Education" (defining social marketing and the Applied Behavior Change, or ABC, Framework for Education); (3) "Case Studies of Social Marketing Programs in Education" (a complicated example in Bangladesh and a successful example in Ghana); (4) "A National Social Marketing Strategy for Education in Indonesia" (background on Indonesia's educational system and an outline of a social marketing plan for Indonesia); (5) "Training Social Marketing Professionals"; and (6) "Conclusions" (recommendations for conceiving a social marketing effort and implementing the ABC framework in Indonesia). (Contains 26 references.) (SM)
- Published
- 2000
13. New Communication Technologies: A Challenge for Press Freedom. No. 106. Reports and Papers on Mass Communication.
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United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France)., Sparks, Colin, Sparks, Colin, and United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).
- Abstract
This volume enlarges upon questions concerning censorship and self-censorship and provides case studies as well as theoretical reflection on the relationship between new technology and media freedom. The seven essays included in this collection deal with two central contemporary problems of the mass media--freedom and democracy. The papers are: "Exit the Censor, Enter the Regulator" (Leonard R. Sussman); "Impact of New Information and Communication Technologies on Information Diversity in North America and Western Europe" (Nicholas Garnham); "The Impact of Electronic Mass Media in Sweden" (Charly Hulten); "Video-Cassette Recorders in Ghana: Impact on Press Freedom in Sub-Saharan Africa" (S. T. Kwame Boafo); "New Communication Technologies and Information Freedom in Latin America" (Rafael Roncagliolo); "New Communication Technologies and Press Freedom: A Chilean Case Study" (Fernando Reyes Matta); and "The Media as Fourth Estate: A Survey of Journalism Educators' Views" (Colin Sparks and Slavko Splichal). The first three papers are concerned with the larger picture and the larger media; the second three are concerned with the "marginal" rather than the dominant media; and the final paper deals with some of the problems of the media and democracy in terms of their staff and resources. (TMK)
- Published
- 1991
14. The Impact of Free Secondary Education: Experimental Evidence from Ghana. Working Paper 28937
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National Bureau of Economic Research, Duflo, Esther, Dupas, Pascaline, and Kremer, Michael
- Abstract
Following the widespread adoption of free primary education, African policymakers are now considering making secondary school free, but little is known about the private and social benefits of free secondary education. We exploit randomized assignment to secondary school scholarships among 2,064 youths in Ghana, combined with 12 years of data, to establish that scholarships increase educational attainment, knowledge, skills, and preventative health behaviors, while reducing female fertility. Eleven years after receipt of the scholarship, only female winners show private labor market gains, but those come primarily in the form of better access to jobs with rents (in particular rationed jobs in the public sector). We develop a simple model to interpret the labor market results and help think through the welfare impact of free secondary education. [Additional funding for this study was provided by the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (JPAL) Post-Primary Education Initiative, the International Growth Centre (IGC), International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), the Partnership for Child Development and the Nike Foundation.]
- Published
- 2021
15. The Determinants of Girls' Educational Enrollment in Ghana. Working Paper.
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Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Dept. of Applied Economics and Management., Johnson, Rebecca, and Kyle, Steven
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This study examined the determinants of school enrollment in Ghana, considering historical and social information to formulate an econometric model of school enrollment patterns for households. Data came from a 1989 survey of households in Ghana. The survey collected basic information about community characteristics, health and school facilities, and living conditions. This 1989 survey was the second in a series of surveys in Ghana. It included a sample of children age 6-20 years. Analysis of the data indicated that gender of the child and school attendance of the child's mother were the most significant predictors of school enrollment status. Boys were more likely to attend schools than girls, and girls were more likely to drop out of school than boys. Uneducated mothers were three times more likely to have children who did not attend school. Girls of mothers who did not attend school were 1.8 times more likely to drop out and half as likely to attend school than girls of mothers who attended school. The mean cost of schooling had no measurable effect on school enrollment status. (Contains 15 references and 4 tables.) (SM)
- Published
- 2001
16. Locally Generated Printed Materials in Agriculture: Experience from Uganda and Ghana. Education Research Paper. Report.
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Department for International Development, London (England). and Carter, Isabel
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The needs of grassroots farmers in Uganda and Ghana for locally developed print materials were examined through a postal survey of nearly 200 organizations and examinations of 75 autonomous farmer groups and 95 organizations sharing agricultural information in both countries. Both printed agricultural information relevant to grassroots farmers and networks for distributing such existing information were in short supply. Most large organizations directed their efforts mainly toward networking with similar organizations rather than toward visiting grassroots farmers or meeting their information needs. Group support to grassroots farmers was deemed very important because it provides a safety net that allows members to share and try out new ideas. The study confirmed the existence of considerable potential for supporting extension services, nongovernmental organizations, mass media services, farmers, animators, and literacy services in the generation and production of agricultural information in local languages and aimed at group usage. (Thirty-two tables/figures and 100 references are included. The following items are among those appended: sample pages of the publication "Footsteps"; samples of materials in local languages; information about the survey respondents; a list of languages used for sharing information by survey respondents; maps showing areas and groups visited; lists of organizations contacted; and sample newsletters and locally generated materials.) (MN)
- Published
- 1999
17. Children's Health and Nutrition as Educational Issues: A Case Study of the Ghana Partnership for Child Development's Intervention Research in the Volta Region of Ghana. Technical Paper No. 91. SD Publication Series.
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Agency for International Development (IDCA), Washington, DC. Bureau for Africa., Williams, James H., and Leherr, Kay
- Abstract
As increasing numbers of children in developing nations survive to school age, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers are increasingly focusing on the health and well-being of school-age children and on the possibility of using the infrastructure of the school system to deliver health and nutrition interventions. This research, conducted in Ghana through the worldwide Partnership for Child Development, identified and targeted school-age children's prevalent health problems; used simple, low-cost mass interventions through the schools; and developed partnerships for implementation between health and education, government, and non-governmental agencies. The specific intervention for this study focused on de-worming. Samples of 8- to 9- and 12- to 13-year-olds were obtained in 1994 at 3 intervention and 2 comparison sites for baseline, with subsequent samples selected for follow-ups. The results indicated that the interventions were effective in reducing infection levels of schistosomiasis and hookworm, reducing malnutrition, and improving achievement, though not necessarily improving students' attendance. The intervention effect on achievement was especially strong for nutritionally disadvantaged children and for girls. The feasibility of mass school-based treatment was demonstrated, with treatment provided to 85,000 children at a cost of $3.21 per child. Further research needs related to education policy were identified. (A list of the persons interviewed for the report is appended.) (KB)
- Published
- 1998
18. Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education 1994 Conference Papers. Annual Conference (10th, Arlington, Virginia, March 24-26, 1994).
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Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education. and Steele, Roger E.
- Abstract
Selected papers are as follows: "Member Perceptions of the Association for International Agricultural & Extension Education" (Eaton et al.); "Historical Review of U.S. Involvement in International Agricultural Education between World War II and Enactment of Title XII" (Thuemmel, Meaders); "Educational Needs of International Graduate Students as Perceived by Graduate Faculty" (Miller, Ng); "Rethinking the Landscape" (Beilin); "Personal Networks and Agricultural Extension" (Armonia); "Extension Staff Development Program" (Trail, Malindi); "Learning Styles of Extension Personnel and the Implications for Designing Inservice Computer Training Programs" (Park, Gamon); "Agricultural Education and Global Sustainability" (Vahoviak, Etling); "Importance of Extension Education in the Post Harvest Activities of Soybean in Nigeria" (Osho); "Perceptions Regarding Agricultural Extension Education in Swaziland" (Dube, Martin); "Philosophy, Mission, and Focus of Agricultural Extension in Africa, Asia, and Latin America" (Mohamed et al.); "Educational Needs for Enhancing Non-Farm Activities and Entrepreneurship" (Singh, Comer); "Assessment of the Use of Contact Farmers in Training and Visit Extension System in Nigeria" (Omotayo, Arokoyo); "Village Extension Workers (VEWs), Agricultural Extension Officers, and Contact Farmers Perceptions of VEW Visits under the Training and Visit (T&V) System" (Radhakrishna, Yoder); "Expert Identification of Inservice Training Needs of Field Agents Working in T&V Systems of Extension" (Alawy, Safrit); "Creating a Stronger Model for International Youth Exchange" (Etling); "Perceptions Held by Secondary School Agricultural Educators in Iowa Regarding Adding a Global Perspective to the Agriculture Curriculum" (Perez-Morales, Miller); "Development of Vocational Agriculture in Swaziland" (Mndebele, Crunkilton); "Extension Serving Women Farmers" (Morrone); "Nonformal Education for Empowerment" (Nti, Etling); "Factors Influencing Rural Women Cassava Processors' Intended Participation in an Agricultural Extension Education Program" (Ojomo, McCaslin); "Cooperative Efforts for Agricultural Extension and Rural Development" (Brewer, Meaders); "Need for U.S. and International Collaborative Rural Leadership Education for the 21st Century" (Dhanakumar et al.); "University's Role in Agricultural Development" (Cristovao, Koehnen); "Educational Needs of International Graduate Students of Extension Education" (Mohamed et al.); "Review and Synthesis of Extension Problems in Africa and Asia" (Ukaga et al.); "Development of Rural Youths through Farmers' Training and Education" (Auta, Akpoko); and "Mobilizing Rural Youths for a Career in Farming" (Arokoyo, Omotayo). (YLB)
- Published
- 1994
19. Cost Sharing in Education: Public Finance, School and Household Perspectives. Education Research Paper.
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Department for International Development, London (England). and Penrose, Perran
- Abstract
This report examines cost sharing, a term that combines the concepts of direct-cost recovery and indirect contributions from pupils, their parents, and sponsors. Such contributions may be voluntary, quasi-compulsory, or even compulsory. For the study reported here, cost sharing is used when the subject under discussion is not restricted to user-fee issues. The approach of the study was quantitative, but important cultural and sociological aspects were also considered. The report is primarily concerned with putting together a modest body of evidence on education expenditures by governments and households and with exploring the implications the evidence has for the central questions that need to be asked to develop and sustain government-expenditure policies. The report is presented in five chapters. Following an introduction, chapter 2 outlines the principles of cost sharing and explores the key issues that underpin cost-sharing policies. The next two chapters consist of case studies of specific countries: Ghana and Tanzania. These chapters are not self-contained and each complements the other. The last chapter summarizes the issues surrounding cost sharing and draws some policy conclusions. (Contains approximately 105 references.) (RJM)
- Published
- 1998
20. Girls and Basic Education: A Cultural Enquiry. Education Research Paper.
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Department for International Development, London (England). and Stephens, David
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A study examined the issues and experiences of 89 women teachers, head teachers, and girls in and out of school in two contrasting Ghanaian cultural contexts. Data were collected via life history interviews, analyzed, and presented around three domains: culture of the home; relationship between culture and the economy, and culture of the school. Findings indicated that the home domain was shaped by issues of kinship, descent, and the practice of fostering. Cultural values of elders, attitudes toward knowledge, women's role in society, and expectations of the economic value of schooling influenced girls' educational experiences. The economic domain operated at two levels. At the macro level, Ghana exemplified the impact of structural adjustment policies on marginalized people now facing increased educational and health service costs. At the micro level of the home and extended family, the girl was often the sole breadwinner needing to develop coping strategies to balance school with employment. In the culture of the school, many children did or learned little of value. Issues of attitude to knowledge, teaching methods, and language policy constrained reform efforts. The teacher's life was hard; many perceived their profession as having low status. Positive school experiences for the child included being well taught in literacy and numeracy skills, seeing successful women teachers as role models, and avoiding excessive corporal punishment. Policy implications were determined for home, the economy, and school. (Appendixes include three life history interviews, survey instruments, and 87 references.) (YLB)
- Published
- 1998
21. Schooling, Skills, and the Returns to Government Investment in Education: An Exploration Using Data from Ghana. Living Standards Measurement Study, Working Paper No. 76.
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World Bank, Washington, DC. and Glewwe, Paul
- Abstract
Investments in schooling are often regarded as essential for economic development, implying that such investments have high rates of return in developing countries. This paper examines the accuracy and usefulness of estimates of rates of return to formal schooling based on the standard human capital model of G. Becker and J. Mincer. Focus is on whether failure to account for differences in ability and school quality across a random sample significantly biases estimates of the private return to schooling derived from estimates of wage equations. This is done using an unusually rich data set from Ghana (over 4,700 households), which includes tests of ability and cognitive skills administered to 389 survey respondents. When years of schooling are used to measure the accumulation of human capital, there are virtually no returns to schooling in the private sector. Replacement of years of schooling by reading and mathematical ability does show positive returns to acquired skills, although these rates may be of little use to governments making schooling investment decisions because of the complexity of such decisions. Many government investments in education are designed to raise rates of return to schooling by raising school quality, but decisions by individuals assume that both rates of return and school quality are exogenous. Thirteen tables present data from the analyses. Four appendices provide supplemental data concerning the calculation of rates of return. (SLD)
- Published
- 1991
22. Education and Training for the Informal Sector, Volume 2: Country Case Studies. Occasional Papers on Education, Serial No. 11.
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Overseas Development Administration, London (England). and Leach, Fiona
- Abstract
This publication is a companion volume to a research report that examined local, national, and international interventions and initiatives aimed at promoting education and training for the informal sector. It provides four case studies on types of initiatives being taken by a wide range of actors in the area of education and training. "Ghana" (Osei Boeh-Ocansey) addresses how the government realizes that employment opportunities in the formal sector of the economy will continue to be limited; therefore, educational reforms are now emphasizing the acquisition of skills that promote self-employment and entrepreneurship. "Kenya" (Henry Oketch) reviews strategies that individuals, the government, and nonprofit organizations are using to improve skills in the informal sector. It identifies nine different types of agencies or processes providing skills for self-employment. "India" (Keith D'Souza, Liza Thomas) focuses on the activities of four nongovernmental organizations working in the field of nonformal education in the state of Gujarat. Their emphasis is on capacity building rather than on employment generation or job skill development. "Chile" (Graciela Messina) compares two training programs for unemployed youth to develop a series of reflections on the role that training for the informal sector ought to play. It concludes that the government is more concerned with employment policies than with training policies. (YLB)
- Published
- 1995
23. When Information Is Not Enough: Evidence from a Centralized School Choice System. Working Paper 27887
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National Bureau of Economic Research, Ajayi, Kehinde F., Friedman, Willa H., and Lucas, Adrienne M.
- Abstract
Students often make school choice decisions with inadequate information. We present results from delivering information to randomly selected students (and some randomly selected parents) across 900 junior high schools in Ghana, a country with universal secondary school choice. We provided guidance on application strategies and reported the selectivity and exit exam performance of secondary schools, information students and parents prioritized. We find that despite information changing the characteristics of schools to which students applied and students gaining admission to higher value-added schools, they were not more likely to matriculate on time or at all. Information was not the only constraint. [Funding is provided by the Post-Primary Education Initiative of the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), the Weiss Family Program Fund, and University of Delaware Institute for Global Studies' Global Exchange Program.]
- Published
- 2020
24. External Validity: Four Models of Improving Student Achievement. Working Paper 27298
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National Bureau of Economic Research, Duflo, Annie, Kiessel, Jessica, and Lucas, Adrienne
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Randomized controlled trials in lower-income countries have demonstrated ways to increase learning, in specific settings. This study uses a large-scale, nationwide RCT in Ghana to show the external validity of four school-based interventions inspired by other RCTs. Even though the government implemented the programs within existing systems, student learning increased across all four models, more so for female than male students, and many gains persisted one year after the program ended. Three of the four interventions had a similar cost effectiveness. The intervention that directly targeted classroom teachers increased the likelihood that teachers were engaged with students. [Additional funding was provided for this evaluation from the International Growth Centre and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation.]
- Published
- 2020
25. Innovation Funds for Higher Education: A Users' Guide for World Bank Funded Projects. Education Working Paper Series. Number 1
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World Bank, Washington, DC. and Saint, William
- Abstract
The Education Working Paper Series is produced by the Education Unit at the World Bank (HDNED). It provides an avenue for World Bank staff to publish and disseminate preliminary education findings to encourage discussion and exchange ideas within the World Bank and among the broader development community. This Guide seeks to help those who design and manage innovation funds to do a better job. It strives to capture practical lessons and good practice associated with half a dozen World Bank financed innovation funds for higher education in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Staff who manage these innovation funds were brought together for this purpose in a workshop organized by the World Bank and hosted by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Mozambique in October 2005. For readers interested in more extensive exploration of worldwide experience with innovation funds, a list of additional references is provided at the end of this publication. Attached are: (1) World Bank Funded Higher Education Projects Containing Innovation Funds; and (2) Broad Impact Indicators for Innovation Funds. (Contains 5 tables.) [This publication was produced in conjunction with the World Bank's Africa Region Human Development Department (AFTHD) as part of the Africa Region Human Development Working Paper Series (Number 107).]
- Published
- 2005
26. School Linking--Where Next? Partnership Models between Schools in Europe and Africa. Research Paper No. 10
- Author
-
University of London, Development Education Research Centre (DERC), Link Community Development (United Kingdom), Bourn, Douglas, and Cara, Olga
- Abstract
Linking between schools in the United Kingdom and schools in sub-Saharan Africa has been a feature of the educational landscape for more than twenty years, but became a government priority between 2000 and 2010. Whilst the interest in Ireland was less, both countries resourced linking programmes primarily as a means of raising awareness of development issues. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also became involved in school linking during the first decade of the twenty-first century with Plan UK and Link Community Development (Link) being the leading organisations in this field. However, due to funding constraints and change in United Kingdom government policy post 2010, both of these NGOs ended their linking programmes in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Link's involvement in school linking came from a development perspective; links were primarily seen as a mechanism for improving schools in sub-Saharan Africa. Development education only became a main feature of their linking programme with their European Union funded project, Partners in Development (PiD), which ran from 2010 to 2012. This project was funded from a development awareness budget line, but the NGO's proposal included development goals within the project. This became a major source of tension that was unresolved throughout the life of the project. This report is an evaluation of the "Partners in Development" project that was based on linking schools in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, with schools in Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, and South Africa. The evidence gathered was based on a combination of quantitative-based questionnaires, interviews with key staff within Link, and in-depth data gathered from a number of schools in Scotland. The main findings of the evaluation are as follows: (1) The Link Schools Programme (LSP) was clearly valued, but its impact was different in the United Kingdom and Ireland from that in South Africa, Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda; (2) The breadth of schools involved, particularly in the United Kingdom, suggests that the programme reached different schools from those which have been involved in other linking programmes; (3) The project suffered from funding criteria that continually focused on a target-driven approach; (4) Link staff became too heavily involved in administration and support; (5) As a consequence, many of the issues that often emerge in linking activities were not fully addressed; (6) The website was popular and the Solar Connect component that provided internet access to some of the schools in Africa was highly valued; and (7) Supported links developed by the Link model clearly have value. The following appendices are included: (1) Breakdown of schools participating in the Teacher Survey; (2) Rating of the Link Programme services. UK & Ireland schools; (3) Rating of the Link Programme services. African schools; (4) Profile of activities by school characteristics; (5) Evaluation Questionnaire; and (6) Focus Group Questions for Teachers in Scottish Link Schools--June 2012.
- Published
- 2013
27. What Is the Effect of Child Labour on Learning Achievement? Evidence from Ghana. Innocenti Working Papers.
- Author
-
United Nations Children's Fund, Florence (Italy). Innocenti Research Centre. and Heady, Christopher
- Abstract
This paper reports on a study that analyzed the links between child labor and poor school performance. Using data gathered in Ghana in recent years through the administration of tests, the study measured reading achievement and mathematics achievement to about half of the individuals surveyed as part of the Ghana Living Standards Survey. The paper moves away from conventional studies on child labor and education, which tend to focus on low school enrollment and attendance. It goes further, to examine the day-to-day impact of child labor on those in school, finding that, as well as leaving children too tired to learn, child labor robs them of their interest in learning. The paper concludes that children who are already contributing economically to their family income may be less interested in academic achievement, resulting in lack of motivation that affects both their learning and their future prospects. Contains 19 notes, 5 figures, 13 tables, and 17 references. (Author/BT)
- Published
- 2000
28. Culture in Education and Development Principles, Practice and Policy. Bristol Papers in Education
- Author
-
Stephens, David and Stephens, David
- Abstract
There is increasing recognition of the important role culture plays in the framing and delivery of education and development in the South. Whether this is in the reciprocal and synergistic relationship between theory and practice or the links between research and policy, it is clear that at the heart of successful educational development is a recognition of the importance of culture. This book critically reviews the relationships of culture, education and development both from a theoretical and methodological perspective and also from the perspective of the teacher, researcher and policy maker on the ground. The importance of context is stressed throughout with a series of case studies of educational developments drawn from a range of national settings. Issues such as education and poverty elimination, local and global knowledge transfers, and the role and discourse of development assistance to education are examined from the perspective of culture and context. Of particular value to the education researcher and policy maker, whether working in the North or South, this book provides a timely reminder of the importance of culture in the development of education. Following an introduction, the book is divided into three parts. Part I, Principles, includes: (1) Culture in Education and Development; and (2) Researching Culture, Education and Development. Part II, Practice, includes: (3) Girls and Basic Education in Ghana: Gender and Schooling within the Domains of Home, Economy and School; (4) Children and Health Education in Uganda: Issues of Culture, Language and Curriculum; (5) Schooling and Cultural Values in South Africa: Building Cultural Capital?; (6) Primary Education in Indonesia: Issues of Culture and the Aid Process; (7) Teachers and Cultural Identity: Critical Dialogues with Self--A Case Study of Student Teachers in South Africa; (8) Exploring the Backgrounds and Shaping of Beginning Student Teachers in Ghana: Toward Greater Contextualisation of Teacherducation; and (9) Action Research and Teachers in Laos: Issues of Knowledge, Research and Culture. Part III, Policy, concludes with: (10) Culture and Educational Development: Policy Implications and Ways Forward.
- Published
- 2007
29. Revisiting the Link between Poverty and Child Labor: The Ghanaian Experience. Working Paper.
- Author
-
World Bank, Washington, DC., Blunch, Niels-Hugo, and Verner, Dorte
- Abstract
The link between poverty and child labor has been regarded as a well established fact, but recent research has questioned the validity of this link. Starting from the premise that child labor is not necessarily harmful, this paper analyzes the determinants of harmful child labor, viewed as labor that directly conflicts with children's human capital accumulation, and attempts to identify the most vulnerable groups. Data were drawn from a 1997 household survey of Ghana, covering 14,514 households. Analysis focused on children aged 9-14. The economic model and econometric methodology used are discussed. Although the vast majority of children in Ghana were attending school, the incidence of harmful child labor increased with age, ranging from 1.2 percent at age 9 to 5.9 percent at age 14. Rural children were over twice as likely to engage in harmful labor than were urban children. Harmful child labor was more common among girls than boys and among children from poor households than those of nonpoor households. In addition, harmful child labor was positively related to parent being self-employed, family ownership of land and livestock, and the distances to the nearest primary school and the nearest secondary school. The findings suggest that there are structural differences in the processes underlying harmful child labor in Ghana across gender, across rural/urban location, and across poverty quintiles of households. (Contains 18 references.) (SV)
- Published
- 2000
30. Is Functional Literacy a Prerequisite for Entering the Labor Market? An Analysis of the Determinants of Adult Literacy and Earnings in Ghana. Policy Research Working Papers.
- Author
-
World Bank, Washington, DC., Blunch, Niels-Hugo, and Verner, Dorte
- Abstract
This paper analyzes the determinants of literacy and earnings in Ghana. Introductory sections discuss developments in literacy in the United States and Great Britain, literacy rates in developing countries, worldwide increases in literacy, literature on the determinants of literacy, aspects of the Ghanaian economy and educational spending, and the human capital framework for analyzing the relationship between education as investment and income as return on investment. Analysis of two household surveys in Ghana found that literacy and age were negatively correlated, suggesting that efforts in recent years to expand and improve basic education programs have been successful in raising adult literacy rates. Females were less literate than males, controlling for other factors. Literacy was positively associated with parents' education and negatively related to distance to the nearest primary school, residence in a rural area, and poverty. Income was related to age and male gender, but not to education. Functional literacy appears to be a prerequisite for entering the labor market, which may partly explain the lack of return to education other than middle school and technical/professional training. Basic education and literacy programs should target females and poorer households, especially in rural areas. (Contains 22 references.) (SV)
- Published
- 2000
31. Public Health and Education Spending in Ghana in 1992-98: Issues of Equity and Efficiency. Working Paper No. 2579.
- Author
-
World Bank, Washington, DC., Canagarajah, Sudharshan, and Ye, Xiao
- Abstract
This paper analyzes efficiency and equity issues in public expenditures on education and health in Ghana during the 1990s. Data were drawn from reports of the ministries of education and health and from household surveys conducted 1988-98. In the late 1990s, Ghana's public expenditures on education decreased. Basic education enrollment was stagnant or declined in the public sector while increasing in private schools. Regional disparities were significant, with lower allocations of public resources and lower enrollment rates in the three poorest regions. These regions also had critical shortages of teachers and classrooms at both primary and junior secondary levels. The quality of public basic education remained very poor, and post-basic education enrollment rates lagged behind those of basic education. Ghana's public health expenditures benefited primarily the nonpoor. While health services reached more rural areas in recent years, many rural areas still had limited or no access to health services. Analyses highlight a lack of relationship between public health expenditures and health outcomes, particularly for child immunizations. Data tables present details on enrollment rates, expenditures by education level and region, pupil-teacher ratios, results of criterion-referenced tests, rural-urban differences in male and female enrollments and education expenditures, health expenditures, distribution of health facilities and personnel, child immunizations by region and for rural and urban areas, hospital admissions, reported illnesses, and treatments in rural and urban areas. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/SV)
- Published
- 2000
32. The Tradeoff between Number of Children and Child Schooling: Evidence from Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) Working Paper Number 112.
- Author
-
World Bank, Washington, DC. and Montgomery, Mark
- Abstract
This research paper explores the relationship between fertility and the investments made by parents in the schooling of their children in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana (both in Africa). The tendency in developing nations research is that families with many children invest less in each, and families with fewer children make greater human capital investments per child. The two papers in this volume examine the determinants of fertility and child schooling in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana to assess evidence of a tradeoff between the number of children born and levels of child schooling. In Cote d'Ivoire, there is evidence of such a tradeoff in urban areas, but not in rural areas. Female schooling, higher income, and improved child survival are associated with lower fertility and higher child schooling. In both urban and rural areas of Ghana, there is evidence of a tradeoff between fertility and child schooling with higher incomes and, in rural Ghana, with increases in mothers' schooling. The papers in this monograph include: (1) "Fertility and Child Schooling in Cote d'Ivoire: Is There a Tradeoff?" (Mark Montgomery; Aka Kouame); and (2) "Fertility and Child Schooling in Ghana: Evidence of a Quality/Quantity Tradeoff" (Raylynn Oliver). Contains 18 references. (EH)
- Published
- 1995
33. Children's Health and Achievement in School. Living Standards Measurement Study Working Paper No. 104.
- Author
-
World Bank, Washington, DC., Behrman, Jere R., and Lavy, Victor
- Abstract
This paper explores the relationship child health and educational achievement using data from the Ghanaian Living Standard Measurement Study (LSMS), as well as the reliability of such health-education studies in general. An analysis of the data indicated that: (1) the failure to control for estimation problems in the LSMS and other studies has led to a considerable bias in the estimated impact of child health on educational success; (2) Instrumental variable estimates based on observations suggest that the direction of this bias is downward; (3) estimated with family and community fixed effects, however, suggest that the direction of this bias is upward; and (4) exploration of the possibility that child health may affect child cognitive achievement through schooling attainment also does not reveal a significant positive impact on child schooling. The paper concludes that, in the case of the Ghanaian LSMS and other similar studies, there is no evidence of an impact of the observed range of child health on child cognitive achievement. (Contains 90 references.) (MDM)
- Published
- 1994
34. Contraceptive Use in Ghana: The Role of Service Availability, Quality, and Price. Living Standards Measurement Study Working Papers No. 111.
- Author
-
World Bank, Washington, DC. and Oliver, Raylynn
- Abstract
Ghana was among the first sub-Saharan African countries to adopt a population policy, in 1969. In this paper, individual women are linked to the characteristics of the nearest pharmacy, health facility and source of family planning to assess the relative importance of socioeconomic background and the availability, price and quality of family planning services on contraceptive use and fertility. The results suggest that raising levels of female schooling will also raise contraceptive use and lower fertility, particularly in rural areas. Distance to services remains a binding constraint for contraceptive use among the entire sample and for the urban sample of women. The number of methods offered at a health facility is associated with lower fertility but has no apparent relation with current contraceptive use. The presence of admission fees at the nearest health facilities has no relation with contraceptive use, while the availability of spermicides raises use. Service characteristics have little relation with fertility, leading to the suspicion that some of the services are placed according to patterns of demand. Measures of the quality of the services show no consistent effect in the demand for contraception or on fertility. (Author/JE)
- Published
- 1995
35. Student Loans as a Means of Financing Higher Education: Lessons from International Experience. World Bank Staff Working Papers Number 599.
- Author
-
World Bank, Washington, DC. and Woodhall, Maureen
- Abstract
International experience with student loans as a means of financing higher education is examined, with particular reference to developing countries. After summarizing the main purposes and kinds of student loan programs and practices in developed countries, advantages and disadvantages of loans as a means of financing higher education are identified. Specific attention is directed to Latin America and the Caribbean, including the scale of student loan programs, administration of educational credit institutions, the financing of student loans, repayment terms, the cost of administering student loans, and default on student loans. Additionally, student loan programs in Asia, the Middle East, Ghana, and other African countries are addressed. Loan programs in developing countries are also evaluated in terms of feasibility, as a means of cost recovery, flexibility, efficiency, equity, manpower, and administration. The roles of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank in funding student loan institutions are examined. Finally, the choice between student loans and other methods of financing higher education is addressed, and policy options for student loan programs are summarized. Information on educational credit institutions in Latin America and a bibliography are appended. (SW)
- Published
- 1983
36. Child Labor and Schooling in Ghana. Ghana: Labor Markets and Poverty. Policy Research Working Papers.
- Author
-
World Bank, Washington, DC., Canagarajah, Sudharshan, and Coulombe, Harold
- Abstract
This report examines the determinants of child labor in conjunction with school participation trends for children ages 7-14 in Ghana. The report is based on data from national household surveys conducted 1987-92. Specifically, the study examined the influence of variables such as child age and sex; parent's education, religion, and employment; and place of residence (rural or urban) on child labor and participation in school. About 28 percent of children ages 7-14 in Ghana were involved in child labor. Child labor had a direct impact on school participation. During 1992 one of every three girls and one of every three boys did not attend school in urban Ghana, while 37 percent of girls and 28 percent of boys did not attend school in rural areas. However, of the 28 percent of children involved in child labor, more than two-thirds were involved in school. The majority of child labor in Africa, and especially in Ghana, is unpaid work and takes place in family agricultural enterprises. Data indicate that 90 percent of children in Ghana between the ages of 7-14 were involved in household chores. The study did not demonstrate that poverty is the main culprit in child labor; in contrast, poverty did affect the decision to school. The high cost of schooling and the low quality and weak relevance of education have pushed many children into work. Among family characteristics, father's education had a significant negative effect on child labor, particularly for girls. Increasing demand for schooling is an effective way of reducing child labor and ensuring that Ghana's human capital is stabilized. Appendices include definitions and descriptive statistics of variables. (Contains 31 references and 19 data tables and figures.) (LP)
- Published
- 1997
37. The Returns to the Brain Drain and Brain Circulation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Some Computations Using Data from Ghana. NBER Working Paper No. 16813
- Author
-
National Bureau of Economic Research and Nyarko, Yaw
- Abstract
We look at the decision of the government or "central planner" in the allocation of scarce governmental resources for tertiary education, as well as that for the individual. We provide estimates of the net present values, or cost and benefits. These include costs of tertiary education; the benefits of improved skills of those who remain in the country; and also takes into account the flows of the skilled out of the country (the brain drain) as well as the remittances they bring into the country. Our results are positive for the net benefits relative to costs. Our results suggest that (i) there may be room for creative thinking about the possibility that the brain drain could provide mechanisms for dramatic increases in education levels within African nations; and (ii) by at least one metric, spending by African nations on higher education in this period yielded positive returns on the investment. Our results on the individual decision problem resolve a paradox in the returns to education literature which finds low returns to tertiary education.
- Published
- 2011
38. Distance Education in Southern Africa Conference, 1987. Papers 2: Issues in Education and Distance Education.
- Author
-
South Africa Univ., Pretoria. and Adey, David
- Abstract
Eighteen papers from the University of South Africa's Conference on Distance Education are presented on issues in education and distance education. They include: "Distance Education in Africa's Educational Development: The Case of Ghana" (Joe K. Ansere); "Distance Education: A Solution to the Economic Problems of Education in Southern Africa" (M.G. Andrew); "The University of Transkei and Distance Education" (Norman M. Hodge); "Perspectives on the Role of Distance Education in a Curriculum for Continuing Professional Education" (C.A. Kapp); "Responsibilities of Academic Staff" (Tim Moelwyn-Hughes); "'Distance Education' at a Residential University" (S.J.P. du Plessis): "Distance Education in Developing Countries: The Ecology of Development or the Need for Context Sensitivity" (Anton Muller); "Education in an Information Society: Implications for Teaching in South Africa" (Jacques Steyn); "The Explosion in Student Numbers: Some Moral and Pragmatic Considerations" (J.C.G.J. van Vuuren); "Psychic Aspects of Distance Education" (Trysie Grobler); "Art History in Africa: A Look at Course Content" (Lize van Robbroeck); "'Forget and Forgive Her Sex': Integrating Women Artists with Art History" (Marion Arnold); "Generating a Creative Future: Strategies for the Teaching of Creativity within the Context of Distance Education Systems" (Nina Romm, Norma Romm); "Non-Formal and Functional Distance Education in Southern Africa" (Hennie Swanepoel); "Taking a Positive View of the (Dis)advantages of Distance Teaching: Reading Skills, Writing Skills and Theory of Literature" (Ina Grabe); "Continuing Education as a Function of a University for Distance Education" (L.P. Calitz); "The Possible Role of Distance Teaching in the Education System of South Africa" (D.C. Badenhorst); and "Accountability in Distance Education" (E.A. Coster) (LB)
- Published
- 1987
39. Papers and Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Midwest History of Education Society (15th, Chicago, Illinois, October 26-27, 1979).
- Author
-
Midwest History of Education Society, Cedar Falls, IA. and Rutkowski, Edward
- Abstract
The papers presented cover three general themes: modern education and curriculum; the legacy of educational thought; and origins and issues in U.S. educational development. Part 1 begins with "The 'New Social Studies' and Curriculum Innovation: The Amherst Project Experience, 1959-1972" (C. E. Samec) which describes the project's inception, the problems in communicating its curriculum philosophy, financial difficulties, and the complications of publication. "Bilingual Education: A Reevaluation of Objectives" (T. Reagan) argues three critical points in bilingual education. "New Concepts in an Old Discipline: Reconstructing the Introductory History of Education Course" (R. L. Schnell; P. T. Rooke) demonstrates how to use students' childhood experiences and family histories to teach the history of education. "Ghana's Educational Program: A Model for African Countries?" (C. E. Alberti) discusses the Ghanian educational system's development, structure, curriculum, and problems. Part 2 begins with "Isocrates: Pillar of Western Education" (W. L. Innerd) which details Isocrates' life and his teaching methods. "Educational Journalism at Its Most Provocative: The American Herbartians and Their Influence on the Direction of Twentieth Century Teacher Education" (B. H. Westfall) focuses on Charles De Garmo, Charles McMurry, and Frank McMurry, and their roles in shaping the American branch of the Herbartian movement. "Samuel Lewis, Ohio's First Superintendent of Common Schools" (M. L. Petit) is a biography of Lewis. "Useful Education for the Poor: A Benthamite Perspective" (B. W. Taylor) provides a description of Bentham's work towards educational reform for the English poor. Part 3 begins with "The Reform of Education in the Agrarian South, 1900-1950" (S. J. Maxey) which details the reform movement that included the involvement of white middle class professionals and external associations; the inception of school consolidation, high schools, school supervisors, and black educational institutions; and revised teacher education requirements. "A Davenport School's Romantic Affair with Southern Plantation Belles" (L. Horton and R. E. Belding) discusses the physical location, facilities, and curriculum of the Immaculate Conception Academy (Iowa) that attracted affluent women from the deep South during the Civil War. "Detroit's First 'Great School War': The Politics of Common Schools in a Frontier City, 1836-1842" (D. L. Angus) relates the political struggle for a free educational system. The conference program, business meeting's minutes, and a directory of attendance are included. (DJC)
- Published
- 1980
40. Proceedings of the International Conference on Mobile Learning 2014. (10th, Madrid, Spain, February 28-March 2, 2014)
- Author
-
International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS), Sánchez, Inmaculada Arnedillo, and Isaías, Pedro
- Abstract
These proceedings contain the papers of the 10th International Conference on Mobile Learning 2014, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society, in Madrid, Spain, February 28-March 2, 2014. The Mobile Learning 2014 International Conference seeks to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of mobile learning research which illustrate developments in the field. Papers in these proceedings include: (1) Supporting Teachers to Design and Use Mobile Collaborative Learning Games (Iza Marfisi-Schottman and Sébastien George); (2) Ebooks as PDF Files, in Epub Format or as Interactive Ibooks? Digital Books in Physics Lessons of Secondary Education (Manfred Lohr); (3) Mobile Learning and Early Age Mathematics (Shir Peled and Shimon Schocken); (4) M-Learning--On Path to Integration with Organisation Systems (Shilpa Srivastava and Ved Prakash Gulati); (5) Improving History Learning through Cultural Heritage, Local History and Technology (Graça Magro, Joaquim Ramos de Carvalho and Maria José Marcelino); (6) Intrigue at the Museum: Facilitating Engagement and Learning through a Location-Based Mobile Game (Jetmir Xhembulla, Irene Rubino, Claudia Barberis and Giovanni Malnati); (7) Mobile-Based Chatting for Meeting Negotiation in Foreign Language Learning (María Dolores Castrillo, Elena Martín-Monje and Elena Bárcena); (8) Student Preferences for M-Learning Application Characteristics (Ömer Delialioglu & Yasaman Alioon); (9) Learning and Teaching with Mobile Devices An Approach in Secondary Education in Ghana (Margarete Grimus and Martin Ebner); (10) Cross-Cultural Design of Mobile Mathematics Learning Service for South African Schools (Tanja Walsh, Teija Vainio and Jari Varsaluoma); (11) Mobile Learning and Achievement Goal Orientation Profiles (Minna Asplund); (12) A Review of Integrating Mobile Phones for Language Learning (Ramiza Darmi and Peter Albion); (13) Overlapping Chat's Accessibility Requirements between Students with and without Disabilities Due to the Mobile Limitiations (Rocío Calvo, Ana Iglesias and Lourdes Moreno); (14) UML Quiz: Automatic Conversion of Web-Based E-Learning Content in Mobile Applications (Alexander von Franqué and Hilda Tellioglu); (15) Pedagogical Applications of Smartphone Integration in Teaching--Lectures', Students', & Pupils' Perspectives (Tami Seifert); (16) MOOC's to Go (Jan Renz, Thomas Staubitz and Christoph Meinel); (17) Strategies and Challenges in Ipad Initiative (Chientzu Candace Chou, Lanise Block and Renee Jesness); (18) Blending Classroom Teaching and Learning with QR Codes (Jenni Rikala and Marja Kankaanranta); (19) Programming Education with a Blocks-Based Visual Language for Mobile Application Development (Can Mihci and Nesrin Ozdener); (20) Shifting Contexts: Investigating the Role of Context in the Use of Obiquitious Computing for Design-Based Learning (Katharine S. Willis and Gianni Corino); (21) Evaluation Framework for Dependable Mobile Learning Scenarios (Manel Bensassi and Mona Laroussi); (22) Initial Evaluation of a Mobile Scaffolding Application that Seeks to Support Novice Learners of Programming (Chao Mbogo, Edwin Blake and Hussein Suleman); (23) Defining a Set of Architectural Requirements for Service-Oriented Mobile Learning Environments (Nemésio Freitas Duarte Filho and Ellen Francine Barbosa); (24) Portability and Usability of Open Educational Resources on Mobile Devices: A Study in the Context of Brazilian Educational Portals and Android-Based Devices (André Constantino da Silva, Fernanda Maria Pereira Freire, Vitor Hugo Miranda Mourão, Márcio Diógenes de Oliveira da Cruz and Heloísa Vieira da Rocha); (25) Evaluating QR Code Case Studies Using a Mobile Learning Framework (Jenni Rikala); (26) Developing a Mobile Social Media Framework for Creative Pedagogies (Thomas Cochrane, Laurent Antonczak, Matthew Guinibert and Danni Mulrennan); (27) Factors Affecting M-Learners' Course Satisfaction and Learning Persistence (Young Ju Joo, Sunyoung Joung, Eugene Lim and Hae Jin Kim); (28) A Framework to Support Mobile Learning in Multilingual Environments (Mmaki E. Jantjies and Mike Joy); (29) Mobile Technology Integrated Pedagogical Model (Arshia Khan); (30) Representation of an Incidental Learning Framework to Support Mobile Learning (Eileen Scanlon, Mark Gaved, Ann Jones, Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Lucas Paletta and Ian Dunwell); (31) Using Mobile Apps and Social Media for Online Learner-Generated Content (Paul David Henry); (32) Tweeting as a Tool for Learning Science: The Credibility of Student-Produced Knowledge Content in Educational Contexts (Kaja Vembe Swensen, Kenneth Silseth and Ingeborg Krange); (33) What Mobile Learning and Working Remotely Can Learn from Each Other (Koen Depryck); (34) In-Time On-Place Learning (Merja Bauters, Jukka Purma and Teemu Leinonen); (35) M-Learning and Technological Literacy: Analyzing Benefits for Apprenticeship (Carlos Manuel Pacheco Cortés and Adriana Margarita Pacheco Cortés); (36) Designing a Site to Embed and to Interact with Wolfram Alpha Widgets in Math and Science Courses (Francisco Javier Delgado Cepeda and Ruben Dario Santiago Acosta); (37) An Environment for Mobile Experiential Learning (Otto Petrovic, Philipp Babcicky and Thomas Puchleitner); (38) Supporting Situated Learning Based on QR Codes with Etiquetar App: A Pilot Study (Miguel Olmedo Camacho, Mar Pérez-Sanagustín, Carlos Alario-Hoyos, Xavier Soldani, Carlos Delgado Kloos and Sergio Sayago); (39) Raising Awareness of Cybercrime--The Use of Education as a Means of Prevention and Protection (Julija Lapuh Bele, Maja Dimc, David Rozman and Andreja Sladoje Jemec); (40) Mobile Game for Learning Bacteriology (Ryo Sugimura, Sotaro Kawazu, Hiroki Tamari, Kodai Watanabe, Yohei Nishimura, Toshiki Oguma, Katsushiro Watanabe, Kosuke Kaneko, Yoshihiro Okada, Motofumi Yoshida, Shigeru Takano and Hitoshi Inoue); (41) The Theory Paper: What is the Future of Mobile Learning? (John Traxler and Marguerite Koole); (42) Rapid Prototyping of Mobile Learning Games (Maija Federley, Timo Sorsa, Janne Paavilainen, Kimo Boissonnier and Anu Seisto); (43) Preparing Lessons, Exercises and Tests for M-Learning of IT Fundamentals (S. Djenic, V. Vasiljevic, J. Mitic, V. Petkovic and A. Miletic); (44) The Motivating Power of Social Obligation: An Investigation into the Pedagogical Affordances of Mobile Learning Integrated with Facebook (Nurhasmiza Sazalli, Rupert Wegerif and Judith Kleine-Staarman); (45) When Everyone is a Probe, Everyone is a Learner (Boris Berenfeld, Tatiana Krupa, Arseny Lebedev and Sergey Stafeev); (46) Mobile Learning and Art Museums: A Case Study of New Art Interpretation Approach for Visitor Engagement through Mobile Media (Victoria López Benito); (47) Learner Centric in M-Learning: Integration of Security, Dependability and Trust (Sheila Mahalingam, Faizal Mohd Abdollah and Shahrin Sahib); (48) M-Learning Pilot at Sofia University (Elissaveta Gourova, Pavlin Dulev, Dessislava Petrova-Antonova and Boyan Bontchev); (49) A Mobile Service Oriented Multiple Object Tracking Augmented Reality Architecture for Education and Learning Experiences (Sasithorn Rattanarungrot, Martin White and Paul Newbury); (50) Learners' Ensemble Based Security Conceptual Model for M-Learning System in Malaysian Higher Learning Institution (Sheila Mahalingam, Faizal Mohd Abdollah and Shahrin Sahib); (51) Supporting the M-Learning Based Knowledge Transfer in University Education and Corporate Sector (András Benedek and György Molnár); and (52) The future of Ubiquitous Elearning (Timothy Arndt). Individual papers contain references. An author index is included. Luís Rodrigues is an associate editor of these proceedings.
- Published
- 2014
41. The Impact of a Eurocentric Curriculum on Students from the Global South and North
- Author
-
Karen Biraimah, Leon Roets, and Brianna Kurtz
- Abstract
While research on the impact of a Eurocentric curriculum has often focused on marginalized populations in developing nations, it is paramount that scholars also examine the impact of this curriculum on students in the Global North. To this end, this paper begins by first defining and then critiquing what is often referred to as the "Eurocentric curriculum", and how standard Eurocentric content, such as Eurocentric mathematics and its pedagogical practices may alienate learners from their families, societies, and cultures. It will then suggest an alternative approach, "Ethno-mathematics" introduced by D'Ambrosio (1985), and will apply this concept to educational outcomes in both South Africa and the USA. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of how these cultural imbalances within a school's curriculum, if not corrected, may negatively impact the academic success of all students, particularly the marginalized. [For the complete Volume 22 proceedings, see ED656158.]
- Published
- 2024
42. Tenders Info Reports 04-07-2021: Ghana.
- Subjects
PUBLIC contracts ,PAPER ,WRITING materials & instruments ,LETTING of contracts - Published
- 2021
43. Tenders Info Reports 04-30-2019: Ghana.
- Subjects
LETTING of contracts ,REQUESTS for proposals (Public contracts) ,PURCHASING contracts ,CHEMICAL cleaning ,HYGIENE products ,TOILET paper ,TISSUE paper - Published
- 2019
44. International Perspectives on Nonformal Education. Conference Proceedings of the New England Meeting of the Comparative and International Society (Amherst, Massachusetts, May 3, 1979).
- Author
-
Massachusetts Univ., Amherst. Center for International Education.
- Abstract
This document contains the papers delivered at the New England Regional Meeting which focused on the theme of International Perspectives on Nonformal Education. The keynote address provides a state of the art of nonformal education and discusses its successes, limitations, and future challenges. The first group of papers presents philosophical and programmatic concerns of nonformal education. One paper discusses the ideological presumptions of nonformal education. The collaborative process in international nonformal education programs is examined in another paper. A third paper discusses the instructional staff for out of school education and a look at voluntarism. The second group of papers examines nonformal education in various countries and presents case studies of specific nonformal education projects. For example, one paper describes the Village Polytechnic in the rural areas of Kenya as a potential solution to the problem of skyrocketing unemployment of thousands of primary school graduates who are unable to continue their formal education. Another paper discusses the Haiku and the tea ceremony of Japan. Other papers look at nonformal education in Turkey, West Germany, Honduras, Chile, Ghana, Poland, Africa, and Mexico. (Author/RM)
- Published
- 1979
45. COVID-19 and Implementation of Online Learning in Ghana: Perspectives of Undergraduate Students in Higher Education Institutions
- Author
-
Tsevi, Linda
- Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted teaching and learning in higher education institutions globally and Ghana is no exception. Educational institutions have had to adapt to new models of teaching as well as engagement of students through the use of technology with a purpose of enabling continuity in academic work. Using the connectivism learning model and a purposive sample of eighteen undergraduate students from six public and private higher education institutions, this paper explored their perspectives about institutional adaptation of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection procedures included in-person or phone semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study indicate that though the majority of higher education institutions did not have adequate structures to smoothly transition teaching and learning online during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were able to adapt and make do with available technology that suited a majority of students for teaching and learning to continue. Participants revealed challenges encountered during online teaching and learning to include inadequate network bandwidth that was further impacted by one's location, data insufficiency, and inconsistent online scheduling by faculty members which affected student availability. It was also noted that there were variations in the ways higher education institutions implemented online learning to aid student academic engagement, teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, there is therefore a call for the promulgation of a policy to standardize the delivery of online learning in higher education institutions in Ghana. [For the full proceedings, see ED625421.]
- Published
- 2021
46. Tutor Service Quality and Student Satisfaction: A Study of Distance Education Students at University of Ghana Learning Centres
- Author
-
Tsevi, Linda
- Abstract
This paper explores student satisfaction of tutor services provided at the University of Ghana Learning Centres specifically, Koforidua Learning Centre. A simple random sampling method was used to select current 150 undergraduate students pursuing varied degree programmes at the Koforidua Learning Centre. There was an observed significant relationship between the dimensions of service quality namely reliability, responsiveness, and empathy and student satisfaction in relation to tutors' service quality. Generally, the findings indicate that students for some specific programs were dissatisfied with tutor services at Koforidua Learning Centre. Overall, the findings indicate that the use of SERVQUAL outcomes may lead to improved tutor performance at the undergraduate level. Findings may also guide other Learning Centres of public higher education institutions in Ghana to put in place measures that will enhance the quality of services tutors provide. [For the full proceedings, see ED613257.]
- Published
- 2020
47. Included but Excluded: The Use of Mobile Phones among Digital Immigrants
- Author
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Ussher, Yvette Akuorkor Afowa
- Abstract
Research on digital divide is on the ascendancy; however, there have been relatively few studies assessing digital inclusion focusing on how technological savvy was acquired by digital immigrant mobile phone users to explore the myriad opportunities of their mobile phones. Using semi-structured interviews this paper assesses digital inclusion as it explores how market women in Accra acquire technological savvy to use their mobile phones. The study findings show the importance of informal learning in the acquisition of digital literacy among digital immigrants: as majority of these women were able to use their mobile phones for the first time based on the informal teachings they received from their children. However, they appear to be digitally excluded as they under-utilized the mobile phone they own. They use their mobile phones predominantly for calling due to their low educational levels. For a fully digitized economy to be realized in Ghana, these women need adult literacy and market-based programmes that focus on developing digital literacies to enable them fully to join the digital society. Hence, there should be a call for adult education practice by promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all digitally excluded to attain 21st century skills to become part of the digital economy. [For the full proceedings, see ED613257.]
- Published
- 2020
48. The Effect of Teacher Job Satisfaction on Learners' Academic Success in Biology
- Author
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Issah Ibrahim
- Abstract
This study sought to ascertain how job satisfaction affected learners' biology achievement in the New Juaben North District. The study's methodology was a survey design. The participants in the study are head teachers of senior high schools and teachers of biology in the district. To choose the participants for this particular research, purposive and random samplings were used. 84 individuals composed of the sample size, including 4 school heads and 80 biology teachers were used for this particular study. The main tool for data collection was a structured questionnaire, and the data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). According to the data analysis, 72.62% (61) of respondents were of the believed that changing teachers' working circumstances will have a favorable impact on students' academic achievement. Again, half of the biology teachers 32% (40) were of the view that their pay is insufficient and some must be done about it. [For the full proceedings, see ED654100.]
- Published
- 2023
49. Predictors of Growth Mindset among Ghanaian Classroom College of Education Teacher Trainees
- Author
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Seidu Sofo, Emmanuel Thompson, and Eugene F. Asola
- Abstract
The study aimed to examine the important predictors of Ghanaian classroom Diploma in Basic Education teacher trainees' growth mindset toward student learning. Participants included a purposive sample of 328 (177 male and 151 female) second- and third-year teacher trainees in one college of education in the northern part of Ghana. The predictor variables were the type of program, year in program, age, sex, and marital status. The student learning subscale of the Physical Education and Sports Ability Survey (Sofo et al., 2016) served as the main data source. The items were adapted for the classroom setting. Most of the trainees had a growth mindset but with some fixed ideas for student learning (80.18%). Approximately 19.21% of the trainees had a strong growth mindset in student learning. The mean decreased Gini (MDG) values for the year in the program, program type, and marital status (married vs. single) showed that these predictors were important for student learning. A logistic regression analysis showed that type of program, year in program, and marital status were significant predictors of growth mindset for student learning. Trainees in the early childhood program were approximately seven times more likely to have a growth mindset regarding student learning compared to those in the primary education program. Trainees in their third year were approximately 145 times more likely to have a growth mindset regarding student learning compared to trainees in their second year. Single teacher trainees were approximately 213 times more likely to have a growth mindset regarding student learning compared to married teacher trainees. The study provides insights for teacher educators regarding the profiles and factors that promote the development of a growth mindset in teacher education settings in Ghana. [For the full proceedings, see ED656038.]
- Published
- 2023
50. The Effect of a Teacher's Qualifications and Work Experience on Learners' Achievement in Biology
- Author
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Issah Ibrahim and John K. Eminah
- Abstract
The study tried to ascertain the impact of instructors' credentials and professional expertise on students' biology achievement in Birim Central Municipality, Eastern Region, Ghana. The study used survey design. The respondents were chosen using simple and selective probability sampling. 80 biology teachers and four head teachers gave us the 84-sample size. A questionnaire served as the main research tool, and the data analysis was accomplished with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Many respondents (60.7%) firmly agreed that teachers who possess superior knowledge and skills are better able to instruct students. Majority of those surveyed strongly agreed that experienced teachers are more understanding whenever it involves dealing with behavioral issues of children. This study was intended to considerably add to knowledge in order to enhance students' biology performance and comprehension. [For the full proceedings, see ED654100.]
- Published
- 2023
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