Adjustment challenges faced by newly trained teachers in basic schools in the Awutu-Efutu-Senya District of Ghana

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate challenges that newly trained teachers face at their first stations in basic schools. Since the role of the teacher in human resource development is very valuable, anything that adversely affects his/her performance should not be left to chance. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in selecting both headteachers and the newly trained teachers for the study. All the eight educational circuits in the Awutu-Efutu-Senya District were covered. Questionnaires that were used to gather the data from the respondents consisted of both open-ended and closed-ended items. The research instrument was pilot-tested on newly trained teachers and their heads in the Agona Swedru Municipality. This miniature study assisted in detecting and removing ambiguous and irrelevant statements and the reliability of the instrument. The reliability co-efficient of the instrument was found to be r=7.25. The final data collected for the study were analysed using SPSS software package and presented in percentages and frequency distribution. The main findings that emanated from the study were that the newly trained teachers had adequate orientation in their respective schools and that they did not face social challenges. However, the new teachers faced some economic and professional challenges in their schools. It is, therefore, recommended that P.T. A.’s and S.M.C.’s should assist newly trained teachers in their schools financially and the G.E.S. should also pay such teachers’ travelling allowances to them. Again, heads of the basic schools should help new teachers to secure reference books to help make their teaching easy.