Status of teacher management and support services for basic school teachers in Wasa Amenfi East District of the Western Region of Ghana

Abstract

The study examined the status of teacher management and support services for basic school teachers in the Wasa Amenfi East District in the Western Region of Ghana. It specifically looked at how effective in-service training courses were, the assistance given by supervisors to teachers, the availability of incentives for teachers, their influence on teacher output, and the challenges confronting teacher support service providers in the district. The study was a descriptive survey in which data were collected from 180 respondents made up of 90 teachers and headteachers, 20 education officials (service providers) and 70 other stakeholders. Three different questionnaires were used after they were pilot-tested. The questionnaires for the teachers and headteachers, education officials and other stakeholders had reliability coefficients of .72, .69 and .81 respectively. The study revealed that induction programme for newly recruited teachers, promotion of good relationship between the teacher and other staff members, and the provision of opportunities for teachers to develop themselves professionally and academically were found to be the main teacher incentives available in the Wasa Amenfi East District. The study therefore concluded that a good number of teacher support services were provided in the district. On the basis of the findings, it was recommended that stakeholders should provide those unavailable incentives especially financial and health support service to teachers in the district because it is likely to motivate them to give of their best. Also, in-service training for newly posted teachers should be continued.