Improving early grade reading instruction in Ghana: a discrepancy gap analysis

2015-09-01Recent Early Grade Reading Assessments in Ghana have shown extremely low reading proficiency rates in the early grades of primary school and poor teaching quality misaligned with the national literacy curriculum. Applying a gap analysis framework, this case study examined 15 teachers’ reading instruction in five primary schools in the Akuapim North district of Ghana. The primary purpose of the case study was to identify the knowledge, motivational, and organizational barriers that are preventing teachers from effectively implementing the national literacy curriculum and to develop context-relevant solutions to address the gaps. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, document analysis, and classroom observations of teachers in kindergarten and first grade. Findings showed that teachers lack factual knowledge and self-efficacy to teach reading skills. Teachers also lack procedural knowledge for implementing child-centered pedagogies and formative assessments. The study confirmed a number of assumed organizational barriers, such as insufficient teacher training, inadequate coaching in the classroom, and limited opportunities for professional engagement with peers. An extensive literature review of proposed solutions indicated that continuous training of up to 80 hours and consistent coaching in the classroom coupled with professional learning communities that use student achievement data as the basis for instructional planning can have a significant impact on student reading outcomes. Furthermore, the selection and training of coaches is critical to the success of the professional development program. The proposed solutions in Chapter 5 provide concrete strategies for addressing the teacher performance gap. The paper concludes with a detailed implementation plan and an evaluation framework for monitoring the effectiveness of the proposed continuous professional development program