An Assessment of the Availability and Accessibility of Teaching and Learning Resources in Kindergartens in Ghana
Abstract
Using the resource dependency theory, the study assessed the availability and accessibility of teaching and learning resources (TLRs) in kindergarten classrooms in Ghana. The participants included 191 public school kindergarten (KG) teachers from two regions of Ghana. The researchers developed the Teaching and Learning Resources Questionnaire specifically for the study. The questionnaire comprised two subscales: availability and accessibility. Each subscale comprised six categories: literacy, language, and numeracy development, gross motor development, fine motor development, creative and artistic expression, ICT and digital learning, and play and exploration. The highest percentage of teachers indicated they always or most of the time had classroom displays, flashcards, and reading books available. The lowest percentage of TLRs that were most of the time or always accessible were toys appropriate for the age group and electronic devices as ICT tools. Regarding the categories of TLRs, the highest mean scores for both the availability and accessibility subscales were in the creative and artistic expression category, followed by literacy, language, and numeracy development. Alternatively, the lowest mean scores for availability and accessibility were in the ICT and digital learning tools category. The study contributes to the broader efforts of offering equitable and effective educational experiences for all children
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