Community Participation in Education Provision in Bontrase Circuit, Awutu Senya District, Ghana
Abstract
The study explored community participation in the provision of education at the Junior High School level in the Bontrase Circuit in Awutu Senya District in the Central Region of Ghana. Specifically, it explored the barriers to community participation in education provision in the Circuit as well as the strategies that could be employed to promote the community’s participation in such efforts. The study was qualitative and employed a case study design. A sample of twenty-four (24) participants, comprising 10 headteachers, 5 teachers, 4 School Management Committee members and 5 Parent Teacher Executives was selected using the maximal variation sampling technique for a semi-structured interview. This was followed by a Focus Group Discussion with 10 participants, who participated in the initial face-to-face interviews. The data sets collected were analyzed thematically. It emerged that the barriers to community participation in the study area were student, teacher, management, and community-related. The study, theretofore, concluded, among others, that several factors, including teacher professionalism and parents’ reluctance to attend meetings organized by the schools to engage teachers, served as barriers to school community participation in the administration of the schools. To promote greater community participation in the school’s administration, the study recommended that the authorities of the Ghana Education Service, especially the School Improvement Support Officers and the Training Officer in the Circuit, should collaborate with schools to re-orient the key stakeholders on community participation. The education authorities should also organize sensitization and education programmes that focus on the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders for greater participation in the administration of the schools
Downloads
References
Addae-Boahene, A. (2007). Ghana: Aid effectiveness and the education sector: Implications for civil society (1). Accra: Alliance.
Anon, (2015a). Every school a good school. Retrieved June 20, 2016, from https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/education-system/every-school-a-goodschool.
Babbie, E., & Mouton, J. (2001). The practice of social research. Oxford University.
Bekoe, K., & Quartey, E. F. (2013). Assessing community participation in promoting JHS at the Akorley District Assembly basic school in the Yilo Krobo Municipality-Eastern Region-Ghana. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(7) 124-134.
Bogdan, C. R., & Biklen, K. S. (2003). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theory and methods (4th ed.). Pearson Education Group, Inc.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education, (6th ed.). Routledge Falmer
Creswell, J.W. & Creswell, J.D. (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage.
Creswell, J. W. (2005). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3 ed.). Sage Publications.
District Education Oversight Committee Report (2018). Education Sector Performance Report. Ministry of Education, Ghana.
Epstein, J. L. (2010). School, family and community partnerships: preparing educators and improving schools. Westview Press.
Epstein, J. L. (2001). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Westview Press.
Epstein, J. L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships. Caring For the Children We Share, 8(6), 701-712.
Esia-Donkoh, K. (2014). Attaining school and educational goals: Duties of headteachers of public basic schools in Ghana. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(1), 64-72.
Esia-Donkoh,K., Abani, A. M., & Esia-Donkoh, K. (2011). The plight of working children at Mankessim, Ghana. Ghana Journal of Geography, 3. 173-197.
Harriet T., Anin E. K., & Yussif, K. A. (2013). The level of stakeholders’ participation in the district education strategic planning towards quality basic education: The case of Salaga Town Council of Ghana. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(14), 95-102.
Kumar, P., Dennis, A., Guloba, A., Kambole, K., & Tiwari, S. (2012). Education for all and multi-grade teaching: challenges and opportunities. Springer.
Kusi, H. (2008). Managing junior secondary schools in Sunyani municipality: the challenges of head teachers and their professional development needs. Doctoral thesis. University of Leicester.
Kusi, H. (2012). Doing qualitative research: A guide for researchers. Emmpong Press, Accra.
Kusi, H. (2017). Leading and managing people in education. Emmpong Press, Accra.
Marshall, C., & Rossman, B. G. (2011). Designing qualitative research, (5th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis (2nd ed.). SAGE.
Ministry of Education. (2003). Head teacher’s handbook. GES/MOE.
Mojsovsja K. T. (2006), Semejnoto vospituvanje i socialnoto odnesuvanje na decata, Skopje, (p. 118).
Naidoo, J., & Kong, P. (2003). Improving education management in the context of decentralization in Africa. Paper presented at the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Biennial Meeting 2003, Grand Baie, Mauritius.
Namphande, P. N. W. (2007). Choice or deprivation? Primary school dropouts in Malawi: The case of Kasungu District. NTNU: Trondheim.
Pailwar, V. K. & Mahajan, V. (2005). Janshala in Jharkhand: An experiment with community involvement in education. International Education Journal, 6(3), 373-385.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and methods. Sage Publications.
School Performance Appraisal Meeting (2018). Education sector performance report. Ministry of Education, Ghana.
Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22, 63-75.
Stake, R. E. (2000). The case study method in social inquiry’. In Gomm, R., Hammersley, M. and Foster, P. (eds.) Case-study method. London: Sage Publications.
Uemura, M. (1999a). Community participation: What do we know? World Bank.
Watt, P. (2001). Community support for JHS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Region Human Development Working Paper Series, the World Bank. URL:http://www.worldbank.org/afr/hd/wps/precommunityfinal.pdf
Williams, J. H. (1994). The role of the community in education: The forum for advancing JHS and literacy. Harvard Institute for International Development. World Bank.
World Bank. (1996). Staff appraisal report, republic of Ghana JHS sector improvement program. IBRD Report No.28045-GH.
Yin, R. K., (1994). Case study research design and methods: Applied social research and methods series (2nd ed.). Sage Publications Inc.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hinneh Kusi, PhD, Sara Essuh-Atsim, Kweku Esia-Donkoh, PhD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
