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Papers by cosmas cobbold
... Cosmas Cobbold ... It is now generally recognized as a critical component of a comprehensive ... more ... Cosmas Cobbold ... It is now generally recognized as a critical component of a comprehensive approach to teacher development. Increasingly, policy makers are focusing on induction programs as part of broader educational reform initiatives (Humphrey et al., 2000). ...
United Nations University, 2009
provided support for the translation of documents. The UNU Office of Communications managed copy ... more provided support for the translation of documents. The UNU Office of Communications managed copy editing and overall coordination of the design, production, and printing of the report, with the support and assistance of Mori Design Inc. (and, most specifically, Haruki Mori).
In Ghana and many African countries, students in tertiary education institutions are less familia... more In Ghana and many African countries, students in tertiary education institutions are less familiar with qualitative research methodologies, despite the legion literature on this subject and its popularity in western higher education institutions. In this paper, I share my experience on how I engaged with methodological issues in a qualitative study which I conducted. The paper seeks to demonstrate that despite the apparently messy nature of qualitative research, its characteristics, principles and defining canons are translatable from theory to practice, from rhetoric to reality, and from the pages of textbooks to the pragmatics of research. The paper aims to provide insights to novice researchers who have interest in qualitative research methodologies but feel hesitant to apply them. Hopefully, the fears of such researchers would be allayed and they would be emboldened to venture into this exciting and excellent area of research.
This study was designed to examine the perception of curriculum leaders and teachers on feedback ... more This study was designed to examine the perception of curriculum leaders and teachers on feedback and conditions essential for effective supervision in Senior High Schools in the Assin North Municipality of Ghana. Descriptive survey was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling procedure was employed to select 44 curriculum leaders and convenient sampling procedure was employed to select 120 teachers for the study. Questionnaire was used to elicit responses from both curriculum leaders and teachers. Mainly, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Frequency and percentages in tables were adopted to present various perceptions held by curriculum leaders and teachers on curriculum supervision. The research revealed that effective curriculum supervision thrives on both supervisors and supervisees keeping records of all formal, as well as informal supervision sessions and providing immediate feedback. It was recommended that since feedback is necessary in curriculu...
Journal of Education and Practice, 2015
Today almost every worker claims to be a professional and their occupation a profession. To teach... more Today almost every worker claims to be a professional and their occupation a profession. To teachers the question of professionalism is very important; it influences the quality of education they provide for children as well as the quality of their lives as teachers. Yet, how professionalism is defined and what constitute a profession have been sites of academic and ideological struggle between union leaders, bureaucrats and academics played out in a variety of settings. This paper reports on a study that investigated teachers’ conception of professionalism and profession. It examined teachers’ views of themselves as professionals and of teaching as a profession. The research adopted a descriptive survey approach. Evidence was gathered through administering questionnaire to teachers who had undergone pre-service professional training at bachelor’s degree level, taught for at least three years and were upgrading their professional qualification to master’s degree level. It was found ...
The Academic Leadership Journal, 2011
Journal of Culture, Society and Development, 2015
In Ghana and many African countries, students in tertiary education institutions are less familia... more In Ghana and many African countries, students in tertiary education institutions are less familiar with qualitative research methodologies, despite the legion literature on this subject and its popularity in western higher education institutions. In this paper, I share my experience on how I engaged with methodological issues in a qualitative study which I conducted. The paper seeks to demonstrate that despite the apparently messy nature of qualitative research, its characteristics, principles and defining canons are translatable from theory to practice, from rhetoric to reality, and from the pages of textbooks to the pragmatics of research. The paper aims to provide insights to novice researchers who have interest in qualitative research methodologies but feel hesitant to apply them. Hopefully, the fears of such researchers would be allayed and they would be emboldened to venture into this exciting and excellent area of research. Keywords: Credibility, positivism, post-positivism, ...
Research on humanities and social sciences, 2015
The study empirically investigated what career anchors were dominant among Ghanaian teachers, and... more The study empirically investigated what career anchors were dominant among Ghanaian teachers, and whether the teachers’ career orientations significantly influenced their turnover intentions. The study employed the quantitative survey design and sampled 297 teachers (141 males, 156 females) from basic schools (year 1-9) and senior high schools (year 10-12). The average age of the participants was 31.4 years. Two sets of standardized instruments – Schein’s 8-factor Career Orientations Inventory and the 3-item Turnover Intention Scale from the Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire were adapted to collect data for the study. The data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found that, of the eight measures of the Career Orientations Inventory, service and dedication to a cause, entrepreneurial creativity and functional competence were the most dominant among the teachers. Concerning the influence of the various career anchor measures on turnov...
Research on humanities and social sciences, 2017
The process of translating curriculum intentions into practice, that is to say moving from page t... more The process of translating curriculum intentions into practice, that is to say moving from page to playground, is acknowledged by curriculum experts as the most critical phase of the educational change process. It often is fraught with challenges and constraints which, if not handled expeditiously, lead to implementation failure – a characteristic of most innovations and reforms in education. Drawing on the literature on curriculum implementation and using evidence from curriculum implementation studies conducted in Ghana, this paper argues that the main reasons for the failure of educational programme implementation in the country appear to be the lack of appreciation by both experts outside the school system and educators in the system of the practical imperatives and implications of the phenomenon of curriculum implementation, and, consequently, the inability to address these at the point of need. The paper further traces the roots of many of the problems that have confronted the...
The Academic Leadership Journal, 2011
International Journal of Research in Commerce, IT and Management, 2013
This study examined the functions and practices of curriculum supervision among curriculum leader... more This study examined the functions and practices of curriculum supervision among curriculum leaders and teachers in Senior High Schools in the Assin North Municipality of Ghana. Quantitatively, descriptive survey was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling procedure was employed to select 44 curriculum leaders and convenient sampling procedure was employed to select 120 teachers for the study. Questionnaire was used to collect data from both curriculum leaders and teachers. Data were analyzed into frequencies and percentages. It was realized that there is a strong consensus among curriculum leaders and teachers on the premise that the major purposes of curriculum supervision include monitoring performance, sharing information and solving problems. It was recommended that the procedure to be used by the supervisors should be discussed with, and agreed upon by the supervisees.
Public Policy and Administration Research, 2015
Work is essential and provides a number of psychological experiences that promote mental well-bei... more Work is essential and provides a number of psychological experiences that promote mental well-being individuals, aside the financial gain. This study explored how the inner drives, motive and values of the teachers affect their work experiences. When there a fit between the personal resources of the teachers and their job demands, they are more likely to have fulfilled and satisfying work experience, which would boost their satisfaction in life. The study involved a sample of 297 professional teachers from the basic and Senior High Schools from the Cape Coast and Tema Metropolises of the Central and the Greater Accra regions respectively. The design employed for the study was quantitative survey. The data for the study were collected within three weeks at the two metropolises. Both descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used to analyse the data. The results indicate that the carer orientation of Ghanaian teachers significantly predict their career/life satisfaction. Serv...
Journal of Education and Practice, 2015
The problem of getting sufficient numbers of qualified teachers to staff classrooms is one of the... more The problem of getting sufficient numbers of qualified teachers to staff classrooms is one of the most significant public policy issues facing many countries. In Ghana, the problem of teacher shortage has been a perennial one, necessitated by educational expansion as well as adverse socio-economic and political circumstances, and exacerbated by high attrition rate. Efforts to find a solution are still ongoing. This paper aims to contribute to the search for solutions to the teacher shortage problem in Ghana. The paper takes the view that before education policy makers think about whether to recruit more teachers or retain existing teachers, it is important that they clearly understand the complex nature of the phenomenon of teacher shortage. The paper, therefore, reconceptualises the phenomenon of teacher shortage, clarifying it by disentangling and explicating its constituent variables. It also discusses various policy options for addressing teacher shortages, and indicates the imp...
International Journal of African and Asian Studies, 2015
Debates about the major causes of teacher shortage have centered on issues such as insufficient n... more Debates about the major causes of teacher shortage have centered on issues such as insufficient numbers of people preparing to teach, early attrition of those in the teaching pool and increased student enrolments and teacher retirements. While each of these factors may be particularly significant in a given country and at a given time, there is evidence that in Ghana and many countries currently facing a teacher shortage problem, attrition, that is, those teachers who leave the profession for reasons other than retirement, is the driving force. Yet, issues pertaining to teacher retention have received little attention in teacher education policy in Ghana. This paper surveys and presents a comprehensive review of the literature on teacher attrition and retention. The paper aims to identify cues and pointers that could inform policies of retaining qualified teachers in the classrooms of Ghana and other countries experiencing disturbing rates of teacher attrition. Key w ords : Attritio...
The influence of teacher efficacy beliefs on children’s cognitive achievements and success at sch... more The influence of teacher efficacy beliefs on children’s cognitive achievements and success at school is accepted among educators internationally and well established in the literature. Yet, teachers’ sense of efficacy beliefs in the various aspects of their work at different levels of the education system continues to be investigated by researchers. Within the context of a developing country implementing a new curriculum, this study explores the efficacy beliefs of kindergarten teachers regarding instructional practices. Using an eight-point Likert-type survey questionnaire, the efficacy beliefs of 299 public and private kindergarten teachers in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana with respect to instructional practices are examined. Research findings indicate that kindergarten teachers in the metropolis have high efficacy beliefs in instructional practices. No statistically significant difference was found in the efficacy beliefs in instructional practices of public and private kinderga...
Journal of Education and Practice, 2016
The objective of the study was to investigate kindergarten teachers’ efficacy beliefs in classroo... more The objective of the study was to investigate kindergarten teachers’ efficacy beliefs in classroom management. The sample size was 299 teachers drawn from both public and private kindergarten schools in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. The efficacy beliefs of the teachers with respect to their classroom management practices were measured on a six-point Likert agreement survey questionnaire. Findings from the study indicated that kindergarten teachers in the study area had high efficacy beliefs in classroom management practices. No statistically significant difference was found in the efficacy beliefs in classroom management practices of trained and untrained kindergarten teachers, and of public and private kindergarten teachers. The study drew the conclusion that the professional status of the teachers (i.e. whether they were trained or untrained) and their institutional placement (i.e. whether they taught in a public or private school) were not important influential factors in the t...
International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research
The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence Senior High School (SHS) econ... more The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence Senior High School (SHS) economics students' use of learning strategies. We conducted the study using 668 final year economics students drawn from 24 public and private SHSs in the Central Region of Ghana. A questionnaire was used to collect data, which was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results showed that learning style and teaching method influence students' choice of cognitive learning strategies. Also, learning styles, teaching method, motivation to study the subject, and student-status significantly influence students' use of metacognitive strategies. Finally, the study showed that learning style, teaching method, motivation, student-status, and school-type significantly explain variability in resource management learning strategies of Economics students. The study, therefore, suggested that teachers should adopt practices that actively engage students in a class. Also, teachers, heads, and parents of students should motivate students to develop an interest in studying economics. Also, the study recommended that government and school authorities should formulate and implement policies that provide similar learning opportunities for day and boarding students since all students irrespective of their status, require equal opportunities to unearth their learning potentials. Finally, based on the findings, a conceptual model was developed to enhance learner autonomy through the use of metacognitive strategies.
International Journal of African and Asian Studies, 2015
... Cosmas Cobbold ... It is now generally recognized as a critical component of a comprehensive ... more ... Cosmas Cobbold ... It is now generally recognized as a critical component of a comprehensive approach to teacher development. Increasingly, policy makers are focusing on induction programs as part of broader educational reform initiatives (Humphrey et al., 2000). ...
United Nations University, 2009
provided support for the translation of documents. The UNU Office of Communications managed copy ... more provided support for the translation of documents. The UNU Office of Communications managed copy editing and overall coordination of the design, production, and printing of the report, with the support and assistance of Mori Design Inc. (and, most specifically, Haruki Mori).
In Ghana and many African countries, students in tertiary education institutions are less familia... more In Ghana and many African countries, students in tertiary education institutions are less familiar with qualitative research methodologies, despite the legion literature on this subject and its popularity in western higher education institutions. In this paper, I share my experience on how I engaged with methodological issues in a qualitative study which I conducted. The paper seeks to demonstrate that despite the apparently messy nature of qualitative research, its characteristics, principles and defining canons are translatable from theory to practice, from rhetoric to reality, and from the pages of textbooks to the pragmatics of research. The paper aims to provide insights to novice researchers who have interest in qualitative research methodologies but feel hesitant to apply them. Hopefully, the fears of such researchers would be allayed and they would be emboldened to venture into this exciting and excellent area of research.
This study was designed to examine the perception of curriculum leaders and teachers on feedback ... more This study was designed to examine the perception of curriculum leaders and teachers on feedback and conditions essential for effective supervision in Senior High Schools in the Assin North Municipality of Ghana. Descriptive survey was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling procedure was employed to select 44 curriculum leaders and convenient sampling procedure was employed to select 120 teachers for the study. Questionnaire was used to elicit responses from both curriculum leaders and teachers. Mainly, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Frequency and percentages in tables were adopted to present various perceptions held by curriculum leaders and teachers on curriculum supervision. The research revealed that effective curriculum supervision thrives on both supervisors and supervisees keeping records of all formal, as well as informal supervision sessions and providing immediate feedback. It was recommended that since feedback is necessary in curriculu...
Journal of Education and Practice, 2015
Today almost every worker claims to be a professional and their occupation a profession. To teach... more Today almost every worker claims to be a professional and their occupation a profession. To teachers the question of professionalism is very important; it influences the quality of education they provide for children as well as the quality of their lives as teachers. Yet, how professionalism is defined and what constitute a profession have been sites of academic and ideological struggle between union leaders, bureaucrats and academics played out in a variety of settings. This paper reports on a study that investigated teachers’ conception of professionalism and profession. It examined teachers’ views of themselves as professionals and of teaching as a profession. The research adopted a descriptive survey approach. Evidence was gathered through administering questionnaire to teachers who had undergone pre-service professional training at bachelor’s degree level, taught for at least three years and were upgrading their professional qualification to master’s degree level. It was found ...
The Academic Leadership Journal, 2011
Journal of Culture, Society and Development, 2015
In Ghana and many African countries, students in tertiary education institutions are less familia... more In Ghana and many African countries, students in tertiary education institutions are less familiar with qualitative research methodologies, despite the legion literature on this subject and its popularity in western higher education institutions. In this paper, I share my experience on how I engaged with methodological issues in a qualitative study which I conducted. The paper seeks to demonstrate that despite the apparently messy nature of qualitative research, its characteristics, principles and defining canons are translatable from theory to practice, from rhetoric to reality, and from the pages of textbooks to the pragmatics of research. The paper aims to provide insights to novice researchers who have interest in qualitative research methodologies but feel hesitant to apply them. Hopefully, the fears of such researchers would be allayed and they would be emboldened to venture into this exciting and excellent area of research. Keywords: Credibility, positivism, post-positivism, ...
Research on humanities and social sciences, 2015
The study empirically investigated what career anchors were dominant among Ghanaian teachers, and... more The study empirically investigated what career anchors were dominant among Ghanaian teachers, and whether the teachers’ career orientations significantly influenced their turnover intentions. The study employed the quantitative survey design and sampled 297 teachers (141 males, 156 females) from basic schools (year 1-9) and senior high schools (year 10-12). The average age of the participants was 31.4 years. Two sets of standardized instruments – Schein’s 8-factor Career Orientations Inventory and the 3-item Turnover Intention Scale from the Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire were adapted to collect data for the study. The data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found that, of the eight measures of the Career Orientations Inventory, service and dedication to a cause, entrepreneurial creativity and functional competence were the most dominant among the teachers. Concerning the influence of the various career anchor measures on turnov...
Research on humanities and social sciences, 2017
The process of translating curriculum intentions into practice, that is to say moving from page t... more The process of translating curriculum intentions into practice, that is to say moving from page to playground, is acknowledged by curriculum experts as the most critical phase of the educational change process. It often is fraught with challenges and constraints which, if not handled expeditiously, lead to implementation failure – a characteristic of most innovations and reforms in education. Drawing on the literature on curriculum implementation and using evidence from curriculum implementation studies conducted in Ghana, this paper argues that the main reasons for the failure of educational programme implementation in the country appear to be the lack of appreciation by both experts outside the school system and educators in the system of the practical imperatives and implications of the phenomenon of curriculum implementation, and, consequently, the inability to address these at the point of need. The paper further traces the roots of many of the problems that have confronted the...
The Academic Leadership Journal, 2011
International Journal of Research in Commerce, IT and Management, 2013
This study examined the functions and practices of curriculum supervision among curriculum leader... more This study examined the functions and practices of curriculum supervision among curriculum leaders and teachers in Senior High Schools in the Assin North Municipality of Ghana. Quantitatively, descriptive survey was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling procedure was employed to select 44 curriculum leaders and convenient sampling procedure was employed to select 120 teachers for the study. Questionnaire was used to collect data from both curriculum leaders and teachers. Data were analyzed into frequencies and percentages. It was realized that there is a strong consensus among curriculum leaders and teachers on the premise that the major purposes of curriculum supervision include monitoring performance, sharing information and solving problems. It was recommended that the procedure to be used by the supervisors should be discussed with, and agreed upon by the supervisees.
Public Policy and Administration Research, 2015
Work is essential and provides a number of psychological experiences that promote mental well-bei... more Work is essential and provides a number of psychological experiences that promote mental well-being individuals, aside the financial gain. This study explored how the inner drives, motive and values of the teachers affect their work experiences. When there a fit between the personal resources of the teachers and their job demands, they are more likely to have fulfilled and satisfying work experience, which would boost their satisfaction in life. The study involved a sample of 297 professional teachers from the basic and Senior High Schools from the Cape Coast and Tema Metropolises of the Central and the Greater Accra regions respectively. The design employed for the study was quantitative survey. The data for the study were collected within three weeks at the two metropolises. Both descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used to analyse the data. The results indicate that the carer orientation of Ghanaian teachers significantly predict their career/life satisfaction. Serv...
Journal of Education and Practice, 2015
The problem of getting sufficient numbers of qualified teachers to staff classrooms is one of the... more The problem of getting sufficient numbers of qualified teachers to staff classrooms is one of the most significant public policy issues facing many countries. In Ghana, the problem of teacher shortage has been a perennial one, necessitated by educational expansion as well as adverse socio-economic and political circumstances, and exacerbated by high attrition rate. Efforts to find a solution are still ongoing. This paper aims to contribute to the search for solutions to the teacher shortage problem in Ghana. The paper takes the view that before education policy makers think about whether to recruit more teachers or retain existing teachers, it is important that they clearly understand the complex nature of the phenomenon of teacher shortage. The paper, therefore, reconceptualises the phenomenon of teacher shortage, clarifying it by disentangling and explicating its constituent variables. It also discusses various policy options for addressing teacher shortages, and indicates the imp...
International Journal of African and Asian Studies, 2015
Debates about the major causes of teacher shortage have centered on issues such as insufficient n... more Debates about the major causes of teacher shortage have centered on issues such as insufficient numbers of people preparing to teach, early attrition of those in the teaching pool and increased student enrolments and teacher retirements. While each of these factors may be particularly significant in a given country and at a given time, there is evidence that in Ghana and many countries currently facing a teacher shortage problem, attrition, that is, those teachers who leave the profession for reasons other than retirement, is the driving force. Yet, issues pertaining to teacher retention have received little attention in teacher education policy in Ghana. This paper surveys and presents a comprehensive review of the literature on teacher attrition and retention. The paper aims to identify cues and pointers that could inform policies of retaining qualified teachers in the classrooms of Ghana and other countries experiencing disturbing rates of teacher attrition. Key w ords : Attritio...
The influence of teacher efficacy beliefs on children’s cognitive achievements and success at sch... more The influence of teacher efficacy beliefs on children’s cognitive achievements and success at school is accepted among educators internationally and well established in the literature. Yet, teachers’ sense of efficacy beliefs in the various aspects of their work at different levels of the education system continues to be investigated by researchers. Within the context of a developing country implementing a new curriculum, this study explores the efficacy beliefs of kindergarten teachers regarding instructional practices. Using an eight-point Likert-type survey questionnaire, the efficacy beliefs of 299 public and private kindergarten teachers in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana with respect to instructional practices are examined. Research findings indicate that kindergarten teachers in the metropolis have high efficacy beliefs in instructional practices. No statistically significant difference was found in the efficacy beliefs in instructional practices of public and private kinderga...
Journal of Education and Practice, 2016
The objective of the study was to investigate kindergarten teachers’ efficacy beliefs in classroo... more The objective of the study was to investigate kindergarten teachers’ efficacy beliefs in classroom management. The sample size was 299 teachers drawn from both public and private kindergarten schools in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. The efficacy beliefs of the teachers with respect to their classroom management practices were measured on a six-point Likert agreement survey questionnaire. Findings from the study indicated that kindergarten teachers in the study area had high efficacy beliefs in classroom management practices. No statistically significant difference was found in the efficacy beliefs in classroom management practices of trained and untrained kindergarten teachers, and of public and private kindergarten teachers. The study drew the conclusion that the professional status of the teachers (i.e. whether they were trained or untrained) and their institutional placement (i.e. whether they taught in a public or private school) were not important influential factors in the t...
International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research
The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence Senior High School (SHS) econ... more The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence Senior High School (SHS) economics students' use of learning strategies. We conducted the study using 668 final year economics students drawn from 24 public and private SHSs in the Central Region of Ghana. A questionnaire was used to collect data, which was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results showed that learning style and teaching method influence students' choice of cognitive learning strategies. Also, learning styles, teaching method, motivation to study the subject, and student-status significantly influence students' use of metacognitive strategies. Finally, the study showed that learning style, teaching method, motivation, student-status, and school-type significantly explain variability in resource management learning strategies of Economics students. The study, therefore, suggested that teachers should adopt practices that actively engage students in a class. Also, teachers, heads, and parents of students should motivate students to develop an interest in studying economics. Also, the study recommended that government and school authorities should formulate and implement policies that provide similar learning opportunities for day and boarding students since all students irrespective of their status, require equal opportunities to unearth their learning potentials. Finally, based on the findings, a conceptual model was developed to enhance learner autonomy through the use of metacognitive strategies.
International Journal of African and Asian Studies, 2015