GHANAIAN ESL TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CORE COMPETENCIES OF GHANA’S NEW ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

Abstract

Teachers play a pivotal role in the implementation of the Standard Based Curriculum (SBC) at the basic school level in Ghana. Scholars and educationists disagree over what comprises ESL instructors' beliefs, how ESL teachers' beliefs influence SBC implementation, and how teachers' beliefs differ by gender. Hence, this study conducted an in-depth investigation into the influence of ESL teachers’ beliefs on the development of pupils’ core competencies in the SBC and its gender implications. The study was guided by three research objectives and questions. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design was adopted. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 100 participants for the study. A questionnaire, a structured interview guide, and observation were adopted as research instruments for data collection. Findings of the study revealed that ESL teachers have varied beliefs about the development of core competencies. While some beliefs are positive, such as the need for skill and effectiveness in teaching, others are negative, such as the difficulty in developing digital literacy, classrooms that are frequently too large, additional training that should be provided, and teaching and Learning Materials (TLM) that are severely lacking. It was discovered that there are gender differences in how ESL teachers implement core competencies in the classroom. One major implication of the study is that the government and GES should increase collaboration and support for teachers through regular and effective training on various segments of the curriculum and ensure that resources are adequately provided for their use.

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