A Critical Discourse Analysis of Doctor Dickson Tsey’s Speech on Quality Teacher Education in the 21st Century

Abstract

Aim: Socio-education drives the growth and development of contemporary societies. Quality teacher education greatly influenced learning outcomes. The study aimed at exploring how language was employed to call for strategic partnership in the production of quality teachers in a speech by Doctor Dickson Tsey. Methods: The study employed qualitative method specifically the critical discourse analysis to analyze Doctor Dickson Tsey’s speech. Results: The study found out that frequent use of simple present tense articulated the real issues of quality teacher education during the speech delivery. It was obvious that the speaker identified himself as a stakeholder of quality teacher education due to his frequent use of we/us; pronouns in the speech. Doctor Dickson Tsey’s chose and used possessive adjectives such as my, our, your, his and her as modifiers in his speech to describe the ownership of AMECO. Figures of speech such as hyperbole, idiom, repetition and personification were used by Doctor Dickson Tsey to create mental images and sensory impressions for emotional effect and intensity. It was also found out that the speech called for stakeholders’ support for quality teachers’ education. Conclusion: The roles of strategic partners in providing quality teacher education cannot be underestimated. Stakeholders such as government, the church, traditional leaders, principals of colleges of education, alumni, staff and students were addressed by the speech suggesting that partnership is very crucial for quality teacher education in the 21st Century. Recommendations: The study recommend that Doctor Tsey’s speech should be considered by policy planners of education to enable them factor quality teacher education programmes into the country’s educational policies. Colleges of educations should incorporate quality teacher education activities into their carriculum to enhace their training. Stakeholders of teacher education should initiate programs to create awareness in the public on the need to support quality teacher education. There should also be unity among the stakehoders and the colleges since a strategic partnership cannot be built in the absence of strong collaboration and togetherness. This study shall serve as a basis for further research in areas that influence learning outcomes such as community-teacher relationship.