Action Research Writing: Outliving its Pedagogical Essence in Colleges of Education in Ghana

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VI, June 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Action Research Writing: Outliving its Pedagogical Essence in Colleges of Education in Ghana

Ruby Jecty^1*, Dr. Nana Kwaku Asiedu²

¹Tutor, Foso College of Education, Assin Foso, Central Region, Ghana
²Principal, Foso College of Education, Assin Foso, Central Region, Ghana
^*Corresponding author

Abstract: – The study used an adaptation of Susman’s Action Research Cycle model to evaluate action research writing in selected excellence award winning initial teacher education institution in Ghana. The study involved comparing performance data of the action research writing perceived by students and tutor supervisors to standards expected from Susman’s cycle design. Performance data was obtained by administering two survey instruments to a random sample of students and tutor supervisors. Discrepancies between performance and standards were reported. The study concluded that although action research standards expect that students report on perceived classroom learning needs per their reflective log and design innovative strategies to address them, they copy from already prepared reports, called “grandfather” thereby affecting professional and academic performance of a large number of both teachers and learners in the public schools in Ghana.The authors recommend that sp.

Key Words: – Action research, reflective log, establishing teaching, Intervention, supervisors.

I. INTRODUCTION

The initiative taken by the Ministry of Education to make action research a requirement for final year students of all initial teacher education institutions in Ghana, for obtaining a diploma in basic education to qualify them as teachers, was a laudable one as this research is a method used to improve professional reflective practice, as well as solve classroom related problems. This project, if genuinely done since its inception, must have eradicated teaching and learning related problems at the grassroots with minimal or no government intervention.
The student-teacher at this stage of his/her ‘establishing teaching’ experience, is driven by the need to understand why an identified learning need exists in the course of teaching, impeding against the learners natural flair of understanding a concept being taught.

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