This study explored gender differences in stressors experienced by teacher education students at the University of Ghana, and adaptation stratagems they might utilise to manage stress. In 2018–2019 academic year, a total of two hundred and seventy (270) second- and third-year students were selected using random sampling procedure to respond to closed-ended and open-ended questions in a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire was adapted from Dental Environmental Stress (DES) to measure stressors students encounter and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE) to measure students’ coping stratagems they might use to minimise their stress levels (Folkman & Lazarus, 1984). It was pre-tested to learners of the faculty of education at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, to ensure the reliability and validity of the statements. The findings show that the students use multiple strategies, such as praying/meditating and self-distracting activities to cope with stress. Although, females had higher overall perceived stress levels regarding encountered academic stressors and health stressors, the difference between genders was insignificant. Similarly, females had a higher perception of stress from psychosocial stressors when likened to males, however, the difference between genders was also insignificant. Regarding perceived coping stratagems, females utilised adaptive coping stratagems whilst males utilised maladaptive and avoidance coping stratagems although the difference between genders was also not significant. The study recommended among others that males be urged to likewise utilise increasingly adaptive strategies to control strain.

This research examined the stressors that teacher education students of the University of Ghana usually encounter and the coping stratagems that they frequently embrace. Random sampling technique was employed to select 270 s and third year undergraduate students in 2018/2019 academic year to answer a survey questionnaire with closed-ended and open-ended questions. Dental Environmental Stress (DES) questionnaire on stressors was adapted whereas coping stratagems that might be utilised by students to minimise stress was measured using an adapted form of the Brief COPE. The outcomes of the research revealed that 'working to meet scholastic requirements", "inadequate supply of power and water in halls", and "changes in eating and sleeping habits", were three major stressors experienced by teacher education students. Furthermore, learners utilised numerous approaches, such as praying or meditating, and self-diverting actions as coping strategies. Learners also used more adaptive coping strategies, than maladaptive and avoidance coping strategies. Overall, resident students were found to be more stressed than non-resident students. Again, this study revealed that resident

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of implementation of inquiry-based science teaching and learning in Ghanaian junior high schools. We sampled 503 students, 18 integrated science teachers, and 23 educational administrators from rural and urban areas of four districts and municipalities in the Central Region of Ghana. We used concurrent triangulation mixed methods design to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Validities, reliabilities, credibility, and dependability of the instruments were adequate. Average item means and standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, ANOVAs, Two-way MANOVA, principal component analysis, and Cronbach alphas were calculated. Thematic analysis was also conducted. We found rare implementation of inquiry-based science teaching and learning in the selected Ghanaian junior high schools. We also found significant interaction of school location and school type on the implementation of inquiry-based science instruction. Specifically, we found that codeswitching of English and the local language significantly promoted the implementation of social aspect of inquiry in rural schools. We recommend more reforms in science teaching and learning in Ghanaian junior high schools to be aligned with the features of inquiry. We also recommend that code-switching of English and the local language be actively promoted in schools, especially in rural and public junior high schools.

This study sought to examine whether teachers’ and educational administrators’ conceptions of inquiry promote or constrain inquiry-based science teaching in junior high schools. The study also explored any connections between participants’ conceptions of scientific inquiry, inquiry teaching, and inquiry learning. Multiple-case study involving semi-structured interviews was used to collect data from 18 integrated science teachers and 23 educational administrators from rural and urban areas in the Central Region of Ghana. Analysis of the qualitative data involved open coding and categorisation of participants’ responses. We found that all the teachers and educational administrators held either uninformed or partially informed conceptions of scientific inquiry and inquiry teaching and learning which, constrain inquiry-based science instruction in junior high schools. We also found that participants’ conceptions of scientific inquiry reflected in their conceptions of science teaching and learning. Again, we found that the uninformed conceptions of inquiry developed from participants’ lack of exposure and experiences with inquiry-based science instruction when they were students. We recommend regular explicit-reflective in-service trainings to promote teachers’ and educational administrators’ conceptions and teachers’ practice of inquiry-based science teaching. We also recommend reforms in preservice science education that emphasise the engagement of prospective teachers in collaborative explicit-reflective inquiry investigations and instructional practices.

This study sought to examine whether junior high school teachers’ attitudes are enabling or disabling dispositions toward inquiry-based science teaching. We used concurrent triangulation mixed methods design involving surveys and multiple case studies to collect quantitative and qualitative data. We sampled 308 integrated science teachers and a subsample of 18 teachers from junior high schools in urban and rural areas. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were satisfactory for research. Credibility and dependability of the semi-structured interview schedule were also sufficient. Findings suggest that most junior high school teachers in the study context hold weak unfavourable attitudes that are disabling dispositions toward inquiry-based science teaching. Findings also suggest that the combination of societal subjective norms, perceived context dependency, and weak unfavourable attitudes of most junior high school teachers adversely influence their intentions and behaviours toward inquiry-based science teaching. Findings further suggest that most teachers in the study context developed weak unfavourable attitudes partly because they never had inquiry-based science teaching and learning experiences when they were students. Again, the teachers developed weak general attitudes toward science teaching partly because most science teaching and learning experiences they had were in specific subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics instead of general (integrated) science. We recommend frequent attitude-focused inquiry-based science in-service trainings for junior high school teachers. We also recommend reforms in education that engages preservice teachers in attitude-focused inquiry-based science teaching and learning experiences.