Investigating teachers' experience and self-efficacy beliefs across gender in implementing the new standards-based curriculum in Ghana

Abstract

The introduction of the new standards-based curriculum in Ghana required teachers to make adjustments, including teaching routines. Despite the challenges encountered in the introduction of this new curriculum, its passage was successful. Previous studies have revealed mixed reactions from teachers and how their experiences affect their efficacy during the implementation stage. This study examined whether teachers' experiences and self-efficacy beliefs influenced the implementation of the new curriculum reforms across gender in Ghana. The cluster sampling technique was used to survey 693 basic school teachers who responded to a questionnaire. Descriptive and regression-based inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. A preliminary assessment showed that teachers exhibited a moderate-to-high level of teaching efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategy, and classroom management. Furthermore, the study also revealed that teaching experience was positively related to efficacy. However, gender significantly moderated the relationship between teaching experience and teachers' efficacy in student engagement as well as teaching experience and efficacy in student engagement. Findings imply that even though teachers may be more likely to plan and deliver pedagogical content and carry out instructional activities, their sense of efficacy in managing their classroom is questionable. Emphasizing teaching experience in improving their efficacy in curriculum implementation is key, especially among female teachers. Programs or capacity-building training workshops that seek to improve teachers' ability to manage the classroom environment should be organized regularly to promote effective curriculum implementation.

Adaptation and Validation of the Academic Stress Scale in the Italian Context: Latent Structure, Reliability, and Concurrent Validity

“…As with any validation study, it involved several research steps (e.g., sample size planning, data collection and analysis, statistical evaluation of reliability and validity). This is in line with the most recent scientific literature on the subject, i.e., [133][134][135][136], although there is a prevalence of the use of cross-sectional research designs in validation studies, i.e., [137][138][139]. It should be emphasized that cross-sectional studies make it possible to define and examine the predominance and distribution of a population phenomenon at a particular moment [136,140], whereas the validation study as a research design makes it possible to assess the psychometric characteristics of a measurement instrument [136,141].…”

Institutional factors and curriculum fidelity in vocational training centres in Kampala City, Uganda

“…This finding is supported by the findings of previous scholars. For instance, Agormedah et al (2022), Aytaç (2021), Bumen et al (2014), Clayback et al (2022), Cobanoglu and Capa-Aydin (2015, LaChausse et al (2014), andThierry et al (2022) that reported that instructors teaching self-efficacy had a significant positive relationship with curriculum fidelity. However, the finding was contrary to Clayback et al (2022), who reported that the relationship between the two variables was insignificant.…”

“…Therefore, instructors with high self-efficacy are likely to ensure curriculum fidelity. Scholars (Agormedah et al, 2022;Aytaç, 2021;Bumen et al, 2014;Clayback et al, 2022;Cobanoglu & Capa-Aydin, 2015;LaChausse et al, 2014;Thierry et al, 2022) studied the association between instructors teaching self-efficacy and curriculum fidelity. However, the studies revealed contextual and empirical gaps.…”

“…However, the studies revealed contextual and empirical gaps. Contextually, except for the study by Agormedah et al (2022) done in primary schools in Ghana, all the studies were skewed outside educational institutions in Africa. Hence, the association between instructors' self-efficacy and curriculum fidelity has been less explored in educational institutions in Africa.…”

Revalidation of Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale using Ghanaian in‐service teachers: Multidimensional item response theory with factor analyses

“…In Ghana, for instance, several studies have adapted and used the TSES to investigate efficacy beliefs in the implementation of the various educational and curriculum reforms in the country to ascertain in‐service teachers' (i.e., practicing teachers) teaching efficacy (see Agormedah, Ankomah, et al, 2022; Arko, 2021; Bassah, 2021; Boateng & Sekyere, 2018; Cobbold & Boateng, 2015, 2016; Ntarmah, 2019; Ntarmah et al, 2019; Yidana & Ntarmah, 2016). However, to date, very little is known about the psychometric properties of the TSES in Ghana.…”