More than 4,455 teachers have been trained under the Play Acceleration Project to strengthen their skills in using play-based approaches to improve teaching and learning in Ghana.
The 18-month project, implemented by Right To Play Ghana in partnership with the National Teaching Council (NTC), seeks to address gaps in the implementation of the Standard-Based Curriculum and promote the use of play-based approaches in classrooms.
Speaking at a blended Play-Based Learning Course in Accra, the Education Specialist at Right To Play Ghana, Mr Kwabena Gao, said the project was being implemented in three regions — Greater Accra, Volta and Northern — covering five districts in each region.
He said 2,565 teachers had completed the eight-week course, adding that teachers who regularly participated in the professional learning sessions were demonstrating improvements in applying play-based approaches in their classrooms.
Mr Gao said the project was delivered through a blended approach on the NTC’s Learning Management System to ensure that teachers in communities with limited internet access were not excluded.
He said an offline version of the course was also made available, allowing teachers to access learning materials on their mobile phones and upload completed assignments whenever they reached areas with internet connectivity.
Mr Gao said district course co-ordinators would continue to provide coaching and mentoring to participating teachers as schools reopened to sustain the gains made under the project.
He said the continued coaching and mentoring would help teachers translate the knowledge acquired from the training into classroom practice and ultimately improve learning outcomes.
The Director for Higher Education at the NTC, Dr Lawrence Sarpong, said the Council was engaging its management on ways to make access to the learning platforms sustainable, particularly for newly deployed teachers.
He said although teachers had recognised the relevance of the training and its connection to their work, the cost of providing access to all teachers remained a major challenge.
Dr Sarpong said the Council was considering staggering access to the platforms to enable teachers to periodically acquire new knowledge and skills without placing an excessive financial burden on the system.
He said such an approach would allow teachers to continue benefiting from professional development opportunities while making the system financially sustainable.
Dr Sarpong added that the NTC was also exploring ways to motivate teachers to complete courses they enrolled in, stressing that professional development should go beyond the accumulation of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.
He said the ultimate objective should be to ensure that the knowledge and skills acquired through professional development translated into improved teaching practices and better learning outcomes for pupils.
BY VINCENT DOH
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