Data Collection

As a case study, this investigation includes multiple sources of evidence. In addition to primary data, which is discussed in this section, secondary data, such as national and district educational reports and statistics, were sought to complement this time-bound investigation.

4.7.1. Quantitative Approach

The main sources for quantitative approach are school census, survey, and teachers‟ attendance.

4.7.1.1. School Census

A district level census is conducted in schools during the first term of each academic year as part of an annual exercise of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports. For the year 2007/08 – the 20th census in the country‟s history – the form was distributed to schools in

December 2007 and collected by mid-January 2008 by the respective DEOs32. The school census is a holistic source of data on everything from enrolment to teachers and facilities. 4.7.1.2. Survey

Although the school census is holistic, the information it gathers on teachers is limited to qualifications, gender and age. Therefore, in order to generate data on teachers‟ profiles and obtain a general picture of their views about the job, it was necessary to conduct a survey. A self-administered questionnaire (see appendix B) containing both closed and open questions was sent out to all 1,318 basic (primary and junior secondary) school teachers in the two districts.

The questionnaire was developed in line with instruments used in similar research, which include those adopted by Bame (1991), Akyeampong and Asante (2005), Bennell and Akyeampong (2007), and Rodgers-Jenkinson and Chapman (1990).It contained questions on teachers‟ personal backgrounds and goals. An attempt was made to measure teachers‟ perceptions and levels of satisfaction towards the job using a Likert scale with five options: strongly disagree, disagree, no preference, agree and strongly agree. There were open- ended questions on reasons for becoming a teacher, goals and any further comments on basic school teaching in Ghana. At the end of the questionnaire, teachers were asked if they were willing to participate in an in-depth study for this research and, if so, they were requested to leave a name and contact number.

The same questionnaire form was used for both primary and JSS teachers, with the exception of two elements: JSS teachers were asked if they had taught at primary level previously; and primary school teachers were expected to provide information about the classes they taught, while JSS teachers were asked to identify which subjects they taught. A covering letter was attached to each questionnaire explaining who I was and why I was conducting this research. It also explicitly guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality. In addition, an envelope was provided for each teacher to submit the questionnaire to his or her head teacher in order to ensure that only I read what he or she had written.

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EMIS 2007/08 based on these data was not available by the end of the field research − at the end of the academic year 2007/08.

Head teachers were requested to administer questionnaires in all schools and received a large envelope containing the questionnaires and envelopes for their teachers. Not only his or her title, but the name of each head teacher was written on the front of the large envelope and also on an additional covering letter to him or her.

The questionnaire was piloted with 6 teachers at a primary school in Accra and later with 11 basic school (6 primary and 5 junior secondary) teachers in a rural community in Tamale Metropolis. Minor feedback from teachers consisted of the request for greater clarification in terms of wording, while a major complaint was its voluminous aspect. I noted their reactions, but decided to maintain the length of the questionnaire since the survey Bame (1991) utilised in a study of teacher motivation and perception in the late 1960s or early 70s33, which covered 1,400 trained elementary school teachers in all nine regionsof Ghana, was similarly voluminous, but achieved an 85% return rate. I thus felt that improving the clarity of some of the items the teachers had experienced difficulty in comprehending would compensate for the length of the questionnaire, as it would then be much easier for them to follow and respond to appropriately. In addition, teacher

motivation is a concept that involves a lot of variables; therefore, omitting questions would seem to affect the holistic aspect of the study.

Distribution and collection of questionnaires were carried out with the support of the DEO. The distribution of questionnaires to schools was made by their respective circuit

supervisors (CSs). Following Bame‟s (1991) success, head teachers were given this responsibility at school level. Head teachers were also expected to return all completed questionnaires to their respective circuit supervisors or take them to the District Education Office personally if they happened to be visiting the capital (for example, to collect salaries or obtain teaching and learning materials).

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Although Bame does not specify the exact date when the survey was conducted, the time span can be estimated since he mentions it was a part of his doctoral research.

The survey was conducted in Ponkujaku late in the first term, in early December 2007, and in Aumisoe, late in the second term, in late March 2008. Altogether, 1,318 questionnaires were sent out in the 2 districts and 847 (64.3%) were returned.

4.7.1.3. Teachers’ Attendance

The data were collected from teachers‟ attendance registries in the third (last) term of 2007/08− up to the end of July (almost the end of the third term) for Jamune and Lesanyili in Ponkujaku and up to the end of June (the middle of the third term) for Nakaose,

Manekanto, and Asonbwa in Aumisoe. The numbers of school days of first and second terms in case study schools were 64-74 days and 59-61 days respectively. Those of third term in Ponkujaku were 43-53 days, while those in Aumisoe were 31-34 days.

4.7.2. Qualitative Approach

In this study, the main qualitative analysis methods for exploring teachers‟ voices and experiences are ethnography (ethnographic research in this thesis) and the interview. 4.7.2.1. Ethnography (Ethnographic research)

For the five in-depth case studies of teachers‟ lives, ethnography was used as a method of data collection. As Hammersley and Atkinson (1995) suggest:

It involves the ethnographer participating, overtly or covertly, in people‟s lives for an extended period of time, watching what happens, listening to what is said, and asking questions − in fact, collecting whatever data are available to throw light on the issues that are focus of the research (p1).

I wanted my research to reflect, as far as possible, an insider‟s view of teachers‟ lives. With this aim in mind, I started my field research with a five-week cross-cultural course to better understand the nuances of participating in the host society. For the main part of my field research, I lived for one to three weeks in five communities to observe teachers and the events related to their lives which occurred at different times of the day, week, and in Ponkujaku‟s case, season. The characteristics of my research approach for the in-depth study is therefore consistent with ethnography as defined above by Hammersley and Atkinson (1995). I use the term ethnographic research for this aspect of my study in this thesis.

Initially, I planned to stay at each school for two to three weeks solidly. However, in the event, my stay in the communities took place in two phases, except in one instance. There were two main reasons for this arrangement. Firstly, there was some intrigue amongst the teachers as to whether I would enjoy staying with them in their communities or not; for example, they were not sure if I would like their food. Therefore, they proposed a shorter period as trial. Secondly, I wanted to observe the lifestyles of teachers, particularly in rainy season, since many teachers also work as farmers in their districts. The teachers I met in Ponkujaku during the dry season assured me that they would be much busier when the rainy season arrived. Therefore, I went back to Ponkujaku later, during the rainy season.

I stayed in four schools, each for 11 to 19 days, and another for 5 days, excluding the first day I visited that school and stayed for the whole day. I stayed in a teacher quarters (TQ) provided either by the government or the community except in Lesanyili, where I stayed in a community member‟s house. In general, the teachers with whom I stayed provided food. A summary of the logistical details of my ethnographic research is provided in table 11.

Table 11 Summary of ethnographic research

District School Season School term Period Days Total

Ponkuj

ak

u

Jamune Dry First 12/12/07-14/12/07 17/12/07-21/12/07 8 19 Second 28/01/08-30/01/08 11/02/08-14/02/08 7 Rainy Third 24/07/08-27/07/08 4 Lesanyili Dry Second 25/02/08-28/02/08 4

11 Rainy Third 17/07/08-23/07/08 7 A um isoe Nakaose Rainy Third 19/05/08-26/05/08 16/06/08-19/06/08 12 12 Manekanto 04/06/08-08/06/08 19/06/08-25/06/08 12 12 Asonbwa 27/06/08-01/07/08 5 5 Source: field research.

In each school community, I followed one or two teachers from morning to evening and from school to farm. I conducted semi-structured interviews with the teachers and observed their activities. I also interviewed community members for which I needed an interpreter on most occasions, but got at least a couple of members to speak directly in English.

4.7.2.2. Interviews

Semi-structured interviews (see appendix C for interview schedule) were conducted individually with 38 basic school teachers at other schools, and with a total of 55 participants in six focus group discussions (three with trained and three with untrained teachers). The selection of teachers for individual interviews was made by a combination of the DEO‟s recommendation, the findings of the questionnaires and my impressions. The selection of participants for focus group discussions was based on teachers‟ voluntary participation. Most individual interviews took place at venues convenient for the teachers – either at their workplaces, or homes after school. Focus group discussions (trained and untrained teachers) were also conducted at teacher training colleges, where teachers were taking the upgrading programmes to Diploma in Basic Education during the school holidays. Interviews were recorded with the participant‟s agreement.

Interviewees included those in towns, both female and male, trained and untrained teachers, pupil teachers, National Service Scheme teachers and Youth Employment Programme teachers. Retired teachers were excluded since there were few of them (there were no retired teachers in Ponkujaku and they only comprised 1.6% of teachers in Aumisoe). Best Teacher Award winners in both districts were also interviewed (In Ponkujaku, goes back to 2004 or earlier).

DEO officers and other stakeholders, such as the staff of the District Assembly, Ghana National Association of Teachers and NGOs active in the districts (in addition to some that operated at a national level as well) were also interviewed. However, I did not ask to record these interviews for fear that the atmosphere would change once I had made such a request.