“ALL I NEED IS TO PASS MY EXAMS”: THE DILEMMA OF USING A LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING APPROACH IN GHANAIAN UNIVERSITIES George, K.T. Oduro, (PhD) College of Distance Education University of Cape Coast and Rosemary, S. Bosu (PhD), Institute for Educational Planning and Administration University of Cape Coast

KEY QUESTIONS 1.What do Ghanaian students consider as a motivator for entering the university? 2.What are students’ criteria for determining an effective lecturer? 3.What aspirations do students’ have for participating in university exams? 4.How do these aspirations affect students’ attitude towards learner –centred teaching approach

CONCEPTUAL ISSUES Lecturer centred Where lecturer decisions and actions relating to what is learned, how something is learned and when something is learned. Learner Centred Where the learning needs of students are paramount in the teaching – learning relationship and the student plays a more active role in the learning processes.

A CASE FOR LEARNER-CENTRED Nature of students University students in Ghana are adults and therefore have the capacity for experiential learning Less dependence on lecturer Learner-centred approach promotes discussion, critical thinking, retention of knowledge, etc Active engagement with learning processes Providing active, collaborative and experiential learning opportunities increases student engagement with the learning processes and environment. It also moves student learning from learning to pass exams

METHODOLOGY Descriptive Survey: Questionnaire and interviews Sample: 180 (120 students and 60 lecturers )

FINDINGS MOTIVATING FACTORSIMPORTANCE FactorMeanFactorMean More likely to obtain an job 3.00Need for certificate3.00 Parental preference for university degree 3.00Had required entry grades3.00 Desire for knowledge and self efficacy 3.00Desire for knowledge2.49 Had required entry grades 3.00Parental preference for university degree2.49 Need a university certificate 2.83More likely to obtain an job2.18

CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING EFFECTIVE LECTURER Effective communication skills (Mean: 3.00) giving feedback on tests and assignments, listens to students’ views and ensuring students understand concepts Lecturer’s knowledge of subject (Mean: 3.00) knowledgeable of subject matter and gives relevant assignments

CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING EFFECTIVE LECTURER Majority View: apprehension about lecturers who put much burden on students E.g. ‘an effective lecturer is the one whose teaching approach is simpler and involves less work’ (A student). Minority View: One whose teaching approach is interactive and employs technology in teaching. E.g. ‘he or she is one who does not monopolise the learning process but offers opportunities for students to seek and analyse things for themselves’(A student)

STUDENTS’ ASPIRATIONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN UNIVERSITY EXAMS 83% of students: Requirement and the only criteria for their progression. 18% of students: Desire exams because of the satisfaction one gets when one succeeds in examinations Lecturers noted that students’ aspiration to write exams was conditioned upon their having a prior knowledge of the questions that were likely to inform examinations

E.g. ‘Examinations naturally instil fear in students. So when a lecturer continuously threaten students with failure, then obviously the motivation for writing exams will be killed in students. It is therefore important that lecturers do not scare them’ (A lecturer)

ATTITUDE TOWARDS LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING APPROACH Both lecturers and Students understood the concept and acknowledged the benefits associated with the approach Learner-centered teaching approach was not often used by lecturers Students were not enthusiastic about lecturers using the learner-centred approach Imposed on them much work which they thought affected their revision for examination Awareness

E.G “The learner-centred approach is very good but when we have many lecturers giving us assignments to do and we don’t have time to reflect on our notes for examinations, the approach becomes a punishment for us. We need time for our exams so although it is a good practice, it does not help us in terms of preparing for exams” (A student)

CONCLUSION Acquisition of academic certificate has become the driving force for students who pursue university education in Ghana Has implications for the management of examinations Over concentration on passing examinations has adverse implications for lecturers’ use of learner- centred teaching approach’ Emphasis shifts away from focusing on learning

IMPLICATION FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE Universities should make learner-centred approach a policy and enforce its implementation Capacity of lecturers should be strengthened in Learner- centred teaching techniques Embark on active sensitization seminars to properly educate students Reward scheme that will acknowledge students who respond positively to lecturers’ use of learner-centred approach

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