Abstract

The study explore the vital role of headteachers in  implementing the career technology curriculum(CTC) within the common core programme across  basic schools in Achiase District of Ghana. Framed by Bandura'.s Social learning theory (1977), Argyris and Schon's Organisational learning theory (1997) and Bass's transformational leadership theory (2006), the research investigates how leadership practices, organisational learning processes and social modelling  influence or hinder effective curriculum delivery .Using a qualitative approach and multiple case study design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective dialogue with ten(10) public basic school headteachers and analysed thematically. The findings highlight ongoing structural and systematic challenges including insufficient materials and equipment which greatly limit the practical delivery of CTC.  Despite these barriers  many headteachers exhibit transformational leadership  by fostering collaborative school environment, community involvement in CTC.  The study emphasises socioeconomic and school cultural environment. It concludes by recommending increased resource provision, contextual professional development and stronger community school linkages and building school culture of implementation of curriculum reform as essential strategy  for enhancing the effectiveness of career technology in basic schools in Ghana.

 

 

Keywords

  • Farmer-herder conflicts
  • Sustainable food
  • Benue State
  • Agricultural development
  • Conflict resolution
  • Livestock management
  • Food security
  • Political ecology

References

  1. Abedi, E. A., & Ametepey, A. K. (2024). Leadership practices and support structures enabling teachers’ informal learning for educational technology use: An appreciative inquiry approach. Professional Development in Education, 1–15.
  2. Addai-Mununkum, R. (2020). Curriculum development in Ghana: Evolution and contemporary trends. International Journal of Curriculum Studies, 12(1), 22–38.
  3. Adu-Agyem, J., & Osei-Poku, P. (2012). Quality education in Ghana: The way forward. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 1(9), 164–177.
  4. Afeti, G. (2018). Revitalising technical and vocational education and training in Africa: Issues outstanding. Journal of Vocational, Adult and Continuing Education and Training, 1(1), xi–xviii.
  5. Alagaraja, M., & Arthur-Mensah, N. (2013). Exploring technical vocational education and training systems in emerging markets: A case study on Ghana. European Journal of Training and Development, 37(9), 835–850.
  6. Alldred, P., Cullen, F., Edwards, K., & Fusco, D. (2018). The SAGE Handbook of Youth Work Practice. Sage.
  7. Amedorme, S. K., & Fiagbe, Y. A. (2013). Challenges facing technical and vocational education in Ghana. Cell, 233, 244833980.
  8. Anderson, K. T., & Holloway, J. (2020). Discourse analysis as theory, method, and epistemology in studies of education policy. Journal of Education Policy, 35(2), 188– 221.
  9. Anderson, M. (2017). Transformational leadership in education: A review of existing literature. International Social Science Review, 93(1), 1–13.
  10. Ansaah, E., Abonyi, U. K., & Salifu, I. (2024). Headteachers’ Instructional Leadership Practices: A Comparison of Public and Private Basic Schools in Two Selected Districts in Ghana. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 1–11.
  11. Ansong, D., Okumu, M., Bowen, G. L., Walker, A. M., & Eisensmith, S. R. (2017). The role of parent, classmate, and teacher support in student engagement: Evidence from Ghana. International Journal of Educational Development, 54, 51–58.
  12. Argyris, C. (1977). Double loop learning in organizations. Harvard Business Review, 55(5), 115–125.
  13. Argyris, C. (1996). Organizational learning II. Theory, Method, and Practice.
  14. Argyris, C., & Schön, D. A. (1997). Organizational learning: A theory of action perspective. Reis, 77/78, 345–348.
  15. Baker, D. P., Day, R., & Salas, E. (2006). Teamwork as an Essential Component of High‐Reliability Organizations. Health Services Research, 41(4p2), 1576–1598.
  16. Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs.
  17. Bandura, A., & Hall, P. (2018). Albert bandura and social learning theory. Learning Theories for Early Years, 78.
  18. Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1993). Transformational leadership and organizational culture. Public Administration Quarterly, 112–121.
  19. Boateng, C. (2012). Restructuring vocational and technical education in Ghana: The role of leadership development. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(4), 108–114.
  20. Bobbitt, J. F. (1918). The curriculum. Houghton Mifflin.
  21. Carcary, M. (2009). The research audit trial—Enhancing trustworthiness in qualitative inquiry. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 7(1), pp11-24.
  22. Carse, N. (2015). Primary teachers as physical education curriculum change agents. European Physical Education Review, 21(3), 309–324.
  23. Castillo-Montoya, M. (2016). Preparing for interview research: The interview protocol refinement framework. Qualitative Report, 21(5).
  24. Chaudhary, G. K. (2015). Factors affecting curriculum implementation for students. International Journal of Applied Research, 1(12), 984–986.
  25. Cheng, X., Zhang, L. J., & Yan, Q. (2025). Exploring teacher written feedback in EFL writing classrooms: Beliefs and practices in interaction. Language Teaching Research, 29(1), 385–415.
  26. Chuene, D. M., & Teane, F. M. (2024). Resource inadequacy as a barrier to effective curriculum implementation by life sciences teachers in South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 44(2).
  27. Clapp-Smith, R., Hammond, M. M., Lester, G. V., & Palanski, M. (2019). Promoting Identity Development in Leadership Education: A Multidomain Approach to Developing the Whole Leader. Journal of Management Education, 43(1), 10–34.
  28. Coffie, R. B., Ansah, M. O., & Ellis, F. (2023). The Role of Employee Moral Awareness in Promoting Ethical Leadership: Towards Reducing Organisational Deviance in Ghana. Business Ethics and Leadership, 7(1), 82–95.
  29. Cresswell, J. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches.
  30. Dinham, S. (2007). How Schools Get Moving and Keep Improving: Leadership for Teacher Learning, Student Success and School Renewal. Australian Journal of Education, 51(3), 263–275.
  31. Donkoh, R., Wing-On, L., & Donkor, J. (2021). Educational Development Issues in Ghana in Light of Educational Policy and Planning. International Journal of Educational Development in Africa, 5.
  32. Dooly, M., & Moore, E. (2017). Introduction: Qualitative Approaches to Research on Plurilingual Education. ERIC.
  33. Doty, C. L. (2024). The Influence of Informal Teacher Leadership and Social Networks on Teacher Self-Efficacy in Rural Schools [PhD Thesis, Lincoln Memorial University].
  34. Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). ‘Building theories from case study research’ Academy of Management Review, 14.4:352-550
  35. Fischer, C. T. (2009). Bracketing in qualitative research: Conceptual and practical matters. Psychotherapy Research, 19(4–5), 583–590.
  36. Fontana, E., & Siriwichai, P. (2022). Understanding transgender persons’ careers to advance sustainable development: The case of Trans for Career Thailand. Sustainable Development, 30(6), 1573–1590.
  37. Fook, J. & Gardner, F. (2007). practicing critical reflection: a resource handbook. Berkshire. Open University Press.Fullan, M. (2015). The new meaning of educational change. Teachers college press.
  38. García, J. M. G.-V., García-Carmona, M., Trujillo Torres, J. M., & Moya-Fernández, P. (2022). Teacher Training for Educational Change: The View of International Experts. Contemporary Educational Technology, 14(1).
  39. Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. H. (2011). Leadership and student learning outcomes. Leadership and Learning, 56–70.
  40. Hargreaves, A., & Fink, D. (2012). Sustainable leadership. John Wiley & Sons.
  41. Hargreaves, E., & Rolls, L. (2021). Reimagining professional development in schools. Routledge.
  42. Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2019). Leading professional learning with impact. School Leadership & Management, 39(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2018.1530892
  43. Hollweck, T. (2015). Robert K. Yin. (2014). Case Study Research Design and Methods(5th ed.). Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 30(1), 108–110.
  44. Hughes, D., & Smith, G. (2020). Youth Transitions: Creating Pathways to Success. Education Development Trust.
  45. Hutchison, A. C., & Woodward, L. (2018). Examining the Technology Integration Planning Cycle Model of Professional Development to Support Teachers’ Instructional Practices. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 120(10), 1–44.
  46. Kamaruzaman, N. L., Musa, K., & Hashim, Z. (2020). Teacher leadership: Concept and framework. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 9(2), 574–587.
  47. Kendrick, K. A. (2024). College Readiness in Career and Technical Education Instruction During the Pandemic [PhD Thesis, Walden
  48. Khan, Md. S. H., & Markauskaite, L. (2018). Technical and Vocational Teachers’ Conceptions of ICT in the Workplace: Bridging the gap between teaching and professional practice. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 56(7), 1099–1128.
  49. Kissi, E., Ahadzie, D. K., Debrah, C., & Adjei-Kumi, T. (2020). Underlying strategies for improving entrepreneurial skills development of technical and vocational students in developing countries: Using Ghana as a case study. Education+ Training, 62(5), 599– 614.
  50. Kitur, K. (2021). Relationship Between Principals’Transformational Leadership Style And Students’Academic Performance In Kenya Certificate Of Secondary Education In Bomet County, Kenya [PhD Thesis].
  51. Kornblum, A., Unger, D., & Grote, G. (2018). Close Relationships and Career Goals: How Significant Others Facilitate Career Goal Attainment. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2018(1), 11723.
  52. Koutroubas, V., & Galanakis, M. (2022). Bandura’s social learning theory and its importance in the organizational psychology context. Psychology, 12(6), 315–322.
  53. LaVorgna, B. N. (2020). Simulated Workplace: Study of the Impacts on CTC Enrollment and Student Success. Frostburg State University.
  54. Levitt, B., & March, J. G. (1988). Organizational... - Google Scholar. (n.d.).
  55. Lyall, C., Meagher, L., Gill, J. B., & Kettle, A. (2015). Interdisciplinary provision in higher education: Current context and future challenges. (Mahera Shoaib, Nimrah Ayaz, 2021—Google Scholar. (n.d.).
  56. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2014). Designing qualitative research. Sage publications.
  57. Matttessich, P. W., Murray-Close, M. and Monsey, B. R., Wilder Research Centre (2005). Collaboration: What makes it work (2nd Edn). Saint Paul Minnesota: Fieldstone Alliance
  58. McKeown, B., & Thomas, D. B. (2013). Q methodology (Vol. 66). Sage publications.
  59. McQueen, J. L. (2021). An Action Research Study of 21st-Century Career Readiness Skills of Rural Texas Public High School Students [PhD Thesis, Northcentral University].
  60. Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2009). Dealing with validity, reliability, and ethics. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation, 209–235.
  61. Merritt, E., Hale, A., & Archambault, L. (2018). Changes in pre-service teachers’ values, sense of agency, motivation and consumption practices: A case study of an education for sustainability course. Sustainability, 11(1), 155.
  62. Ministry of Education, Ghana. (2018). Education strategic plan 2018–2030. Accra, Ghana: Government of Ghana.
  63. Miri, B., David, B.-C., & Uri, Z. (2007). Purposely Teaching for the Promotion of Higher-order Thinking Skills: A Case of Critical Thinking. Research in Science Education, 37(4), 353–369.
  64. Moore, M. H., Carol, P. V, Anthony, B. A, and. McLaughlin B. L., ( editors) (2003). Deadly Lessons: Understanding Lethal School Violence http://books.nap.edu/books/0309084121/html/247.htm l#p20005d45997024700
  65. NaCCA. (2021). The Common Core Programme: A guide for curriculum implementation. National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
  66. Oltmann, S. (2016). Qualitative interviews: A methodological discussion of the interviewer and respondent contexts. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 17(2).
  67. Ormrod, J. E. (2016). Human learning. Pearson Higher Ed.
  68. Otchi, C. M. K. (2013). Falling standards of technical and vocational education and trainingin Ghana_ a case study of mechanical engineering trainees in Anlo, Kpando and have technical and vocational institutes in the volta region [PhD Thesis, Unversity of Education, Winneba].
  69. Owusu, K. (2019). Exploring the transformational leadership strategies used by Islamic education reformers to influence the integration of Islamic schools in Ghana. Journal of Comparative Studies and International Education, 1(1).
  70. Owusu-Ansah, K. K. (2024). Sustainable Development: Implications for Urban Employment in Emerging Global Cities, a Case Study of Accra, Ghana [Master’s Thesis, University of Wyoming].
  71. Powell-Taylor Ellen and Renner Marcus (2003) Analyzing qualitative data, University of Wisconsin-Extension USA http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/G3658_12. PDF (June 2025)
  72. Ramaka, S. B. (2020). An Educational Case Study: Understanding Professional Collaboration in an International Context. Wilkes University.
  73. Ravitch, S. M., & Carl, N. M. (2019). Qualitative research: Bridging the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological. Sage Publications.
  74. Robinson, S. (2011). Primary Headteachers: New Leadership Roles Inside and Outside the School. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 39(1), 63–83.
  75. Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832.
  76. Schunk, D. H., & Zimmerman, B. J. (2012). Self-regulation and learning. Handbook of Psychology, Second Edition, 7.
  77. Senge, P. (1990). Peter Senge and the learning organization. Dimension, 14.
  78. Senty, T. L. (2021). Connecting Common Core State Standards to career and technical education.
  79. Serpico, K. (2024). Defining institutional review board application quality: Critical research gaps and future opportunities. Research Ethics, 20(1), 19–35.
  80. Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22(2), 63–75.
  81. So, K. (2013). Knowledge construction among teachers within a community based on inquiry as stance. Teaching and Teacher Education, 29, 188–196.
  82. So, K., & Kim, J. (2013). Informal Inquiry for Professional Development among Teachers within a Self-Organized Learning Community: A Case Study from South Korea. Internationa Education Studies, 6(3), 105–115.
  83. Stewart, V. (2012). A world-class education: Learning from international models of excellence and innovation. ASCD.
  84. Takyi, S. A., Amponsah, O., Asibey, M. O., & Ayambire, R. A. (2021). An overview of Ghana’s educational system and its implication for educational equity. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 24(2), 157–182.
  85. Tobin, G. A., & Begley, C. M. (2010). Triangulation as a method of inquiry. Storied Inquiries in International Landscapes: An Anthology of Educational Research, 423–428.
  86. UNESCO. (2019). Transforming technical and vocational education and training for successful careers. Paris, France: UNESCO Publishing.
  87. Van Vugt, M., & Smith, J. E. (2019). A dual model of leadership and hierarchy: Evolutionary synthesis. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(11), 952–967.
  88. Venable, M. A. (2010). Using Technology to Deliver Career Development Services: Supporting Today’s Students in Higher Education. The Career Development Quarterly, 59(1), 87–96.
  89. Webb, M. S. (2021). Educational practices that prepare career and technical education students with industry-ready skills [PhD Thesis, Walden University].
  90. World Bank. (2020). Skills development for employability and productivity in Ghana. Washington, DC: World Bank.
  91. World Economic Forum. (2020). The future of jobs report. Geneva, Switzerland: WEF.
  92. Yangben, P. N., & Seniwoliba, J. A. (2014). Career challenges in construction craft training in technical vocational education and training in Ghana.
  93. Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications. Sage Thousand Oaks, CA.