Out-of-Field Teaching in Ghanaian Basic Schools: A Matrix of Basic School Teachers' Experiences in Ekumfi District

Abstract

Globally, the problem of out-of-field teaching persists despite the frantic efforts of policymakers to ensure that qualified teachers are placed in classrooms to teach subjects and grade levels for which they were trained. Though statistics on the phenomenon remain scanty in Ghana, available evidence indicates that it accounts for the poor performance of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), especially in rural areas. This study, therefore, explored the experiences of out-of-field teachers in the basic schools in the Ekumfi District. Using the multiple case-study designs, nine teachers were sampled for the study. Both interview guide and observation schedules were used for data collection, where data collected from the respondents were analyzed thematically. The study revealed that teachers found themselves teaching out-of-field due to policy directives at the school level but not of their own volition. Therefore, most of them have not adjusted well to the demands of the classroom. They, therefore, struggle to prepare appropriate lesson notes, conduct assessments, and effectively manage their classrooms. The study concludes that students' performance in the rural parts of Ghana is likely to continue to decrease if policies that may limit its influence in the classroom are not pursued. Therefore, the study recommends that the Ministry of Education and its subsidiary agencies, such as the Ghana Education Service, develop a policy framework to guide the recruitment and deployment of teachers.