Purpose: Emotions are an important aspect of work performance but are often overlooked, especially amongst preschool teachers whose work environment is laden with emotional job demands. The present study aims to examine the mediating role of emotional exhaustion in the relationship between emotional labour and contextual performance.…

Early childhood education (ECE) programs are expanding across sub-Saharan Africa. But the quality of these programs, and their effectiveness when implemented at scale, remains unclear. Defining quality is not simple, as learning environments are shaped by cultural values and societal sociodemographics. Framed within sociocultural theory, this…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition, has become a major concern for both developed and underdeveloped countries since the condition is associated with significant caregiver, family, and financial burdens. Approaches to educating these children, especially in their preschool years, are burdensome and demanding for both…

The purpose of this study was to examine Ghanaian stakeholders' beliefs about the role and importance of play in early years (3 to 5 years) children's learning, referred to as play-learning beliefs. A survey design was adopted in order to gather data necessary to examine the differences among stakeholders' play-learning beliefs. A total of 292…

This study explored the prevalence of the null curriculum in the Ghanaian basic school education system. It also sought to identify the main reasons behind teachers' omission of specific topics or experiences from the basic school curriculum. Three hundred seventy-five basic school teachers from kindergarten, primary, and junior high schools…

An individual is born with millions of neurons and the quality of the experiences he/she will have at the early years can potentially determine the future life of that person. This makes quality early childhood education pivotal. However, the perception people have about this influence how they prepare themselves to provide that quality early…

The study investigated the perception of early childhood educators on the use of play as a teaching technique in the Afadjato South District. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive design using concurrent triangulation mixed method approach. A sample of 120 participants was used comprising100 kindergarten teachers, 10 basic school heads and…

This study was designed to explore the professional development needs of both general and special education teachers in Ghana regarding students with disabilities in an inclusive environment. Unlike the traditional top-down approach, where professional development for teachers is designed from the top and thrust upon them, this study sought to do…

In this article we report on the development and implementation of a professional development programme for teachers of the kindergarten curriculum (4-5 year olds) in Ghana. Kindergarten teachers in Ghana have little experience and meagre training in implementing a play-based pedagogy as recommended in the national curriculum. An indigenous…

Drawing on the Whole Schooling principles and Pierre Bourdieu's sociological concepts of habitus, capital and field, this qualitative case study explored and analysed preschool teachers' pedagogical behaviors and attitudes toward children with disabilities in three rural kindergartens in the Kpando district of Ghana. The study focused specifically…

The main focus of the study was to examine the extent to which ICT is used in the engagement of parents and teachers. The study is a quantitative research which employed the descriptive cross-sectional survey design. One hundred and seventy-two (172) participants comprising 158 parents and 14 teachers at an early childhood centre in the Central…

Even though previous research points to the significance of early childhood teachers' practices that take into consideration the nature of children and how they learn, there is limited research regarding how instructional strategies impact children's development in diverse ways. To close this gap in literature, a qualitative multi-case study into…

In the quest for quality in early childhood education, it is important to explore the subtleties that define socio-culturally relevant pedagogy. A qualitative, multi-case study approach was used to explore perspectives of teachers about socio-cultural influences on their teaching in kindergarten classrooms in Ghana. Four teachers from two…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the extent of community members' involvement in school activities to enhance teacher attendance in the East Mamprusi District of Northern Ghana. The research design was a survey. Stratified sampling method was employed to group the study population into five (5) strata of teaching staff, SMC/PTA…

Regular participation in physical activity can improve students' health and academic achievement. It is important to develop a positive attitude toward participation in regular physical activity early in life. Thus, an understanding of factors that affect the activity levels of young children is essential. Therefore, the purpose of the study was…