Clothing and textiles course as a foundation for the fashion design and textiles programme in Accra Technical University

Abstract

The study was conducted in Accra Technical University. It determined whether Clothing and Textiles graduates from the Senior High School have a foundation for Fashion Design and Textiles programme in Accra Technical University. The objectives of the study were to; ascertain the contents learnt in Clothing and Textiles at the S.H.S level; identify teaching methods used to deliver the contents of the Clothing and Textiles subjects at the S.H.S level; examine students’ views on the usefulness of contents learnt in S.H.S Clothing and Textiles and Fashion Design and Textiles at the University level; find out from students’their performance in Fashion Design and Textiles in the Technical University. The cross-sectional design was used for the study. Two hundred and sixty (260) Fashion students were sampled through stratified and simple random sampling techniques for the study. Questionnaire with Crobanch’s alpha reliability coefficient (𝛼) of 0.77 was used as a research instrument to collect data. Frequency count, percentage and mean, generated through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 software, were used to describe and analyse the data. Pearson’s correlation test was used to test a hypothesis on a significance level of p<0.05. The study revealed that the Clothing and Textiles syllabus for Ghanaian Senior High Schools (S.H.S) is content-rich and to equips students with appropriate vocational knowledge and practical skills. The study found out that Clothing and Textiles lessons were taught mainly via, lecture, brainstorming, discussion, demonstration, projects and practical work. The study also revealed that the students had acquired foundation knowledge and skills in Textiles production. The findings indicated that students performance assessment scores were generally high. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service should institute and incorporate internship or apprenticeship programmes into the curriculum of Senior High Schools to expose Clothing and Textiles students to operations in the garment industry. Again, Clothing and Textile teachers in Ghanaian SHS should design and use practical activities and interactive lessons that engage students in active learning and experimentation to boost student interest in Clothing and Textiles and entrepreneurship. The study recommended that Clothing and Textiles teachers should organise field trip to enable effective and practical teaching and learning. Again policy makers should include Clothing and Textiles programme to be selected at the Senior High School and teachers on that field should encourage students to offer Clothing and Textiles especially in selecting subject in the pre tertiary level