Abstract:
The study examined the preschool facilitators’ perceptions of classroom management
strategies used in preschool classrooms in the Ekumfi District, Central Region of Ghana.
Convergent mixed method design was employed where Census and purposive sampling
techniques were used to sample 35 participants (11 males, 24 females). Questionnaire,
semi-structured interview guide and observation checklist were used to collect data for
the study. The study revealed that teachers can control some pupils’ disruptive behaviour
in the classroom; teachers were able to motivate themselves and guide their actions
anticipated by the exercise of forethought; they set themselves challenging goals and
maintain a strong commitment to them. It was also revealed that, children are not well
nurtured at home and model bad behaviours they see at home and in school and seeking
teacher’s attention. It was concluded that with regard to facilitators’ self-efficacy beliefs
about their classroom management practices, an important finding of this research is that
most of the sampled facilitators use a combined approach of reactive and proactive
classroom management strategies which is most appropriate as endorsed by several
researchers. However, based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that both
the pre-service and in-service levels, early childhood teacher education programmes in
Ghana should emphasize teacher trainees’ ability to: (1) manage the peculiar behaviour
of individual pupils; and (2) establish classroom management systems appropriate for
each group of learners.
Description:
A dissertation in the Department of Early Childhood Education,
Faculty of Educational Studies, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies, in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Education
(Early Childhood Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
November, 2022
