Kindergarten teachers’ preparedness for the implementation of the early grade standards-based curriculum in the Effutu Municipality

Abstract

This study was conducted in the Effutu Municipality to examine Kindergarten teachers‟ preparedness for the implementation of the Early Grade Standards-based curriculum. The study used mixed-methods approach and the concurrent parallel design. Ninety-one (91) teachers participated in the study. The study employed the census sampling technique and purposive sampling techniques for quantitative and qualitative respectively. Eighty-one (81) Kindergarten teachers were administered questionnaire for the quantitative study and the other ten (10) were interviewed for the qualitative face. The study‟s instruments for data collection were structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview guide. Quantitative data collected was analysed descriptively using mean and standard deviation whilst the qualitative data was analysed thematically. The study revealed that Kindergarten teachers in the Effutu Municipality possess quite a high foundation of content knowledge in relation to the SBC. Also, foundational resources such as curriculum documents and teacher guides are largely available, yet critical gaps exist in the areas of learner materials, technological tools, and online accessibility. Again, the effective implementation of the Early Grade Standards-based Curriculum in the Effutu municipality was influenced most significantly by collaboration among teachers and the availability of resources. Conversely, issues like insufficient understanding of the curriculum, large class sizes, and ineffective communication pose challenges that must be addressed to improve teaching outcomes at the kindergarten level. Lastly, KG teachers in the Effutu Municipality benefit from relatively strong administrative and professional development support within their schools, but there is a clear need for improved mentorship opportunities, community involvement, and financial support to enhance the overall effectiveness of the curriculum implementation. The study, therefore, recommends that learner materials, technology, and online resources should be provided by the Effutu Municipal Education Directorate. Schools should strengthen the delivery of the early grade standards-based curriculum by fostering collaborative practices such as peer mentoring, co-planning, and learning circles, leveraging collective expertise to improve teaching practices.