The role of teaching and learning materials and interaction as a tool to quality early childhood education in Agona East District of the Central Region of Ghana

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

Early years experiences in quality thinking and socialization are critical to optimal child development, and Quality Early Childhood Education (QECE) is essential to achieve those outcomes. The study addresses a reported lack of Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. Using case studies and interviews/observations across twelve ECE schools in Agona East District, it finds TLMs are perceived as very important but are often unavailable, limiting children’s accessibility and active interaction; this also reduces interaction’s prominence in ECE provision.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 9(1), pp. 168-178, March 2021 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.91.20.112 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper The role of teaching and learning materials and interaction as a tool to quality early childhood education in Agona East District of the Central Region of Ghana Samuel Oppong Frimpong Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. Accepted 19 February, 2021 | ABSTRACT
Early years experiences in quality thinking and socialization are critical to the optimal development of children, and Quality Early Childhood Education (QECE), is crucial in achieving these quality developments. However, several literatures suggest that there is a general lack of Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana inclusive. Meanwhile, the constructivists’ theory and other researches indicate that to ensure QECE, TLMs should be available and accessible to learners to interact with in advance and during a lesson. Using case study design therefore, data in the form of interview and observation were collected from twelve ECE schools in the Agona East District of the Central Region of Ghana. Participants composed of twelve ECE teachers and twelve headteachers of the schools totalling twenty-four. The findings suggest that participants perceived TLMs as very important factor in ensuring QECE provision. Again, TLMs were not readily available and so the children could not interact with them . The study further revealed that the unavailable nature of the TLMs hindered children's accessibility and active interaction with them. The findings further revealed that interaction could not feature prominently in the provision of the ECE due to unavailability and inaccessibility of TLMs. Based on the findings, it is suggested that teachers and providers of ECE should ensure that TLMs are made available and accessible to learners to interact with. Teachers should also devise innovative ways of creating and developing TLMs from their locality. Moreover, they should encourage and promote children’s active interaction with the TLMs, as this is a sure way of achieving learning.
Keywords: Early childhood education, quality, role, teaching learning materials, interaction. | | --- | | E-mail: [sofrimpong@uew.edu.gh](sofrimpong@uew.edu.gh). | INTRODUCTION This paper tries to establish the significant role of TLMsand interaction in ensuring quality early childhood education provision in the Agona East District of the Central Region of Ghana. Early childhood is the most critical period of a person's life in terms of thinking and recognition. It is the time the individual develops most; socially, emotionally and cognitively. Children's experiences in their early years have a significant impact on their general and optimal development. ECE encompasses developmentally appropriate programmes that serve children from birth through age eight, and it often focuses on children's learning through play (Essa, 2003) . Perhaps, owing to the benefits associated with ECE, it now forms part of Ghana's education system (MWCA, 2004) and demand for it has increased over the years. For example, in 2001, there were 9,634 ECE schools but this number rose to 15,192 in 2005, 23,402 in 2011 and then 31,170 by 2017. Enrolment equally has increased from 244,707 in 2001 to 1,181,620 in 2005 and then to 1,803,932 in 2011 and 2,205,012 by 2017 ([Ghana] Ministry of Education – Education Management and Information Systems [MoE- EMIS, 2012, 2018) . However, research shows that it isnot just any ECE that achieves those developmental milestones. Rather, it is the quality of it that produces the benefits (Lowenstein, 2011; Sylva et al. , 2011; Oppong Frimpong, 2019) . Quality Early Childhood Education (QECE) provision is thus, paramount in achieving those developments (Edwards, 1999; Shonkoff and Phillips, 2000; Murphy, Casey and Fraser, 2007 ; Fischer, 2012) . Research shows that ch

FAQs

What is the study focused on regarding QECE?

The study focuses on how teaching and learning materials (TLMs) and learner interaction support quality early childhood education in Agona East District, Ghana.

How was data collected for the study?

Data were collected using a case study design with interviews and observations from twelve ECE schools, involving twelve ECE teachers and twelve headteachers.

What barriers to quality early childhood education did the study identify?

Participants perceived that TLMs are important, but TLMs were not readily available; their unavailability hindered children’s access and active interaction, reducing the role of interaction in ECE provision.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen