Infusing Competencies and Skills of Vocational Instructors: Innovations to Boost Science and Technology for National Development
Keywords:
innovations, national development, competencies and skills, science and technology.Abstract
The study explored how teacher-training institutions could infuse the Community Development Vocational and Technical Institutes’ instructors with educational competencies and skills as innovations to boost science and technology to accelerate national development. Even though the restructuring transformed the then Women Vocational Training Institutes into Community Development Vocational and Technical Institutes, and subsequently introduced Core Mathematics, it was still not clear whether the instructors had the required competencies and skills to implement the curriculum. This exploratory survey purposively sampled fifty instructors in three districts of Upper East Region and issued with questionnaires to explore the instructors’ educational and Mathematics backgrounds. Having coded and analysed the data with SPSS software, the findings showed that the educational and mathematical backgrounds of the instructors still require further education and training in the competencies and skills. This would build skilled manpower, create jobs, reduce north-south migration and accelerate national development. We therefore, recommended continuous inter-tertiary collaborations, scholarships and realignment of the CDVTI institutes to the Ghana Education Service to achieve these goals.
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[2]. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. List of Skills and Competencies Used in Public Service Careers. University of Minnesota: Office of Career Services. 2015.
[3]. L. Brewer. Enhancing Youth Employability: What? Why? and How? Guide to Core Work Skills. Geneva: Skills and Employability Department/ILO. 2013 (4-14).
[4]. The Career Group. Competencies and Skills: What are they and how do you show you have them? University of London: Queen Mary Careers. 2012.
[5]. C. Nielson. Coaching organizations for breaking through performance. The Nielson Report, Volume 8, Issue 12. Texas: Bill J. Bonnstetter and Bill Brooks. [www.nielsongroup.com]. 2003 (1-7).
[6]. C.A. Ali and P. Akayuure. Mathematics as a Tool for Enhancing Competitiveness and Employability of Vocational Training Institutions in Ghana. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Development, Education and Science Research, Vol.2 No 1, July 2014.
[7]. N. Burnett. and S. Jayaram. (2012). Innovative Secondary Education for Skills Enhancement (ISESE) for Employability in Africa and Asia. Addis Ababa: ISESE Skills Synthesis Paper October 2012 Results for Development Institute (R4D).
[8]. The United Nations. Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development in the global partnership for development beyond 2015. Washington D.C.: UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda. 2015 (4-5).
[9]. F. Block and M.R. Keller. Where Do Innovations Come From? Transformations in the U.S. National Innovation System, 1970-2006. University of California: The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). 2008.
[10]. M.D.P. Ikounga. Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024, On the Wings of Innovation”, the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024). Addis Ababa: The Mission of STISA-2024. 2014 (46-47).
[11]. C. Hill, C. Corbett and A. Rose. Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Washington, D.C.: AAUW. 2010 (2-29).
[12]. C. Holroyd. (2007). Science and Technology Policies, National Competitiveness, and the Innovation Divide. Ontario: Centre for International Governance Innovation, Working Paper 32. 2007 (1-3).
[13]. Ministry of Science and Technology. Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013. New Delhi: Government of India. 2013 (5-21).
[14]. L. Brito. The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation Policies and Instruments for a Paradigm Shift towards Sustainable Development. Paris: Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building, United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization. 2014 (1-8).
[15]. Ministry of Science and Technology--MoST (2013). Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 13. New Delhi: Government of India and Paras Offset PVT Ltd. 2013.
[16]. Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology. National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. Accra: Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology. February, 2010 (29-34).
[17]. The Office of Science and Technology Policy--OSTP. The 2015 Budget: Science, Technology, and Innovation for Opportunity and Growth. Science, Technology, Innovation, and STEM Education in the 2015 Budget. Washington D.C.: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy [www.whitehouse.gov/ostp]. July 2014.
[18]. Republic of Albania (2009). National Strategy of Science, Technology and Innovation 2009–2015. Science, Technology and Economic Development in South Eastern Europe, UNESCO-ROSTE Science Policy Series N°1, 2005. Tirana: Council of Ministers. 2009 (17-22).
[19]. A. Mallik. Technology and security in the 21st centaury: A Demand Side Perspective, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute--SIPRI Research Report No. 20. Solna: Oxford University Press. 2004 (1-16).
[20]. Government of Ghana. National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. Accra: Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology Draft Policy. 2009.
[21]. Science, Technology and Innovation Council. Science, Technology and Innovation Council (2013). State of the Nation 2012, Canada’s STI System: Aspiring to Global Leadership. Ottawa: Science, Technology and Innovation Council Secretariat. 2013.
[22]. S.L. Sellers, J. Roberts, L. Giovanetto, K. Friedrich and C. Hammargren. Reaching All Students; A Resource for Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, 2nd edition. Wisconsin: Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning. 2007 (55-155).
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[25]. National Science Board. Research and Development, Innovation, and the Science and Engineering; a Companion to Science and Engineering Indicators. Virginia: National Science Foundation. 2012 (10-12).
[26]. Alam, G.M. The role of technical and vocational education in the national development of Bangladesh. Asia?Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 2008, 9(1), 25?44.
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Published
2016-04-24
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Ali, C. A., & Akayuure, P. (2016). Infusing Competencies and Skills of Vocational Instructors: Innovations to Boost Science and Technology for National Development. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences, 18(1), 219–234. Retrieved from https://asrjetsjournal.org/index.php/American_Scientific_Journal/article/view/1563
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