Examining the influence of teacher distribution, infrastructure development, and government funding on student educational attainment in rural Ghana
Clinton School of Public Service, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023, 20(02), 1531-1543
Publication history:
Received on 21 September 2023; revised on 14 November 2023; accepted on 16 November 2023
Abstract:
Introduction/Background: Education is a basic cause of socio-economic growth, yet rural places in Ghana, especially the Volta Region, face significant obstacles that limit student educational achievement. Unequal teacher spread, poor facilities, and insufficient government funds have been named as major barriers to better educational results. Despite numerous studies on factors affecting student achievement, limited research has directly studied the combined effects of these three variables in the Volta Region. This study tries to bridge this gap by examining the impact of teacher distribution, infrastructure development, and government support on student educational success levels in rural parts of the Volta Region, Ghana.
Materials and Methods: This quantitative study employed survey and cross-sectional research methods to collect data from primary and secondary school teachers in rural parts of the Volta Region. Due to the lack of a precise count of rural teachers in the area, Cochran’s method for an unknown population was used to estimate a sample size of 385 responders. Data was taken using an organised, self-developed questionnaire, distributed through a simple random sampling method over three months. In total, 312 full answers (81% response rate) were reviewed. The study applied Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to measure the links among teacher distribution, infrastructure development, government funding, and student educational success levels.
Results: The results showed that teacher distribution, building development, and government funds each have a major effect on student educational success levels in rural areas of the Volta Region. A well-balanced teacher spread was linked with better student success, stressing the importance of fairly giving skilled educators. Infrastructure growth, including well-equipped classes, libraries, and cleaning facilities, positively impacted learning results. Similarly, greater government spending for teacher training, teaching tools, and school facilities led to improved educational attainment. The SEM analysis showed that all three independent factors greatly added to differences in student achievement.
Discussion: The results agree with the Education Production Function (EPF) Theory, which posits that educational outcomes are based on important factors such as teacher quality, facilities, and financial resources. The study’s results support the need for focused policy measures to improve teacher placement in rural schools, boost infrastructure development, and increase financial spending in education. The consequences of these results stretch beyond the Volta Region, giving useful insights for education officials in other emerging areas facing similar problems.
Conclusion: This study conveys empirical evidence that teacher distribution, infrastructure growth, and government support are key factors of student educational success in rural Ghana. To bridge the educational gap between urban and rural areas, lawmakers must adopt teacher benefits, invest in school facilities, and give suitable financial resources to rural education. Future research should explore additional factors affecting student success and consider continuous studies to track educational growth over time.
Keywords:
Teacher distribution; Infrastructure development; Government funding; Student educational attainment level
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Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0