**5.2 Identifying and addressing the development challenge and impact of proposed ACE-ELTT**

Literacy, Science, Technology and Mathematics Education and Leadership constitute a key to the socio-economic development of every nation. Knowledge in these five subject areas is critical for industrialization of Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries that share similar characteristics as Ghana. It is for this reason that past and present governments of Ghana, for example, have identified and channeled (and still continue to channel) a lot of resources into Literacy, Science, Technology and Mathematics Education. These areas put together have been considered as one of the pillars for the development of the nation. However, learning outcomes in these critical areas remain critically low, resulting in high population of people who are semi-illiterate and have very little knowledge in basic science and mathematics. This situation contributes to low industrial productivity, poor sanitation, high levels of crime and eventually poverty within the Ghanaian society.

This developmental challenge could be attributed to a number of significant gaps in the Ghanaian education system. Some of the gaps include poor orientation and exposure of pre-service teachers to pedagogical approaches that draw on students' socio-cultural background to enable them understand school concepts. They also bring about institutional weaknesses in training effective and reflective teachers. These disparities equally affect leadership for learning and the training of well qualified teacher educators, especially in the areas of literacy, science,

mathematics, and technology. Other gaps include the low level integration of new technologies and approaches into teaching and learning in training institutions; the disconnect between learning outcomes and gender balance among students as well as staff in teacher education and leadership institutions; and the limited opportunities for professional development for educators (tutors and lecturers) in teacher training institutions to develop their pedagogical and professional and leadership skills.

Currently, there is no specialist training programme in pedagogy for tutors/ lecturers who handle Literacy, Science, Technology and Mathematics at the Colleges of Education and Universities running Teacher Education programmes in Ghana. Many of the educators who teach courses in pedagogy are those who took a few courses in pedagogy as part of their graduate programmes and therefore do not have in-depth knowledge in the area. Consequently, many of the teacher educators have limited ability to connect their leadership skills to the actual learning of students in within the classroom setting. Presently, a number of educational institutions have been established in Ghana and are mandated to undertake capacity building functions. However, efforts to assist teacher educators to connect their leadership skills and dispositions to actual learning of students in classrooms appear to be fragmented, incoherent and dysfunctional.

To address the above challenges, we propose the establishment of the, ACE-ELTT, and seek to mount academic programmes and engage in vigorous enrolment drive in postgraduate studies in educational leadership and teacher training to improve teaching and learning in Ghana and Africa. This, we believe, will go a long way to enhance global recognition and visibility of ACE-ELTT as a Centre of excellence for educational leadership and pedagogy training for teachers in literacy, science, mathematics and technology. The education, teaching and learning activities at the Centre will include teaching with modules and internship. The teaching with modules will involve classroom work, laboratory work and practicum. For the internship, the Centre will set up an Outreach Unit to be coordinated by a senior and experienced academic who has the passion for professional development to superintend over the unit. The Outreach Unit will support students and candidates on placement decisions and place them as interns at pre-agreed institutions that have a working relationship with the Centre. The ACE-ELTT Centre's priority domains of Educational Programme are pedagogical and leadership skills development with the goal of addressing literacy, science, mathematics and ICT education that Ghana and the Sub-Saharan African region needs for economic and social advancement.

In terms of academic programmes, ACE-ELTT will be running M.Ed./M.Phil. as well as Ph.D./Ed.D in Pedagogy in Mathematics, Science, Technology, Literacy (in English, French, and other Regional Languages such as Kiswahili), Leadership and Management in Education, Educational Policy and Management, and Educational Planning. The ACE-ELTT project team further contend that the nature, content and approach of our newly designed programmes and courses for M.Ed, M.Phil, and Ph.D. will help improve the content and delivery of the existing programmes provided to our regular students in the mainstream. The Centre will run additional short courses on innovative approaches to teaching Science, Technology and Mathematics, as well as professional development courses in Action Research. Other short courses that will be run include: Literacy Programme Development, Approaches to teaching reading, National languages, Utilization of ICT for improved teaching and learning, Constructing Curriculum, utilizing teaching and learning materials, Developing Instructional Leaders (including developing school leaders as instructional coaches), Teacher management and deployment, Assessment and evaluation of learning, School based decision making, and Inclusive education, disability education, Assessment of cost effectiveness

#### *Addressing Sustainability Planning in Higher Education Research DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93589*

of education programmes/education budgeting, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change, Access planning, school mapping, utilizing GIS, Education Management Information Systems (EMIS)/data analysis and interpretation/designing surveys, and Human resources management. These short courses will be run for mid-career professionals in education and students in Ghana and the sub-Saharan African region. The target group will include Lecturers, Tutors in teacher training institutions, school leaders, Circuit Supervisors (School Inspectors), Teachers and other professionals of education at the National and decentralized education units. The short courses will be developed in a consultative setting where the voice of the theory and science meets practice from industry and service providers.

In the area of research, institutional and individual research will form an integral part of the ACE-ELTT in addressing the development challenge confronting education leadership and teacher training in the West and Central Africa Sub-regions. The Centre will undertake research into innovative approaches to teaching, focusing its attention on issues such as instructional leadership, curriculum, teaching strategies and learning environment that draw on the social and cultural background of learners. Additionally, there are many cross-cutting issues pointed out in the main proposal that are relevant in Ghana and the Sub-region of Africa which we intend to take care of. These cross-cutting and interdisciplinary issues include technology integration in education, quality of education, and gender and equity. A typical research agenda that informs policy and practice concerning the cross-cutting themes is identified with the following research project areas: (a) promoting transformational instructional leadership for improved learning outcomes; (b) improving learning outcomes through innovative teaching approaches, using ICT; (c) improving the learning environment and outcomes for learners; and (d) challenges faced by tutors in the implementation of the teacher training curriculum.

To achieve the project objectives and outcomes of ACE-ELTT, we will forge partnership with individuals and institutions at the national, regional and international levels in areas of mutual interest. Based on our established approach, we intend to work with four groups of sectoral partners. The four groups are: national, regional and international agencies of education; national, regional and international development partners working in education in Ghana and/or within the Sub-Saharan Africa; Teachers and educational workers union/associations; national, regional and international research bodies. These groups were carefully considered since they are better placed as relevant and notable fellows in making efficient partners in developing the desired relationships in the education sector as well as carrying the banner of the ACE-ELTT project. In this regard, we have made preliminary enquiries and had spoken to 45 potential partners who have experience in either the Ghanaian or the sub-Saharan African education contexts regarding what they consider to be African educational development challenge. In the final anaylsis, the apparent determinant to making improved education and education services delivery that was found related to two variables, which are pedagogy and leadership. The goal is to address the developmental challenge identified by means of filling in the skills gap and thereby contributing towards poverty reduction and the creation of safe, strong and resilient communities in Ghana and the entire sub-region.

In the final analysis, the proposed ACE-ELTT expects to achieve both short and long-term outcomes upon the establishment and implementation of its programmes of activities. In the short term, it is expected that there will be: increased enrolment (with an estimated target of 21 doctoral and 280 masters students in postgraduate programmes in educational leadership and pedagogy in the area of literacy, science, mathematics and technology); trained, skillful and effective teacher educators in pedagogy and leadership; improved capacity of educators in research; improved methods of teaching in literacy, mathematics, science and technology; improved interest

of teachers in students' learning progress; improved students' interest, attitudes and learning outcomes in literacy and STM in particular; improved capacity of national and regional partners in performing their professional duties and/or roles. The long-term outcomes in ACE-ELTT's activities will include increased number of literate Ghanaian and African populace who have adequate mastery of literacy, basic mathematical, scientific knowledge and leadership skills. This will contribute to the supply of quality labor force to industry thereby resulting in high industrial output, improved GDP, reduction in poverty, reduction in crime, safe secured environment and development of strong, vibrant and resilient communities in Ghana and Africa as a whole.

#### **5.3 Outlining the sustainability plan for the proposed ACE-ELTT project**

As indicated in the Guidance Notes for the Open Capp for proposals for this project, funding for the project activities of the proposed ACE-ELTT is to be provided over the multi-year funding window by the World Bank under the AAU's Africa Centre of Excellence Programme. Beyond the period of ACE financial support, and in order to ensure that ACE-ELTT continues to play its role as Centre of Excellence for Education (that is, Educational Leadership and Teacher Training) and Research in the West African sub-region and beyond, a number of sustainability measures will be put in place and pursued vigorously. Given the national and regional and international character of the ACE-ELTT, the main focus of our sustainability strategy is on four key themes, namely financial sustainability; ongoing partnerships with sectoral stakeholders, continual improvement of the student educational opportunities and ongoing applied research that addresses improvement in students' learning outcomes, especially in the areas of Literacy, Science, Technology/ICT and Mathematics.

Obviously, financial sustainability is key to the survival of ACE-ELTT beyond the period of ACE financial support. To ensure financial sustainability, fees will be charged on academic and professional development programmes, even before ACE financial support ceases. The Centre will also commercialize its research activities to bring in some additional funds. The Centre will undertake funded research projects for institutions that engage it services as well as for its national regional and global partners. Findings from research activities will be published as books, which will be sold to bring in some extra income to support its programme of activities. The Centre's main/key staff will be drawn from the University. Hence, the Centre will not be responsible for payment of salaries and related benefits of its key staff. To ensure prudent financial management, the Centre will provide part-time teaching/research assistantship employment opportunities to graduate students who have the requisite qualification, knowledge and skills to support the Centre's activities. Again, the Centre will strive to diversify it sources of funding to also include exploration of the possibility of attracting extra funding from other local and international sectoral and institutional partners such as National Council for Tertiary Education, NGOs, individual philanthropies and multinational development agencies. Also, some of its partner institutions with staff with relevant qualifications and experiences will be recruited to support the activities of the Centre through teaching, research and delivery of short professional development courses. Lastly but not the least, volunteers from the academic institutions of higher learning from within Ghana, the sub-Saharan region and globally will also be sought and engaged in all its activities to help save cost.

In order to ensure continuous and sustained partnerships with relevant sectoral stakeholders, such as Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, West African Examinations Council, Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), UNESCO and JICA, beyond the period of ACE financial support, the Centre will ensure that these sectorial partners are consulted and involved in major decisions. Representatives from these sectoral partners will be involved in

#### *Addressing Sustainability Planning in Higher Education Research DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93589*

identification of areas of interest in applied research and skills needs as well as development and innovations in the current and new programmes and short courses in order to sustain their interest in the activities of the Centre and make the programmes relevant to them. To ensure that the results from the Centre reach wider audience, the Centre will use communications such as social media profile, frequent emails to donor agencies about our activities and frequent update of the Centre's webpage. Again, in the area of sustaining on-going partnership with the relevant sectoral stakeholders, our partnership activities will be organized in ways that will provide a "win-win" situation for the Centre and its sectoral partners. For example, relevant sectoral actors will be incentivized to drive the research agenda of the Centre through commissioning applied research based on their organizational development needs while they (i.e. sectoral stakeholders) support the research costs. Similarly, staff of sectoral stakeholders with requisite academic/research skills and competencies will be drawn in to teach academic and short professional development courses of the Centre while the Centre in return will provide professional development training workshops and programmes for them based on their specific needs and demands.

For the continual improvement of students' educational opportunities to be sustained, ACE-ELTT will make concerted efforts to ensure that qualified and competent staff with the right attitudes and dispositions are attracted, recruited and retained both from Ghana and the sub-region to lead in teaching and research. This will ensure that the Centre activities are addressing the Development Challenges identified and thereby meeting the needs and aspirations of its clientele. As the Centre engages sectoral partners such as the Ministry of Education in its activities, these sectoral partners will be encouraged to provide employment opportunities for the graduates from the Centre. They will also be encouraged to provide for our students scholarships, internship grants and support for research activities. As an equal opportunity service provider, UCC and by extension ACE-ELTT will prioritize within its programmes and activities of delivery issues pertaining to social justice (and its related principles of equity, inclusion, fairness, disability, equality of opportunities and outcome, gender balance etc.) especially in dealing with students, collaborators and partner institutions. In order to stay competitive and make impactful presence in the sub-Saharan African region to improve the educational opportunities of our students, ACE-ELTT activities will be geared towards meeting high standards that are recognized internationally. Furthermore, the certification and accreditation of International Association of Universities (IAU) and Association of African Universities (AAU) will be pursued and obtained to ensure that our students are properly trained to become truly competitive at the global stage.

For on-going applied research that addresses ACE-ELTT's Development Challenge to be sustained in the long term, the Centre will strive to ensure that it is abreast with current local, regional and international discourses relating to developmental challenges facing Ghana and the entire sub-Saharan Africa. In so doing, the Centre will involve its partners in the identification of areas of interest in applied research to make its research agenda timeless and relevant. Also, while making concerted efforts to boost its existing relationships with research partners to keep its research agenda on-track, attempts will be made to develop new partnerships with institutions, stakeholders and individuals to explore "new" trends, opportunities and possibilities arising from existing and/or new development agendas.
