Participants included researchers, and representatives from government agencies, development organisations and NGOs, making for enriching discussions.
The “Teacher Capacity Building for Play-based Early Learning” project organised a workshop bringing together early childhood education stakeholders to discuss the findings and recommendations from field studies conducted under the project. Beyond discussing the findings, the workshop fostered candid exchanges that were valuable in addressing identified skills and knowledge gaps and strengthening the research outcomes.
Prof. Peter Quartey, Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social, and Economic Research (ISSER) and principal investigator (PI) welcomed participants and highlighted the aim of the project to contribute to improving classroom practice of play-based learning in early childhood education in Ghana and Sierra Leone. He explained the objective of the workshop and urged participants to freely share their comments and concerns, which will be valuable in advancing the project’s objectives.
Dr. Leslie Casely-Hayford, Director of Associates for Change (AFC) and co-PI, and Prof. Cynthia Akwei, ISSER Visiting Scholar and project team member, then presented, respectively, the findings from the qualitative and quantitative studies, along with the tools used for data collection. The presentation offered valuable insights into the state of play-based learning approaches in Ghana, including what is working well, the challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
The presentations were followed by open discussions where participants shared constructive feedback, experiences, and insights from their contexts. The breakout sessions that followed provided a space for more in-depth discussions, with each group brainstorming on specific questions. The workshop concluded with a report from each of the three breakout sessions, highlighting the key takeaways and actionable insights derived from their discussions.
Dr. Nana Amma Asante-Poku, Research Fellow at ISSER and project team member who moderated the proceedings, offered a comprehensive recap of the lessons learned and outlined the next steps to be taken to ensure the research contributes meaningfully to strengthening the country’s play-based early learning programme.
In closing, Prof. Quartey and Dr. Casely-Hayford thanked the participants for their active engagement in the workshop and underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in advancing early learning education.
The workshop was held on 13 December 2023 at ISSER and marked an important milestone in the “Teacher Capacity Building for Play-based Early Learning” project. Participants included researchers, and representatives from government agencies, development organisations, and NGOs. Some of the organisations represented at the event were the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, and UNESCO. Others were the National Development Planning Commission, the University of Cape Coast, and ECE-focused NGOS such as Lively Minds, Sabre Education and Thrive Ghana.
About the project
Launched on May 18, 2022, the Teacher Capacity Building for Play-based Early Learning in Ghana and Sierra Leone project is aimed at generating evidence of what works to improve classroom practice of play-based learning in early childhood education in Ghana and Sierra Leone. It is jointly implemented by the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana; Associates for Change (AFC); and the Division of Education Studies, University of Sierra Leone.
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