Informatics Publishing Limited

Abstract

This descriptive study examines the facts concerning capacity building. It considers the implications, arising from the review of the literarure, for sustainable development in Ghanaian polytechnics in their quest to train career-focused graduates for the nation’s industries. Polytechnics in Ghana are expected to use competency-based training (CBT) curriculum for their programmes so that their students could be more practically oriented to be ready for the world of work.Capacity building should therefore be a necessary component of policies to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in these polytechnics. Apart from gaining pedagogical and content knowledge, lecturers’ participation in capacity building interventions enhances capacity building effectiveness in the polytechnics. Without it, a missing gap evolves whereby the polytechnics become shadows of themselves. Unfortunately, capacity building efforts by the polytechnics have been hampered by institutional inadequacies, chief among them being training-related issues, infrastructural limitations and lack of funds. The consequences of this are inefficiencies and poor quality of delivery and research output among lecturers in the polytechnics.

To stem the tide of teacher underperformance, the central argument in this paper is that building teacher capacity is critical to successful teaching and learning. Towards this end, the paper identifies some intervention strategies for helping polytechnic teachers to improve their skills, knowledge and competences, involving concurrent provision of appropriate training, provision of necessary resources, materials and infrastructure. It concludes by calling on the management of the polytechnics to create an enabling environment that would encourage the lecturers to participate fully in capacity building programmes. 

Keywords

Full Text

Abstract

Ghanaian polytechnics are committed to the development of their current and future academic staff and to providing a supportive structure that encourages and enables them to pursue professional development across the spectrum of their work in the polytechnics. Mentoring, arguably, provides the most personalised, work-relevant and powerful means of implementing this goal. However, there is not a comprehensive mentoring programme in place in Ghanaian polytechnics, resulting in many gaps. Mentoring enables staff to acquire skills needed to progress successfully in their work environments. This paper examined the problem of staff development in Ghanaian polytechnics and argues that this may be corrected by putting in place formal mentoring programmes. This paper offers the management of the polytechnics an insight into the benefits of introducing formal mentoring programmes. The central argument in this paper is that developing staff through mentoring programmes will improve their self confidence and self-esteem as well as uplifting the nation, which has a skills shortage and encourage more young talents to take up a career in academia. The value of this paper is that it would benefit the polytechnics, which find it difficult to attract and retain qualified staff, due to higher salaries being offered in private and other public sectors. To this end, this paper recommends that formal mentoring programmes be introduced for academic staff members.

Keywords

Full Text