The purpose of the study was to determine the internal efficiency of basic education in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region. The objectives of the study were to find: the enrolment ratio and growth rate, the repetition and dropout rate, the pupil-teacher ratio as compared to the national norm, as well as to determine the completion rate of pupils in public basic schools in the Wa Municipality.
The apparent cohort method was used to determine the internal efficiency of basic education in the Wa municipality based on the foregoing indicators of internal efficiency. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 18 primary schools and 18 junior high schools giving a sample size of 36. Questionnaires were used to collect the data after pilot testing to establish Cronbach’s Alpha Co-efficient of reliability which was 97.
Data were collected from such school records as enrolment, dropout, promotion, transfers and death records.
The data collection instrument was questionnaires. It was found that repetition and drop-out rates were generally low in the Municipality.Additionally , the completion rate was also low which requires further investigation. The researcher recommends that parents, teachers and Educational Authorities should collaborate to increase the enrolment of the girl-child to the level of boys by improving on the teaching learning conditions in order to increase the completion rate to at least 60%.
Table of Contents
1. CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.1.1 Background to the Study
1.1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.1.4 Research Questions
1.1.5 Significance of the Study
1.1.6 Delimitation of the Study
1.1.7 Limitation
1.1.8 Definition of Terms
1.1.9 Organization of the Thesis
2. CHAPTER TWO
2.1 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1.1 The Concept of Efficiency
2.1.2 School Efficiency
2.1.3 School Wastage
2.1.4 Indicators of Coverage and Internal Efficiency
2.1.5 The Concept of Internal Efficiency
2.1.6 School Enrolment
2.1.7 Gross Enrolment
2.1.8 Net Enrolment
2.1.9 Repetition and Dropout
2.1.10 Pupil – Teacher Ratio
2.1.11 Teacher Population
2.1.12 Primary School Completion Rate
2.1.13 Teacher Quantity and Quality
2.1.14 Summary of Chapter Two
3. CHAPTER THREE
3.1 METHODOLOGY
3.1.1 The Research Design
3.1.2 The Population
3.1.3 Sample and Sampling Procedure
3.1.4 The Research Instruments
3.1.5 Pilot Test
3.1.6 Data Collection Procedure
3.1.7 Data Analysis
4. CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
5. CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1.1 Summary
5.1.2 Summary of Findings
5.1.3 Conclusions
5.1.4 Recommendations
5.1.5 Suggestion for Further Research
Research Objectives and Focus
The primary aim of this research is to evaluate the internal efficiency of public basic education within the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region. The study seeks to investigate key indicators of educational performance and sustainability to provide data for better policy formulation.
- Analysis of gross enrolment ratios and enrolment growth rates.
- Evaluation of repetition and dropout rates between 1998 and 2007.
- Assessment of pupil-teacher ratios in comparison to national benchmarks.
- Determination of pupil completion rates in public basic schools.
- Investigation into the impact of gender on educational access and progression.
Excerpt from the Book
The Concept of Efficiency
Schipper (2008) explained efficiency as a concept which is widely used by economists, engineers, organization theorists, consultants, politicians, managers and others. Schipper also explained that, efficiency had been embraced by some people, while others were highly critical of the concept. According to him, Frederick Taylor advocated for efficiency in 1911, soon after John Dewey made critical remarks on scientific management. Taylor, however, considered efficiency as a ‘servant of freedom’. Some other critics of efficiency Schipper mentioned included an organization theorist, Mintzberg, who considered efficiency as a ‘dirty word’ and the economist Helbroner who claimed that, the ‘worship of efficiency’ was one of the faults of economists. One other person Schipper mentioned as praising the concept was Flint, who wrote on the philosophy auditing and indicated to managers that they were obliged to be efficient (Flint, 1911).
Schipper (2008) further explained efficiency as a qualitative value-neutral or quantitative characterization of processes, machines or practices. Schipper added that, if efficiency was used quantitatively, then the measurement would be based on mathematical definitions, which were assumed to be widely applicable (Charnes, 1981).
Schipper (2008) further stated that, efficiency can also be used in a normative sense to evaluate situations and processes. In relation to this latter use, Herbert Simon explained efficiency by stating that in its broadest sense, ‘‘to be efficient simply means to take the shortest path, cheapest means, toward the attainment of the desired goals’’ (Simon, 1976, p.14).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: This chapter introduces the study, covering the background, problem statement, research objectives, and the organization of the thesis.
CHAPTER TWO: A review of related literature providing a theoretical framework on efficiency, school wastage, enrolment indicators, and teacher-related factors in education.
CHAPTER THREE: Outlines the research methodology, describing the research design, population, sampling procedures, instruments, and data analysis plan.
CHAPTER FOUR: Presents the findings and discussion of the results based on the analysis of enrolment, repetition, dropout, and completion rates.
CHAPTER FIVE: Provides the final summary, logical conclusions, and evidence-based recommendations for stakeholders.
Keywords
Internal Efficiency, Basic Education, Wa Municipality, Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Repetition Rate, Dropout Rate, School Wastage, Education Reform, Primary School, Junior High School, Educational Planning, Completion Rate, Cohort Method, Ghana Education Service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on assessing the internal efficiency of public basic education in the Wa Municipality by examining various educational indicators and their impact on student progression.
Which central topics are analyzed in this research?
The research analyzes enrolment trends, repetition rates, dropout rates, pupil-teacher ratios, and completion rates within the context of public primary and junior high schools.
What is the main objective of the study?
The primary objective is to determine the extent to which the education system in the Wa Municipality is internally efficient using the apparent cohort method.
What scientific methods were employed for data collection?
The study utilized a descriptive research design, collecting data through structured schedules and questionnaires, complemented by pilot testing to ensure instrument reliability.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers a comprehensive review of educational efficiency literature, followed by an analysis of primary and secondary data regarding student flow and teacher allocation.
How are the key performance indicators defined?
Indicators are defined based on international educational planning standards, including the apparent cohort method, to track pupil progress and resource utilization.
Why did the author choose the Wa Municipality for this study?
The author selected the Wa Municipality due to its cosmopolitan nature and the assumption that the findings would provide results representative of other districts within the Upper West Region.
How did the author address the issue of potential data inaccuracies?
The researcher used triangulation methods, utilizing official sources alongside data collected from head teachers to minimize the impact of individual biases or incomplete records.
What role does the apparent cohort method play in this research?
It serves as the core statistical approach to measure student flow rates, effectively adjusting for system 'injections' and 'leakages' to estimate internal efficiency.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dr. Munawaru Issahaque (Autor:in), 2010, An Assessment Of The Internal Efficiency Of Basic Education In The Wa Municipality Of The Upper West Region, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/461294
