Teachers’ Perspectives on Literacy Skills Development among Kindergarteners: Evidence from Kindergarten Teachers in Agona East District, Ghana

Abstract

This paper examined the perspectives of kindergarten teachers on literacy skills instruction among kindergarteners. The study focused on public kindergarten teachers within the Agona East District of Ghana. 132 public kindergarten teachers were sampled for the quantitative aspect of the study using census technique of sampling and 12 participants were sampled using the convenience sampling technique for the qualitative phase of the study. The explanatory sequential mixed methods research design enabled the researcher to collect both quantitative and qualitative data using a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide respectively. The quantitative data were analysed descriptively using the SPSS and the hypotheses were tested with the use of Pearson Correlation. Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data. The study established that majority of kindergarten teachers in the district had a positive perspective on literacy skills and literacy skills instruction among kindergarteners. They believed literacy skills development offers numerous benefits to kindergarteners and that a teacher’s view of the benefits of literacy skills instruction influences lesson delivery. Based on the findings, it is recommended that headteachers of the basic schools and the District Education Directorate should make efforts at motivating kindergarten teachers to regard these positive views with high esteem, and should organize periodic seminars and symposia on the relevance of effective literacy skills among kindergarteners for kindergarten teachers. This will enable them to keep up and maintain the knowledge and positive view they hold on the relevance of literacy skill development to kindergarteners.