Introduction
A society with solid educational structures will be populated with educated people who can lead to positive economic progress and social change. People apply the skills they have learned in school to achieve positive social change and economic growth. These skills are made possible by one person we all call ‘teacher’. This is why nations that seek economic and social development should not overlook teachers and their importance in national development.
Teachers’ performance is a major factor in determining the quality and performance of the students they teach. Teachers should receive the highest education possible to help students in the most effective ways. The quality of teaching and teachers is a critical factor in shaping students’ learning and academic growth. Teachers who receive high-quality training will be able to manage classrooms effectively and facilitate learning.Teacher education is of paramount importance in these countries due to the potential to inspire positive student achievements.
Teacher Education
Ghana has deliberately tried to train quality teachers in her elementary school classrooms. Benneh (2006) stated that Ghana’s goal in teacher education is to offer a comprehensive teacher education program that includes in-service and initial teacher training. This will ensure that competent teachers are trained and qualified, improving school teaching and learning quality. The opening teacher education program for Ghana’s primary teachers was only provided by Colleges of Education (CoE) until recently, when the University of Education, the University of Cape Coast and Central University College joined the ranks. One of the most striking contrasts between programs offered by other tertiary institutions is that, while Universities examine and award certificates to students, the Colleges of Education provide tuition.These institutions offer training programs to help teachers become qualified for teaching in schools. To ensure grade, the National Accreditation Board accepts teacher training programs.
Alternative pathways or programs that prepare teachers can be helpful in teacher shortages. The UTDBE program is a typical example. It is designed to provide non-professional teachers with professional skills. This aim is to manufacture more teachers due to a scarcity of teachers that tends to agreement quality.
Determinanta for Teacher Quality
The quality of teachers has a significant impact on student learning. Anybody who has worked in education will tell you that teacher quality is a critical component of reform efforts. Priagula Agam & Solmon (2007) identified teacher quality as an essential factor in schools that significantly impact students’ learning. The quality of teachers influences students’ success. Students learn better when they have adequate and qualified teachers. However, students who have ineffective teachers experience learning declines. Teacher quality refers to continuous self-assessment to improve teaching and professional development. A teacher educator who can build on their subject matter and pedagogy knowledge is a quality teacher.
Outstanding teachers exhibit moral qualities. They can teach every child the right skills and knowledge. They provide their students with the knowledge and awareness necessary to make independent and sound judgments. Here are three factors that determine teacher quality. These are pedagogical and subject-matter knowledge as well as experience.
Pedagogical Knowledge
The purpose of pedagogical content knowledge is to bridge the gap between teaching and content knowledge. It bridges the gap between content knowledge and teaching by making content discussions relevant. Teachers with good pedagogical content knowledge can control classroom management, assessment, learning methods and individual characteristics. These teachers can create an environment that encourages learning, and they can present or facilitate learning for even lazy students. Teachers with high pedagogical content knowledge are considered quality teachers because they can make learning more enjoyable for students. Good teachers are not only able to teach pedagogy. If a teacher is a master of pedagogical content but not subject matter knowledge, it will not make them a good teacher.
Subject Matter Knowledge
Teaching is about helping learners to develop intellectual resources that will allow them to fully participate in the main domains of human inquiry and teaching. The teacher’s knowledge of the subject matter will determine how much students can be helped to learn.Students will be more hurt if teachers are not knowledgeable or well-informed. Teachers who think in narrow terms or don’t have the correct information about a subject matter will often pass this information on to their students. This type of teacher won’t recognize students’ preconceptions or challenge them. This type of teacher could create misconceptions by using texts in a way that is uncritical or incorrectly altering them. The teacher’s understanding of knowledge is what shapes the questions and ideas they ask, as well as the tasks they assign.
Experience
Variations in teacher salaries around the globe are due to differences in experience (Hanushek & Rivkin 2006). Payroll differences are determined by the time a teacher has been teaching. This suggests that teachers with more experience in teaching may be perceived as better teachers. Although some studies, such as Hanushek (2011), suggest that experience has a limited impact on teacher quality. After five years, it ceases to be beneficial. However, common sense suggests that teachers who have been doing the same thing for a while do better and more efficiently. Because more experienced teachers are more knowledgeable about their subject matter, tend to think and act appropriately in the classroom, and have a positive attitude toward students, it will continue to pay off.
Conclusion
Teacher education is a program that provides teacher education programs. It includes training for trainee teachers and in-service training for teachers who are already teachers. This will help teachers become committed and knowledgeable teachers capable of teaching and learning effectively. Teacher education programs were created to help teachers. These programs vary from one country to the next. Several programs may train teachers to earn the same certificate in the same country. These programs have been created in areas where teachers are scarce. Attempts are made to train many teachers at once. Alternative programs make it possible for those who would not usually be teachers to become teachers by easing the requirements for teacher certification. This creates significant challenges. This is because many teachers are needed in a short time. Therefore, their training is somewhat fast-tracked, resulting in what is often called “half-baked teachers” – teachers of lower quality. Many applicants who do not get admission to the program they choose end up teaching because there is no other way. These applicants are less likely to dedicate themselves to teaching. The original mission of the first teacher training institutions was not accomplished by fast-tracking teacher preparation. Because these teachers are often not high-quality, such teacher preparation programs fail to deliver the desired results.
