EVALUATION OF THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF SEWING IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS: A CASE STUDY OF AMANSIE WEST DISTRICT

ABSTRACT

This Dissertation is aimed at evaluating the teaching and learning of sewing in the Junior High Schools in the Amansie West District. The aim was to find out whether the programme is being taught and learned in the selected schools and to check the courses taught whether there are adequate qualified teachers, teaching and learning materials. Using observation as a tool for this, the researcher visited the sewing departments of selected schools, to assess the quality of teaching and learning being done in Basic Design and Technology. The researcher investigated the problems associated with the gap among Pre-Technical skills, Pre-Vocational skills and Home Economics (sewing and catering) courses under the programme in selected Private and Public Junior High Schools in the Amansie West District. She also assessed pupils, and their sewing teachers as they taught, as well as the qualifications of heads and the sewing teachers. Infrastructure and general performance of the pupils were also evaluated. It was found out that some of the schools were not doing all the courses in the programme except one. Therefore, it is recommended that the teaching and learning of Basic Design and Technology (sewing) be given much more attention. The government should introduce compulsory BDT in the first year senior high school curriculum so that the teaching and learning of it at the basic levels would be taken seriously. Teaching and learning aids in BDT (sewing) should also be made available to teachers and learners. It is hoped that if these recommendations are given a second thought, teachers at both the private and the public schools would be more serious about the teaching and learning of the sewing subjects. This would make the pupils learn better and acquire the needed skills in order to establish themselves even after completion at this level.  The accessible population for the study was 363 pupils/students from 6 selected public and private JHS, using data collection through school visits to observe teaching and learning process in Basic Design and Technology.