“I Am Because We Are”: An Ubuntu Perspective on Teacher Motivation in Ghana’s Low-Fee Private Schools

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Contested Opportunities: Power, Place, and Educational Justice

Abstract

Ghana’s national teacher licensing policy in 2020 threatens to displace uncertified but highly dedicated teachers who form the backbone of Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPS). An exploratory, phenomenological case study was conducted with 15 LFPS teachers in a rural community. Thematic analysis was used, with Ubuntu’s concepts serving as the main analytical framework. We found that teachers’ motivation is not driven by economic or individual factors but by a strong innate force aligned with an Ubuntu worldview. This dedication is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility toward their communities, a connection strengthened by the fact that most teachers are locally born and raised. Therefore, an Ubuntu-guided policy will be fitting in this context and help resolve the policy paradox.

Authors

• David Kyei-Nuamah, East China Normal University

• Xingyuan Gao, East China Normal University