The Power of Community: A community approach to education during COVID-19 in Ghana

• In Event: Accountability

Proposal

Introduction/Conceptual Framework
In Spring of 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. The school closures affected approximatively nine million students in kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high schools (The World Bank, 2022). In response to the pandemic, and upon the instruction of the President, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, in collaboration with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation launched the Ghana Learning TV and Radio programmes (Kale-Dery, 2020). However, experiences of this intervention varied across urban, suburban, and rural areas. This qualitative study aligns to the conference theme, because it provides the unique perspectives of Ghanaian school leaders in primary and secondary schools in both suburban and rural areas. This research adds to the existing bodies of literature on crisis leadership while also offering actionable ways to lead learning in times of crisis. Because this project focused on school leaders during COVID-19, the researchers utilized a crisis leadership conceptual framework.

“Leadership is seen as the key to success in any institution” (Amakyi, 2022, p.1).
During crisis, educational leaders need to ensure that students feel safe and have a clear sense of belonging so that they can learn (Boudreau, 2020). Traditional crises in schools most often involve alcohol, drugs, weapons and violence, student discipline issues, student or staff deaths off campus, or inclement weather (Mutch, 2015). Smith and Riley (2012) affirmed that there are five steps leaders need to follow to respond to a crisis. These steps include: 1) obtaining reliable facts; 2) implementing the relevant contingency plan, or quickly adapting one to respond to the crisis; 3) making decisions quickly; 4) showing genuine concern for the welfare of others; 5) communicating clearly and regularly to limit confusion, stories, and misinformation. The COVID-19 crisis was not the same as traditional crises. COVID-19 was lasting, unprecedented, and complicated (Boin et al., 2020). School leaders across levels, school types, and locations faced various challenges related to equity in accessing technology such as computers, tablets, radios, or televisions (Harris, 2020).

Methods
This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach (Creswell, 2013) to understand the experiences of school leaders during COVID-19. This study sought to answer the following research questions: 1) What were the experiences of Ghanaian school leaders during COVID-19 school closures?; and 2) What challenges did they face and how did they mitigate those? The researchers used criterion sampling to select 13 school leaders across the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem district of the Central Region of Ghana. Interviews were conducted via Zoom and WhatsApp. Interview questions included: “Tell us about your experience as school leader during COVID-19”; What has changed for you personally and professionally as a result of Covid-19?” “What has worked well? and What has not worked well?” Analysis of qualitative data took place over two cycles of coding (Saldaña, 2009). In round one, the investigators used in vivo coding to develop codes for each key point emerging from the interviews, analytical memos, and journaling. In round two, using axial coding, the researchers grouped the preliminary codes into overlapping categories to create themes.

Findings
Florence is one of the 12 school leaders who were interviewed. To ensure that everyone had access to education during the school closures, Florence used a community approach. First she gathered her teachers and explained to them that “we all have to adapt and do more home visits, more checking-in, and more helping.” She explained: “I first had to check in with the teachers, explained the situation and the needs, and then get their buy-in so we could all be on the same page before we collaboratively brainstormed some solutions and acted.” Once Florence obtained the teachers’ support, she contacted the town chief. She met the chief to ask for his assistance. She remembered:

The chief understood our dilemmas and wanted to help us educate the community’s children, so he rang the bell and announced to the community that teachers were going to go house to house to check on students, and/or deliver printed materials and homework for those who did not have access to a phone. The chief urged families to welcome the teachers and to listen to them regarding the education of their children during COVID-19.

Once the chief made the announcement, Florence contacted the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) emphasizing one message: “We are all stakeholders in education.” Florence meant to encourage families, regardless of their job, economic status or education levels, to assist with the education of their children. To that end and with the safety protocols in mind, she asked the PTA to organize meetings during which parents with technological know-how would show others how to use WhatsApp, how to monitor their children even if they were illiterate, how students should submit their assignments or when they should bring their work to school, if they did not have a phone. Additionally, the PTA organized resources for the families in need. For example, the PTA, Florence, and the teachers raised money to help families with the purchase of data to access WhatsApp.

Once the government deployed additional resources such as the radio and TV programmes along with books and when the lock down measures loosened, Florence attended community funerals to make announcements pertaining to the availability of e-learning. Florence’s experience is one of the stories that the paper will outline. Florence demonstrated that in times of crisis, school leaders need to adapt quickly and collaborate with the community to provide an education for all, despite the various technology constraints.

Conclusions/Implications
This study is in line with the conference theme and sub-theme 4: How do we learn to take civil action collectively” and is relevant to the to all school leaders across the world serving students whose families do not have access to technologies. The community approach to learning in times of crisis was successful in Ghana, a collectivistic society. Consequently, other nations would also benefit from this work. The paper provides recommendations to school leaders, leadership preparation programs, scholars, and policy makers.

Authors

• Corinne Brion, University of Dayton

• Alfred Kweku Ampah-Mensah, IEPA, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST, GHANA