Date of Award
5-2013
Document type
dissertation
Access Type
Open Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Degree Program
Education (also CAGS)
First Advisor
Barbara J. Love
Second Advisor
Patrick Mensah
Third Advisor
Ernie Washington
Subject Categories
Education
Abstract
This research study examined perceptions of contemporary effects of colonialism among education professionals in Ghana, and the extent to which education professionals express awareness of colonialism in Ghanaian school systems and contemporary Ghanaian society. An overview of literature in Critical Race Theory, Social Justice Education Theory, Oppression Theory and Post-Colonial Theory provided the theoretical foundation that was used to guide this study. Five factors emerged from this literature review as a framework for analysis of study data. These five factors included discourse, cultural imperialism, linguistic hegemony, racism and internalized racism, and oppression. The study participants included education policy makers, administrators, counselors, teachers, and teacher educators in the educational system of Ghana. A set of thirty-two individual interviews and six focus groups comprised of twenty-seven participants were conducted in which educators described their perspectives of Ghanaian society and Ghanaian educational systems in their own words in response to a predetermined set of twelve questions. A document analysis established a baseline of data regarding the curriculum of Ghanaian schools as presented in curriculum guides, textbooks, and policy statements, handbooks and reports that describe the educational systems in Ghana today. Ghanaian educators expressed the most awareness of colonial legacies related to cultural imperialism, linguistic hegemony, internalized oppression and discourse. The findings suggest that educational professionals in Ghana demonstrate limited awareness of colonial legacies of racism and internalized racism, sexism, classism, ethnoreligious oppression and neocolonialism.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/68zj-cz25
Recommended Citation
Fletcher, Kingsley Atterh, "Perceptions of Contemporary Effects of Colonialism Among Educational Professionals in Ghana" (2013). Open Access Dissertations. 732.
https://doi.org/10.7275/68zj-cz25
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/open_access_dissertations/732