Economics Students’ Perception of Economic Teachers’ Effective Instructional Practices in the Senior High Schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis

The purpose of the study was to explore Economics students’ perception of economic teachers’ effective instructional practices in the Senior High Schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The researchers used the descriptive cross-sectional survey as the research design. Questionnaire was the main instrument to collect quantitative data from respondents. The researcher employed the multi- staged sampling technique to select students for the study. It was discovered that there was no statistically significant difference between the perception of male and female students Economics students with respect economics teachers planning and preparation, classroom environment management and instructional delivery methods in regards to effectiveness of Economics teachers in instructional practices. The study recommended that to maintain and improve upon Economics teachers’ instructional delivery methods, teachers should pay attention to group dynamics so to help them adopt the best pedagogy that meet the learning needs of almost all the student when dealing with any Economics topic. Also, Economics teachers in their capacity should encourage the culture of enquiry into the background information of his or her students (male and female) during pre and post interactive face of instruction and incorporate their feedback into subsequent planning and preparation.

Instructional Delivery Methods for Training Students To Operate Computers: An Empirical Study

Why is it that students of apparently equal capability vary greatly in their ability to learn to use a computer system, that some individuals require little more than a manual while others require careful explanation before they are able to complete even the simplest tasks? To answer this question an experiment was conducted where students were taught how to use a computerized beverage management system by one of two instructional delivery methods, manual-based training (MBT) and instructor-based training (IBT). Subjects trained using IBT took significantly longer to train than did subjects using MBT. After being trained, however, subjects using MBT took significantly longer to complete a series of problems than did subjects using IBT. Correlations between instructional method and performance time were partially explained by the individual characteristic of field-dependence/ independence. The characteristics of anxiety, prior computer experience, sex and age did not significantly relate to training delivery method or performance. Results like these that relate success of specific training delivery methods to characteristics of individual learners may suggest ways to change computer training to accommodate a wider range of users.

A Learning Technology Curriculum: The First Step

The concepts of learning technology are based on several decades of research and demonstration. A formal curriculum to train people to enter this field, however, does not exist. To initiate the development of such a course of study a conference was held at American University on March 11 and 12, 1975. This meeting, sponsored by American University and the Society for Applied Learning Technology, brought together a group of experts in this field with experience in both theoretical concepts and general applications. Topics covered included the following: performance architecture; instructional delivery methods and management; learning systems design; and, the cost and economics of various approaches to learning technology. Most concepts were illustrated with a number of current applications. As a result of the meeting it was recommended that a learning technology curriculum be specified, broadly consisting of the following categories: 1) a section on performance architecture or systems design, 2) a grouping devoted to instructional delivery methods, 3) a treatment of costs and economics, and 4) a series of case studies for training in the problem solving process.