Author: Christopher Yao Dewodo (St. Francis College of Education, Ghana)
Abstract: Despite Ghana’s policy shift towards learner-centered and inclusive pedagogical reforms, evidence shows that classroom implementation remains uneven across basic schools. This study examined how teachers’ knowledge, academic qualifications and teaching experience influence the use of learner-centered pedagogical approaches in public basic schools in Hohoe, Ghana. The study focused on five dimensions of learner-centered pedagogy: constructivist, collaborative, inquiry-based, integrative and reflective approaches. Anchored in the positivist paradigm, a descriptive survey design was employed. A census sampling strategy was used to involve all 364 teachers from 28 public basic schools. Data was collected using a structured five-point Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). Results indicate that teachers demonstrate relatively strong conceptual knowledge of learner centered pedagogies; however, this knowledge appears predominantly theoretical and does not consistently translate into classroom practice due to contextual and systemic constraints. Teachers’ perceptions of learner-centered pedagogy did not differ significantly across categories of teaching experience or academic qualification, suggesting broadly shared orientations toward learner-centered instruction. The study underscores the need for sustained, practice-oriented professional development supported by instructional leadership, collaborative planning structures and enabling school conditions to strengthen effective enactment of learner-centered pedagogies in Ghanaian basic schools.