Leading Schools in the Midst of COVID-19: Experiences of Basic School Leaders of the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District of the Central Region of Ghana

Authors

Corinne Brion (0000-0001-6151-525X), University of DaytonFollow

Abstract

This qualitative study uses a phenomenological approach to understand the experiences of thirteen Ghanaian head-teachers in suburban and rural areas of the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem district during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings revealed that these leaders faced numerous challenges related to pivoting to remote learning for the first time combined with the lack of access to technology. Other challenges pertained to the absence of infrastructure and resources such as books. Despite these challenges, these Ghanaian head-teachers were able to adapt to the crisis and alter their leadership style to educate the children they served. Currently, there is a limited number of qualitative studies exploring the experiences of head-teachers in rural and suburban Ghanaian schools during the global pandemic. This study is significant as it fills an existing gap in the leadership and crisis leadership bodies of literature while also offering some practical suggestions for practitioners and recommendations for policy makers. As the COVID-19 virus may be part of the world’s new normal and we are quickly approaching the deadline for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, this study provides some answers to the following questions: Which practices should we continue? Which practices should we abandon? What new practices need to be creatively invented?

Recommended Citation

Brion, Corinne (2024) "Leading Schools in the Midst of COVID-19: Experiences of Basic School Leaders of the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District of the Central Region of Ghana," Journal of African Policy Studies: Vol. 30: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/joaps/vol30/iss1/4