Project Outline

Project Outline for Ghana Field Study Fall 2011 (written May 11th, 2011)

Introduction

Objective/Purpose: Through participation, interviews, observations, and by using participatory methods find out what Ghanaian family values in Wiamose are and how those values impact students’ formal education. In addition, find out what values are emphasized within Ghanaian schools and how those values impact Ghanaian families informal education within the home.

Research Question: How are family values reflected in Ghanaian schools? How are values within Ghanaian schools reflected in Ghanaian families?

Significance of project: The purpose of this project is to find out what impact Ghanaian family values have on students in the formal schooling.

Outcomes: Who will benefit from this study? To be honest, mostly myself. But hopefully this project will help reveal some positive connections between informal education within Ghanaian families (i.e. moral values) and formal education in Wiamose.

Literature/Sources

Abdi and Cleghorn, 2005. Issues in African Education: Sociological Perspectives.

Amedzro, 2005. The theory and practice of community education: a comparative study of Noridc, British, Canadian, and Ghanaian experiements.

Coe, 2005. Dilemmas of culture in African schools: youth, nationalism, and the transformation of knowledge.

Gonzalez and Moll, 2002. Funds of Knowledge.

Osei-Kofi, 2007(?). The family and social change in Ghana.

(And more to come.)

History and Background/Context

Educational history of Ghana

Definition of concepts

Family

Values

Education (informal and formal)

Ghanaian

Population: Three Ghanaian families in Wiamose.

Places and Locations: Schools and families within Wiamose.

Anticipated outcomes and future application of the study

Methods

Case study of three Ghanaian families

Observations (in schools, in homes as well as outside schools and homes)

Participatory methods (FAMA, pie-charts, mapping)

Interviews (mainly teachers, parents, students and perhaps even principals)

Surveys? (Possibly…)

Ethical concerns

Confidentiality of subjects and schools

Resolve by providing consent documents for students, parents, teachers, principals and translators to sign.

Also provide an example of participatory and other methods I will use in order to ensure that those participating or affected by someone participating in this study understand the process of this particular research.

Qualifications:

Myself and faculty mentor

SOC 301 (Applied Social Sciences)

Budget:

Pre-field

Vaccinations: ca. 200 dollars maximum?

Tuition and Health Insurance: TBA.

In-Field

Food and housing for three months: ca. 750 dollars.

Transportation: Unknown but TBA.

Compensation (to participants in the study): Unknown but TBA.

Translators: Unknown but TBA.

Communication: Unknown but TBA.

Semester retreat: Unknown but TBA.

Appendices

Consent Documents for:

Parents

Students (several for different age groups)

Teachers

Principals

Translators

Examples of methods that will be used:

FAMA outline and codes

Examples of interview questions