Center for Educational Research and Development
THE CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (CERD)
The Centre for Educational Research and Development (CERD) is a centre established under the Faculty of Educational Studies in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. The Centre is committed to the conduct of educational research and teacher professional development across all levels of the educational system. Since its establishment the centre has been running post-graduate diploma in education and higher education pedagogy for non-professional pre-tertiary teachers and faculty in tertiary educational institution who have no background in pedagogy. This is meant to equip them to effectively facilitate learning of all learners irrespective of their backgrounds in diverse learning contexts using GESI responsive pedagogies. The Faculty is an accredited CTPD service provider for the National Teaching Council and has organised workshops to build capacity of basic and senior high school teachers in several districts across the country. It has also partnered the state-of-the-art E-learning centre in KNUST to deliver several workshops on instructional designing and building the capacity of tutors in affiliate colleges of education and faculty in virtual teaching and learning in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centre has also partnered the KNUST school of business and the Office of Grant and Research, KNUST to work on grant proposals on educational entrepreneurship. Currently, the Centre has an Acting Director supported by research associates who are scholars with diverse backgrounds in education, social sciences and STEM related areas.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The CERD has been established to forge critical partnerships and collaborations with international and local agencies to address critical needs and challenges in the education sector which influences policy and practice in Ghana and beyond.
The three broad areas CERD focuses on are:
- Prioritizing educational research in the areas of STEM education that foster linkages with industry and productive sectors and also explores the entrepreneurial potentials of education.
- Collaborating with national and international organizations like the Mastercard Foundation, DFID, Tigerwood’s Foundations and Carnegie Corporation of New York to develop and influence educational policies for Africa’s educational transformational agenda.
- Establishing links with reputable national and international education research agencies like IEPA, CREATE, West and Central African Research and Education Network (WACREN) and West African Research Association (WARA), National Teaching Council (NTC) among others
- Providing on sustainable basis, technical support as well as capacity building in areas of research and evaluation, policy development, educational planning and quality assurance.
- Mainstreaming educational research and provide facilities for collation, publications and dissemination of findings that contribute to national development through public lectures, publication of journals and organization and hosting of conferences.
- Providing an enabling environment that stimulates innovative thinking and customises foreign based education research to suit local development needs.
3.2 Professional Development
- Producing models for diversified and innovative GESI responsive teaching pedagogies, learning resources and equipment development.
- Developing clinical supervision models to be used in both traditional and virtual learning environments.
- Developing innovative assessment practices for science, technology and engineering based programmes.
- Researching into indigenous pedagogies that smoothens transitions from home and school at pre-tertiary levels.
- Researching into designing learning environments that promote learning in large classes and divers learners.
- Designing continuous professional training on educational planning, administration and leadership to both teaching and non-teaching staff in collaboration with Quality Assurance Planning Unit and Human Resource Development.
- Developing creative Continuous Teacher Professional Development (CTPD) models that facilitate access, participation and peer support of all teachers irrespective of their school types and characteristics
3.3 Curriculum Development
- Supporting faculty in the development and review of curricula that develop creative and innovative learners who demonstrate learning outcomes encapsulated in the curriculum.
- Supporting the implementation of T-TEL/T-SHEL projects in collaboration with appropriate stakeholders.
- Providing technical support to other teacher education institutions in the development of teacher education curricula and workshop models in line with the National Teachers Standards.