Reforming teacher education in Ghana: Evaluating the impact of T-TEL on professional competence

Alfred Dorgbetor and Gifty Nordzi

African Educational Research Journal
Published: September 17 2025
Volume 13, Issue 3
Pages 386-394
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17144207

Abstract

This study examined the impact of the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) programme on the professional competence of student teachers in Ghana, with specific reference to Akatsi College of Education. Despite several reforms in Ghana’s teacher education sector, concerns remain regarding the preparedness of newly trained teachers for classroom practice. Existing evaluations of T-TEL have primarily focused on tutors and curriculum alignment, leaving limited evidence on the professional competence of student teachers. Guided by Systems Theory, this study addressed that gap by comparing the professional performance of trainees before and after the introduction of T-TEL reforms. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 450 participants comprising 150 student teachers from the 2014 cohort (pre-T-TEL), 150 student teachers from the 2018 cohort (post-T-TEL), and 150 mentors. A structured questionnaire was used, and reliability was established through Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from .78 to .89. Descriptive statistics summarized participants’ views, while an independent samples t-test compared cohort performance. Findings revealed that student teachers trained under T-TEL significantly outperformed their counterparts from the previous system, t (298) = -12.56, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 1.47. Mentors overwhelmingly endorsed the relevance of the reforms, while mentees valued the twelve-week professional competency plan and the active involvement of mentors in assessment. The results suggest that T-TEL has contributed meaningfully to strengthening trainee competence and enhancing collaboration between stakeholders. The study recommends institutionalising the twelve-week plan, formally recognising mentors in assessment frameworks, and providing psychosocial and workload support to sustain the gains of reform.

Keywords: T-TEL, professional competence, teacher education reforms, systems theory, mentor involvement.

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