The purpose of this study was to investigate how large class size and teacher-to-learner ratio affect classroom management in early childhood educational centres (ECECs) in Ghana. Using the concurrent triangulation mixed method design underpinned by the pragmatic philosophical thought, this study employed the descriptive survey on the quantitative phase and case study on the qualitative phase. The data were collected in three phases using a four-point Likert-type scale questionnaire, semi-structured interview and observational guide. The sample size for the study was 228 respondents. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was administered to preschool teachers and headteachers. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews for preschool teachers and headteachers while observation was done in early childhood education centres with a class size of more than 70 pre-schoolers. The quantitative data were analysed using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, independent samples T-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The qualitative data were analysed using counting and thematic analysis. The study outlined several behavioural patterns exhibited by pre-schoolers in large class size. It emerged from the study that out of seat behaviour, physical aggression, verbal aggression and talking out of turns were all behavioural patterns exhibited by pre-schoolers. Notwithstanding, the behavioural patterns exhibited by pre-schoolers, the ECECs were facing these challenges: 1) Inadequate seat and tables for pre-schoolers to feel comfortable, 2) The permeability between pre-schoolers and TLMs ratio, 3) Inability to organise exercise and class tests regularly and 4) Teachers do not have enough time to pay attention to each pre-schooler. The study also pointed out that positive reinforcement, shaping, given prompt feedback and given clear instructions were effective classroom strategies used in managing pre-schoolers in large class size. It was recommended that preschool teachers should be equipped with rudimentary skills of handling pre-schoolers’ behaviour in ECECs and seminars should be organised for both trained and untrained preschool teachers on how to manage pre-schoolers behaviour in the classroom to upskill teachers. It was also established that preschool teacher should adopt concepts from the social constructivism theory by Lev Vygotsky where the social interaction, scaffolding and zone of proximal development were used to manage and reduce the heavy burdening from preschool teachers. There should be an appropriate classroom management plan under which the preschool teacher must operate, and this plan must be tailored to ECE trainee teachers during practicum to guide them in executing their duties in the classroom.
Maikemisetso a thutopatlisiso eno e ne e le go batlisisa gore diphaposi tse dikgolo le rešio ya morutabana-go-morutwana di ama jang tsamaiso ya phaposiborutelo mo ditikwatikweng tsa dithuto tsa bana ba bannye (diEDEC) kwa Ghana. Thuto eno e dirisitse molebo o o tlhakaneng o o akaretsang molebo o o lebelelang dipalopalo le o o lebelelang mabaka mmogo, ka nako e le nngwe, o o theilweng mo mogopolong wa filosofi o o sa tlhokeng go tlhomamisa, mme e dirisitse tshekatsheko e e tlhalosang mo legatong le le lebelelang dipalopalo gammogo le thutopatlisiso ya tobiso mo legatong le le lebelelang mabaka. Go kokoantswe data mo magatong a le mararo go dirisiwa lekwalopotsolotso la dintlha-nne la sekale sa mofuta wa Likert, dipotsolotso tse di batlileng di rulagane le kaedi ya kelotlhoko. Bogolo jwa sampole ya thutopatlisiso e ne e le batsibogi ba le 228. Mo legatong le le lebelelang dipalopalo, barutabana ba barutwana ba bosetlabošweng le barutabanabagolo ba neetswe makwalopotsolotso fa kelotlhoko yona e dirilwe kwa ditikwatikweng tsa thuto ya bana ba bannye tse di nang le diphaposiborutelo tse di nang le bosetlabošweng ba feta 70. Data ya dipalopalo e lokolotswe ka go dirisa tekanyetso ya maatla a kamano a dipharologantsho ya Pearson, Teko ya T (T-test) ya disampole tse di ikemetseng, tokololo ya letlhakore le le lengwe ya pharologantsho (ANOVA), bokgapetsakgapetsa, diphesente, pharologano ya palogare le ya tlwaelo. Data
e e lebelelang mabaka e lokolotswe go dirisiwa tokololo ya go bala le morero. Thutopatlisiso e tlhagisitse mekgwa ya maitsholo e le mmalwa e e bontshitsweng ke bosetlabošweng mo diphaposiborutelong tse dikgolo. Mo thutopatlisisong go tlhageletse gore go emelela mo setilong kwa ntle ga go kopa tetla, go nna dikgokanyana le dipuo tse di botlha ke mekgwa ya maitsholo a a bontshitsweng ke bosetlabošweng. Kwa ntle ga maitsholo a a bontshitsweng ke bosetlabošweng, diECEC di ne di lebane le dikgwetlho tseno: 1) Ditilo le ditafole tse di sa lekanang gore bosetlabošweng ba ka nna ka tshosologo, 2) Go tlhoka tekatekano magareng ga bosetlabošweng le rešio ya TLM, 3) Go tlhoka bokgoni jwa go rulaganya ditirwana le diteko tsa mo phaposing gangwe le gape le 4) Barutabana ga ba na nako e e lekaneng go tota setlabošweng mongwe le mongwe. Gape thutopatlisiso e bontshitse gore maatlafatso, go bopa, go tsiboga ka bonako le go naya ditaelo tse di utlwalang ke ditogamaano tse di bokgoni tsa mo phaposiborutelong tse di dirisediwang go laola bosetlabošweng mo diphaposiborutelong tse dikgolo. Go ne ga tshitshinngwa gore barutabana ba bosetlabošweng ba tshwanetse go nna le dikgono tsa motheo tsa go kgona go samagana le maitsholo a bosetlabošweng kwa diECEC mme go tshwanetse ga rulaganngwa diseminara gore di tsenelwe ke barutabana ba bosetlabošweng ba ba katisitsweng le ba ba sa katisiwang malebana le tsela ya go tsamaisa maitsholo a bosetlabošweng mo phaposiborutelong go maatlafatsa barutabana. Go lemogilwe gape gore morutabana wa bosetlabošweng o tshwanetse go dirisa megopolo go tswa mo tioring ya kagoloago ya ga Lev Vygotsky moo go dirisiwang tshusumetsano ya loago, tshegetso le go ela tlhoko sekgala magareng ga se morutwana a ka se dirang kwa ntle ga thuso le se a ka se dirang fa a thusiwa go tsamaisa le go fokotsa morwalo mo barutabaneng ba bosetlabošweng. Go tshwanetse ga nna le thulaganyotsamaiso e e maleba ya phaposiborutelo e morutabana wa bosetlabošweng a tshwanetseng go dira ka yona, mme thulaganyo eno e tshwanetse go rulaganyediwa barutabana ba ba mo katisong ya ECE go ba kaela tsela ya go diragatsa ditiro tsa bona mo phaposiborutelong.
Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuphenya ukuthi ubukhulu bekilasi nesilinganiso sikathisha-nomfundi kuthinta kanjani ukuphathwa kwekilasi ezikhungweni zemfundo yezingane ezisakhula (ECECs) eGhana. Kusetshenziswa ukusongozwa kwecebo lwendlela exubile kanxantathu okusekelwa umcabango wesifundo semibono mayelana nolwazi ngezindlela zakudala zokucabanga, lolu cwaningo lusebenzise inhlolovo echazayo ngesigaba sobuningi kanye nesifundo esigabeni sekhwalithi.
Imininingwane yaqoqwa ngezigaba ezintathu kusetshenziswa uhlu lwemibuzo lwesikali sohlobo lwe-Likert olunamaphuzu amane, izingxoxo ezihleliwe kanye nomhlahlandlela wokubheka. Usayizi wesampula wocwaningo kwaba ngu-228 abaphendulile. Esigabeni sobuningi, uhlu lwemibuzo lwanikezwa othisha basenkulisa nothishanhloko. Isigaba sekhwalithi sibandakanya izingxoxo ezihleliwe zothisha basenkulisa kanye nothishanhloko ngenkathi ukubhekwa kwenziwa ezikhungweni zemfundo yezingane ezisakhula ezinosayizi wekilasi labafundi basenkulisa abangaphezu kuka-70.
Imininingwane yobuningi yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa umqondo kaPearson wezibalo zokuhlola ezikala ubudlelwano bezibalo, phakathi kokuhluka okubili okuqhubekayo, ukuqhathanisa amaqembu amabili azimele okubhekwayo, ukuhlaziywa kwendlela eyodwa yokuhluka (ANOVA), imvamisa, amaphesenti, isilinganiso kanye nokuchezuka okujwayelekile. Imininingwane yekhwalithi ihlaziywe kusetshenziswa ukubala kanye nokuhlaziya ingqikithi. Ucwaningo luveze amaphethini okuziphatha ambalwa aboniswa abafundi basenkulisa ekilasini losayisi omkhulu. Ocwaningweni kuvele ukuthi ukuziphatha kwesihlalo, ukuhlukumeza, ukuthukana nokukhuluma ngendlela enobuwula konke yizindlela zokuziphatha ezivezwa yizingane zasenkulisa.
Noma kunjalo, amaphethini okuziphatha aboniswa abafundi basenkulisa, ama-ECEC ayebhekene nalezi zinselele: 1) Ukunganeli kwezihlalo namatafula ukuze izingane zasenkulisa zizizwe zikhululekile, 2) Isimo sokungeneka phakathi kwabafundi basenkulisa kanye nesilinganiso se-TLMs, 3) Ukungakwazi ukuhlela umsebenzi wokuzivocavoca. kanye nezivivinyo zamakilasi njalo futhi 4) Othisha abanaso isikhathi esanele sokunaka ingane ngayinye yasenkulisa. Ucwaningo luphinde lwaveza ukuthi ukuqinisa okuhle, ukubumba, ukunikezwa impendulo esheshayo kanye nemiyalelo ecacile kwakungamasu asebenzayo ekilasini asetshenziswa ekulawuleni izingane zasenkulisa ekilasini elingusayizi omkhulu.
Kwatuswa ukuthi othisha basenkulisa kufanele bahlonyiswe ngamakhono ayisisekelo okusingatha ukuziphatha kwezingane zasenkulisa kuma-ECEC futhi kufanele kuhlelwe izingqungquthela zabo bobabili othisha basenkulisa abaqeqeshiwe nabangaqeqeshiwe mayelana nendlela yokulawula ukuziphatha kwezingane zasenkulisa ekilasini ukuze kuthuthukiswe othisha. Kwaphinde kwasungulwa ukuthi uthisha wasenkulisa kufanele athathe imiqondo evela kuLev Vygotsky yokucatshangwayo kweqembu lenhlalo elakha izinto lodwa lapho ukusebenzelana komphakathi, indlela lapho othisha benikeza uhlobo oluthile lokusekelwa kubafundi njengoba befunda futhi bethuthukisa umqondo omusha kanye negebe phakathi kwalokho umfundi asekwazile ukukwenza kanye nalokho angakwazi ukukwenza kahle ngokwesekwa kwasetshenziswa ukulawula nokunciphisa umthwalo osindayo ovela kothisha basenkulisa. Kufanele kube nohlelo olufanele lokuphatha ikilasi okumele uthisha asebenze ngaphansi kwalo, futhi lolu hlelo kumele lwenzelwe othisha abaqeqeshwayo be-ECE ngesikhathi sengxenye engokoqobo yesifundo sokufunda ukuze babaqondise ekwenzeni imisebenzi yabo ekilasini.
