Exploring management practices of directors at early childhood education centres in Ghana

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the management practices of directors at ECCD centres in Ghana. The study aimed to explore the application of basic management principles by ECCD directors at their centres to understand their perceptions of their managerial roles and the contextual factors that influence their management effectiveness and efficiency. The study used a qualitative approach underpinned by a multi-site case study design. The purposively selected case sites were located in five metropolitan and municipal districts within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The population of the study included all ECCD directors in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Sixteen ECCD directors and four board members were selected to participate in the study. Interviews and document reviews were the primary data collection instruments used. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data, while content analysis was used in reviewing the documents. Administrative Management Theory principles of Henri Fayol (planning, organising, coordinating and controlling) were identified from the data. Although evidence from the study showed that ECCD directors put much effort into managing their centres, the study also found that ECCD directors experience various challenges with applying basic management principles at their centres. The identified challenges included but were not limited to ECCD directors’ insufficient skills and knowledge in management principles; insufficient technical support from the district education office; lack of active engagement of key internal and external ECCD stakeholders in the management process; and a lack of effective utilisation of enablers of effective and efficient management functions at the input, process, and output phases of management. Other challenges included inadequate utilisation of external planning inputs; lack of use of varied data sources for planning; inadequate mobilisation of resources; and a lack of support from the ECCD community/environment. In addressing the identified challenges, the researcher developed a contextual framework using a system theory approach in applying Fayol’s basic principles of management to guide ECCD directors in managing their centres.