The classroom physical environment as a “third teacher” for an early childhood education provision in the Ga-West Municipality of Ghana

In spite of what literature has said about the relevance of the classroom environment and the fact
that it can serve as the “Third teacher” in ECE provision, available data shows a lack of
infrastructure in most Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres in sub-Saharan Africa,
including Ghana. The purpose of this study therefore, was to ascertain a first-hand information
about the state of the classroom environment of the ECE centres in the Ga-West Municipality of
Ghana and how it was serving as a third teacher for quality ECE provision. Using the
convergent design (previously referred to as concurrent triangulation) mixed methods approach,
data in the form of questionnaire, interview and observation were collected from 142
participants comprising four ECE circuit coordinators, 130 ECE teachers and four headteachers
drawn from 20 schools within the Ga-West Municipality in Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The
findings showed some general infrastructural problems in the form of inappropriate furniture,
unresourced learning centres and overcrowding classroom space. This possibly limited the
ability of some of the teachers to translate their training into classroom practice. It also hindered
the role the infrastructure (the classroom environment) could play as a third teacher and how the children could benefit from their classroom environment to aid their learning. Thus, it is
recommended that provision should be made to improve on the infrastructure to make it more
developmentally appropriate. Additionally, the ECE classroom environment should be carefully
arranged to create space to allow for children’s free movement. Tables and chairs used by
learners should also be sized to their height and in an appropriate shape (e.g. semi-circle) for
their activities and the learning centres should be well resourced and used.