Overcoming Challenges for Successful College Improvement Planning: Insights from Principals of Colleges of Education in Ghana

This study explored how principals overcome challenges through collaboration and stakeholder engagement to achieve successful college improvement planning. The study utilized the interpretivist research paradigm and the qualitative research approach. All eight principals from Colleges of Education (CoEs) under the mentorship of the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, were purposively selected. Data were obtained using semi-structured interviews. The study established trustworthiness through confirmability, credibility, dependability, and transferability. The ethical considerations involved informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, and data encryption. Data analyzed thematically revealed that challenges faced by principals in college improvement planning include limited resources, resistance to change by staff, bureaucratic constraints, excessive administrative responsibilities, lack of a strong college culture, limited stakeholder engagement, and unclear performance indicators. Principals believed that attaining successful college improvement planning depended on genuine stakeholder engagement, open communication channels, participatory decision making, adaptability, and resilience. A key recommendation is that the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and the Ministry of Education should establish clear national policies and guidelines, including monitoring and evaluation systems, that make it a prerequisite for all CoEs to involve stakeholders in achieving successful college improvement planning.

Keywords: challenges, college improvement planning, collaborative leadership, stakeholder engagement, principals