Methods of teaching English language: A case of junior high schools in West Akim Municipality
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Methods of teaching English language: A case of junior high schools in West Akim Municipality
This study sought to investigate the dominant method employed by English teachers at the Junior High School level in West Akim Municipality and its impact on students’ writing performance in English language. The study used a mixed-methods approach with questionnaires, interviews, and observation to obtain data from 20 teachers and 251 students, who were randomly sampled as respondents. The results revealed that most of the teachers used the Grammar Translation Method which impacted negatively on the students' writing performance. It is therefore recommended that English teachers adopt the Eclectic Approach as there is no single optimal method for every teaching method, and integrating different teaching methods complements each other.
The findings suggest that education policymakers should discourage overreliance on the Grammar Translation Method in Junior High School English language instruction and promote the Eclectic Approach through curriculum guidelines, teacher education programmes, and continuous professional development initiatives. Policies should also strengthen instructional supervision to encourage the use of learner-centred and communicative teaching strategies that improve students' writing skills. The study contributes to policy by providing empirical evidence from the Ghanaian basic education context that instructional methodology significantly influences students' writing performance. It further supports policy reforms aimed at institutionalizing flexible, evidence-based teaching approaches to enhance English language learning and literacy outcomes in Junior High Schools.