Assessing the demands and expectations of the 21st century fashion education for tertiary institutions in Ghana

This study focuses on assessing demands and expectations of the 21st century fashion education in Ghana. Specifically, the study examines fashion education in tertiary institutions in Ghana in responds to the contemporary demands of the 21st century and explores the challenges that confront core stakeholders in their quest for adopting and implementing training systems for the 21st century fashion graduate. The study employed the mixed methods approach (Concurrent Triangulation Design) to gather and present data through the use of a self-developed questionnaire and interview guide. The purposive and convenience sampling techniques were adopted to reach respondents through online survey (google form) and interview (telephone). The findings indicate that institutions have generally made provisions with reference to innovative teaching strategies and industrial attachment in response to the contemporary demands of the 21st century. However, the systems for training graduates are challenged by modern resources for teaching and learning fashion, lack of adequate knowledge and skills for utilizing and integrating contemporary teaching strategies coupled with inadequate training on how to incorporate technologies in the teaching and fashion and lack of technical assistance. The study concludes that tertiary institutions in Ghana seem to be prepared to meet the expected standards of the 21st century by implementing innovative teaching and learning strategies to enhance education quality and promote sustainable development. It is therefore recommended that tertiary institutions in Ghana invest more in the provision of innovative resources for teaching and learning, strengthen industrial collaboration and support faculty members in meeting the expected standards of the 21st century.