Female student teachers’ political participation in a Ghanaian College of Education; a Myth or Reality

Abstract

All over the world, women are underrepresented at socio-political levels. This study investigated the political interest and engagement of female students of the Seventh-Day Adventist College of Education, and the rationale for their low political engagement. The study adopted the transformative philosophical worldview with quantitative backing. Employing stratified and convenience sampling approaches, the study considered 405 female student teachers. Data from questionnaires were analysed descriptively and inferentially with means, standard deviation, multiple linear regression, and Pearson two-tailed correlation using SPSS V.20 and are presented in tables. The study found that female student teachers moderately involve themselves in politics-related issues and activities. The study also found that the society around student teachers is responsible for their lower political engagement. Demographic characteristics of female student teachers were found to be significant predictors of their political engagement. The study found a statistically inversed relationship between female student teachers’ political engagement index and both their academic performance and their level in college. The study also found that with higher Commutative Grade Point Average (CGPA), there is a significant chance that female student teachers will maintain their political interest as they progress to advanced levels in the College. It has been recommended that society should rethink gender roles and as such, strengthen women empowerment programmes to groom women and build their competence and interests in the field of politics.