Defining and improving great teaching is a challenge for educators worldwide. Evidence Based Education (EBE) partnered with Durham University Business School’s Global Smart Hub on a research project on measuring senior high school teaching practices in Ghana. This work is particularly valuable, as Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy has expanded access, bringing larger and more diverse cohorts into classrooms and increasing the demands placed on teachers.

The research developed a survey scale to capture the various elements of great teaching encapsulated within the Great Teaching Toolkit (GTT). These elements are grouped into four dimensions: (i) understanding the content, (ii) creating a supportive environment, (iii) maximising opportunity to learn, and (iv) activating hard thinking.

As a first step, we conducted a pilot survey with 75 senior high school teachers in Ghana. The goal was to gather early insights into current practices and identify opportunities for targeted professional development. We looked not only at how often teachers said they used each practice, but also at which areas they themselves chose as priorities for improvement.

Content is king but connections still matter

The clearest strength lies in ‘understanding the content’. Teachers report high levels of consistent practice here, suggesting a strong foundation of subject knowledge and how to teach it. This is an important asset for Ghana’s senior high schools.

The survey also showed that teachers are not content simply to ‘know their subject’. Many said they wanted to get better at connecting lessons – linking new ideas to what students have already learned and helping them see the bigger picture. Interestingly, this is also something they report doing quite often already. In other words, they recognise that there is always another step to take in turning good explanations into coherent learning journeys for students.

Time, routines and calm classrooms: teachers’ top priority

When teachers reflected on their biggest challenge, one message stood out clearly. Practices that fall under ‘maximising opportunity to learn’ – managing classroom time, establishing routines and preventing disruptions – had the lowest overall rate of consistent use. Only about 37% of teachers reported that they ‘always’ used these practices. Correspondingly, this was the area they most often chose as their top priority for professional development. Nearly a third of teachers selected this as the domain where they most wanted support.

This alignment between lower current practice and high teacher demand is striking. It amounts to a direct request from the classroom for support in managing the new reality created by Free SHS, which is more students, more diversity and greater pressure on limited learning time. Well-designed professional development here can have immediate impact by helping teachers protect instructional time, create calm, predictable classrooms and give students the time they need to engage with challenging content.

Supporting every learner

The survey also points to a significant opportunity in how teachers support diverse learners. Practices grouped under ‘creating a supportive environment’ had relatively low average use. Within this area, supporting students with special educational needs stood out with one of the lowest implementation rates, while many teachers identified it as a priority for improvement.

This finding is especially critical in the context of the Free SHS policy, which has successfully widened access to education, bringing more diverse student populations into the classroom than ever before. This data should not be viewed as a failing on the part of teachers, but rather as an indicator of a critical, system-level need for targeted training and resources in inclusive educational practices. It represents a clear opportunity to equip these dedicated educators with the specialised strategies required to ensure every student can thrive. 

From insight to impact

Evidence-based tools like the Great Teaching Toolkit don’t just measure teaching; they provide a roadmap for improvement by revealing specific strengths and shared challenges. These early insights from our pilot survey in Ghana represent the first step in an ongoing collaboration to empower educators.

Teachers are a community of dedicated, self-aware professionals ready to build on their strengths. By listening to the articulated needs of teachers and responding with targeted, evidence-based support, we can help build a scalable, teacher-centric model for professional growth.

The full report:

Omotosho, E., & Philip, D. (2025, January). Measuring teaching practices using the Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence from senior high schools in Ghana. Global Smart Hub Report 1209.