Are the Effects of COVID-19 on Inequality in Tertiary Education in Ghana Gendered?

Authors

  • Paul Nkegbe University for Development Studies https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1754-5288
  • Stanley Dary SD Dombo University of Business & Integrated Development Studies
  • Halidu Musah Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34190/ecel.22.1.1929

Keywords:

COVID-19, Inequality, Tertiary Education, Online Platforms, Ghana

Abstract

Educational institutions around the world were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic as there were nationwide closures of educational institutions around the world to contain the spread of the virus, resulting in the migration of teaching and learning to online platforms. This study examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on inequality in tertiary education in Ghana, focusing on the gendered effects. Primary data were collected from 371 students from six selected public universities in Ghana mainly online using KoboCollect. Binary logistic regression was employed in the data analysis. The results show that the COVID-19-induced universities' closure and migration of teaching and learning to online platforms accentuated inequalities in learning opportunities by university students in Ghana, just that its effects are not gendered. Location significantly explained the observed inequalities experienced during the period of the universities’ closure and online teaching and learning. It is recommended that universities should embrace online systems as part of their teaching and learning practices. 

Author Biographies

Paul Nkegbe, University for Development Studies

Paul Kwame Nkegbe is an Associate Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the Department of Applied Economics, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana. His research interests are in applied microeconomic analysis, and economics of development, and his recent work has concentrated on rural livelihoods and socio-economic development with emphasis on employment and inclusiveness.

Stanley Dary, SD Dombo University of Business & Integrated Development Studies

Stanley Kojo Dary is an Associate Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the Department of Economics, Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), Wa, Ghana. His research areas are in agricultural finance, agro-food industry innovation, agricultural cooperatives, and rural development and welfare.

Downloads

Published

2023-10-19

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 1 (2023): Proceedings of the 22nd European Conference on e-Learning - ECEL 2023

Section

Academic papers