The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major concern across the globe affecting nation’s socio-economic development including education. It has pushes many HEIs in world to move into remote learning as a substitute of in-person instruction. The study explored students’ response to online learning in higher education in Ghana. The study was guided by three research questions. Descriptive survey design was adopted and online questionnaire was used to gather data from 467 students in a higher education of Ghana. The data was analysed using frequency and percentage. Overall, the study found that students had positive response to online learning. They knew of online learning and some of the platforms like UCC Moodle platform, Alison and Google classroom. They would also like to use other social media platforms. They would use smart phone and laptop for the online learning. However, they had negative response to the online learning (not ready/prepared) because they lacked formal orientation and training, perceived lack of constant access to internet connectivity and financial unpreparedness. Management of the university should provide resources to help students assess whether they are ready to take an online course and offer suggestions for preparation. Since internet accessibility is expensive in Ghana at the moment, management of the university should hold negotiations with Cellular operators for educational discount for distance students. Academic staff should provide instructional support through instructional activities that can help students in appraising their readiness, gaining the needed skills to learn online and consider using flexible approaches to teaching and deadlines to accommodate students with constraints or lack reliable Wi-Fi or broadband access

Senior high school (SHS) students are at risk of stress and other adverse exposures that may negatively affect their well-being and possibly cause attrition. The concepts of academic resilience and well-being share commonality as psychological attributes linked to positive functioning among students. Despite this connection, there seems to be limited research exploring these concepts across genders among SHS students in developing regions. This study examined the gender difference in academic resilience and well-being among SHS students in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional survey design, 190 SHS students in three schools from Kwahu North and South district (i.e., Afram Plains) of Ghana’s Eastern Region completed the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30) and College Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (CSSWQ). The sample consists of 102 males and 88 females, with a mean age of 17.83 years. The data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and hierarchical regression. The study established that students have a moderate level of academic resilience and a higher level of well-being, with no statistically significant variation in students’ academic resilience (t = 0.718; p = 0.474) or well-being (t = −1.596; p = 0.112) across gender. Further, the study discovered that resilience significantly predicted academic well-being (B = 0.425; SE = 0.050; t = 8.50; p < 0.001). This study highlights the importance of promoting gender-sensitive intervention strategies that enhance the academic resilience and well-being of SHS students and help boost their educational attainment.

Academic resilience and motivation are two key positive psychological constructs that have the capacity to influence learners’ engagement even in difficult conditions. Surprisingly, research investigating these relational constructs is limited in Ghana. The study examined the influence of academic resilience and motivation on engagement, highlighting rural–urban variations among senior high school students. This cross-sectional survey involved 190 senior high school students in Ghana, employing stratified sampling. Academic resilience, motivation, and engagement were assessed using the academic resilience scale (ARS-30), the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ), and the university student engagement inventory (USEI). Data were analysed using descriptive, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. An independent t-test was also conducted to compare the study variables between rural and urban students, utilising IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. The correlational analysis revealed that academic resilience positively correlates with engagement and motivation. A regression model indicated that socio-demographic factors have a minimal impact on academic engagement, while academic resilience and motivation significantly predict it. No significant differences were found between urban and rural students regarding academic engagement, motivation, or resilience. Educators and policymakers are urged to implement strategies, including social–emotional learning and mentorship programmes, to support and cultivate academic resilience, motivation, and engagement among students. Future studies could investigate the relationship between academic, motivational intensity, and learners’ academic achievement across a larger sample.

The WHO-5 well-being measure happens to be one of the most renowned measures of subjective well-being across the globe. Although the instrument has been calibrated in different countries, its psychometric properties and applicability in Africa, especially in Ghana, are not known. In this study, the WHO-5 well-being scale was validated among adolescents in Ghana by assessing the validity evidence of the measure based on the internal and external structure. In particular, the study examined the (1) dimensionality of the WHO-5 well-being scale, (2) quality of the items (including the scale functioning) for the measure, and (3) criterion validity of the well-being measure. Using a survey approach, 997 adolescents were recruited in secondary schools across the northern belt of Ghana. The study found a one-factor structure of the scale, which supports the factor solution of the original measure. The items were found to be of high quality, except for one item. The WHO-5 well-being measure was found to have sufficient evidence regarding convergent and divergent validity. The outcome of this validation study provides support for the validity and reliability of the WHO-5 well-being scale’s utility and use among adolescents in Ghana. The study encourages further validation studies to be conducted in Ghana to widen the reproducibility of the WHO-5 well-being measure.

Cognitive-behavioral coping among teachers is an important issue of investigation due to the reported high prevalence of anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas several studies have assessed COVID-19 awareness of individuals as a predictor of anxiety, the moderating role of awareness in anxiety and coping mechanisms remains unclear. The study primarily examined the nexus between awareness of COVID-19 and (a) anxiety and (b) coping strategies, including the interaction effect of COVID-19-related awareness in the link between anxiety and coping strategies among senior high school teachers. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted to conveniently select 184 teachers from senior high schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Questionnaires were administered to the participants and data were analyzed with means, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, and linear regression statistical procedures. Summarily, the results revealed a negative relationship between COVID-19 awareness and anxiety levels of teachers. COVID-19-related anxiety significantly predicted coping mechanisms of teachers. Further, COVID-19 awareness significantly moderated the relationship between anxiety and coping strategies adopted. These findings imply that the public health education and mass awareness campaign programs on COVID-19 could act as buffers against the spread of COVID-19, its associated comorbidities, and help improve the mental health of teachers. Promoting adaptation to COVID-19 through the use of functional management strategies such as active coping and emotional support should be encouraged in the Cape Coast Metropolis among teachers.

Previous research has established the link between COVID-19 risk perception and the coping behaviors of teachers in different countries. However, these studies have revealed inconsistent result patterns. Moreover, little is known about the role of COVID-19 knowledge in the link between risk perception and the coping strategies of teachers. This study, therefore, examines the relationship between COVID-19 risk perception and the coping behaviors of teachers, as well as the moderating effect of COVID-19 knowledge in this link. Through the convenience sampling technique, a cross-sectional sample of 376 teachers was recruited to respond to a questionnaire. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used in analyzing the data. It was revealed that COVID-19 risk perception was positively correlated with active coping strategy and negatively associated with emotional support. Further, results showed that with the a high level of COVID-19 risk perception, teachers with a high level of knowledge are less likely to adopt emotional support coping. In contrast, teachers with low knowledge levels will exhibit a higher probability of adopting emotional support coping. The study projects the need for enhancing the knowledge of teachers while conscientizing them on the risky nature of COVID-19 through health education and promotion.