Sumaila Issah (2025)

This study explores the role of self-efficacy in shaping children’s drawing practices across Ghana’s rural, peri-urban, urban, and metropolitan contexts. Guided by the social cognitive theory by Bandura (1977), the research investigates how mastery experiences, observational learning, and supportive feedback from teachers and parents influence children’s artistic confidence and expression. Employing a qualitative, multiple-case study design within a social constructivist framework, data were collected through spontaneous and directed drawings, semi-structured interviews, and field observations involving pupils aged 7-10, their parents, and teachers. Findings reveal that children with high drawing self-efficacy frequently choose familiar and culturally resonant subjects, reflecting lived experiences and environmental familiarity. Repetition, guided practice, and positive reinforcement significantly enhanced artistic performance and emotional engagement. Feedback from teachers and parents, when constructive and affirming, was found to foster motivation, resilience, and willingness to experiment with key traits of creative growth. Conversely, environments lacking in encouragement or cultural relevance diminished artistic confidence. The study enriches existing literature by expanding the focus beyond urban settings and highlighting the socio-cultural dynamics that mediate self-efficacy in artmaking. It concludes that cultivating children’s drawing self-efficacy requires not only pedagogical skill but also culturally responsive strategies and active parental involvement. Recommendations include practicebased and observational learning tasks, training in feedback delivery, and policies that integrate culturally grounded art education into early childhood curricula.

Elizabeth Asamoah (2025)

This paper sought to introduce and analyse Samuel Dowaana Mensah’s “Toondan Jilma Lana Naa Osei Tutu II (Otumfuo Osei Tutu II – A Glorious Leader), a multilingual choral composition depicting code switching and written for SATB in honor of his royal majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on the occasion of his silver jubilee celebration. Using interculturalism as the underpinning theoretical framework, the aim is to expose the reader to the biography of Samuel Dowaana Mensah and through the formalist approach, the compositional features embedded in the work are unknown, using musical analytical parameters. The paper uses purposive sampling method with interviews as instrument for data collection. “Toondan Jilma Lana Naa Osei Tutu II (Otumfuo Osei Tutu II – A Glorious Leader) depicts Mensah’s conscious usage of multiple languages to express his identity and the awareness of his thematic intercultural activities. The conclusion offers an analytical presentation of a choral composition that serves as a foundation for the study and creation of choral works by utilising a variety of indigenous compositional features.

Isaac Essah Adu, Nicholas Opoku, Samuel Osei Sarpong (2025)

This study examines graffiti as a form of visual communication and cultural commentary on the campus of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), focusing on its aesthetic, philosophical, and symbolic dimensions. Often dismissed as vandalism, graffiti is here repositioned as a legitimate art form that bridges traditional African visual languages with contemporary global narratives. Using a qualitative research approach that combines semiotic and content analysis, the study analyses four selected graffiti artworks created by KNUST students, uncovering their embedded meanings related to identity, social critique and philosophical inquiry. The Semiotic Theory of Communication, in conjunction with Empirical Aesthetics, serves as the study’s theoretical foundation. The sampled works transform public spaces into arenas for dialogue, creative resistance and self-expression. The findings highlight graffiti’s role in shaping cultural discourse and amplifying marginalised voices. The study concludes by advocating for the recognition of graffiti within academic frameworks, its preservation through archival practices, and the establishment of designated spaces for artistic engagement and cultural exchange.

Patrique deGraft-Yankson, Joseph Essuman (2025)

This study investigates the phenomenon of body idolisation among Ghanaian youth, exploring its underlying motivations, cultural influences, and broader societal implications. Adopting a phenomenological approach, the research examines how young people perceive their bodies as instruments of empowerment, self-expression, and social validation. The analysis highlights the growing dominance of visual-centric paradigms, the loosening of traditional cultural norms, and the impact of global influences in shaping contemporary body aesthetics. These evolving practices generate tensions between individual self-expression and societal expectations, reflecting a broader negotiation between tradition and modernity. The findings contribute to the global discourse on body image and aesthetics, offering valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The study underscores the need for a balanced approach that acknowledges youth agency while fostering informed aesthetic considerations. It advocates for a deeper societal understanding of body idolisation, enabling constructive engagement with the trend and guiding young people in navigating the complexities of bodily self-presentation.

Nyamawero Navei (2025)

The xylophone is a vital African cultural artefact, embodying ethnic historical narratives, sociocultural identity, and ancestral connections. While Ghanaian ethnomusicological research has predominantly focused on the Dagara, Birifor, and Lobi xylophone traditions, the Sisaala zensi (xylophone) of the Upper West Region remains underexplored. This study addresses this lacuna by investigating the cultural nuances of Sisaala zensi, employing Griswold’s cultural diamond model within qualitative ethnographic design. Data were gathered via field observations, semi-structured interviews, and photography from seventeen (17) veteran xylophonists and crafters, sampled through exponential non-discriminative snowball and expert purposive sampling techniques. Findings reveal the Sisaala zensi’s mystical origin, crafting processes, and its central role in ancestral transitions and identity construction. Notwithstanding the established cultural significance of Sisaala zensi, its survival is threatened by religious stigma, neglect, and declining communal interest. The study concludes that the Sisaala zensi remains a powerful symbol of cultural identity but risks extinction due to the alarming decline in its cultural usage in recent times. To safeguard the cultural heritage of Sisaala zensi, the study recommends that the veteran Sisaala xylophone crafters and players should establish a legally recognised association such as Sisaala Xylophone Association (SiXA). The SiXA should lead community-based xylophone apprenticeship programmes in the Sisaala enclave, initiate annual Sisaala Xylophone Festival, and engage in regular media sensitisation campaigns. This helps to ensure intergenerational transmission of Sisaala xylophone traditions, preserving and revitalising its rich cultural heritage for the current and future generations.

Samuel Agbenyo, Veronica Agyeiwaah, Ernest Francis Amparbin, Emmanuel Obed Acquah (2025)

Nnwonkoro, a traditional female choral musical type among the Ashanti of Ghana, serves as artistic expression and an educational tool for transmitting cultural values, ethics, and historical narratives. Despite its cultural significance, scholarly engagement with its pedagogical dimensions remains limited, with most existing research focusing on its performance traditions. This has left a gap in understanding the instructional methods and social values embedded in vocal traditions such as Nnwonkoro. This study addresses this gap by exploring the pedagogical approaches inherent in Nnwonkoro music and how they contribute to knowledge transmission within Ashanti communities. Using an ethnographic research design—including participant observation, interviews with practitioners, as well as discographic engagement—the study examines various pedagogical dimensions of Nnwonkoro that can inform music teaching and learning in Ghanaian schools. Additionally, it highlights cultural values embedded in Nnwonkoro performance, such as social cohesion, respect for elders, and the reinforcement of gender roles. Findings suggest that Nnwonkoro is not merely an artistic performance but a vital pedagogical tool that integrates music with social and moral instruction. The study contributes to broader discourses on indigenous African music education and offers practical insights into how traditional musical type like Nnwonkoro can be adapted into contemporary educational frameworks, particularly through culturally responsive curriculum design and community-based pedagogies.

Naa Korkor Leeyoo Watson-Nortey, Samuel Arko Mensah (2025)

In Ghana, where rivers are revered as abodes of deities, illegal gold mining (galamsey) is not just an environmental crisis – it is a spiritual catastrophe. This study interrogates the paradox of galamsey’s economic appeal versus its desecration of sacred ecosystems, asking: Where do we keep the gods when their habitats are destroyed? The insatiable desire of man in the search for precious minerals such as gold in the ecosystem has become the craze in the Ghanaian ecology in recent times. The phenomenon Galamsey which literary means gather and sell in recent times has been in competition with the conservation and sustainability of natural reserves especially water bodies in the ecosystem. Considering the sacred nature of these water bodies which are believed to be the haven of the gods and ancestral worship, the livelihood and preserve of these natural resources are a cause for concern. The paper utilised the Afrocentric theory and qualitative paradigm as its methodological stance and used interviews, archival documents as its data collection instruments. The analytical tool used was document analysis. It was revealed that polluted rivers are considered ‘abandoned by the gods’, eroding communal trust in traditional ecological knowledge. Thus, the conservation and sustainability of the environment could be achieved if man sees nature as human as himself. It concludes that for friendly co-existence man must protect and preserve the ecology from its gradual disappearance from the activities of galamsey.

Samuel Agbenyo, Eva Akosua Ebeli, Stephen Ayesu Nyanteh, Mark-Millas Fish, Cyril Kpodo, Ernest Kwesi Amponsah (2025)

Ghana’s Creative Arts curriculum integrates music, dance, drama, and visual arts to foster artistic expression in primary schools. However, the curriculum lacks clear guidance on effective instructional methodologies. This gap often results in teachers delivering the subjects in isolation, making it difficult for learners to connect lessons to real-life contexts. This study investigated the training backgrounds of teachers, examined the strategies they employ in implementing the Creative Arts curriculum, and find out creative works done by learners as part of their learning process. Drawing on constructivist and multimodal learning theories, this qualitative case study utilised semi-structured interview, classroom observations, and focus group discussion. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that most teachers lacked formal training to teach the Creative Arts although some could support learners in producing visual artefacts. It was also revealed that many teachers use demonstration and group project strategies to teach the subject, and generally preferred teaching visual arts to performing arts. The study concludes that the subject is often taught by novice teachers assigned as a last resort. It recommends that Creative Arts pedagogy be prioritised during Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings and that, schools should collaborate with experts from the School of Creative Arts at the University of Education, Winneba, to facilitate rigorous in-service training.

Joseph Akin Osunniyi (2025)

In the cultural landscape of Oyo, Nigeria, Bata music ensembles are revered for their vibrant performances and spiritual significance. While existing scholarship has examined Bata music’s performative elements, the role of Kola nut divination in mediating spiritual guidance remains understudied. Preliminary ethnographic data from suggests that many consider Kola nut rituals indispensable for performance efficacy, underscoring its cultural centrality. Drawing on ritual and performance theory, this qualitative study—combining ethnographic interviews and participant observation—investigates how Bata musicians employ Kola nut to seek divine direction. Findings indicate that Kola nut is perceived as a conduit for spiritual communication, offering musicians guidance, protection and artistic inspiration. This article is a contribution to enrich understanding of Yoruba traditional arts and their enduring sacred dimensions.

Reuben Agbelengor Glover, Adolph Hillary Agbo, Michael Ato Essuman (2025)

This qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) study draws from influential exemplary of Bretag et al. (2011a, b) to evaluate the academic integrity policies of five publicly funded Ghanaian universities. The findings indicate challenges in accessing policy documents online, the abundance of legal jargon (legalese) and obfuscating terminologies that may not be easily comprehensible. Most of the policies analysed adopt a penal approach, emphasising the penalisation of students for academic misconduct rather than fostering an educational framework. Additionally, there is a lack of support mechanisms for promoting academic integrity and no established guidelines for the ethical use of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in education. The analysis highlights discrepancies in policy harmonisation and standardisation across the institutions. Based on the findings, the study recommends rethinking institutional policies by policymakers and shifting towards developmental approaches that leverage contemporary educational technologies (EdTech). It makes a compelling case for the adoption of an inclusive approach policy framework that aligns integrity policies across Ghanaian universities. The study contributes to the literature by providing a nuanced policy analysis that underscores the need for an interventionist approach to enhance policy acceptance and practice among Ghanaian universities.