About

Dr. Ellen Abakah is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Adult Education and Human Resource Studies at the University of Ghana. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and History and an MPhil in Adult Education, both from the University of Ghana. She further earned her PhD in Education from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, where she conducted research at the intersection of adult learning and teacher professional development. 

Dr. Abakah is deeply committed to enhancing student success and strengthening inclusive and transformative educational practices.  Her work is grounded in evidence-based scholarship and interdisciplinary approaches, with a strong focus on understanding and addressing the structural and cultural barriers that shape learning experiences. She is an active member of the International Professional Development Association and a proud Queen Elizabeth Scholar. Dr. Abakah teachers both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, contributing to curriculum development and research mentorship.  

Education

• PhD in Education
• M.Sc. Digital Education (ongoing)
• MPhil in Adult Education
• BA (Sociology & History)

Research Interest

Her research interests span several interconnected areas, including:

• Adult Education and Lifelong Learning
• Teacher Professional Learning and Development
• School Leadership, Educational Quality, and Policy Reform
• Gender, Development and Sexuality
• Digital Education and Technologies

Publications

Abakah, E., Kyere, A., & Avorkliyah, C. (2025). Digital skit makers and gender expression in Ghana: The case of Deaconess Abokomah and Akonoba. In R. C. Amaefula (Ed.), Digital Expressions of Gender in Africa. Taylor & Francis.

Abakah, E., & Valentine Aikins, M. (2025). Learning through practice: Exploring the learning needs of teacher continuing professional development (CPD) service providers in Ghana. Studies in the Education of Adults, 1-22.

Kyei-Gyamfi, S., Kyei-Arthur, F., Abakah, E., & Kyere, A. (2025). Sex differences in gambling among Ghanaian children: a mixed-method cross-sectional study. SN Social Sciences, 5(4), 35. 

Addae, D., Abakah, E., & Amuzu, D. (2025). Adults who learn online: Exploring the online 

learning readiness of nontraditional undergraduate students in a Ghanaian university. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 8, 100407.

Addae, D., & Abakah, E. (2024). Unblurring the lines: Exploring the images of women in 

Ghanaian rap music. Women's Studies International Forum,

Amuzu, D., Abakah, E., & Addae, D. (2024). Transformative pedagogy in ghana's higher 

education: Fostering empowerment and societal engagement. In M. Simone (Ed.), Critical Pedagogy Empowering Education and Societal Engagement (pp. 17-37). Nova Science Publishers, Inc

Tagoe, M. A., & Abakah, E. (2024). Analysis of Ghana’s adult learning and education 

policy environment and governance framework: towards meeting the goal of lifelong learning for all. In Research Handbook on Adult Education Policy (pp. 333-346). Edward Elgar Publishing

Abakah, E., Addae, D., & Amuzu, D. (2023). Continuing professional development (CPD) 

at a distance: Teachers' reflections on enhancing distance education (DE) provision. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 5, 100304.

Abakah, E., & Berko, K. K. (2023). Marginalisation of older adults in the digitalisation drive in ghana: Exploring the potential of adult learning and education. In Promoting the Socio-Economic Wellbeing of Marginalized Individuals Through Adult Education (pp. 176-201). IGI Global.

Abakah, E. (2023). Teacher learning from continuing professional development (CPD) participation: A sociocultural perspective. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 4, 100242. 

Abakah, E. (2023). A Review of Teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Practices and Policy Frameworks in Ghana: Towards the Implementation of a Coherent Policy. Education in Ghana: History and Politics, 2, 249. 

Abakah, E. (2023). Reframing motivation as ‘investment’in teacher continuing professional development. Teacher Development, 27(3), 353-373. 

Abakah, E. (2022). Exploring the continuing professional development (CPD) needs of basic schoolteachers in Ghana. International Journal of Teacher Education and Professional Development (IJTEPD), 5(1), 1-15. 

Abakah, E., Widin, J., & Ameyaw, E. K. (2022). Continuing professional development (CPD) practices among basic school teachers in the central region of Ghana. SAGE Open, 12(2), 21582440221094597. 

Abakah, E. (2018). Participation without a voice? Rural women’s experiences and participation in local governance activities in the Abura–Asebu–Kwamankese district of Ghana. Cogent Social Sciences, 4(1), 1549768. 

Tagoe, M., & Abakah, E. (2015). Issues of women’s political participation and decision-making in local governance: Perspectives from the Central Region of Ghana. International Journal of Public Administration, 38(5), 371-380. 

Tagoe, M. A., & Abakah, E. (2014). Determining Distance Education Students' Readiness for Mobile Learning at University of Ghana Using the Theory of Planned Behavior. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 10(1), 91-106.