Abstract:
Curriculum/instructional objectives are considered the “crux” and “key” of the entire
process of teaching and learning. The more clearly and precisely instructional
objectives are stated, the more will one be to obtaining precise data on the outcome or
result of the instructional process. The study specifically explores the influence of
graduate teachers‟ knowledge base of Social Studies curriculum/instructional
objectives on their assessment practices in the Suhum Municipality of the Eastern
Region of Ghana. The research is mainly qualitative by design but also employed few
tables and percentages to aid analysis of data as a result of the multiplicity nature of
the data. The study involved ten (10) participants. The following research questions
guided the study: 1. How familiar are graduate teachers with the Social Studies
curriculum/instructional objectives at the Senior High School level? 2. How does the
graduate teachers‟ knowledge of the Senior High School Social Studies
curriculum/objectives influence their test items? 3. Which of the domains of
educational objectives do Social Studies teachers‟ questions emphasise? The major
instrument for data collection was semi structured interview guide. Data was then
triangulated with participant observation and document analysis of teachers‟ questions
designed for students‟ end of term examination. The document analysis was useful in
providing first-hand information on what teachers were emphasizing in their
assessment. Non – probability sampling method, that is, convenience and purposive
sampling techniques, were used to select the sample of districts, schools and
participants for the study. Findings from the study show that even though majority of
the teachers demonstrated very good knowledge of the curriculum/instructional
objectives, however, it did not really influence their assessment practices. Other
factors such as time and availability of resources did. It also came up that there were
diversities between what teachers said they assessed and what they actually assessed.
To foster the attainment of the subject goals the study recommends that teachers
should be trained or encouraged to always consider the curriculum/instructional
objectives in the selection of appropriate content, methodologies and assessment
techniques.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Social Studies Education,
Faculty of Social Science, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Social Studies Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
MAY, 2019