Abstract:
The study aimed at determining teachers’ perception of Social Studies and how they
teach the subject at Junior High Schools in Berekum Municipality of Brong Ahafo
Region in Ghana. Four research questions guided the study: 1, what are the
perceptions of Social Studies teachers about the nature of Social Studies? 2. What are
the techniques employed by social studies teachers? 3. What is the nature and purpose
of Social Studies curriculum at the Junior High School? 4. What is the significance of
in-service training to the Social Studies teachers at the Junior High School? The main
instrument used for the study was questionnaire. A questionnaire made up of forty
(40) close-ended four-point Likert Scale Structured items were administered to
hundred (100) Social Studies teachers in the selected twenty-five (25) Junior High
Schools in Berekum Municipality. The questionnaire was divided into seven parts (A,
B, C, D, E, F, & G). Areas examined include Meaning of Social Studies, Academic
and professional Qualification, Scope and Goals of Social Studies, nature of Social
studies Education and Techniques of Teaching Social Studies. The sampling
technique for the study was both purposive and random sampling. The data obtained
from the questionnaire suggest that in all, most teachers were homogenous in their
assertion that the nature of social studies is that of citizenship education. This is
consistent with Banks (1990) that citizenship education is the primary focus of social
studies in the school curriculum which promotes desirable participatory citizenship
and further confirmed by the position of Bar and Shermis (1977) that social studies is
an integration of experience concerning human relations for the purpose of citizenship
education. It was also concluded that the purpose of Social Studies is to develop
positive attitudes, values and skills of pupils. It is recommended that teachers continue
to acquire relevant knowledge on making Social Studies more relevant to the needs of
the citizenry and abreast themselves with teaching techniques that would enhance
practical ways of learning and encourage the application of real- life situation
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL STUDIES, FACULTY OF
SOCIAL SCIENCES, SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE
STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCAITION, WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY
DEGREE IN SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION
OCTOBER, 2015