An examination of Senior High School Social Studies teachers’ instructional practices in the west Mamprusi municipality

Abstract

The study sought to investigate the instructional techniques used by Senior High School Social Studies teachers in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North-East Region of Ghana. A sample of eleven (11) teachers was selected for the study using the purposive sampling technique. As a qualitative study, open-ended (unstructured) interview guide and observational (direct) guide were designed to elicit information from the respondents. The study focused on the teachers’ knowledge of Social Studies general objectives, knowledge of Social Studies instructional techniques and how the teachers use these instructional techniques to teach the subject in the Senior High School to achieve the general objectives of the subject. The study revealed among other thing that: (i) teachers’ knowledge of the general objectives of Social Studies fall short of the expectation of effective Social Studies teachers, especially trained to teach the subject; (ii) teachers also had limited knowledge of the instructional techniques of teaching Social Studies and (iii) lessons observed were mostly done by the use of lecture and discussion techniques; Projects, simulations and games, problem-solving, inquiry and Fieldtrip techniques were virtually absent in the teaching of Social Studies. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended among others that: recruitments of teachers by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to teach Social Studies should be strictly based on professional qualifications in the subject; on-campus and off-campus teaching practices in various Universities should be intensified by allowing in-field lecturers to supervise the teacher-trainees to ensure the best practices in Social Studies.