Abstract:
This study examined how Social Studies can be taught to lead to affective outcome
among students of Tema Methodist Day Senior High School. The primary purpose of
Social Studies is to help young people to develop the ability to make informed and
reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of culturally diverse democratic
societies in an interdependent world. Even though Social Studies has been studied as a
core subject in Senior Secondary Schools since the late 1990’s, the said purpose (thus,
attitudinal change) for its introduction has not been achieved. The Teaching Syllabus for
Social Studies still identified some irresponsible behaviours of adolescents in Ghana to
include: Pre-marital sex, prostitution, armed robbery, drunkenness, drug abuse,
homosexuality (sodomy and lesbianism or “supism”), examination malpractices, among
others. The target population comprised students and Social Studies teachers of Tema
Methodist Day Senior High School. The study used concurrent design and sampled 250
students and 10 Social Studies teachers. Simple random and census sampling techniques
were used to select the sample of students and teachers respectively to answer the
questionnaire for the work. It was revealed that teachers set questions that enhance the
development of students’ conceptual understanding or problem-solving skills. However,
documentary analysis of their end of term examination papers revealed otherwise.
Moreover, the study revealed that the conception of students and teachers were not
entirely different from previous studies conducted. Students, to a higher extent, indicated,
that Social Studies is meant to equip learners with knowledge. Half of the teachers agreed
with the students while the other set disagreed. Majority of the teachers too strongly
agreed and agreed that Social Studies is meant to equip learners with socio-civic,
personal and interpersonal skills. Finally, assessment was the main challenge faced by
Social Studies teachers. Higher percentage of the students disagrees or uncertain whether
their teachers assess them effectively. Similarly, students were uncertain about the
effectiveness of anecdotal records. There were discrepancies between what teachers said
they assessed and what they actually assessed. It was recommended that there is the need
to plan and conduct effective professional development initiatives, including both pre-and
in-service training, to transform teaching to be in line with the current theories of
teaching, learning and assessment in Social Studies. Social Studies teachers should
predominantly employ student-centered approaches when delivering lessons to clear
misconceptions students hold in order for them to achieve high academic outcomes. The
Ghana Education Service (GES) should organize in-service training for teachers on
regular basis on how to develop their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) due to the
role it plays in teaching and learning.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Social Studies Education,
Faculty of Social Sciences Education, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies
in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of
Master of philosophy
(Social Studies Education)
in the University of Education,