Social studies teachers’ perception of junior high school social studies curriculum in Berekum Municipality

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