Knowledge of citizenship among Senior High School students in the South Dayi

Abstract

The definition of the concept “citizenship” has always been surrounded by controversy. The controversy around the definition of the concept makes it important for the researcher to explore students’ knowledge on citizenship since the goal of Social Studies is to promote citizenship among its students. This work explored students’ knowledge of citizenship in two selected senior high schools namely, Peki Senior School and Kpeve Senior High School in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region of Ghana. Simple random and convenient sampling techniques were used to select respondents for the study. A total of 185 respondents were involved in the study. A total of 180 questionnaires were distributed while five students were interviewed. Data were collected with questionnaires and interview guide. Data collected were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results from the discussion revealed that majority of the students understood citizenship in several ways. Citizenship was understood by many as mere membership of a country. Some respondents also understood citizenship as having the feeling that one is a member of a country. Majority of the respondents said that their understanding of citizenship is based on the way the teacher taught the topic citizenship. Others also said that their understanding is based on what they read from available Social Studies textbooks. Respondents who understood citizenship based on how the teacher taught it in class said, the teacher made use of small group discussion to aid their understanding. Though these definitions are provided in Social Studies syllabus and textbooks, it only represents political meaning of citizenship. The study recommended that the definition should be broadened in both the syllabus and textbooks to represent Social Studies understanding of citizenship. The study also recommended that Social Studies teachers must make effective use of videos and charts as they aid students understanding of citizenship. This will help discourage memorization of concepts among learners.