Teaching and learning styles of history teachers and students in senior high schools in the Kumasi metropolis

Abstract

The quality of an educational system in Ghana highly depends on effective teaching and learning strategies adopted by teachers and students. Ghana cannot develop without adequate and sound educational performance through effective teaching and learning. This study sought to explore the teaching styles of history teachers and ascertain whether they match with students’ learning styles in Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study utilized the cross-sectional descriptive survey design to investigate the teaching styles of senior high school history teachers, and learning styles of their students in the Kumasi Metropolis. The target population was all 21 history teachers and 875 history students of senior high schools in the Kumasi Metropolis. A simple random sampling technique was employed in selecting 11 SHS in the Kumasi Metropolis. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in selecting 21 teachers and Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table for selecting sample size was used to select the 350 students. The most dominant teaching style of history teachers is the Learner-Centered and this was adopted because it puts students first by allowing them to participate in class activities. There was a positive relationship between gender, age, teaching experience and as against teaching style adopted. Moreover, the most preferred learning style of history students is kinesthetic which make students discoverers and tactile in nature. The choice of teaching style remains a prerogative of the teacher so far as it enhances students learning since there is no one approach to effective teaching and learning. Heads of senior high schools should provide teachers with adequate training and supervision to improve their teaching skills and students must cultivate the right learning habit.