The study sought to examine the instructional techniques used by Senior High School (SHS) Social Studies teachers in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North-East Region of Ghana. A sample of thirty-two (32) teachers was selected for the study using the simple random and convenient sampling techniques. As a qualitative study, an 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 things that: 1) teachers’ knowledge of the general objectives of Social Studies fell short of the expectation of effective Social Studies teachers, specially trained to teach the subject; 2) teachers also had limited knowledge of the instructional techniques of teaching Social Studies and 3) lessons observed were mostly done by the use of lecture, discussion, and questions and answers 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.
Cite this paper
Abudulai, I. (2020). An Examination of Senior High School Social Studies Teachers’ Instructional Practices in the West Mamprusi Municipality. Open Access Library Journal, 7, e6186. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1106186.
Adeyemi, M.B. and Adeyinka, A.A. (2003) The Principles and Content of African Traditional Education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 35, 425-440.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1469-5812.00039
Ayaaba, D.A., Eshun, I. and Bordoh, A. (2014) Achieving the Citizenship Education Goal of the Social Studies Curriculum in Ghanaian Senior High Schools: Challenges and the Way forward. Open Science Journal of Education, 2, 61-65.
Akhtar, S. (2008) The Implementation of Education for Citizenship in Scotland: Recommendation of Approaches for Effective Practice.
http://www.sagepub.com/content/11/1/33
https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480207086752
Dynneson, T.L. and Gross, R.E. (1999) Designing Effective Instruction for Secondary Social Studies. 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Chiodo, J. and Byford, J. (2006) Do They Dislike Social Studies? A Study of Middle School and High School Students. The Journal of Social Studies Research, 28, 16-26.
Byford, J. and Russell, W. (2006) Analyzing Public Issues-Clarification through Discussion: A Case Study of Social Studies Teachers. Social Studies Review, 46, 70-72.
Russell, W.B. and Waters, S. (2010) Instructional Methods for Social Studies: A Survey of What Middle School Students Like or Dislike about Social Studies Instruction. Journal for the Liberal Arts and Sciences, 14, 1-4.
https://doi.org/10.18546/HERJ.14.1.12
Rocco, T.S., Bliss, L.A., Gallagher, S. and Pérez-Prado, A. (2003) Taking the Next Step: Mixed Methods Research in Organizational Systems. Information Technology, Learning, and Performance Journal, 21, 19-29.
Adler, P.A. and Adler, P. (1998) Observational Techniques in Collecting and Interpreting Quantitative Materials. Sage Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA.
Ingersoll, R. (2003) Out-of-Field Teaching and the Limits of Teacher Policy. Report of the Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy and The Consortium for Policy Research in Education, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1037/e383132004-001
Ingersoll, R. (1999) The Problem of Underqualified Teachers in American Secondary Schools. Educational Research, 28, 26-37.
https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X028002026