Achieving the Citizenship Education Goal of the Social Studies Curriculum in Ghanaian Senior High Schools: Challenges and the Way Forward
[1]
David Asakiba Ayaaba , Department of Social Studies Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.
[2]
Isaac Eshun , Social Studies Tutor, Enchi College of Education, Enchi, Ghana.
[3]
Anthony Bordoh , Social Studies Tutor, Enchi College of Education, Enchi, Ghana.
The enduring goal of social studies is citizenship education. This position paper discusses the challenges confronting the achievement of this goal in the implementation of the social studies curriculum at the Senior High School (SHS) level in Ghana. It identifies challenges such as the development hurdles of social studies in Ghana, notions of the “good citizen”, and the way the subject is conceptualized, taught and examined at that level. It argues that even though social studies is not the only subject that imparts citizenship education to learners, its unique thrust and approach make it ideally appropriate to perform such a task. However, it acknowledges the fact that if social studies is to effectively deliver citizenship education, particularly at the SHS level, certain fundamental changes need to be made in the way the subject is conceptualized, taught and examined.
Citizenship Education, Social Studies, Curriculum, Senior High Schools
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