Social Studies Teachers’ Content Knowledge Impact on Students in the Senior High Schools in Ghana
[1]
Boadu Kankam, Department of Art and Social Sciences Education, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
[2]
Anthony Bordoh, Department of Art and Social Sciences, Enchi College of Education, Enchi, Ghana.
[3]
Isaac Eshun, Department of Art and Social Sciences, Enchi College of Education, Enchi, Ghana.
[4]
Thoephilus Kweku Bassaw, Department of Art and Social Sciences, Komenda College of Education, Komenda, Ghana.
[5]
Catherine Andoh-Mensah, Social Science Department, Takoradi Senior High School, Takoradi, Ghana.
The main objective of the study was to find out how Social Studies teachers at the Senior High Schools (SHSs) impact their content knowledge into students in the classroom. To achieve this objective, interview guide and questionnaire were used to elicit the views of respondents. In all, 54 Social Studies teachers were involved in the study. The simple random, cluster and convenient sampling techniques were used to select the respondents for the study. Frequency counts and percentages were used as statistical tools for analyzing the questionnaire data collected, and the data from the interview guide was transcribed, categorized, analyzed and discussed on themes and subthemes that emerged. The findings revealed that majority of the teachers used content knowledge of Social Studies they have acquired to impact in their teaching to develop attitude, skills, values and knowledge in students. Based upon the findings, it was recommended that, there should be courses on Social Studies content so as to develop teachers’ knowledge about the subject to enhance effective teaching.
Social Studies, Content Knowledge, Teachers Content Knowledge, Content Knowledge Impact, Senior High Schools
[1]
An, S., Kulm, G. & Wu, Z. (2004). The pedagogical content knowledge of middle school, mathematics teachers in China and the U.S., Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 7,145–172.
[2]
Bordoh, A., Bassaw, T.K., & Eshun, I. (2013) Social Studies Tutors’ Cognition in Formative Assessment in Colleges of Education in Ghana. Development Country Studies, 3(11),1- 11.
[3]
Bekoe, S.O & Eshun, I. (2013) Curriculum Feuding and Implementation Challenges: The Case of Senior High School (SHS) Social Studies in Ghana. Journal of Education Practice, 4(5), 39-45
[4]
Børhaug, K. (2005). Why excellent teaching. Accessed on August 16, 2013. From www.nbpts.org.
[5]
Christophersen, Jonas, Dag Øyvind Lotsberg, Ketil Knutsen & Kjetil Børhaug (2003). Evaluering avsamfunnsfag i Reform97- Synteserapport. Universitetet i Bergen – Avdeling for lærerutdanning.
[6]
Clausen, K. C. (2007). Why excellent teaching. Accessed on August 13, 2013. From www.nbpts.org.
[7]
Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, J. (2007). Research methods in education. London: Routledge Taylor and Francis group.
[8]
CRDD (2012). Social Studies Syllabus for Senior High Schools. Accra: Ministry Of Education.
[9]
Darling-Hammond, L. (2000a). Reforming teacher preparation and licensing: Debating the evidence. Teachers College Record, 102(1), 28-56
[10]
Englund, T. (2009). “On the need of citizenship literacy – A normative view”. Paper prepared for the NERA Congress in March, Trondheim, Norway.
[11]
Eshun, I., Bordoh, A., Bassaw, T.K., & Mensah, M.F. (2014). Evaluation of Social Studies Students’ Learning Using Formative Assessment in Selected Colleges of Education in Ghana .British Journal of Education, 2(1), 39-48
[12]
Foros, P. B. (2006). Why excellent teaching. Accessed on August 10, 2013. From www.nbpts.org.
[13]
Haycock, K. (1998). Good teaching matters …. a lot. Accessed on August 25, 2011.From www.goodteaching/mat.html. Inc. Available at www.horizon-research.com.
[14]
Kankam, B., Bekoe, S.O., Ayaaba, D.A., Bordoh, A., & Eshun. I. (2014) Curriculum Conceptions of the Scope of Content of Social Studies in the Colleges of Education in Ghana. American Journal of Social Sciences. 2(6), 137-144.
[15]
Ljunggren, C., & Öst, U. I. (2010). Why excellent teaching. Accessed on August 9, 2013. From www.nbpts.org.
[16]
Ma, L. (1999). Knowing and teaching elementary mathematics: Teachers understanding of fundamental mathematics in China and the United States. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
[17]
March, J. G., & Johan, P. O. (1995). Democratic governance. New York: The Free Press.
[18]
National Council for the Social Studies (2008), “Position statement on curriculum guidelines for social studies teaching and learning”. Accessed February 28, 2012. www.socialstudies.org/positions/curriculumguidelines.
[19]
National Science Teachers Association (1999). NSTA standards for science teacher preparation. Arlington, VA: Author. Accessed June 28, 2013. www.iuk.edu/faculty/sgilbert/nsta98.htm
[20]
National Council for the Social Studies (2008). Building social understanding and civic efficacy. Accessed March 7, 2014. From: www.socialstudies.org/positions/Social understanding.
[21]
Ornstein, A. C., Thomas, J., & Lasley, I. (2000). Strategies for effective teaching. New York: McGraw-Hill.
[22]
Parker, J. & Heywood, D. (2000). Exploring the relationship between subject knowledge and pedagogic content knowledge in primary teachers’ learning about forces. International Journal of Science Education, 22 (1), pp. 89-111.
[23]
Sanders, S.L., Skonie-Hardin, S.D., & Phelps, W.H. (1994, November). The effects of teacher educational attainment on student educational attainment in four regions of Virginia: Implications for administrators. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association.
[24]
Schacter, J., & Thum, Y. M. (2004). Paying for high and low quality teaching. Economics of Education Review. 23,13.
[25]
Shulman, L. S. (1997). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher 15(2): 414.
[26]
Shulman, L. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15 (2), 4-14.
[27]
Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57 (1), 1-22.
[28]
Skarpenes, O. (2007). Why excellent teaching. Accessed on August 9, 2013.From www.nbpts.org.
[29]
Teacher’s Curriculum Institute (2004). Bringing learning alive! Teaching approaches to middle and high school social studies. Rancho Cordova, CA: TCI.
[30]
Tønnesson, J. L. (2003). Why excellent teaching. Accessed on August 9, 2013. From www.nbpts.org.