Curriculum conceptions of the scope of content of social studies in the colleges of education in Ghana

Abstract

Social Studies seen as helping pupils acquire relevant knowledge, positive attitudes, skills and values which in effect will equip them to be competent, concerned, reflective and problem solvers by the Junior High School (JHS) curriculum. Forming a better conception about Social Studies has necessitates the need to research into the scope of content of Social Studies in the Colleges of Education in Ghana since the subject is taught mostly by diploma teachers from the country’s thirty-eight public teacher training colleges. The research methods chosen for this study are; both qualitative and quantitative (mixed method). The study revealed that the scope of content of the College of Education Social Studies course structure does not reflect the tools needed by individual to solve personal and societal problems as compared to the JHS syllabus. Final year teacher-trainees’ current knowledge base about the scope of content of Social Studies as a problem solving was inadequate. It was recommended that at least two credit hours course should be designed and mounted on the current Junior High School (JHS) Social Studies syllabus for students in Colleges of Education as part of their programme of study. This will help mentees to become familiar with the content of the syllabus, making it easy in their selection of valid content, setting of appropriate objectives in their teaching and even the mode of using appropriate assessment tools.