Incorporation of community resources in teaching social studies in junior high schools: A case in the adentan district of the greater accra region of Ghana

Abstract

Social studies education constitutes a diverse aspect of the human ecosystem that needs external resources to enable effective tuition and learning in the classroom. Using external resources has been a significant challenge for Ghana’s junior high school teachers. Given this, the study explored the integration of community resources in teaching social studies in a selected junior high school in the Adentan District in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. It investigated the factors that militate against using community resources and assessed how these problems could be resolved. The study made use of the random sampling technique, with a sample size of forty (n = 40) students, a teacher (n = 1) and a principal (n = 1). The researchers employed questionnaires and interviews as instruments for gathering data. The expressive survey research design was used as the methodology for the reading. It was revealed that community resources were not efficiently utilised to teach social studies, although the respondents reported its enormous benefits in the teaching-learning procedure. Again, the study identified some factors that impede the use of community resources in teaching social studies; over-reliance on textbooks, lack of means of transport, inflexible timetable, and lack of support and cooperation from parents and other stakeholders. Despite the challenges, we recommend that social studies teachers prioritise integrating community resources in coaching social studies to make it more pragmatic, relevant, and effective.

Keywords:

• Classroom assessment and evaluation
• educational policy
• resource management
• sociology of education
• sustainable education

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Notwithstanding the wide acknowledgement of what can be obtain when using community resources, studies show that they have not become intrinsic part of instruction as one would have hoped. Social studies teachers use only textbooks to provide instruction and seldom use teaching resources. Sithole, 2010 in his study conducted on teaching Business studies discovered that out of the total teachers sampled, 68% had never used local people as guest speakers or resource persons. In a similar study conducted by Mitiale cited (Kerubo, 2015), he observed that social studies teachers make insufficient use of instructional materials. A great deal of studies has been conducted on the use of community of community resources in teaching social studies. However, little has been done to find out the extent to which these resources can be used in teaching social studies. Lack of incentive for teachers by schools diminishes teachers’ commitment and affects the use of community resources in teaching social studies. Hence, this research study is intended to ascertain the effects of community resources in the teaching and learning of social studies in junior high schools.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research

Notes on contributors

Ronald Osei Mensah

Ronald Osei Mensah [M.Phil., MPA, PGDE, B.A] is a Lecturer with the Social Development Section at Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana and a PhD Candidate with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He has cross-cutting research experience in the area of Sociology of Law and Criminal Justice, Sociology of Education, Social Justice, Media Studies and African History.

Enock Swanzy-Impraim

Enock Swanzy-Impraim [M.Phil., B.Ed.] is an education researcher and a Doctoral Candidate at the School of Education, Edith Cowan University, Perth-Australia. Enock does research in Vocational Education, Creativity, Creative Pedagogies, Teacher Education and Comparative Education.

Da-Costa Marfo

Da-Costa Marfo [B.A] is a degree graduate from the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. His area of specialization is Social Studies Methodology, Curriculum and Assessment and basic education. He is a diversified researcher who applies both quantitative and qualitative techniques to arrive at logical findings when researching social issues.

Pearl Adiza Babah

Pearl Adiza Babah [M.Phil.] is a Senior Tutor at Accra College of Education, Accra, Ghana, with the Department of Social Sciences. Her research interests are in Social Studies Methodology, Sociology of Education, Educational Administration and supervision and teaching methods.