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

AbstractSocial 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