Students and Teachers’ Perception of Social Studies Subject: A Case of Selected Senior High Schools (SHS) in Tamale Metropolis of Northern Ghana

Abstract

The upsurge of moral decadence among the youth of Ghana these days seems to attest to the fact that the teaching and learning of social studies is beset by some limiting factors. The question that comes to mind is whether students and teachers really understand the purpose of social studies as a subject and whether they even have the right perceptions about social studies for preparing the use for productive citizenship. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was chosen for this study involving 335 SHS social studies students and 32 social studies teachers for the 2020-2021 academic years within the Tamale Metropolis. Questionnaires were designed to collect data from the respondents. The quantitative data obtained were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The results showed that even though students and teachers of social studies had appreciable knowledge of what social studies is meant to achieve in the lives of students, the realization of the aims of social studies appears to be hindered by perceptions they have about social studies classroom climate, a situation that has led to poor participation during lessons. The study therefore, recommends that resources such as social studies room, museum, laboratory, reference books, and audio-visual materials should be made available during social studies lessons to encourage active participation by learners.