Perceptions on Citizenship Education in Social Studies in Senior High Schools in Ghana

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue XI, November 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Perceptions on Citizenship Education in Social Studies in Senior High Schools in Ghana

Dr. Isaac Atta Kwenin
Lecturer, Department of Business & Social Sciences Education, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa

Abstract:-This study was designed to examine citizenship education in social studies as perceived by teachers and students in six senior high schools in the Kumasi Metropolis. Four research questions guided this investigation which was grounded on the literature of models of citizenship and citizenship education. Cross-sectional survey was adopted for the study. Multiphase sampling procedure was employed to select six senior high schools out of 17 senior high schools and 300 third year students, but all the 49 social studies teachers were selected (census) for the study because the study was specific to social studies. Questionnaires were used to solicit responses from both students and teachers. Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS, version 21) was employed to analyze the data. Frequencies, percentages and tables were used to present the data. The findings revealed strong consensus among teachers and students that citizenship education matters a great deal for students’ political development and for their countries. For the teaching practices, the study presents that the discussing and debating methods dominate citizenship education classrooms. The study concludes with recommendations to education policy-makers to consider teaching citizenship education as a specific subject such as History and Geography at the SHS level.

Key words: Citizenship; Citizenship Education; Integration; Pedagogies; Civic Engagement.

Introduction

The concept “citizenship” dates back to the ancient Greek-State of Athens. Here, the population of the State was divided into two different classes. The first class was the citizens. These citizens enjoyed both political and civil rights and had direct and active cooperation in all the functions of the civil and military life and required to perform certain duties (Kapur, 1997). The slaves who constituted the second class had no such rights and as such suffered all kinds of political and economic disparities. Thus, the slaves were not entitled to the privileges of a citizen. However, the modern concept of citizenship has come to mean being a full member of a state and enjoying the rights and privileges of that state (Kapur, 1997). As every right has a corresponding duty, a citizen is required by the state to render his or her duties to the state.

For citizens to be able to perform their duties as required by the state and enjoy their rights as enshrined in constitutions,they must be educated in their rights and responsibilities, schools have been charged with the transmission of knowledge, understanding, right attitudes and skills needed by the citizens to perform their duties(Torney-Purta & Vermeer, 2004) and enjoy their rights. Schools serve as places that assist students by providing citizenship education in order to develop citizens’ understanding of society and commitment to political and civic engagement. In this role, schools can help foster the knowledge, skills and dispositions that young people need to develop into politically and socially responsible individuals (Torney-Purta & Vermeer, 2004).

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