Abstract:
The study sought to explore teachers' perceptions of the new History curriculum
at the basic school level in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Five research questions
and one hypothesis guided the study. The study adopted the quantitative
approach, specifically a descriptive survey research design. A systematic
sampling was used to select 35 schools from 70 schools. Purposive sampling
was used to select 225 teachers comprising 49 males and 176 females from the
35 schools selected. A closed ended questionnaire was employed in collecting
data for the study. Analysis of data was done with the use of both descriptive
and inferential statistics. The specific descriptive statistics adopted in analysing
the research questions were frequency counts and percentages, means, and
standard deviation. Inferential statistics specifically, One-Way-Analysis of
Variance was used to analyse the hypothesis. The study found that teachers had
a positive perception about the new history curriculum at the basic school level;
teachers had positive perceptions of the content of the new history curriculum
for pupils, although they reported that the content of the new history curriculum
was overloaded; and teachers agreed that the teaching and learning resources
(TLRs) needed in the teaching and learning of the new history curriculum were
unavailable. The study recommended that teachers should make a conscious
effort to instil in pupils the values of the new history curriculum since they have
a positive perception about the curriculum; the National Council for Curriculum
and Assessment (NaCCA) should review the content of the new history
curriculum so that some topics will be fused into other topics; school heads
should collaborate with organisations and prominent individuals to help them
acquire the needed TLRs for teaching history
