Social studies education in Ghana: a historical perspective (1940-present)

Abstract

Social studies education and instruction have gone through several cycles of change from an integrated curriculum and multiple subject curriculum since the 1940s. This article examines these changes and the historical context of these changes –spanning the period from the 1940 to post-1987 education reform classroom. Through this historical review, it becomes clear that there have been frequent reforms in the social studies curriculum.. Indeed, the introduction of the New Education Reform of the 1987 actually stabilized the Social Studies education. The stabilization of social studies in the current era of Ghana’s education dispensation presents new challenges and opportunities for effective Social Studies education in today’s classroom environment and serves as the wake-up call of how social studies education continues to respond to the current trends, issues and instructional objectives.