Evaluating Strategies Employed in the Implementation of the Bachelor of Education Social Studies Curriculum in Colleges of Education of Ghana

Abstract

This study evaluated strategies to implement the Four-Year Bachelor of Education in Social Studies Curriculum in the Colleges of Education of Ghana. The study employed a concurrent embedded research design. The study population consisted of College Tutors, HoDs, and Principals from CoEs running the B.Ed. Social Studies Curriculum. Census and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 47 participants for the study. The main instruments for data collection were questionnaires, observation guides and interview protocols. The quantitative data collected were coded, processed using the SPSS software and analysed with descriptive statistics. Qualitative data from the interview and observation sessions were analysed using thematic analysis. The Social Studies curriculum for Colleges of Education was successfully implemented with appropriate strategies planned and executed by the stakeholders to the college tutors who were the grassroots implementers, even though important components of the implementation process, which is the organisation of professional development sessions (PDS) and the preparation of proforma lesson notes, were not successfully carried out. It is recommended that the management of Colleges of Education and other stakeholders in Teacher Education should re-design and adopt pragmatic ways of organising professional development sessions (PDS) for tutors in Colleges of Education for its effective organisation to achieve maximum results. The policy of weekly organisation of professional development sessions should be reconsidered and tailored to fit well into the activities of Colleges of Education for effective implementation of the social studies curriculum.