Do Social Studies Teachers’ Variables Influence Students’ Performance in Senior High School Social Studies in Ghana? Evidence from Students’ Performance Test in Social Studies

Abstract

The study concerned itself with the role of Social Studies teachers’ variables on the performance of Senior High School students’ in social studies in Ghana. The purpose of the study was to find out if social studies teachers’ variables had any influence on the performance of Senior High School (SHS) students’ performance in social studies.

A descriptive survey design was used for the study which involved 635 social studies teachers and 74,249 Senior High School 2 students across the 36 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA’S) Ghana. A total of 2,253 SHS 2 students and 75 social studies teachers (30 female and 45 male) from 25 SHS were sampled through multi-stage sampling procedures. Two researcher-designed instruments tagged: Teacher Demographic Variables Questionnaire (TDVQ) and Students’ Performance Test in Social Studies (SPTISS) were used in data collection. Data was analysed with the aid of frequencies and percentage counts. The results showed that, teacher variables exerted some influence on students’ performance in social studies. It was therefore concluded that social studies teachers’ variables exerted significant influence on the performance of Senior High School students in social studies.

Based on the results and conclusion, it is suggested for consideration of relevant stakeholders in education, that social studies teacher variables should be considered in the recruitment of teachers for the teaching of social studies at the SHS level.

Keywords: Teacher, Variables, Students’, Performance, Social Studies