Challenges Associated with the Content of the Art History Component in the General Knowledge in Art Subject: Implications for Art History Education in West Africa

Abstract

The content of the Art History component in the General Knowledge in Art subject studied by various Senior High Schools in West Africa is largely of foreign art histories at the expense of the histories of African indigenous arts which are shallowly presented in the teaching syllabus to be taught students. This makes the students appreciate more of the artistic cultural heritage of foreign countries making them handicapped in the historical knowledge concerning their own rich African indigenous arts that identifies them as a people. Adentwi (2005) concurs that the content of an area of study must help learners to develop skills, values, norms, and attitudes that are considered peculiar to the society of the learner. A critical analysis of the content of the General Knowledge in Art subject proves contrary. There was therefore the urgency and utmost relevance to carry out a research to ascertain reasons why the content of the art history component of the General Knowledge in Art subject is foreign biased and advise on how there can be a balance of it with the African indigenous art histories  in the General Knowledge in Art. The researcher gathered data from primary and secondary sources by way of interviews, administration of questionnaire, as well as non-participant observation under the theoretical and qualitative research approaches.  Descriptive research method, Case Study approach and Document Analysis were adopted for this study. Eighty-Five respondents consisting of General Knowledge in Art tutors and General knowledge in Art students from five schools in the Ashanti region, Eastern Region and Greater Accra Region and W.A.E.C. Examiners as well as members of the Curriculum Research Development Division of the Ministry of Education were purposively and stratified Randomly sampled  for the study. The study maintains that the content of the art history component of the General Knowledge in Art subject has to be reviewed by incorporating more of the histories of the indigenous Art from Africa. It puts forward proactive suggestions to the Curriculum and Research Development Division of various Educational Centers and other agencies responsible for making educational decisions on how they can intensify the study of African indigenous art histories in the General Knowledge in Art subject. This would greatly assist in the promotion, propagation, preservation and instruction of West African students on the indigenous African Art histories.

Keywords: African Indigenous Arts, Art history, Curriculum, General Knowledge in Art (G.K.A), Learning Outcome