Are They Good Enough for Student-Centered And Constructivist Class? Investigation into Teachers’ and Students’ Perception towards Mathematics Textbooks for Junior High Schools in Ghana

Abstract

This study aims to investigate into the perception both students and teachers hold towards the mathematics textbook in the public Basic Schools in Ghana and explore whether the textbooks are good enough to help teachers to implement learner-centered and constructivist approach in teaching of mathematics. Specifically, it examines both students and teachers' points of view on the problems of the current mathematics textbooks and whether the textbook had contributed to abysmal performance of the students in the basic schools as stated in the TIMSS report and the data available from West African Examination Council on Basic Education certificate Examination from 2010-2014 or whether the textbooks had not helped teachers to deliver the right kind of instruction: student-centered and constructivist teaching and learning in the classroom. A close examination of the current literature also inform us the problems existing in the math textbooks of Ghana and its negative impacts on educational reform in high schools. Previous studies on textbooks and the use of textbooks in teaching and learning mathematics raise important questions about textbooks as representations of the curriculum. One important question concerns their role as a link between curriculum and activities in classrooms. Some findings from the thesis on textbooks showed that the objectives of mathematics textbook, formulated in the national curriculum, are only partially realized.  This study followed a mixed method design to gather quantitative and qualitative data through questionnaire and interviews from both students and teachers. The number of participants who took part in this survey was about 216 in total The findings suggested that the textbooks may have contributed negatively to the performance of students in mathematics and thus our textbooks need to be reexamined. More specifically, most teachers and students don't trust the textbook to deliver concepts effectively. The study revealed that, the manner in which mathematical concepts are outlined in the mathematics textbook contributed negatively to student performance in mathematics: it does not succeed in promoting student-centered teaching and learning and facilitating understanding, and that teachers and students know the contribution of mathematics textbook to teaching and learning because it basically the first call of point when it comes to the implemented curriculum which students comes into contact with. The implication of this research is for the actors in the education sector to be up and doing in putting the right contents that allow students to interact with themselves and the world at large that would translate into economic growth in the future.

Keywords:  Textbook; Constructivism; Curriculum; Teachers' and Students' perception on textbook, pedagogy.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-17-05

Publication date:June 30^th 2023