Skills and Usage of the Inquiry-Based Technique to Achieve the Learning Philosophy of the Social Studies Curriculum: Perspective of Junior High School Social Studies Teachers in Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District.

Abstract

Inquiry-based learning is a teaching method that encourages students to become active learners through asking questions, investigating and analyzing information, and drawing conclusions. As a result, Social Studies instruction has moved from the teacher-centred method to a learner centred method to encourage students to construct their own knowledge and ideas about contemporary persistent problems of the society. This shift in teaching method demands teaching technique that creates the enabling classroom environment that enhances the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills among learners. To effectively utilize the inquiry-based technique in the teaching of Social Studies, teachers must first develop their own skills in questioning, researching and analyzing data to guide learners question the truth and authenticate the accuracy, trustworthiness, validity and reliability of the information in the course of lesson delivery. The actualization of the relevance of the inquiry-based is dependent on the skills and competence of Social Studies teachers. It is therefore imperative to examine from the perspective of Junior High School Social Studies teachers; how the inquiry based technique is used to facilitate students’ acquisition of core competencies. The descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. Also, the census survey and convenience sampling were employed at different stages of the study. The study's findings revealed the existence of knowledge and practical gaps in possession of inquiry-based skills and usage among Social Studies teachers in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District of Ghana. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that Junior High Schools Social Studies teachers undergo a three week workshop to bridge the identified theoretical and practical gap. For meaningful learning to thrive, Social Studies teachers can facilitate discussions and guide students towards making connections between different information envisaged to ignite critical thinking, innovativeness, collaboration, communication, problem-solving, leadership traits, and curiosity among students