What are the critical dimensions in Ghana's senior high school social studies curriculum? Under the lens of a critical global citizenship education framework

Abstract

A review of school curricula approaches to citizenship formation in a sub-Saharan African education context reveals such practice is still largely focused on a traditional social studies approach. This approach to citizenship development may be limiting in terms of potential to foster students' civic competencies for addressing social injustice associated with the impacts of globalization that impinge on local realities. Drawing on a critical global citizenship education (GCE) framework and GCE core conceptual dimensions developed by UNESCO, this study assessed the critical dimensions of the social studies curriculum for secondary education in one sub-Saharan African country. Through interviews with teachers, focus groups with students and a review of the social studies teaching syllabus, the study revealed limitations in both content and the pedagogical approach to the delivery of Ghana's current social studies curriculum for senior high schools.

Interfaces of critical global citizenship education in research about secondary schools in ‘global North’ contexts

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Citizenship and Democracy in the Texas Social Studies Curriculum: A Historical Comparison

“…How people view, understand, and experience citizenship and democracy in democratic states impacts their ability to interact with others in their communities. Whereas Osler (2011) indicated citizenship might be conceived of as broader than national citizenship (e.g., cosmopolitanism) and Angyagre and Quainoo (2019) for a global perspective in citizenship education, Nussbaum (2019) disputes the utility of cosmopolitanism. Within the context of national citizenship, more than one definition of citizenship exists.…”

Infusing the UN Sustainable Development Goals into a global learning initiative

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