Democratic citizenship education in Ghana : Implications for teaching and learning in Ashanti Schools
Date
2020-12
Authors
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study sought to assess the implications of democratic citizenship education (DCE) and its influence on teaching and learning in basic education in Ghana. The study argued that a deliberative DCE would hopefully empower all Ghanaian citizens to participate freely and equally in different activities in which they can engage themselves, express their ideas by way of argument, and justify their reasons for their various stances. This study used the interpretive theory as research methodology (paradigm) and three other distinct methods of inquiry, namely deconstructive, conceptual and narrative analysis. Philosophy of education was the main approach used in the study, which enabled me to reach my goal, which was to establish how educational policies offer opportunities for the cultivation of DCE to help citizens solve societal problems. The ideas of philosophers of deliberative DCE, such as Callan, Gutmann, Benhabib, Young, Nussbaum, Appiah, Wiredu and Gyekye on DCE tenets were discussed in relation to their distinctiveness in Africa and how they converge with Western ideas on DCE.
The main research question addressed in the study was: Do the educational policies in the Ashanti region of Ghana offer opportunities to cultivate DCE in the Ghanaian society? This main question was supported by the following sub-questions: What is DCE within the liberal framework? To what extent is Ghana’s educational policy documents informed by DCE? What are the implications of educating for DCE for teaching and learning in Ashanti schools?
I found that liberal DCE in Ghanaian basic education is inadequate as it gives distorted views of participation, deliberation and belonging, and shows limitedness in its conceptualisation of DCE because of its nationalistic approach that narrows education to national development and neglects humanistic overtones. Indeed, it is through this engagement that citizens come to understand each other, recognise their misunderstandings and misconceptions, and become abreast of things with which they were hitherto not familiar. In light of the above findings, I argue that DCE-in-becoming could potentially enable learners and teachers to think autonomously and respect others with whom learners co-belong. More so, DCE-in-becoming could build a strong society through civil engagement that would create a social structure for interaction and democratic advocacy, transparency and openness in dealing with tension emanating from political, ethnic, social, religious and economic life. Furthermore, a reconceptualised view of DCE-in-becoming will create an environment of collective identity, reasonableness, inclusivity and reciprocity to help educators deal with the challenges, possibilities and opportunities entailed in having different bodies in schools and classrooms for debates and discussions that would involve all learners. Finally, education-in-becoming has the potential to open the space for contributing and recognising the foundation for re-imagining DCE in Ghana. Ghana is in the process of achieving such education of DCE-in-becoming as a result of recent efforts by government. This can however only be achieved successfully if we can provide opportunities for learners to become familiar with the associated DCE tenets to deal with problems in JHS teaching and learning in the Ghanaian educational system.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing het ten doel gehad om die implikasies van demokratiese burgerskapsopvoeding (DBO) en die uitwerking daarvan op onderrig en leer in basiese onderwys in Ghana te ondersoek. Die navorsing het aangevoer dat deliberatiewe demokratiese burgerskapsopvoeding alle Ghanese burgers sal bemagtig om vry en op regverdige wyse aan verskillende aktiwiteite waarby hulle betrokke kan raak, deel te neem, hulle opvattings by wyse van gedagtewisseling uit te druk, en die redes vir hulle onderskeie standpunte te verantwoord. Tydens hierdie navorsing is ʼn interpretatiewe onderwysteorie as navorsingsmetodologie (paradigma) gebruik asook drie ander ondersoekmetodes, naamlik dekonstruktiewe, konseptuele en narratiewe analise. Onderwysfilosofie is as hoofbenadering gebruik tydens die navorsing. Dit het my in staat gestel het om my doel te bereik, naamlik om te bepaal hoe onderwysbeleide geleenthede bied vir die ontwikkeling van DBO om burgers te help om probleme in die samelewing op te los. Die menings van filosowe betrokke by deliberatiewe DBO, soos Callan, Gutmann, Benhabib, Young, Nussbaum, Appiah, Wiredu en Gyekye, oor DBO-beginsels is bespreek met inagneming van die eiesoortigheid daarvan in Afrika en hoe hulle saamval met Westerse opvattings oor DBO. Die hoofnavorsingsvraag wat deur die navorsing beantwoord is, was: Bied die onderwysbeleide in Ashanti-streek van Ghana geleenthede vir die ontwikkeling van DBO in die Ghanese samelewing? Hierdie hoofvraag is ondersteun deur die volgende subvrae: Wat is DBO binne die liberale raamwerk? Tot watter mate word Ghana se onderwysbeleidsdokumente deur DBO geinspireer? Watter implikasies hou onderwys met die oog op DBO in vir onderrig en leer in skole in Ashanti? Ek het bevind dat liberale DBO in Ghanese basiese onderwys onvoldoende is aangesien dit verwronge sienings van deelname, deliberasie en behoort-aan bied, en beperktheid toon wat betref die konseptualisering van DBO as gevolg van die nasionalistiese benadering wat opvoeding beperk tot nasionale ontwikkeling en humanistiese gesindhede afskeep. Dit is inderdaad deur hierdie betrokkenheid dat burgers begrip vir mekaar ontwikkel, hulle misverstande en wanopvattings erken, en op die hoogte kom van dinge waarmee hulle tot op daardie stadium nie bekend was nie.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing het ten doel gehad om die implikasies van demokratiese burgerskapsopvoeding (DBO) en die uitwerking daarvan op onderrig en leer in basiese onderwys in Ghana te ondersoek. Die navorsing het aangevoer dat deliberatiewe demokratiese burgerskapsopvoeding alle Ghanese burgers sal bemagtig om vry en op regverdige wyse aan verskillende aktiwiteite waarby hulle betrokke kan raak, deel te neem, hulle opvattings by wyse van gedagtewisseling uit te druk, en die redes vir hulle onderskeie standpunte te verantwoord. Tydens hierdie navorsing is ʼn interpretatiewe onderwysteorie as navorsingsmetodologie (paradigma) gebruik asook drie ander ondersoekmetodes, naamlik dekonstruktiewe, konseptuele en narratiewe analise. Onderwysfilosofie is as hoofbenadering gebruik tydens die navorsing. Dit het my in staat gestel het om my doel te bereik, naamlik om te bepaal hoe onderwysbeleide geleenthede bied vir die ontwikkeling van DBO om burgers te help om probleme in die samelewing op te los. Die menings van filosowe betrokke by deliberatiewe DBO, soos Callan, Gutmann, Benhabib, Young, Nussbaum, Appiah, Wiredu en Gyekye, oor DBO-beginsels is bespreek met inagneming van die eiesoortigheid daarvan in Afrika en hoe hulle saamval met Westerse opvattings oor DBO. Die hoofnavorsingsvraag wat deur die navorsing beantwoord is, was: Bied die onderwysbeleide in Ashanti-streek van Ghana geleenthede vir die ontwikkeling van DBO in die Ghanese samelewing? Hierdie hoofvraag is ondersteun deur die volgende subvrae: Wat is DBO binne die liberale raamwerk? Tot watter mate word Ghana se onderwysbeleidsdokumente deur DBO geinspireer? Watter implikasies hou onderwys met die oog op DBO in vir onderrig en leer in skole in Ashanti? Ek het bevind dat liberale DBO in Ghanese basiese onderwys onvoldoende is aangesien dit verwronge sienings van deelname, deliberasie en behoort-aan bied, en beperktheid toon wat betref die konseptualisering van DBO as gevolg van die nasionalistiese benadering wat opvoeding beperk tot nasionale ontwikkeling en humanistiese gesindhede afskeep. Dit is inderdaad deur hierdie betrokkenheid dat burgers begrip vir mekaar ontwikkel, hulle misverstande en wanopvattings erken, en op die hoogte kom van dinge waarmee hulle tot op daardie stadium nie bekend was nie.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Democracy and education -- Ghana -- Ashanti Region, Basic education -- Study and teaching -- Ghana Ashanti Region, Education -- Philosophy -- Ghana -- Ashanti Region, Deliberative democracy -- Ghana -- Ashanti Region, Citizenship -- Ghana -- Ashanti Region, Political participation -- Ghana -- Ashanti Region, Education and state -- Ghana -- Ashanti Region, Deconstruction, UCTD