An Investigation into Senior High School Social Studies Teachers' Knowledge of the Problem Section in the Social Studies Syllabus: The Case of North-East Region of Ghana

The current Senior High School Social Studies syllabus has a section on the problem for each topic to be studied presents for the teacher. Knowledge of this problem section of the syllabus has a positive impact on teachers' effectiveness in their lesson delivery; thus, the call on teachers to take this section seriously in their classroom practices. But there is little sign that teachers in the North-East Region of Ghana have taken this call. This study investigated the knowledge of Social Studies teachers of the North-East Region of Ghana of this section of the syllabus and how they used it as a guide for the teaching of the subject. A sample of fifty-four (54) teachers was selected for the study using the simple random, cluster and convenient sampling techniques to select the respondents for the study. As a qualitative study, an open-ended interview guide and observational guide were designed to elicit information from the respondents. Data from the interview was transcribed, grouped, analyzed and discussed on themes that emerged. The study focused on the teachers’ knowledge of the problem section of the Senior High School Social Studies syllabus and how this informed their selection of objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation of the subject. The study revealed among other things that: teachers’ knowledge of the problem section in the syllabus and their reciprocal relationship with other components of the syllabus fall short of the expectation of effective Social Studies teachers, especially trained to teach the subject. Observation of teaching sessions revealed that lessons were taught without teachers explaining the problems of the units to leaners. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that Ministry of Education (MoE) through Ghana Education Service (GES) should organize regular in-service training such as seminars, workshops for Social Studies teachers to update their pedagogical skills in the subject; on-campus and off-campus teaching practices in the Universities should be intensified by allowing in-field lecturers to supervise and train the teacher-trainees to ensure effective teaching of Social Studies.


Introduction
The introduction of Social Studies globally was triggered by the quest to use the subject to solve current threatening challenges in society. Notably, in the United States of America and Britain, societies were being torn apart by violence, the industrial revolution, and their resultant consequences [1]. The very fabrics of societies in these nations were been threatened; thereby preventing national development; hence the need for the introduction of Social Studies to address these societal challenges. Social Studies has no single universal agreed definition as well as universal objectives [2]. This is because the needs of societies vary from time to time and from place to place. Despite these differences in meaning and objectives, most scholars accepted that effective citizenship is the ultimate justification of Social Studies [3,4]. Social Studies is equated to Citizenship education and thus stated: "Social Studies is citizenship education." Social Studies assists learners to comprehend their societies better [5]. This implies that Social Studies helps to equip learners with relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be able to function well and transform their societies positively. The achievement of citizenship education among others depends on how effective Social Studies is taught in classrooms especially at the Senior High School level in Ghana to inculcate the desired attitudes, values, and skills ideal for the learners to relate to their lives to bring about the development of societies [1].
But, effective teaching has no precise definition [1]. Highly effective teachers are caring, supportive, and concerned about learners' welfare [6]. Effective teaching of Social Studies serves as the pivot for the attainment of the goals and general objectives of the subject; thus, equipping the learners with relevant knowledge, skills, positive attitudes and values to be able to solve current challenges in societies which constitute a threat to the survival of societies [2]. An effective teacher is expected to have in-depth knowledge about the problem section stated in the Social Studies syllabus and equally, have the skills to derive objectives, content, select instructional techniques, materials as well as evaluate from the problems identified in a unit stated in the syllabus. To facilitate the attainment of the goals and general objectives of Social Studies in Senior High Schools in Ghana that this study sought to investigate Senior High School Social Studies teachers knowledge of the problem section in the syllabus and the reciprocal relationship existing between the problem, the objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation of the subject in Senior High Schools in the North-East Region of Ghana.

Statement of the Problem
Social Studies has a pivotal role in educating citizens of the country as it is one of the core subjects to be studied at the Senior High School level. This significant role of the subject in Ghana's education cannot be underestimated. Various governments in Ghana have committed to ensuring the provision of high quality of their citizens and teachers in schools through the Universities in the Country. Despite efforts made by various governments to enhance the quality of citizens in Ghana, most graduates from Senior High Schools in Ghana who have been taught Social Studies, still exhibit negative attitudes and values such as arm robbery, corruption, cyber fraud, and rape, etc. that are at variance with the goals and general objectives of Social Studies [7]. These negative attitudes and values exhibited by graduates are on the increase compelling one to wonder if Social Studies is being taught effectively in Senior High Schools as expected of teachers of the subject to meet the goals and objectives of the subject. Societies in Ghana expect positive attitudes and values from graduates of Senior High Schools. But, it seems there is a gap between how Social Studies is taught in Senior High Schools in the North-East Region of Ghana and the attitudes, values, and skills exhibited by graduates who have been taught Social Studies. Much has been said about Social Studies objectives, content, techniques, and instructional materials to be used by Social Studies teachers in teaching to attain the goals and objectives of the subject [8,6], but very little is said about Senior High Schools Social Studies teachers knowledge of the problem section stated in the syllabus and their reciprocal relations with the objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation that could be derived from the problem leading to effective teaching of the subject in Senior High Schools in the North-East Region of Ghana. Are Social Studies teachers in the North-East Region of Ghana aware of the problem section of the syllabus and how it informed their selection of objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials and evaluation of the subject? The gap this study sought to investigate.

Research Objectives
The objectives of the study were to: 1. Investigate Social Studies teachers' knowledge of the problem section stated in the Social Studies syllabus. 2. Ascertain teachers' reciprocal knowledge of the problem section, objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation use in teaching Social Studies.

Research Questions
The study was guided by the following research questions:

Nature and Scope of Social Studies
Different views have been expressed about the nature of Social Studies because of the dynamic nature of societies as well as the varying cultural and environmental setting of man. Social Studies is concerned with addressing contemporary challenges bedeviling societies. Knowledge of the nature and purpose of Social Studies is very critical and paramount for its effective teaching to attain its goals and general objectives. The nature of Social Studies demands that knowledge be looked at in a holistic manner [1]. The nature of a subject is derived from the definition of the subject and that the nature of Social Studies must be derived from the most accepted definition of citizenship education [9]. The nature of philosophy of a subject also determines the content which should be selected and taught in Social Studies classroom [2]. Social Studies is described as a "schizophrenic bastard child" because of its boundless nature [10]. The scope of a subject is, therefore, determined by the way the subject is perceived. Today, human beings are faced with a lot of challenges and they cover the challenges of our country Ghana, our continent Africa and probably the entire world. The difficulty is that Problem Section in the Social Studies Syllabus: The Case of North-East Region of Ghana one cannot teach or learn every challenge; one must choose from a plethora of challenges. As a citizen in Ghana, one must be concerned with the many challenges which confront the nation and therefore, the scope must be confined to challenges in Ghana. The scope of Social Studies in Ghana is "Our Country Ghana" [11]. Blege is reminding us that all issues or challenges outside our country must be of secondary interest to us. But, Social Studies teachers should not restrict their learners' experiences to Ghana. Issues or challenges outside the country should also be paramount. For example, when teaching the Unit "effects of conflicts" nothing stops the teacher from citing relevant lessons and examples from Rwanda, Burundi, Egypt, etc. on how conflicts have torn those nations apart. What is important is that a wellrounded Social Studies scope must provide for the development of competencies and dispositions which will enable the learner to be creative, productive and innovative that serves as a gateway to quality of life.

Effective Teaching of Social Studies
Effective teaching of Social Studies is demonstrated when a teacher can know, understand the problem section and also be able to formulate relevant behavioural objectives, select appropriate content, instructional techniques, materials and evaluate learners to resolve identified challenges. Effective teaching of Social Studies is concerned about inculcating into learners' positive attitudes, values, and skills to enable them to live as effective and responsible adult citizens in society. It is worth noting that the attitudes, values, and skills to be acquired by learners are taught through first, teachers' knowledge and understanding of the problem of the unit, setting of specific objectives derived from the problem of the unit, selection of content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation all based on the problem of the unit. Effective teaching of Social Studies demands that teachers demonstrate certain behaviour and practices leading to the attainment of the goals and general objectives of the subject. Lesson clarity, instructional variety, cognitive development activities, learners' involvement, planned instruction, among others are mentioned as behaviour and practices necessary for effective teaching of Social Studies [3]. It is traditionally accepted that to teach Social Studies effectively, teachers should have indepth knowledge of the problems of the units stated in the syllabus as the first step in the teaching process. This will enhance the setting of specific objectives; selection of content, instructional techniques, materials and evaluation for effective teaching and learning.

Description of the Senior High School Social Studies Syllabus
Investigating the Senior High School Social Studies teachers knowledge of the problem and how it influences the setting of objectives, selection of instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation, is very necessary to highlight the major features of the Senior High School Social Studies syllabus which aims at promoting effective teaching of Social Studies; thereby attaining the subject's goals and general objectives. The syllabus focuses on preparing the individual to fit into society by equipping him or her with knowledge about the culture and ways of life of their society as well as the challenges of society. It focuses on citizenship education and this is given prominence in the introductory section of the syllabus which states the rationale as; faster growth in development [5]. The Social Studies syllabus for Senior High Schools contains 23 topics that are grouped under three main headings: Environment; Governance, Political Stability, and Socio-economic Development [5]. From page one of the syllabus, the individual topics are addressed and are presented on five rows. The first row is headed unit and below it is the topics and the challenges (problems of the units) that each topic was designed to address. The second row is also headed, specific objectives; these specific objectives direct the teaching of the units. The third row is captioned content; thus, the body of knowledge learners are supposed to acquire are summarized under this heading to help teachers. Even though this will not be enough for the learners, the teachers supplement this with information from other textbooks on the topics. Activities to be performed by teachers and learners during the delivery of the lessons are specified under this fourth row. Finally, the attitudes, values, skills teachers want to change among learners are tested or determined through an evaluation that is stated and occupies the fifth row. Each of the sub-headings for the unit groupings begins with general objectives which cover all the three domains of the educational objectives. For instance, the beginning sub-heading of the first year, Environment, has the following general objectives: use knowledge of their potentials and capabilities for guiding their self-development, acquire life-long positive attitudes and values, maintain good health and gender relations with friends and family and avoid irresponsible behaviour and adopt culturally approved behaviour [5].

Knowledge and Relevance of the Problem Section in Social Studies Syllabus
The proper knowledge of the problem section in Social Studies is a pre-requisite for effective teaching of every Social Studies topic. The problems stated in each unit in the Social Studies syllabus are wider problem areas. Social Studies teachers are expected to narrow the problems to reflect each topic taught in the unit. This implies the problem statement could be different between and among Social Studies teachers, but resolving the same issues. The effective teaching of Social Studies must start with the comprehension of the problem section in the Social Studies syllabus. The majority of Social Studies teachers teach the subject without recourse to the problems stated in the units. Every unit in the Social Studies syllabus addresses one societal problem of human survival. This makes Social Studies a problemoriented or issue-centered subject. The teaching-learning interaction in Social Studies should, therefore, be planned and focus on resolving the problems stated in the units.
Social Studies classroom should be seen as a theatre for resolving issues of personal and societal significance [2]. The problem of the unit is very significant because the behavioural objectives of the unit are derived from it. By way of illustration, Social Studies teachers who wish to teach the unit " National Independence and Self-reliance" at the Senior High School level could identify the unit problem as " Ghanaians fought for political independence and won it in 1957. Our political leaders failed to explain to us about the implications of independence. Thus long after independence, we are still expecting financial support from our colonial masters. Instead of seeing independence to imply we should work hard to salvage the country, we adopted a laisez-faire attitude to work and still expected the economy to improve. As the economy rapidly grew worse we tended to blame the colonial masters without trying to identify the relationship between independence and the need for increased production." This problem of the unit would then be broken into teachable units like: 1. The concept of independence and political independence 2. The concept of self-reliance 3. Misconceptions of political independence 4. The real meaning of political independence 5. Relationship between political independence and selfreliance

Reciprocal Relationship between the Problem of a Unit, Objectives, Content, Instructional Techniques, Materials and Evaluation in Social Studies
In teaching Social Studies, the instructional or specific objectives are derived from the identified problems. The specific objectives for addressing the identified problems are formulated based on the problems'. The specific objectives once set, determine the content to be selected and taught to achieve the specific objectives leading to the attainment of goals and general objectives of Social Studies. Similarly, the specific objectives set should also lead to the selection of content to teach to attain the specific objectives. In the same way, the content selected informs the teachinglearning techniques to be used by the teacher and learners in the classroom or outside the classroom. There is also a mutual relationship between the instructional techniques and materials used to enhance the attainment of the specific objectives. In other words, the teaching-learning materials must be appropriate to the techniques for lesson delivery. There is also a reciprocal relationship between the teachinglearning materials and the content. This indicates that while the teaching-learning materials must engender a meaningful understanding of the lesson content, the later should also direct the teacher regarding the selection and use of the right teaching-learning materials. The objectives and teaching-learning techniques are also interrelated. While every instructional objective must have a corresponding technique (s), these should also emanate from the objectives. The whole teaching-learning process is illustrated in the diagram below:

Methodology
This was a qualitative study where inductive logic and qualitative methods are generally employed to understand a particular phenomenon within its social context [12]. The choice of this approach was to enable the researcher to make an in-depth study of teachers' knowledge of the problem section in the Social Studies syllabus and how it informed their choice of objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation in teaching the subject. Data collected were analyzed in the form of tables and words. Triangulation was employed to ensure the consistency of findings obtained. A descriptive case study was adopted to offer the researcher the opportunity to do an in-depth investigation of the study through a long dialogic process. The population for this study included all Senior High School Social Studies teachers both in-field and out-of-field in the North-East Region of Ghana. The targeted population is respondents from whom researchers are interested in gathering data and drawing conclusions [13]. The target population for this study included all Social Studies teachers teaching the subject in Senior High Schools at Mamprugu Moaduri District, West Mamprusi Municipality, East Mamprusi Municipality, and Bunkpurigu-Yunyoo District in the North-East Region of Ghana. The sample size for this study was fifty-four (54) teachers from ten (10) Senior High Schools in the North-East Region. Sampling methods such as simple random, cluster and convenient sampling techniques were used to select the sample schools and respondents for the study. The table 1 below indicates the number of schools and teachers:  The findings from the interview indicated that there are teachers with diverse educational backgrounds, qualifications, and experiences teaching Social Studies in Senior High Schools in the North-East Region of Ghana. It was realized from the interview that thirty-four (34) teachers were not Social Studies professionals (Out-of-field) but teaching Social Studies. There are equally twenty (20) of the teachers who are professionals (In-field) trained to teach the subject. This implies that teachers with different experiences are teaching Social Studies. A highly qualified teacher can become highly unqualified if they are assigned to teach subjects for which they were not trained for [14]. This statement proof contrary in this study since nineteen (19) of the out-of-field teachers did show knowledge of the problem section of the Social Studies syllabus and its reciprocal relationship with other components of the syllabus such as objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation in the syllabus. This could be signs of these teachers' effectiveness in teaching the subject. It was also realized from the findings that ten (10) of the in-field teachers' knowledge of the problem section of the syllabus and how it informed them on the selection of other components of the syllabus fell short of the expectation of trained to teach the subject. The researcher observed from teachers' responses that effectiveness in teaching a subject could be influenced by their experiences over years for teaching the subject, seminars and in-service workshops attended. In-service training and seminars are crucial for effective teaching of Social Studies [15]. This might have influenced the performance of the nineteen (19) out-of-field teachers' during the interview sessions. For the ten (10) infield teachers who did not show knowledge of the problem section in the syllabus and how it informs the selection of other components of the syllabus, it might be possible that they might have forgotten or put aside what they were taught in their institutions of training.

Knowledge of Social Studies Teachers' of the Problem Section Stated in the Syllabus in the North-East Region of Ghana.
It is indisputable fact that knowledge of the problem section stated in Social Studies Syllabus serves as the first step to effective teaching of Social Studies to attain both the specific and general objectives of the subject. Social Studies teachers are expected to be conversant with the problem of a unit in the syllabus to direct their teaching of a topic.
Findings from the interview revealed that fifteen (15) respondents' in-field Social Studies teachers agreed that they know the problem section stated in the syllabus. This is what one of them said: "Yes, under every unit the problem of the unit is stated there. Social Studies is there to solve problems; so, at the end of every unit, learners should have a change of attitude and mind in line with those problems in the unit under study" When followed up with the question where did you learn this from? He respondent: " I have been taught in my institution of learning and have also intended in-service training organized by Ghana Education Service this year-2019." Nineteen (19) out-of-field respondents vehemently agreed that they are aware of the problem section in the Social Studies syllabus. This is what one of them said: " The reason for studying Social Studies is to solve issues that are within the environment confronting individuals. These days the attitudes of many Ghanaians especially the youth are negative and therefore this forms part of the issue. I think the problem section is where the problems the unit tries to address are stated for the teacher to take note and teach to solve them. Social Studies as a subject wants to find solutions problems." Again, a question was asked to him; where do you learn what you have just said. He replied: " I learned it from an in-service workshop I attended organized by Heads of Senior High Schools for core subjects teachers in 2018" However, fifteen (15) out-of-field respondents from the interview were completely unaware of the problem section stated in the Social Studies syllabus. This is what one of them said: " I have been using the syllabus, but I am not aware of the problems of the unit in the syllabus. As I said, I majored in Economics. But, when I came to school, I was asked to handle Social Studies. Now I will learn about the problems section in the syllabus." Another respondent among these fifteen (15) outof-field teachers when asked whether he has heard about the problem section stated in the Social Studies syllabus; this was her reply: " To be frank with you, because of the Gold track system introduced by the government, there was a problem with teachers. So, I was asked to assist teach Social Studies just two months ago because the school is lacking Social Studies teachers. I did Economics. I use the textbook to teach." When asked why she is using the textbook instead of the syllabus he replied: " As I told you I did Economics but was asked two months ago to assist teach Social Studies, Let me write what you are telling me done I will learn about the problem section after her." For these respondents, it is clear from their responses that they have not laid hands on the Social Studies syllabus which is used as a guide to teaching Social Studies effectively to change attitudes and values as well as the development of learners' skills and knowledge. This is also an indication that most of the vital things written at the preliminary pages of the syllabus concerning the problems of the unit, specific objectives, content, techniques, instructional materials, and evaluation among other things that should prepare the teacher on how to teach are not taken into account by this respondent. This is obvious that these respondents cannot "Imbibe" in learners' inquiry skills; critical thinking, reflective thinking, and problem-solve skills. This could be an obstacle to the attainment of the goals and general objectives of the subject. Social Studies from its inception was to address issues that are emerging in society that could hamper or serve as a threat to the survival of societies [11].
If Social Studies is to fulfill its mission and purpose, teachers must be guided and driven by the problem section of the syllabus. But, the majority of Social Studies teachers do not see the importance of such valuable provisions in the syllabus that give direction to instruction in Social Studies lesson presentation. From the study, even some teachers who had training in the subject could not show knowledge of the problems section in the syllabus; which signified that they did not study that part of the syllabus or might have forgotten what they were being taught in their course of study or have not been attending seminars and in-service training workshops. Every Social Studies teacher is expected before teaching, read through the preliminary pages of the syllabus to acquaint them with the relevant information needed to handle the subject effectively and with many competencies.

Social Studies Teachers in the North-East Region of Ghana Knowledge of the Reciprocal Relationship between the Problem of a Unit, Objectives, Content, Techniques, Materials, and Evaluation of Social Studies
Effective teaching of Social Studies must start with the knowledge and understanding of the reciprocal relationship between the problem of a unit as stated in the syllabus, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation. This implies the problem of a unit influences the other components of the unit. The responses from the respondents during the interview revealed that fifteen (15) out of the twenty (20) in-field respondents interviewed accepted that there is a link between the problem of a unit, objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation but could not clearly explain the links. Eighteen (18) out of the thirty-four (34) out-of-field respondents did know the problems of a unit and could attempt explaining the links with other components of the syllabus. These were responses the in-field teachers who agreed that there is a link. One of them said: " Yes, there is a link between various components of the syllabus. The problems of a unit can help the teacher teach and evaluate the learners base on the problems he or she wants the learners' to exhibit; so there is a link between the problem of a unit, objectives, content, techniques, materials, and evaluation of the unit because the problem of a unit help teachers chose other components of the unit" Another respondent said: " Sure, there is a link between the units' problems and the rest of the components because the objectives are based on the problems of a unit and it is the objectives that are used to change the attitudes, values, and skills of learners we teach. Without knowing the problems I can teach to achieve the objectives of the subject" These respondents above have an idea about the problem of a unit and its reciprocal relationship with the objectives, content, techniques, instructional materials and evaluation of the subject; but might have not been prepared for the interview or forgotten what they were taught at their institution of learning. This tends to derail the teachers' focus as to what to teach to attain the goals and general objectives of Social Studies. This could lead teachers to treat some of the Social Studies topics or units as would have been treated in the natural sciences or the social sciences. Every unit in the Social Studies syllabus has a challenge it tries to address. Teachers who have done the social sciences and are teaching the subject are liable to teach it as perceived in their fields of study which might jeopardize the main intent of putting Social Studies in the school curriculum. There is also a conceived perception that any teacher can teach Social Studies in Senior High Schools which derail the intent of introducing the Social Studies curriculum. For instance, one respondent during the interview said: " You know, it is assumed that anybody can teach Social Studies. I was posted to the school to teach economics; but when I reported the Head of Department asked me if I can manage with Social Studies because they are having a problem with Social Studies teachers. I agreed to manage with it" Teachers who manage Social Studies might not have in-depth and practical knowledge of the problem section stated in the Social Studies syllabus and its reciprocal relationship with the other components of the unit such as the objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation which focus on developing the attitudes, values, and skills of learners.
To provide authentic and empirical evidence for the issue under study, ten (10) teachers teaching Social Studies in the selected Senior High Schools in the North-East Region were observed to compare what they claimed are their practices during the interview session. This was necessary because teachers' knowledge of the problem of a unit and its mutual relationship with the other components of the unit help in effective teaching of the subject to develop attitudes and values of learners. All observations were done with the consent of the teachers concerned. This did not change the practices of the teachers being observed and might not have affected the outcome of the findings. From the observation, all the ten (10) teachers observed did not teach their lessons base on the mutual relationship between the problem of a unit, objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation. Teachers started teaching without even telling their learners the problems of the units and the reasons why the units are in the syllabus to be studied. As part of the introduction to a lesson, teachers need to explain to learners the reason (s) for studying a unit or topic; thus, what a unit or topic tries to address [2]. Among the ten (10) teachers observed, only one teacher introduced his lesson but not based on the problem of a unit stated in the syllabus, but rather from known to unknown. The relevance of introduction in Social Studies lesson delivery is that the introduction should be reflective of the problems of a unit; simulating; thus, arousing learners' interest in the lesson and keeping them in suspense of what will follow [2]. Also, all Problem Section in the Social Studies Syllabus: The Case of North-East Region of Ghana the teachers observed did not tell their learners the specific objectives of their lessons which are derived from the problem of a unit. The peculiarity of Social Studies lies in the fact that it is issue-centered and as such the classroom should be used as a theatre for finding solutions to issues affecting citizens of the nation. It is therefore important that after the introductory stage, the specific objectives to be achieved at the end of the lesson be disclosed to the learners before going to the development stage of the lesson.
From the observation, three teachers did not even evaluate their lessons to ascertain whether the problems of the units or specific objectives have been achieved. Notes were rather given to learners to copy. The remaining teachers' approach to lesson presentation was closely inline` with the procedures for presenting Social Studies lessons. Lesson presentation in Social Studies involves several skills such as the ability to understand the problem of a unit leading to the formulation of specific objectives, stimulus variation, questioning, using instructional materials, classroom management, and lesson closure, among others [2]. The content of the units teachers selected for teaching by the ten (10) teachers observed were in line with the unit's specific objectives. Again, it is important to note that just as the specific objectives are derived from the problem of a unit, the content selected for teaching should also be based on the problem of a unit and the specific objectives. It was observed that teachers though, selected teaching topics from the approved Social Studies teaching syllabus for Senior High Schools, the instructional techniques they employed in delivering the topics were lecture, discussions, and questioning which do not help learners to develop attitudes, values, and skills in society. On the issue of teachers making use of teaching and learning materials, it was observed that all the ten (10) teachers did not make use of relevant instructional materials. The outcome of these observations runs contrary to the view that the use of instructional materials has a positive impact on quality teaching [16]. The instructional materials to be employed in lesson delivery are based on the content and activities to be carried out by learners in lessons to achieve the specific objectives of the topic.
Finally, it was observed that all the ten (10) teachers could not relate what they were teaching to current real-life situations in society for learners to apply what they have learned in their social life. Education for citizenship requires that learners should be helped through their active participation in lessons to acquire and use of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that they have acquired to be competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives [17]. Effective teaching does not only involve presenting only your activities to learners but effective teaching must distinctly change a given situation [18]. Creating a learning environment where learners are active participants as individuals and as members of collaborative groups is a mark of highly effective teachers [19]. When learners are directly allowed to explore their environment and also contribute to class discussions, their problem-solving skills and critical thinking ability which are seen as the core purposes of teaching Social Studies are developed.  (9) teachers observed as part of their introduction did not inform the learners of the problems of the units as well as the specific objectives of the units or topics they were teaching. Teachers' did not realize the relevance of the problems of the units and specific objectives derived from the problems of the units.

Conclusions
1. Social Studies teachers in Senior High Schools are not familiar with the structure and organization of the Syllabus and therefore do not pay much attention to the problems of a unit and the preliminary pages of the syllabus which summarizes how it can be used effectively to attain its goals and general objectives. This has resulted in teachers' inability to see the reciprocal relationship between the problem of a unit, objectives, content, instructional techniques, materials, and evaluation in the subject.

Most of the Social Studies classrooms in the Senior
High Schools may be preoccupied with the teaching of superficial information relating to the various units or topics rather than using the classroom to solve real social issues which seems to be the heartbeat of Social Studies education. This is because nine (9) of the teachers observed did not mention the problems of the units and specific objectives of the lessons they were teaching to learners by way of introduction. This could also be a reason for which many learners see the subject as boring. 3. In-service training has proven to be crucial in enhancing teachers' effectiveness in teaching Social Studies. This is because out-of-field teachers who showed mastery of the subject, when asked what might have influenced their mastery of the subject said they had attended intraining workshops and seminars organized by Ghana Education Service (GES).

Recommendations
1. Since it was revealed from the study that seminars and in-service training workshops influence the effectiveness of teachers, it is recommended that Ministry of Education in collaboration with Ghana Education Service should organize periodic in-service training in the form of seminars and workshops for teachers teaching Social Studies in all Senior High Schools in Ghana to update and upgrade their knowledge and skills on the pedagogy of teaching Social Studies. 2. Since teachers interviewed did not show knowledge or familiarity with the problem section of the syllabus and how it relates to other components of the unit, it was an indication that teachers have limited training or knowledge about the structure and organization of the Senior High School syllabus. It is, therefore, recommended that Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service should allow Social Studies teachers to enroll in professional programmes mounted by the Universities to update and upgrade their knowledge and skill in teaching the subject; more significantly, learning about the structure and organization of the Social Studies syllabus to enhance teachers' effectiveness in the classrooms. 3. Since twenty-one (21) of the respondents did not show knowledge of the problem section of a unit and how it influences the choice of the other components of the unit, it is recommended that on-campus and off-campus teaching practices in the Universities should be supervised by in-field lecturers in Social Studies to ensure that teacher-trainees acquire the best pedagogy in Social Studies. The structure and organization of the Social Studies syllabus, as well as teachers' knowledge of the reciprocal links of the components of the Social Studies syllabus, should be the focal point for oncampus supervisors to be developed in teacher-trainees. This training should also help teacher-trainees avoid superficial treatment of the various units or topics which lead to the neglect of most important issues the subject seeks to address in the society.