Rethinking Assessment in the 21st Century Senior High School (SHS) Social Studies Classroom in Ghana

Abstract

An emerging vision of educational assessment in this era is that of a dynamic process that continuously provides information with regard to learners' progress and is generally geared towards achieving learning goals and the imbibitions of core competencies or survival skills in the learner. These competencies are but not limited to creativity and innovation, digital literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving, cultural identity and global citizenship, communication and collaboration, etc.  This vision acknowledges that information collected as a result of student assessment is aligned to the curriculum goals. This is to ensure that data is appropriately used to inform instruction and justifies the fact that assessment is inseparable from teaching and learning. But the questions that emerge are: (1) How do Senior High School (SHS) Social Studies teachers in Ghana assess their learners and (2) For what purposes do SHS Social Studies teachers in Ghana assess their learners? As a qualitative meta-synthesis study, this paper sampled forty-four (4) works directly related to educational assessment but analysed in the context of Social Studies at the SHS level in Ghana. Sequel to this, the paper discusses the need for the adoption and use of alternative/authentic forms of assessment within the context of key debates in the field of educational assessment.  It also examines the implications of the shift that is being called for in relation to the rationale and general goals of Social Studies.