Cape Coast, Dec. 7,– A new study by the Institute of Education at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has uncovered major shortcomings in the rollout of Ghana’s Standards-Based Curriculum (SBC), revealing that many basic school teachers lack the knowledge and resources needed for effective implementation.
The research found that 53 per cent of teachers deliver lessons without lesson plans or teaching and learning materials, raising concerns about the quality of instruction under the new curriculum. Many teachers were also found to have limited understanding of the SBC’s fundamental elements, including its philosophy, rationale, core competencies and values.
According to the researchers, the nationwide implementation of the curriculum was hurried, leaving insufficient time for thorough training and for addressing inconsistencies such as topic sequencing challenges and missing content.
The SBC was introduced to move basic education away from rote learning toward practical, globally competitive skills. The study therefore examined teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, classroom practices and the challenges they face in translating the curriculum into effective teaching.
Conducted in 24 schools across the Ashanti, Northern and Greater Accra Regions, the research was led by Dr Esinam Avenyo and Dr Chris Kwaah, both Research Fellows at UCC. The findings were shared under the theme, “Implementation of the Standards-Based Curriculum: Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices of Early Childhood and Primary In-Service Teachers in Ghana.”
Dr Avenyo noted that most teachers reported not receiving any official teaching and learning resources since the curriculum’s introduction in the 2019/2020 academic year, compelling them to improvise.
“It was therefore not surprising that more than half of the teachers were not using any learning resources at all,” she said.
Teachers also expressed concern that the one-week training they received was inadequate, leaving them unable to grasp essential concepts needed for effective lesson delivery. As a result, many reverted to traditional teaching methods instead of adhering to the curriculum’s requirements.
“In Kindergarten, for instance, teachers are expected to use an integrated thematic approach that merges different learning areas into a single theme. Without proper training or materials, this becomes abstract and ineffective,” Dr Avenyo added.
Despite these challenges, the researchers acknowledged teachers’ efforts in instilling social values in learners, describing it as a commendable practice.
The study recommends sustained professional development sessions, timely provision of teaching materials, and piloting of future curriculum reforms prior to nationwide rollout to minimise challenges.
Professor Lebbaeus Asamani, Head of the Department of Education and Psychology at UCC, praised the study’s methodological strength and noted that its findings are applicable across diverse educational settings.
Prof Ernest Kofi Davis, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), emphasised that curriculum reforms succeed only when teachers fully understand and believe in them. He reaffirmed GES’s commitment to supporting teachers with continuous training, instructional guidance and necessary resources.
“The promise of the Standards-Based Curriculum can only be realised when teachers, school leaders, district and regional directorates, parents, communities and policymakers work together in unity and purpose,” he stated.
Madam Ramatu Musu, a teacher at Imam Khomeini Islamic Basic School, admitted that the curriculum was not being fully implemented in classrooms. She pledged to adopt the researchers’ recommendations and appealed for more in-service training, adequate resources, and support for UCC-affiliated basic schools to improve teaching and learning.
GHBUSS
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