Pedagogical Knowledge Base of Religious and Moral Education Teachers in Assessing Students’ Academic Performance

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the pedagogical knowledge base of Religious and Moral Education teachers in assessing students’ academic performance. The research design used for this study was the correlational research design. 159 basic schools were selected to participate in the study. The population of the study comprised Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers and second-year students in basic schools in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select basic schools, Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers, and students for the study. In all one hundred and seventy-five (175) RME teachers and three hundred and fifty-seven (357) students were selected for the study. The main instruments employed in the study were questionnaires and observation. The data was analysed through the computation of frequencies, percentages, mean of means distributions, and the calculation of correlation coefficient. Pearson’s Correlational Coefficient was used to describe the linear relationship between each of the variables. This was done with the use of computer software called Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS). The study concluded that teachers possessed adequate knowledge about the use of pedagogy or instructional methods when it comes to the teaching of RME. However, as observed, teachers use of the existential approach and the life theme approach only, and, teachers did not make use of the concept cracking approach to teaching RME probably because they lacked adequate information about how to use them. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment should organise in-service training for teachers to be abreast with some of these contemporary pedagogies for the teaching of RME in Basic Schools and also make modules available for use at the Colleges of Education to train our upcoming teachers at the Basic Schools.