sub-Saharan African Context Research Articles

Promoting Bank Usage Habits in Africa’s Savings Mobilization Programs: A Strategic Marketing Perspective

Despite widespread liberalization of savings mobilization marketing systems in African economies, consumers continue to rely more heavily on informal financial services than formal financial services, within these systems. The authors draw on habit theory and the strategic marketing framework to develop a rural, customer-centric marketing (CCM) model for promoting rural savings programs in the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. Results based on data from Ghana’s savings mobilization program show that under the current, liberalized policy regime, formal financial institutions generate a more significant relative advantage than informal financial arrangements. Of the four customer-centric marketing activities (i.e., service affordability, accessibility, acceptability, and awareness), consumers only viewed service affordability as generating a relative disadvantage. Relatedly, only service affordability positively influenced savings likelihood, while service accessibility negatively influenced the bank usage habit. The results confirm that the customer-centric marketing approach effectively identifies which service inducements promote the bank usage habit in Africa’s savings mobilization programs.

The Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Sub-Saharan Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to mental health problems due to disease experience, physical distancing, stigma and discrimination, and job losses in many of the settings hardest hit by the pandemic. Health care workers, patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, children, women, youth, and the elderly are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Virtual mental health services have been established in many settings and social media is being used to impart mental health education and communication resources. This rapid review highlights mental health services across countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. More needs to be done to take these services to scale and ensure equity and efficiency. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in sub-Saharan Africa could be immense, given the weak health care systems. Similar to the Ebola epidemic of 2014–2016, COVID-19 is expected to cause anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. Uptake of mental health care services is generally low, and communities rely on social resources. Hence, efforts to control the disease transmission should be contextualized. Low digital literacy, low smartphone penetration and limited internet connection make online mental health services a limited option for service delivery. Safeguarding social and cultural resilience factors and coping mechanisms is critical in the sub-Saharan African context. Mass media is a feasible way of providing social resources. Community health workers can be trained quickly to provide mental health education, screening and counselling services. Toll-free mental health helplines can be used to provide services to health care workers and those needing customized care. Mental health and psychosocial support services need to be integrated into the pandemic response and coordinated nationally. It is critical for these services to continue during and after the epidemic.

The influence of peer relationships on young people's sexual health in Sub-Saharan African street contexts

This paper explores the interaction between peer relationships and sexual health among street youth in three Sub-Saharan African cities: Accra (Ghana), Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo), and Harare (Zimbabwe). It begins by conceptualising peer relationships for youth globally and considers why these are pivotal for young people living in street settings. The paper reconceptualizes street peer relationships not as replacement families, but as sharing ‘social anchorage’ in the street space. It draws on qualitative ethnographic data from Growing up on the Streets, a longitudinal research project with a participatory methodology undertaken between 2012 and 2016 and engaging street youth (aged 14–20 at project outset) trained in ethnographic observations as research assistants (n = 18), following a network of ten peers (n = 229 by 2016), reporting their experiences in weekly interviews with facilitators. A wider network attended focus groups (n = 399). The project engaged a ‘capability’ approach, with ten capabilities defined by street youth as key to their daily lives. Empirical evidence is from a subset of data qualitatively coded (using NVivo) against capabilities ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and ‘Friendship’, across all interviews, focus groups and cities (n = 212 sources). In exploring this intersection, the paper demonstrates beneficial and adverse impacts of peer influence on sexual health, including misinformation about contraceptives and death from an informal sector abortion; highlighting findings from across the three cities around primacy of same-sex peer relations, mistrust between genders and in healthcare providers. The paper finds that while street youth remain subject to cultural norms around gender identities, street peer relationships hold a persuasive power; contributing to both everyday survival and moments of acute need. It concludes that recognising the right of young people to live and seek livelihoods in urban settings, and adopting the social networks they create to advance street youth's sexual health has become even more relevant in a (post)pandemic world.

Reconversion and Retrieval: Nonlinear Change in African Catholic Practice

Against models of conversion that presume a trajectory or a progression from one religion to another, this article proposes a less linear, more complex, and ultimately more empirical understanding of religious change in Africa. It does so by foregrounding the particularities of Roman Catholicism—its privileging of materiality and practice, and of community and tradition. In the course of so doing, this article explores the overlaps between modernist thinking, Protestant ideals, and teleological trajectories; the factors behind reconversion and religious oscillation in sub-Saharan African contexts; inculturation and other continuity paradigms in Catholicism; the significance of the Renaissance for early modern Catholic missions; and the ministry of a contemporary Italian Catholic missionary serving in northern Mozambique. This article proposes that Catholic history and Catholic assumptions offer valuable resources for thinking beyond and thinking against linear models of religious conversion.

Green manufacturing practices and sustainable performance among Ghanaian manufacturing SMEs: the explanatory link of green supply chain integration

PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine the explanatory link of green supply chain integration (GSCI) between green manufacturing practices (GMPs) and sustainable performance (economic [EP], environmental [EnP] and social [SP] performances) by using data from an emerging country.Design/methodology/approachAn explanatory research design was employed for the study. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 178 Ghanaian manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Hypotheses were formulated and tested using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that GMPs have a significant positive effect on sustainable performance (EP, EnP and SP). Again, GMPs have a significant positive effect on GSCI. Additionally, GSCI plays a mediating role between green manufacturing practices and sustainable performance.Research limitations/implicationsIn this study, GSCI was compositely measured despite having three dimensions. Generalizing the findings is also not guaranteed since the sample constitutes Ghanaian manufacturing SMEs.Practical implicationsThe results provide significant ramifications for managers of manufacturing SMEs within Ghana and those in other sub-Saharan African context. Based on the results, managers of manufacturing firms will have stronger backing to invest in GMPs, while at the same time establish strong ties with eco-oriented supply chain partners so as to achieve their sustainable performance goals.Originality/valueThis study adds to the literature in the area of sustainability and triple bottom line by providing evidence from a fast growing industrialized and emerging country.

Advancing Sustainable Sanitation and Agriculture through Investments in Human-Derived Nutrient Systems.

The sixth Sustainable Development Goal seeks to achieve universal sanitation, but a lack of progress due to inhibiting factors (e.g., limitations in financial resources, sociocultural conditions, household decision-making) demands innovative approaches to meet this ambitious goal. Resource recovery may generate income to offset sanitation costs while also enhancing agriculture through increased access to agricultural nutrients. The objective of this work was to determine if resource recovery sanitation can be a profitable business model in a specific context (Kampala, Uganda) and to explore the potential for this approach to translate to other Sub-Saharan African contexts. A techno-economic analysis was performed to evaluate the financial viability of two nutrient recovery systems and business models in urban communities in Kampala under two financing scenarios: (1) Startup relying on partial sanitation aid, and (2) Self-sustaining without philanthropic financing. Results show profitability can be achieved at a nutrient selling price at or below fertilizer market value in Uganda. Recoverable nutrients from the total population without at least basic sanitation services, in 10 Sub-Saharan African countries, are the same magnitude as nutrients distributed in subsidy programs (30-450% of distributed nutrients), indicating a potential to offset inorganic fertilizer consumption or increase nutrient availability. This research makes a case to support innovative sanitation strategies and the development and financial support of human-derived fertilizer markets in areas with poor fertilizer and sanitation access.

Leveraging best practices: protecting sub-Saharan African prison detainees amid COVID-19.

The risk of infection and death from COVID-19 is higher among older prisoners with pre-existing health conditions especially in sub-Saharan African. Hawks L et al. raise four concerns that need to be considered when developing public health and clinical responses to COVID-19 to protect prisoners. This paper applies these concerns to the sub-Saharan African context. These focus areas include 1) challenges of social distancing; 2) higher risk of severe infection and death; 3) difficulties health care systems may face in the case of COVID-19 surge; and 4) recommended solutions to prevent harm and preventing a public health catastrophe. Prisoners are more vulnerable and the time to take immediate actions to minimize an imminent COVID-19 outbreak and its impacts is now.

Socioeconomic and demographic determinants of familial social capital inequalities: a cross-sectional study of young people in sub-Saharan African context

BackgroundSocial capital is broadly acknowledged as a vital ‘health asset’ that promotes young people’s health and wellbeing and has the potential to prevent social- and health-related risk behaviours in the life-course. However, limited research has investigated the determinants of social capital for young people in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the role of socioeconomic and demographic factors in establishing inequalities in familial social capital among young people in Ghana.MethodsThe study utilised a cross-sectional survey data involving 2068 in-school adolescents (13-18 years) in the Upper West Region, Ghana. Familial social capital was assessed by ‘family sense of belonging’, ‘family autonomy support’ and ‘family control’. Multinomial logistic regressions established the relationships between socioeconomic and demographic factors and the measures of familial social capital.ResultsAdolescents from low affluence households had about 63 and 61% lower odds of attaining a high family sense of belonging (FSB) (OR = 0.373; 95%CI: 0.27–0.513) and high family autonomy support (FAS) (OR = 0.387; 95%CI: 0.270–0.556) respectively but had 67% higher odds of reporting high family control (FC) (OR = 1.673; 95%CI: 1.187–2.359) than their counterparts. Males had about 55 and 71% higher odds to possess high FSB (OR = 1.549; 95%CI: 1.210–1.983) and high FAS (OR = 1.705; 95%CI: 1.272–2.284) respectively but had 38% lower odds to report high family control (OR = 0.624; 95%CI: 0.474–0.822) than females. The odd of young adolescents to attain high FSB than older adolescents were about 66% higher (OR = 1.662; 95%CI: 1.168–2.367). Religion, educational level, ethnicity, family structure, and marital status were also significant predictors of adolescents’ family sense of belonging, family autonomy support and, family control.ConclusionsSocioeconomic and demographic factors influence inequalities in the amount of familial social capital possessed by young people which suggests possible risks of social inequality. The family context is possibly failing some cohorts of young people with particular reference to female and poor adolescents regarding familial cognitive social capital. Public health strategies should include families in addressing socioeconomic and demographic differences in social capital with a key focus on the cohorts of young people at risk of social capital inequality.

Youth motivations to study agriculture in tertiary institutions

ABSTRACT Purpose: Against the backdrop of a worldwide decline in entry into agricultural courses, we investigate the factors that motivate young people to continue studying (and not to drop out from) agricultural courses in tertiary institutions. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was used. Questionnaire data were collected from 967 students within four universities in Southwest Nigeria. Motivation was measured using a 5-point Likert scale, designed with insights from the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Principal-Axis factoring. Findings: All four extrinsic motivational types, as espoused in the SDT, were identified as factors, of which Identified regulation had the strongest influence. Among the identified regulation items, acquisition of entrepreneurial skills, opportunity to learn about innovations, and self-employment prospects after graduation were the strongest drivers. Practical implications: The findings stress the importance of making agricultural courses more business-focused, with hands-on skills on agri-innovations and agri-entrepreneurship. It also indicates the influence of socio-environmental context on youth behaviours. Policies needs to be more holistic and systematic in to support agri-entrepreneurship development and self-employment opportunities for agri-graduates. Theoretical implications: Youth motivation to study agricultural courses in tertiary institutions has not been adequately researched and theorized, especially in the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. Our study indicates that SDT provides a useful lens to examine this issue. Originality/value: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind in the SSA context. It not only contributes to the agricultural education literature, but also to the wider education literature through the application of the SDT theory in a new field.

The differential effects of government support, inter-firm collaboration and firm resources on SME performance in a developing economy

PurposeNotwithstanding that there has been increasing attention on factors that enhance SME performance in developing economies, there is a dearth of studies explicitly investigating the roles of government support systems and inter-firm collaboration. Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and institutional theories, this study aims to model and examine how government support, inter-firm collaboration and managerial ties affect SME performance and further explores how firm specific resources mediate the relationships.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research design was used. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 438 SMEs operating in Zambia, a developing Sub-Saharan African country. Hierarchical linear regression and SPSS PROCESS macro were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsFindings indicate that managerial ties have both a direct and indirect effect, through firm resources, on financial performance. Also, the relationship between inter-firm collaboration and financial performance is fully mediated by firm resources. Surprisingly, results reveal that government support does not have a significant effect on SME financial performance.Practical implicationsThe study has important implications for SME managers and policy makers. It demonstrates that inter-firm collaborations and managerial ties enhance a firm’s financial performance. It also highlights the view that SMEs need to have firm specific resources to transform external resources, accessed from inter-firm relationships, into superior performance. SME policy makers are advised to focus more on policies and support mechanisms that promote inter-firm relationships at firm and managerial levels.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few studies to empirically show that the differential effects of inter-firm collaboration and managerial ties on SME performance are channeled through firm resources, in an under-researched developing Sub-Saharan African economy context. The study is also one of the few studies to reveal that government support is not significantly related to SME performance. Therefore, it provides valuable insights which could be applied to other developing countries with characteristics similar to Zambia.

Enclaving: Spatial detachment as an aesthetics of imagination in an urban sub-Saharan African context

While detachment and separation continue to be central to urban development across the globe, in several sub-Saharan African cities they have acquired a particular form of acute social and political efficacy. In many European and American cities, the making of fortified enclosures is considered to be an effect of an endemic fear of societal dissolution, and a growing number of sub-Saharan African cities are, seemingly, affected by a similar socio-political and economic dynamic. However, in sub-Saharan Africa the spatial lines of separation that isolate the affluent few from surrounding urban spaces follow both a much wider and less coordinated meshwork of social divisions and political fissures, and draw on a deeper socio-cultural, economic and historical repertoire. In this article, we trace the contours of enclaving as a critical urban driver, which is rapidly changing the social and physical fabric of cities across the sub-Saharan continent. Rather than considering enclaving simply as a physical manifestation of dominance and privilege, however, we consider it as an ‘aesthetics of imagination’ that migrates through the cities and thereby weaves together otherwise dissimilar and distinct social practices and spaces, political desires and economic aspirations.

Communication Climate as Predictor of Perceived Corporate Governance and Organizational Success

Communication Climate as Predictor of Perceived Corporate Governance and Organizational Success

Resisting global universalistic practices: the endurance of culture and particularism in African HRM

PurposeThis article empirically assesses the extent to which factors rooted in the cultural and institutional framework in sub-Saharan African organisational contexts challenge and resist the penetration of global practices and how these dynamics impact on human resource management (HRM). This article examines whether universalistic perspectives are significant for African HRM. The article discusses the tensions between the contributions derived from local and historical factors and that of other environmental agents to African HRM practice.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a survey among 100 practising African HRM executives representing significant organisations in sub-Saharan Africa.FindingsThe main findings established that in spite of westernisation and globalising trends in learning and development in Africa, human resource practices are still profoundly embedded in the African cultural fabric. Significant elements of cultures in sub-Saharan Africa pervade organisational processes; such aspects include collectivism and paternalism, which persistently resist change. The article, however, concludes that the resisting parts of sub-Saharan African cultures which are viewed as counterproductive can have positive resonance if constructively deployed.Originality/valueThis article contributes to African HRM literature, a significantly under-researched field. The paper provides an opportunity for African HR managers to be more pragmatic in identifying the contextual issues and aspects of African culture that could be value-adding in a fast-changing managerial field. The findings demonstrate that human resource strategies and policies have specific cultural orientations and reflect the societal predispositions of a particular collectivity; this epitomizes the intertwining of cultural paradigms, political spheres and organisational life in sub-Saharan Africa.

Optimal Approach and Strategies to Strengthen Pharmacovigilance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cohort Study of Patients Treated with First-Line Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapies in the Nanoro Health and Demographic Surveillance System, Burkina Faso.

Background and purposeResource-limited countries face challenges in setting up effective pharmacovigilance systems. This study aimed to monitor the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) after the use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), identify potential drivers of reporting suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and monitor AEs among women who were inadvertently exposed to ACTs in the first trimester of pregnancy.Patients and methodsWe conducted a prospective observational study from May 2010 to July 2012 in Nanoro Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), Burkina Faso. The HDSS area was divided into active and passive surveillance areas to monitor AEs among patients (regardless of age or sex) who received a first-line ACT (artemether–lumefantrine or artesunate–amodiaquine). In the active surveillance area, patients were followed up for 28 days, while in the passive surveillance area, patients were encouraged to return voluntarily to the health facility to report any occurrence of AEs until day 28 after drug intake. We assessed the crude incidence rates of AEs in both cohorts and performed Cox regression with mixed random effects to identify potential drivers of ADR occurrence.ResultsIn total, 3170 participants were included in the study. Of these, 40.3% had reported at least one AE, with 39.6% and 44.4% from active and passive surveillance groups, respectively. The types of ADRs were similar in both groups. The most frequent reported ADRs were anorexia, weakness, cough, dizziness and pruritus. One case of abortion and eight cases of death were reported, but none of them was related to the ACT. The variance in random factors showed a high variability of ADR occurrence between patients in both groups, whereas variability between health facilities was low in the active surveillance group and high in passive surveillance group. Taking more than two concomitant medications was associated with high hazard in ADR occurrence, whereas the rainy season was associated with low hazard.ConclusionThis study showed that both passive and active surveillance approaches were useful tools. The HDSS allowed us to capture a few cases of exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy. The passive surveillance approach, which is more likely to be implemented by malaria control programs, seems to be more relevant in the Sub-Saharan African context.

‘I’m waiting for that’: Interest in the use of PrEP for safer conception in Botswana

ABSTRACT Safe and effective low-cost safer conception (SC) methods are increasingly available and being integrated into national guidelines in sub-Saharan African contexts. Sero-different couples of childbearing age can benefit from such services and the routine provision of SC counselling. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV acquisition to uninfected partners can reduce the chances of HIV transmission when trying to achieve pregnancy. Botswana has a strong commitment to reducing new HIV infections but PrEP is not yet widely available and little guidance has been offered on counselling sero-different couples. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews in Gaborone, Botswana with 10 HIV healthcare providers and 10 women living with HIV of childbearing age because they act as a key conduit for reaching sero-different partners with information about PrEP. We examined knowledge and attitudes towards PrEP to assess the viability and develop a deeper understanding of this SC option. Interviews were analysed using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Three themes emerged: (1) awareness of PrEP is limited, (2) providers and women overwhelmingly showed interest in PrEP and (3) women living with HIV and providers have concerns about PrEP use. With the correct support, PrEP could be a useful SC option for sero-different couples in Botswana and other sub-Saharan contexts.

HIV-related cardiovascular diseases: the search for a unifying hypothesis.

Although the extensive rollout of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy resulted in a longer life expectancy for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV), such individuals display a relatively increased occurrence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This health challenge stimulated significant research interests in the field, leading to an improved understanding of both lifestyle-related risk factors and the underlying mechanisms of CVD onset in PLHIV. However, despite such progress, the precise role of various risk factors and mechanisms underlying the development of HIV-mediated CVD still remains relatively poorly understood. Therefore, we review CVD onset in PLHIV and focus on 1) the spectrum of cardiovascular complications that typically manifest in such persons and 2) underlying mechanisms that are implicated in this process. Here, the contributions of such factors and modulators and underlying mechanisms are considered in a holistic and integrative manner to generate a unifying hypothesis that includes identification of the core pathways mediating CVD onset. The review focuses on the sub-Saharan African context, as there are relatively high numbers of PLHIV residing within this region, indicating that the greater CVD risk will increasingly threaten the well-being and health of its citizens. It is our opinion that such an approach helps point the way for future research efforts to improve treatment strategies and/or lifestyle-related modifications for PLHIV.

New perennial grains in African smallholder agriculture from a farming systems perspective. A review

Perennial grain crops are gaining increased attention from researchers as one possible solution to agriculture’s many sustainability challenges. In the Sub-Saharan African context, perennial varieties of crops such as sorghum, rice, and pigeon pea have potential to provide numerous benefits for smallholder farmers. The introduction and adoption of new crops and practices is however a complex process that needs to be approached from an interdisciplinary and participatory perspective. We here review the small but growing body of knowledge about on-farm adoption and the use of perennial grains around the world, as well as the more extensive literature of farming systems research. We conclude that a farming systems approach offers a fruitful entry point for informing the emerging research agenda around perennial grains in African smallholder agriculture. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of the potentials and challenges of perennial grains also requires cross-scalar analysis capable of looking beyond the farming system. We thus outline five key considerations for developing and studying new perennial grains in smallholder contexts, i.e., (1) smallholder farming systems are complex, diverse, and locally adapted; (2) decision-making is shaped by various resource constraints; (3) farming is often “semi-subsistence” and forms part of broader livelihood strategies, wherein risk is an important factor; (4) gender relations and roles influence many aspects of smallholder farming systems; and (5) analyses of farmers’ production systems, decision-making, and livelihood strategies must be embedded within a broader political-economic context. Based on these considerations, we suggest directions and examples of key questions for future research and derive methodological implications for how such research could be approached.

Monitoring forest degradation from charcoal production with historical Landsat imagery. A case study in southern Mozambique

We used historical Landsat imagery to monitor forest degradation from charcoal production in the main supplying region of the Mozambican capital, Maputo, during a ten-year period (2008–2018). We applied a change detection method that exploits temporal NDVI dynamics associated with charcoal production. This forest degradation temporal sequence exposes the magnitude and the spatial and temporal dynamics of charcoal production, which is the main forest degradation driver in sub-Saharan Africa. The annual area under charcoal production has been steadily increasing since 2008 and reached 11 673 ha in 2018. The total forest degraded extent in the study area during the 10-year study period covered 79 630 ha, which represents 68% of the available mopane woodlands in 2008. Only 5% of the available mopane woodlands area remain undisturbed in the study area. Total gross carbon emissions associated charcoal production during this 10-year period were estimated in 1.13 Mt. These results mark forest degradation from charcoal production as the main driver of forest cover change in southern Mozambique. They also denote that, while charcoal production may be relatively localized in space, its implications for forest cover change and carbon emissions in a sub-Saharan African context are relevant at larger geographical scales. This study represents a proof of concept of the feasibility of medium resolution Earth observation data to monitor forest degradation from charcoal production in the context of the growing urban energy demand. It also highlights the potential opportunities to improve REDD+ monitoring, reporting and verification efforts in sub-Saharan Africa as a first step toward designing effective management and policy interventions.

Social Support Systems and the Self-Management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Ghana

There is a large body of literature on the role of social support systems in the management of chronic conditions in the West, with limited research on the sub-Saharan African and Ghanaian context. In the past, the organization and delivery of formal health services in Ghana were geared towards the treatment of infectious diseases rather than non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We conducted qualitative interviews with a sample of 33 NCD patients purposefully selected from two teaching hospitals in Ghana. The information they provided indicated that the most common types of support received were instrumental and emotional. While a majority of stroke patients experienced activity limitations related to bathing and cooking, they received the emotional support necessary to maintain their psychological well-being. Overall, we found social connections and relationships were an important strategy in the promotion of the physical and mental well-being of these NCD patients.

What are the critical dimensions in Ghana's senior high school social studies curriculum? Under the lens of a critical global citizenship education framework

A review of school curricula approaches to citizenship formation in a sub-Saharan African education context reveals such practice is still largely focused on a traditional social studies approach. This approach to citizenship development may be limiting in terms of potential to foster students' civic competencies for addressing social injustice associated with the impacts of globalization that impinge on local realities. Drawing on a critical global citizenship education (GCE) framework and GCE core conceptual dimensions developed by UNESCO, this study assessed the critical dimensions of the social studies curriculum for secondary education in one sub-Saharan African country. Through interviews with teachers, focus groups with students and a review of the social studies teaching syllabus, the study revealed limitations in both content and the pedagogical approach to the delivery of Ghana's current social studies curriculum for senior high schools.