Impact of Human Rights Education on the Social Behaviour of Students in Ghanaian Senior High Schools.
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Date
2014
Authors
Odumah, L.K
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Abstract
This study examined the impact that human rights education has had on the social behaviour of students in Ghanaian senior high schools A total of 180 students (90 each in experimental and control groups) drawn from 6 out of 480 public senior high schools in three out of the ten regions in Ghana constituted the sample for the study. Descriptive survey and quasi-experimental pre-test / post-test control group designs were adopted for the study. Three research instruments used for the study included questionnaire, structured interview schedule and documentary study technique. The data collected were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistics. All the five research questions raised for the study were analysed using frequency distribution and percentages. Similarly, all the 5 hypotheses formulated for the study were tested at 0.05 level of significance, using a one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The pair-wise comparisons of mean scores were conducted to determine which pairs of mean scores were significant. The findings of the study revealed that the 90 participants exposed to treatment with respect to awareness of the existence of their fundamental human rights and freedoms exhibited higher performance than the 90 in the control group. Those exposed to treatment with regard to the acquisition of core competencies on human rights education significantly performed higher than those in the control group. Additionally, all forms of violence among students, notably, sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination, misuse of power under the prefectorial system and other forms, reduced drastically among participants exposed to treatment than those in the control group. Similarly, there was significant difference in the performance of participants exposed to treatment concerning the challenges which confront human rights education, than those in the control group. Finally, the developed intervention package, if used correctly, would enhance human rights education curriculum for senior high schools in Ghana. In the light of these findings, it was recommended among other things that for children to acquire the required core competencies, human rights education should be introduced in senior high schools as a core examinable subject instead of it being taught as a subsection of social studies. Similarly, to increase students` awareness of their fundamental human rights and freedoms, the government should ensure that relevant curricula in schools, textbooks and teaching methods promote and support child rights, diversity , tolerance, respect, equity, non-discrimination and non-violent conflict resolution among Ghanaian senior high school students.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos.
Keywords
Human Rights , Social Behaviour , Education , Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences::Education
Citation
Odumah, L.K (2014), Impact of Human Rights Education on the Social Behaviour of Students in Ghanaian Senior High Schools. A Thesis Submitted to University of Lagos School of Postgraduate Studies Phd Thesis and Dissertation, 205pp.