Science Related Senior High School Curriculum in Ghana and Its Relevance to the World of Work

Abstract

Mass youth unemployment toady has been a major challenging phenomenon in Africa. One attributable cause has been the irrelevance of the school curriculum. However, this curriculum has not been examined critically and empirically to prove its relevance or otherwise. The study sought to examine the skills in curriculum in relation to the skills employers usually demand of employees and the empirical evidence in the literature. A conceptual content analysis was used to help establish the skills embedded in the curriculum. A sample size of 20 respondents was selected using purposive sampling procedure. Through an interview, data was gathered, sorted out and coded through the use of NVvo 8 for the counting of the frequency of the skills. The findings showed that the science related senior high school curriculum is relevant though with a high percentage of the skills embedded in the affective domain (attitudes and values) as against employers’ demand of the skills embedded in the cognitive domain (application of knowledge). The relevance of the science related curriculum therefore relates to instilling values and attitudes into the students but not relevance from the perspectives of employers in the application of knowledge that they demand of employees at the work place.