An Exploratory Study on the Null Curriculum in the Basic Education System in Ghana - read online free

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel

This exploratory study examines the prevalence of the null curriculum within Ghana’s basic education system and investigates why teachers omit specific topics or learning experiences. Data from 375 kindergarten, primary, and junior high school teachers were collected using a 32-item self-designed questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicate that a null curriculum is widespread and that the reasons include lack of resources, problematic topics, insufficient time, and limited teacher knowledge and skills. No statistically significant differences were found by teacher status or grade level.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Concept of curriculum and its role in education

Why curriculum matters in national education

Study overview

Study purpose and research focus

Participants and data collection approach

An Exploratory Study on the Null Curriculum in the Basic Education System in Ghana Philip Boateng Corresponding author, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Ghana, [pboateng@aamusted.edu.gh](pboateng@aamusted.edu.gh) Dennis G. Caballes Graduate School, Centro Escolar University, Philippines, [dgcaballes@ceu.edu.ph](dgcaballes@ceu.edu.ph) Michael Osei Aboagye Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Ghana, [aoseimichaelaboagye@yahoo.com](aoseimichaelaboagye@yahoo.com) Kotor Asare Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Ghana, [akotor@aamusted.edu.gh](akotor@aamusted.edu.gh) Vivian Anane Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Ghana, [vaholiday@yahoo.com](vaholiday@yahoo.com) This study explored the prevalence of the null curriculum in the Ghanaian basic school education system. It also sought to identify the main reasons behind teachers' omission of specific topics or experiences from the basic school curriculum.Three hundred seventy-five basic schoolteachers from kindergarten, primary, and junior high schools participated in the study. A 32-item self-designed questionnaire was used to collect data for the analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The study participants identified lack of resources, the problematic nature of some topics, insufficient time, and inadequate knowledge and skills as factors contributing to the prevalence of null curriculum in Ghanaian schools. The findings show that a null curriculum is prevalent in the Ghanaian basic education system. The study found no statistically significant difference between teacher characteristics (i.e., teacher status and grade level) and the reasons behind omitting some topics or experiences. Implications of the study findings for educational theory and practice are discussed. Keywords: basic education, basic school teachers, Ghana, null curriculum, the prevalence INTRODUCTION Education is vital in efforts to create better and more cohesive societies. It has the potential to address the economic, social, and environmental conditions that potentially destabilize modern societies (Priestley & Philippou, 2019) . The organization for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD)(2018) identified three critical roles education plays in addressing the challenges of society: environmental, economic, and social diversity. Education serves as a means for countries to develop human resources (Mitchell, 2016) . The development of human resources in today's globalization efforts has led to the development of curricula to meet economic needs and goals (Wiseman, Alromi & Alshumrani, 2014). Mitchell (2016) observes that education promotes a skilled workforce for financial Citation: Boateng, P., Caballes, D. G., Aboagye, M. O., Asare, K., & Anane, V. (2023) . An exploratory study on the null curriculum in the basic education system in Ghana . Anatolian Journal of Education, 8(1), 131-140. [https://doi.org/10.29333/aje.2023.819a](https://doi.org/10.29333/aje.2023.819a) gains and emphasizes the value of citizenship education. Quality education benefits individuals and society regarding economic (wages and employment) and social outcomes (improved health care, reduced crime, and higher well-being) . The heart of every educational practice is the curriculum according to which teaching and learning practices unfold (Priestley & Philippou, 2019) . The curriculum is the foundation for pupils' learning experiences and knowledge acquired during their education (Vod & Baeck, 2020) . Conceptually, the term curriculum has received various definitions from scholars. For example, Tyler (1949) defined curriculum as all the experiences that individual learners have in a program of education whose purpose is to achieve a broad goal and related specific objecti

FAQs

What does the study investigate about Ghana’s basic education system?

It explores how widespread the null curriculum is and identifies the main reasons teachers omit certain topics or learning experiences from the basic curriculum.

How were data collected and analyzed in the study?

The study surveyed 375 teachers using a 32-item self-designed questionnaire, then applied descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the responses.

What factors did teachers report as causes of the null curriculum?

Teachers cited lack of resources, the problematic nature of some topics, insufficient time, and inadequate knowledge and skills.

Do teacher characteristics affect the reasons for omitting topics?

The study found no statistically significant differences between teacher characteristics (teacher status and grade level) and the reasons behind omitting topics or experiences.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel