How do mathematics teachers view about the curriculum can affect their role in classroom activities. In this context, this study examined teachers’ perceptions of the math curriculum for senior high schools in Ghana and their interrelation with classroom practices. Quantitative data were collected from a random sample of 69 mathematics teachers across the senior high schools in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The results of the data showed that the teachers have confidence toward the subject. However, they view math curriculum as a rigid and abstract with more theoretical practices rather than practical connection, which they think is nonrealistic and irrelevant in the current form. Most of the math teachers were not confident about linking the classroom activities to students’ real life. They do not have sufficient knowledge and experience in curriculum design. In this sense, the core mathematics curriculum for Ghanaian senior high schools is not realistic and relevant. Some curriculum recommendations have been suggested at the end of this paper.
Mathematics classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse as a result of modernity, with different people, cultures, and perspectives on how to grasp and apply practical mathematics problems. These pose challenges to teachers on the need to outline the best constructive instructional teaching approaches amid inspired mathematical classroom teaching practices. As a result, conducting this study to gain insight into the perceived intentions surrounding the use of cultural diversity, teaching with technological devices, experiencing mathematics, problem-based learning, and contextual teaching, and learning approaches in the teaching of junior high school students is extremely important. A quantitative study was conducted with 78 mathematics teachers purposively sampled from three conveniently sampled districts in Ghana’s Ashanti Region. The data were checked for accuracy and factored into four components. The data was then analyzed using the IBM SPSS-26 software, which included one sample Wilcoxon signed ranked test, an independent sample Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman’s bivariate rank correlations. In addition to its originality and kind in Ghana, important results about the factored components were obtained, showing how well teachers have embraced constructive approaches in the teaching and learning of mathematics at the junior high level, except for diversity in teaching with technology. It was also revealed that diversity in contextual problem-based learning recorded the lowest correlation coefficients with all the associated factor components, especially with technological experiencing mathematics teaching, and diversity and technological teaching. Because the selected districts are highly cosmopolitan and the world has become extremely diversified at the heart of this technological generation, mathematics teachers in junior high schools are more cautious when integrating cultural diversity with any other constructive instructional approach, especially with technology, for fear of losing students’ interest in the subject.
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