Exploring Pupils’ Historical Knowledge within the Junior High Social Studies Course

Traditionally, the centerpiece of social studies, particularly at the junior high school level, has been history. This is, as it should be, because an understanding of our history is critical to being an informed and active citizen. However, the extent to which pupils are exposed to the nitty-gritty (logical dimensions) of the history subject at that level within the social studies course where history has been encapsulated is not known in literature. This paper, therefore, explores pupils’ historical knowledge within the junior high social studies course. The research entailed a qualitative case study, using focus group discussions with pupils in form three of the University of Cape Coast Junior High School. Discussions were transcribed into written texts for analysis. Thematic analysis was used for the analysis of the data as it dealt with naturally occurring events. Commonalities and distinctions regarding the discussion of the key themes have been presented.