CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHING STRATEGIES IN GHANAIAN JUNIOR HIGH STEM CLASSROOMS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE AND POLICY GAPS

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which constructivist teaching strategies are understood and applied by Mathematics and Integrated Science teachers in junior high schools in Ghana and identifies where policy aspirations diverge from classroom practice. Using a qualitative case study design grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and key informant interviews involving 20 teachers (10 Mathematics, 10 Integrated Science) across ten public and private junior high schools in the Ablekuma South Sub-Metropolitan District of Accra. Thematic analysis revealed that while teachers broadly endorse student-centered and interactive approaches to instruction, actual classroom practice remains predominantly teacher-directed, with constructivist strategies such as inquiry-based learning, peer collaboration, and project work applied only partially and often without clear theoretical grounding. Structural barriers including overcrowded classrooms, inadequate teaching and learning materials, limited laboratory access, and insufficient professional development were identified as the primary obstacles to fuller implementation, compounded by an examination-driven culture that prioritizes syllabus coverage over conceptual mastery. Despite these constraints, teachers demonstrated pedagogical resilience through improvisation and adaptive strategies. Building on these findings, the study proposes a contextual constructivist framework designed to bridge theory and practice in low-resource settings, emphasizing scaffolded inquiry, reflective assessment, and low-tech pedagogical innovations. The paper concludes with implications for teacher education, curriculum implementation, assessment reform, and school leadership, offering a localized model for advancing constructivist STEM instruction in Ghana and comparable Global South contexts.