Ghanaian senior secondary school mathematics curriculum: Professors', teachers' and students' perceptions

This study was designed to investigate the perceptions of professors, teachers and students regarding the Ghanaian Senior Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum since the beginning of the educational reform in 1987.;This is a qualitative type of study involving interviews, questionnaires and data collected on Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) results in mathematics. Candidates' performance in SSSCE core mathematics over six-year period (1995--2000) was used to compare with the opinions of professors, teachers and students. The study involved six Senior Secondary Schools and three Universities with a total of one thousand three hundred and thirty-five participants---6 mathematics professors/lecturers, 32 mathematics teachers, 8 first year university students and 1289 Senior Secondary Students.;The nature of the school curriculum was found to be one of the contributory factors to the lowering of the quality of education at the Senior Secondary School level. The over loading of subjects in the school curriculum seem to have affected students' performance in general. Students were lacking basic mathematical skills since there was too much focus on preparing them toward the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations without acquiring mathematical skills. Teaching and learning mathematics at that level was much more competitive than making sure children acquire mathematical knowledge. Teachers seem to aim at the brighter students in teaching and learning mathematics rather than helping to bring up the less able ones.;The study found out that topics in the Senior Secondary Mathematics Curriculum were not arranged in logical coherent manner and that time was so limited to cover all topics in the syllabus. Professors, teachers and students requested for additional year to be added to the three year Senior Secondary School program for better preparation in mathematics.;Finally, the professors, teachers and students stressed the need for revising the mathematics textbook to be in line with the Senior Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum in terms of its contents, explanations, questions and answers and applications for further university studies. The awareness of using calculators and computers as powerful teaching and learning aids in the mathematics curriculum has not been created.;For mathematics education to move forward in Ghana, the study stressed the need to address issues discussed.