The role of field work in the teaching and learning of geography

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Ghana Journal of Education: Issues and Practices (GJE)
Vol. 7, December 2021, pp. 40 - 61
Role of Fieldwork in the Quality of
Teaching and Learning of Geography in
Senior High Schools the Upper West
Region, Ghana
Eric Ballang 1* & Bethel T. Ababio 2
1. SDD-University for Business and Integrated Development Studies, Wa
2. Department of Business and Social Sciences Education, University of
Cape Coast
*Corresponding author’s email address: ericballang@gmail.com
Abstract
The study was undertaken to examine the contributions of fieldwork towards the
teaching and learning of Geography in selected senior high schools in the Upper West
Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The
population comprised 360 students and three Geography teachers. Both questionnaire
and interview guide were the instruments used to collect the data for the study.
Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data
were organized into themes. Findings from the study revealed that the extent to which
fieldwork was used by Geography teachers is small though it was affirmed by students
and teachers that fieldwork is vital in the teaching and learning of geography. Further,
it was recognized that challenges such as lack of financial resources, inadequate time,
lack of support from school management and parents and lack of logistics and material
resources such as vehicles to convey students to the field in most instances, deprived
teachers from organizing fieldwork as a method of teaching and learning. The study
recommended the following; the Ghana Education Service should organize
workshops and seminars to equip teachers in the organization of workshops,
availability of videos of field sites that are in line with the geography curriculum for
senior high schools, teachers should also explore more on the fieldwork opportunities
within their immediate school and community environment and all educational
stakeholders should assist in the organization of fieldwork to enhance effective
teaching and learning of geography in senior high schools.

41 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
Introduction
The purpose of education is to develop the knowledge, skills
and character of students and it is for this reason that the Ghanaian
educational system made Geography as a course in the curriculum of
senior high schools with the purpose of developing the knowledge base
of students about their environment. This goal of geography can only
be achieved if the appropriate methods of teaching are employed by the
teachers (Shakil, Faizi & Hafeez, 2011). As espoused by Aggarwal
(2010), the abstract nature of certain topics of the curriculum of
educational institutions necessitates fieldwork as the ultimate teaching
technique to aid the teacher to clarify, establish and correlate accurate
concepts and interpretations vividly and meaningfully to students'
understanding. Further, Thomas and Munge (2015) hold a similar
notion that fieldwork eliminates abstract thinking and encourages
practical activities among students. Since fieldwork is keener on
observing the issue, it tends to reduce abstract thinking; which the
bookish method (text books) rather encourages. Students would be able
to connect concepts and principles to the real world. In corroboration is
the indication by Knapp (2002) that learning in a hands-on setting is
one of the best ways to reinforce topics learnt in the classroom, to
integrate academic and experiential learning. This implies that students
grasp the meaning of concepts better when they complement the
theoretical lesson taught with a practical experience. Consequently,
fieldwork cannot be underestimated and should not be underutilized
since it gives a practical aspect of the lesson taught in the classroom
(Ababio & Dumba, 2014). Fieldworks are beneficial to both the teacher
and the student in view of the fact that most of the concepts and
phenomena are easily clarified. As a result, a good deal of energy and
time of both the teacher and the students can be saved (Shakil & Hafeez,
2011). In addition, Myers and Jones (2004) observed that numerous
research studies in science education have documented significant
increases in participants’ factual knowledge and understanding after
participation in well–planned fieldwork. This also applies in the
discipline of Geography, for instance, taking students to observe the
natural environment when treating topics that relate to the environment
will cause the students to comprehend both the theories and concepts of
the topic. Geography studies the interrelationship of the individual,
physical and social environment, both in spatial and temporal terms.

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 42
Issues of the environment are becoming increasingly important and
geography, which studies the environment as a system, can and does
provide solutions to environmental problems. Geography thus has a
vital contribution to make towards the purpose of education in the form
of solving problems and further providing critical foundation
knowledge in the development of Ghana.
Geography in the senior high schools covers the planetary
systems with emphasis on the earth as the planet habitable by humans,
plants and animals. The principal issues concern the physical
environment with the prospects and challenges of the human-
environment relationships. The issue of understanding and interpreting
maps, the geographical understanding of political divisions,
identification and utilization of resources, livelihood activities that are
and can be pursued in specific environment are also dealt with. For the
purpose of teaching and learning and, examining at the senior high
school level, geography as a subject has been organized into three
interrelated branches as follows: Physical geography (Geomorphology,
Climatology, and Biogeography), Human and Regional geography and
Practical geography (Mitchel & Forer, 2010).
The introduction of fieldwork as a pedagogical skill in teaching
and learning of Geography boosts the interest and understanding of
students learning certain topics which are mostly taught theoretically
therefore making the subject abstract and uninteresting in the
classroom. It will also help teachers in the teaching profession and this
might aid them to upgrade their existing knowledge, skills and abilities
by way of professional development to effectively impart to students
what is worthwhile to enhance their performance (Ababio & Dumba,
2014). It is in light of this background that the researchers conducted
this work.
Statement of Problem
The prime aim of Geography as a subject of study is to impart
and equip learners with the basic knowledge, skills, attitude and
competence that can be used in solving the challenges they face in their
environment. Scarce (1997) opines that appropriate methods of
teaching must be adopted to enable students to connect classroom
concept learning to real world situations. Hence, when the appropriate
methods are used in teaching the student it will aid to help them put into

43 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
practice what they have been taught, thereby connecting conceptual
learning to real world situation.
McLoughin (2004) further asserts that fieldwork tends to
minimize a lot of expression in the classroom, thereby gives meaning
to content and makes the subject matter more understandable,
manageable, challenging and applicable for many members of the class.
This implies that students should be given the opportunity to interact or
visit places of importance to enable them understand some of the things
they hear and learn about in the classroom so as to make them more
practical in their thinking.
Further, as was envisaged in the final report of the President’s
Committee on Review of Educational Reforms in Ghana (2002), the
education system should be focused on training students who will be
intellectually and physically equipped with the requisite knowledge,
skills, values and aptitudes for self-actualization, environmental
sustainability and for the socio-economic and political transformation
of the nation. It is in this phase that the Curriculum Research and
Development Division (CRDD) of the Ghana Education Service (GES)
developed the Geography syllabus in such a manner that each topic is
assigned specific teaching and learning pedagogy or pedagogies.
The researchers’ recent interaction with some Geography
teachers in some senior high schools in Ghana, particularly the Wa
municipality reveal that most of them do not undertake fieldwork as a
teaching and learning technique. Nevertheless, research (Sithole 2010;
Krakowkwa, 2012) has shown that fieldwork is essential for many
reasons. But as to whether the teachers in the Wa municipality are fully
aware of the benefits of fieldwork as a teaching and learning technique
is a question that remains elusive. It is this problem that motivated the
researchers to conduct a study that will investigate the extent and
challenges in the use of fieldwork as a teaching and learning method in
the teaching and learning of Geography.

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 44
Objectives of the Study
The general objective of the study was to examine the use and
challenges of fieldwork as a teaching and learning method in the
teaching and learning process. Specifically, the study sought to:
1. Assess the extent to which Geography teachers use fieldwork as
a teaching and learning method in the teaching of Geography.
2. Evaluate the challenges Geography teachers face when
organizing fieldwork.
Research Questions
In relation to the stated objectives enumerated above, the following
research questions guided the conduct of the study:
1. To what extent do Geography teachers use field work as a
method of teaching and learning Geography?
2. What are the challenges that teachers face when organizing
fieldwork?
Literature Review
The concept of fieldwork
According to Pz’eazo (2005), fieldwork is an academic ground
related to activities that serve educational purposes and occurs outside
the classroom but at a location other than on a campus at which the
course is regularly taught. For this reason, when it is organized away
from the usual classroom confinement, it arouses students’ interest on
the topic being taught, thus, making the learning experience
memorable. The term fieldwork is usually used when a person or a
group of persons undertake a tour of places where they expect change
from normal daily life (Shakil & Hafeez, 2011). When educational
fieldworks are undertaken by students of an educational institution, the
main aim is not only recreational and pleasure, but also for the students
to gain additional knowledge through direct experiences (Shakil &
Hafeez, 2011).
Knapp (2000) indicates that fieldwork strikes a balance between
theory and real practice in any given field, and this suggests that there
are certain learning experiences that necessitate learners to have a
practical experience before they can practise in the real world. The use
of educational fieldwork has long been a major part of the educational
programme for both young and adults (Myers &Jones, 2004).

45 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
Fieldwork is an educational excursion that gets students away from the
traditional classroom setting into a new mode of learning (Jonasson,
2011). In reference to geography, the teacher involved can take the
students to a field where they would be allowed to observe operations
in relation to the topic: land preservation and topography. When
treating such topic, the teacher can decide to take students on a
fieldwork to a site so as to make them have a practical understanding of
the topic.
The concept of teaching
Teaching is quite a broad concept and many writers try to define
it to suit their orientation and disposition as either a science or an art.
Smith (2004) sees teaching as the process of carrying out activities that
experiences have shown to be effective in getting the student to learn.
Indicating that, the role of the teacher is very critical for the reason that
it is the activities of the teacher that will inform the achievement of the
desired goals intended in the student. From the perspective of Thring
(2001), pouring out knowledge is not teaching. Having lessons is not
teaching. Teaching is getting at the heart and mind so that the learners
value learning and to believe that learning is possible in their own case.
Teachers must therefore respect the intellectual prowess of their
learners. Students must be actively engaged in the teaching - learning
encounter since participation increases students’ ability to grasp
concepts.
Elaborating on this, Ababio (2013) indicated that teaching is a
process whereby a teacher imparts knowledge, skills, attitudes and
values to a learner or group of learners in a way that respects the
intellectual integrity and the capacity of the learners with the aim of
changing the behaviour of the learners. Ababio’s assertion brings to
mind that the activity of the teacher alone may not ensure learning. It is
therefore incumbent on every teacher to assess how the students process
information relating to how the students value information and how
learner characteristics influence teacher dynamism in ensuring effective
teaching.
As ascertained from the above definitions, it is clear that
teaching is a process and not a one-shot activity that leads to the
transmission of knowledge from a well - informed person to a lesser-
known person with the intention of changing the behaviour, attitude and

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 46
skills of the learners. It also shows that teaching does not only deal with
the impartation of knowledge, but how the learner receives the message,
makes meaning out of it and puts it into practice.
The concept of learning
According to Kraiger, Ford & Salas (1993), learning is a change
in the human exposition or capacity that persists over a period of time.
This definition shows that it is only when a change takes place that
learning has occurred. It is therefore possible for teachers to teach
without learning taking place. The act of acquiring new or modifying
and reinforcing existing knowledge, behaviour, skills, values or
preference and synthesizing different types of information occur as a
result of learning. Armstrong (2006) has also viewed learning as a
process by which a person acquires knowledge, skills and capability.
He posits that cognitive learning involves gaining knowledge and
understanding by absorbing information in the form of principles,
concepts and facts and then internalizing them. Others have also
described cognitive learning as a powerful mechanism that provides the
means of knowledge and goes well beyond simple imitation of others
(Kraiger, et al. 1993). Many researches show that greater learning
occurs when teaching methods and learning styles match. Fedler and
Brent (2005) say that the teacher is not expected to tailor – fit his or her
teaching method according to students’ preferences. For example, if a
teacher is inclined towards meeting the needs of students with different
learning styles, some students will not feel left out. Also, students who
are constantly taught through their dominant learning style will not
know how to learn using their less preferred learning style. Thus,
teachers should adopt balanced teaching methods to help more students
learn effectively and become more flexible in the way they learn. To
this end, a learner - centered teacher must employ different teaching
methods to address students’ varied learning needs. It can be deduced
from the above definitions by the various authors that it is clear that
learning is a process that takes place within a period of time and not a
one-method that leads to the change in the disposition of the learners.
The use of fieldwork as a method of teaching and learning,
especially in a practical subject like Geography is of great importance
in the learning process. Fieldwork provides the students with
experiences outside the everyday activities; helps students link concept

47 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
in learning experiences to real world situation; reduces non-figurative
thinking; eliminates the bookish method of teaching and learning and
encourages practical activities among students (Aggarwal & Green,
2011). As further emphasized by Knapp (2000), fieldwork increases the
factual knowledge and conceptual understanding of students. Hence,
they intimated that fieldwork as a method of teaching should be
employed frequently by Geography teachers. Nonetheless, they
stressed that it will be prudent for teachers to organize field work into
pre, actual and post fieldwork stages. The scholars also stated that
teachers must play the role of guardians, offering suggestions,
supervising, directing and clarifying issues and concepts during the
work. It is realized from the discussions that fieldwork is pertinent to
the performance of students in Geography.
The purposively organized fieldwork provides an observational
platform for students and experiences outside their everyday activities
(Aggarwal & Green, 2011). As a result, students will have the first-hand
experience empowering them to connect abstracts to reality. Sometimes
normal classroom teaching and learning experiences are unable to
connect conceptual and theoretical learning experiences to real world
situations thus creating learning difficulties. As such, fieldwork in the
long term, translates all the experiences to igniting the students’ desire
to take up a career in the field of Geography.
Challenges teachers face in organizing fieldwork
In spite of the numerous benefits of fieldwork as a method of
teaching, it has challenges as well. It is as a result of these challenges
that discourage many geography teachers from using it. Due to this,
fieldwork is less patronized and neglected as a method of teaching. One
major challenge is time. Pawson and Teather (2002) agreed that time
constraint and inadequate support and cooperation from both
headmasters and parents are elements which pose problems in the
teaching of certain subjects in schools. They stated that fieldwork
demanded a lot of time and parents’ or guardians’ permission,
particularly when they are conducted very far away from the school
compound. There is no doubt that fieldwork requires time to conduct
from the onset to the end of it. Some geography teachers opine that
fieldwork is time wasting. They support their argument with the
assertion that Geography topics are copious and almost impossible to

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 48
complete within the stipulated time period. Consequently, teachers
neglect the use of fieldwork when faced with varied options of methods
of teaching.
Sithole and Lumadi (2013) stressed that most times, fieldwork
fails to come off because of lack of support from the school
management. Some school principals are at times hesitant to grant
teachers the permission to conduct fieldwork probably due to the
financial obligations involved (i.e. if the school would have to foot
some of the expenses).
As affirmed by these scholars, although fieldwork plays a
crucial role in the teaching and learning process, challenges such as
financial constraints, time and attitude of people towards fieldwork
impede teachers’ efforts to use this method in teaching geography.
Methodology
The descriptive survey design was employed to help observe
and describe the state of affairs regarding the reappraisal of fieldwork
as a teaching and learning technique in the teaching of Geography. This
descriptive study was a cross - sectional survey in which aggregate data
were collected from different respondents at different points in time.
The target population was all Geography teachers and students in senior
high schools in the Wa Municipality. However, the accessible
population consisted of Geography students and teachers in three
selected senior high schools in the Wa Municipality. These schools
were St. Francis Xavier Seminary, Wa Senior High School and Islamic
Senior High School. The sample size for the study consisted of 160
respondents, made up of 160 Geography students from the selected
schools. The proportionate approach by Seidu (2015),   󰇡
󰇢  ,
where  is the sample size for each school, is the population size
for each school,  is the total population size and  is the total sample
size was adopted to determine the sample size for each school. St
Francis Xavier Seminary 44 respondents, Islamic Senior High School
110 respondents and Wa Senior High School 166 respondents. The
census method was employed to select the three Geography teachers;
whereas the simple random sampling with the lottery technique was
used in selecting the students from each proportion of sample assigned
each school. This was used to ensure fair representation of the
population and make sure that survey results statistically represented

49 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
the entire population under study. Interview guide and questionnaire
were used by the researcher to collect data. Only teachers responded to
the interview guide while students responded to the questionnaire
which made use of descriptive statements based on the Likert type scale
format. The researchers met the various headmasters of the selected
schools to seek for their approval to conduct the research in their
schools. The assistant headmasters for administration in the selected
schools were assigned to help the researchers administer the
questionnaire. The researchers introduced themselves to the teachers
and students concerned to explain what the entire research was about
and further responded to questions from both teachers and students. The
questionnaire for students was administered and collected immediately
they had finished completing them. It took the researchers three days to
administer and collect a total of 160 copies of the questionnaires. This
means that a return rate of 100% was achieved. The three teachers were
interviewed separately for about 30 minutes and their responses were
recorded accordingly. Data from the interview were transcribed and
analyzed into thematic themes and that of the questionnaire were
entered into SPSS to perform a descriptive analysis of data into
frequencies, percentages and mean.
Results and discussions
Interview and questionnaire responses were analysed and
discussed in this section. Data were presented to answer the research
questions that guided the conduct of the study.
To what extent do Geography teachers use field work as a method of
teaching and learning Geography? The results are presented in two
parts. Part One presents the responses from the questionnaire while Part
Two also looks at the results of the interview.
As presented in Table 1 (page 51), the responses show the
several ways by which teachers get involved in organizing fieldwork as
a method of teaching and learning Geography. It could be identified that
all teachers teaching geography had used field work at least once 58
(35.8%) and 65 (40.1%) students affirmed “Agree” and “Strongly
Agree” respectively. This will help to reduce the abstract nature of
Geography subject. This finding consolidates the reason why the
Geography syllabus in the Senior High Schools makes it explicitly clear
that teaching methods such as fieldwork, use of resource persons,

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 50
project work, and group discussions among the likes are used. Though
this finding is not in agreement with the findings of Sithole (2010),
where out of six interviewees, three once took their classes for
fieldwork, once in each case, and the other three had never used
fieldwork.
Moreover, teachers also admitted using fieldwork though not
frequently. Below are the responses of the Geography teachers on the
use of fieldwork:
T1: I organized a field work to the Mole National Park so students could
learn how these natural elements are being preserved.
T2: I ever took students to the GHACEM cement factory and the Wa
WADITH quarry to see some of the uses of rocks.
T3: I have organized a field trip only once to the mushroom rocks in
Bulenga and the WA WADITH quarry the same day to see the nature of
rocks and their uses. These two sites were visited the same day because
they are both found on the same road.
It was also revealed that all the necessary conditions to enhance
activities on the field were all adhered to for a better understanding by
the students. As was indicated by the study in Table 1 that; 65(40.1%)
and 73(45%) agreeing and strongly agreeing that teachers hold
discussions in class after the fieldwork, 67(41%) and 81(50%) also
agreeing and strongly agreeing that teachers explain concepts and
clarify misunderstandings during fieldwork, 76(47%) and 62(38%)
agreeing and strongly agreeing to it that teachers play the role of
guardians on the field as was further affirmed during the interview:
T1: I have taken someone’s child out. I am responsible for his or her
safety till they get to back school.
T2: Guarding students was a requirement so I did as expected. Actually,
I was protective of their welfare till I brought them back safely.
T3: Actually, because of the size of the class, I had to engage the
National Service Personnel upon short briefing to go with us to enable
me control and guard the students on the field.
These are in conformity with Myers and Jones (2004), as the
inclusive statement of their study asserted that teachers must play the
role of guardians, offering suggestions, supervising, directing and
clarifying issues and concepts during the trip. Further, in line with these
findings of the study, Myers and Jones also affirmed that teachers
should also function as guides other than directors. However, the study

51 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
interrogating the frequency of the fieldwork organization as in Table 1
identified that 48 (29.9%) and 81 (50%) respondents to the
questionnaire disagreed and strongly disagreed respectively to the
statement that fieldwork is frequently organized in the teaching and
learning of Geography in senior high schools in the municipality. This,
coupled with the aforementioned responses from the interviewees
affirms that though field work is recognized as an important method in
teaching Geography, its use as a method in the teaching and learning
Geography is very rare in senior high schools in the municipality.
Table 1: Extent of Agreement of Students Regarding Teachers’ Use
of Field Work
Statement
Strongly
agree
Agree
Strongly
disagree
Disagree
N (%)
N (%)
N (%)
N (%)
Teacher has before used
field work to teach once
65 (40.1%)
58 (35.8%)
15 (9.3%)
24 (14.8%)
Teachers always place
students in groups when
conducting field work
92 (57%)
61 (37.7%)
08 (5%)
1 (0.6%)
Teachers always inform
the class on the learning
materials to take along
76 (47%)
79 (49%)
6 (4.0%)
1 (0.6%)
Teachers play the role
of guardian during field
work
62 (38%)
76 (47%)
10 (6.1%)
14 (8.6%)
Teachers always
conducts field work
based on the concepts
and theories in
Geography
57 (35%)
89 (55%)
9 (6.0%)
7 (4.0%)
Teacher frequently uses
field work to teach
15 (9.2%)
19 (11.7%)
81 (50%)
48 (29.9%)
Teacher always
explains concepts and
clarifies
81 (50%)
67 (41%)
8 (5%)
6 (4%)

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 52
misunderstanding
during field work
Teacher always holds
discussions in class
after the field work
73 (45.0%)
65 (40.1%)
13 (8.0%)
11 (7.0%)
What are the roles fieldwork plays in the teaching and learning of
Geography?
As posited earlier, fieldwork plays several roles in the teaching and
learning of Geography (Aggarwal & Green, 2001). This study revealed
several roles played by fieldwork in the teaching and learning of
Geography.
As shown in Table 2, majority of the respondents, 81 (50%) and
52 (30%) agreed and strongly agreed respectively that fieldwork makes
learning of Geography interesting and exciting. This outcome from
80% of the respondents and the responses from the teachers as
presented below affirms the stance of Scarce (1997) who emphasized
that fieldwork is also a good method of engaging and even entertaining
students, thereby helping students to make the educational experiences
more enjoyable.
T1: It enhances various massive students’ participation in the teaching
and learning process in the field.
T2: It takes out boredom, like having to teach theories and concepts
and;
T3: It creates excitement in the children and this helps the teaching and
learning a lot;
Further, the finding agrees with Aggarwal (2003) who stressed
that fieldwork as a teaching and learning method aids the teacher to
clarify, correlate accurate concepts and interpretations which makes
learning more concrete, effective and interesting.
Similarly, another benefit which is overwhelmingly an
aggregate of 138 (85%) of the students strongly agreed and agreed, was
that fieldwork encouraged them to observe, discover and gain
meaningful information on the topics taught in the classroom while 24
(15%) of the students strongly disagreed and disagreed as presented in
Table 2. Buttressed by the submissions of the teachers that;

53 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
T1: Because the fieldwork is based on some theories taught in the
classroom, it helps the students gain further information on those
concepts.
T2: Most of the fieldwork is practice – based hence expatiate the
classroom concepts; students gain extra knowledge.
T3: This technique gives students the practical experiences and makes
it easy for them to understand abstract topics in the Geography
Syllabus
These revelations are incongruent with the opinion of Knapp
(2002) which indicates that fieldwork aids students to collate
meaningful understanding of concepts which reinforces topics learned
in the classroom, to integrate academic and experiential learning.
Students are able to grasp concepts through exploration and
observations on the field when exposed to practical work on activities
and demonstrations carried out during fieldwork.
As a recommendation from the students on the use of fieldwork
in the teaching and learning of Geography, the results show that 85%
endorsed the fact that fieldwork should be used frequently by teachers
with only 15% disagreeing to the statement.

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 54
Table 2: Responses of students regarding the roles of field work in
teaching and learning of Geography.
Statements
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Number (%)
Number (%)
Number (%)
Number (%)
It makes learning of
Geography exciting and
interesting
52 (32%)
81 (50%)
14 (9%)
15 (9.2%)
It engages me in the
teaching and learning
process
76 (47%)
79 (49%)
5 (3%)
2 (1%)
It encourages me to
observe, discover and
gain meaningful on the
topic
62 (38%)
76 (47%)
10 (6%)
14 (9%)
It assists me to connect
the concepts in
Geography to real world
situations
45 (28%)
87 (54%)
20 (12%)
10 (6%)
It does not make me rely
solely on textbooks
83 (51%)
71 (44%)
6 (4%)
3 (2%)
It motivates me to learn
Geography
70 (43%)
81 (50%)
6 (4%)
7 (4%)
It is a good method of
creating an opportunity
to move away from the
usual classroom
environme to a new
environment
83 (51%)
71 (44%)
5 (3%)
3 (2%)
It encourages me to
pursue a career in the
field of Geography
65 (40%)
58 (36%)
15 (9%)
24 (19%)
It should be used by
teachers frequently to
teach
62 (38%)
76 (47%)
10 (6%)
14 (9%)

55 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
In consonance to these findings, the teachers also agreed to the
recommendation. The objective was to unearth the roles played by
fieldwork in the teaching and learning of Geography. It was ascertained
that fieldwork makes learning of Geography interesting and exciting,
gets students involved in the teaching and learning process, helps
students to observe, discover and gain meaningful information on the
topic, helps students connect concepts of Geography to real world
situation, causes students not to solely rely on textbooks, motivates
students to learn Geography and encourages students to pursue a career
in the field of Geography.
What are the challenges that teachers face when organizing
fieldwork?
Presented in this section are the challenges associated with
organizing fieldwork. Data were collected using a structured interview
guide. Three teachers in each of the three selected schools who agreed
to participate in the study were interviewed regarding the challenges
they face during the organization of fieldwork. The responses were
analyzed and categorized into themes as they emerged in the responses.
Common responses that emerged during the interview include;
Lack of financial resources: The availability of financial
resources or money to finance the fieldwork is woefully inadequate and
sometimes not available at all. This was expressed in the responses of
the teachers when they were asked about the challenges they face. The
teachers had this to say;
T1: You know organizing fieldwork involves money and trust me it is
expensive, so I have been able to organize just one to the Mole National
Park to learn about plants and animal life.
T2: The last time I organized a fieldwork was a year ago, it is very
expensive and there isn’t any financial support from parents nor
stakeholders. Sometimes students have to pay for the field work.
T3: It was not easy at all in getting the funds, though students made
contributions, we have to write to the Parish Priest through the Rector
for some funds to top up.
These expressions from the study are inconsistent with the
submissions of Nesper (2000). He mentioned that lack of funds forces
many teachers to forgo fieldwork. It is also in line with the findings of
Sithole and Lumadi (2013) when they studied the Improvisation of and

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 56
the use of Community Resources in teaching Geography. They found
that some teachers had never organized any educational fieldwork
because they admitted it was expensive.
Inadequate time: It was evidenced from the study that the course
content/curriculum is so loaded and per the requirement of the school
arrangement and preparation for examinations, the syllabus must be
completed within the set time, hence, there is not enough time to go on
a fieldwork. The teachers said the following;
T1: Time constraint is a major challenge, the syllabus is too voluminous
for the teaching and learning periods in the academic years, restricting
me from thinking of organizing field trips
T2: The school management wants us to prepare the students to pass
the exams, and there is not enough time to teach so we have no time to
organize a fieldwork.
T3: I hardly finish that voluminous geography syllabus hence; it’s
always a challenge organizing a fieldwork. The time for the fieldwork
is used for the classroom work.
Inadequate time as a challenge in this study complements that
posited by Nesper when he mentioned that standardized curriculum and
overloaded schedules have forced many teachers to forgo fieldwork
(Nesper, 2000). In addition, Pawson and Teather (2002), agreed that
time constraint is an element which poses a problem in the teaching of
certain subjects in schools. They opined that fieldwork demands a lot
of time, especially when they are conducted far from the school
compound.
Lack of support from school management and parents: The lack
of support from the school management and parents was also implicated
in the challenges confronting the teachers in their bid to organize
fieldwork. Fieldwork must be approved by school authorities and
sometimes the parents of the students. The respondents said this;
T1: Most parents always welcome that, but the way, and manner you
suffer before the school management approves your trip, most
especially if it is out of the municipality.
T2: The school is not willing to allow students to go far for any social
event including fieldwork.

57 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
T3: I don’t take the students out for fieldwork because of lack of support
from the school management. The school is supposed to assist in getting
permission from the organization, but this is not done.
Sithole and Lumadi (2013) also found similar results. Their study
showed that the principals of schools at times hesitate to grant
permission to undertake fieldwork probably due to financial obligation
involved (if the school has to foot some of the expenses involved),
safety and fear of misconduct. Moreover, it is always a must for
teachers to seek the consent of the parents or guardian for participating
students directly or through the Parent Teacher Association. However,
Myers and Jones (2004) opined that oftentimes, some parents do not
grant the request due to certain reasons such as distance, safety and cost
involved.
Lack of logistics and physical resources: The responses from
teachers also showed that they were constrained by the fact that vehicles
are not easily available to convey students for the fieldwork. This is
consistent with the findings of Sithole (2010) when he found in his
study that some teachers have never organized a fieldwork due to
unavailability of means of transport.
Conclusions and recommendations
Conclusions
The study was undertaken to examine the contributions of
fieldwork towards the teaching and learning of Geography in selected
senior high schools in the Wa Municipality. With regards to the extent
of use of fieldwork, it was revealed that fieldwork has been used at least
once by teachers teaching Geography and the necessary arrangements
before, during and after the field work are duly recognized. Hence,
making teaching and learning of Geography in senior high schools more
interactive and understanding.
It was identified that field work interestingly and excitedly
made teaching and learning understandable to students. As they
expressed that it aided them to observe, discover and gain meaningful
information on topics taught in the classroom. It was further revealed
that fieldwork made students to easily connect concepts and theories in
Geography and eliminated the sole reliance on textbooks. Indicating
that field work plays a major role in the teaching and learning of

Role of fieldwork in the quality of teaching and learning of geography 58
Geography, as it helped in the development of the cognitive, affective
and psychomotor domains of the learners.
It is concluded that lack of financial resources, time, support
from management, parents and guardians, and other resources were the
main challenges teachers faced in using fieldwork as a method of
teaching and learning Geography. Relegating them to the use of other
teaching and learning techniques that are inexpensive to prepare
students adequately for West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate
Examination (WASSCE).
Recommendations
In relation to the extent of use of fieldwork, the Ghana
Education Service (GES) should put in place measures that will further
enhance the teachers’ will and technical know-how in the organization
of fieldwork. If this is done, Geography teachers would have an in-
depth knowledge on the organization of fieldwork. Therefore,
geography teachers would employ fieldwork as a method of teaching at
least more than once in an academic year.
Also efforts should be made by the District Assemblies and the
Ghana Education Service (i.e. the District Education Oversight
Committee) to provide room for such activities in the senior high
schools. This would undoubtedly generate a significant amount of
interest in the school authorities as well as the teachers to enhance their
understanding of the subject and further encourage them to frequently
adopt fieldwork in teaching and learning of Geography.
Again, with regard to the roles of fieldwork, Geography
teachers should be more resourceful and attempt to incorporate regular
fieldwork as a method of teaching in their lessons due to its numerous
benefits in the teaching and learning of Geography. This will in effect
link Geography as a subject of study to real world situations, encourage
students to gain and discover meaningful information, make learning
exciting and interesting, motivate students to learn and create the
opportunity to move away from the usual classroom environment to a
new environment and many more.
To help combat the challenges of cost and time constraints faced
by the Geography teachers when organizing fieldwork, Geography
teachers should explore more about the fieldwork opportunities in their
schools and communities since this would be more cost effective and

59 E. Ballang & B. T. Ababio
less time consuming. In addition, non-availability of funds and
inadequate support from school authorities should not be used as an
excuse for not organizing fieldwork in Geography studies.
Notwithstanding, school authorities should provide teachers with the
necessary logistics to help reduce the challenges Geography teachers
face when organizing fieldwork.
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