An investigation of the teachers’ strategies for managing the challenges of teaching social studies at junior secondary level at a selected school of Lusaka district.

This study aimed at establishing the teachers’ strategies for managing the challenges of teaching social studies at junior secondary level at a selected school in Lusaka District, Zambia. The objectives of the study were to: Find out the teachers’ understanding of the rationale for teaching social studies in an integrated form at junior secondary level, explain the value of instructional resources in the teaching and learning of social studies and investigate the challenges, if any, that the teachers were facing in teaching social studies as an integrated subject. A descriptive design utilizing the qualitative approach was used to conduct the study. Data was collected through semi-structured one-on-one interviews with teacher participants, a focused group and a lesson observation guide. The sample size was nineteen (19), made up of three (3) teacher participants and twelve (12) learner participants selected conveniently and purposively. The data collected was analysed using thematic descriptive analysis. The study revealed that the introduction of social studies was as a result of the existing interrelationships among the three components of social studies. Furthemore, the study showed that teachers had a challenge in understanding the rationale for introducing social studies at junior secondary level. This was largely attributed to the hasty implementation of the social studies syllabus and the lack of teacher involvement in curriculum formulation. In view of this, among other strategies, the study cited having continuing professional development sessions as means to help teachers broaden their understanding of the rationale for introducing social studies. In relation to the value of instructional resources used, the study revealed that the approved textbooks were available and sufficient to meet the number of learners, yet, inadequate to meet the objectives of the social studies syllabus.In addition to inadequate time, the study established that the incompatibility of the compartmentalized teaching approach with the aggregated presentation of assessment results in social studies was a serious source of concern. Therefore, the following were recommended: Embracing the participatory approach in educational change, providing adequate instructional resources and aligning the teaching approach to the presentation of assessment results to provide comprehensive feedback to the teaching and learning process.