▼ The primary purpose of this study was to determine perceptions of high school social studies teachers regarding the impact of the state high stakes social studies test on time spent on various instructional methods and the relationship between teachers' perceptions and whether or not their building achieved the state high school social studies indicator on their building report card. The study also determined teachers' perceptions regarding the Ohio Academic Content Standards for Social Studies and alignment with the Ohio Graduation Test and the relationship between teachers' perceptions and whether or not their building achieved the state high school social studies indicator on their building report card.Four hundred and fourteen randomly selected 9th and 10th grade social studies teachers at Ohio public schools completed the 32 item survey. Based on t tests, results indicated a statistically significant difference between the perceptions of the groups for two of the seven instructional methods examined. The two methods found to be significant were cooperative learning instruction and instruction using problems that might be found on the high stakes test. The five that were inconclusive were whole group instruction, individual seat work, critical thinking skills, concept development, and basic skills instruction. Based on a One-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), a significant difference between the groups regarding perceptions of the Ohio Academic Content Standards for Social Studies and alignment with the Ohio Graduation Test for Social Studies was found. Advisors/Committee Members: Doppen, Frans.

▼ Ghanaians are still looking forward to enacting a law on inheritance and succession, though many attempts have been made since 1884. Policy-makers and academics who try to address the problem are divided, with many of them showing their personal biases. For example, Appiah (1992) questioned the rationale behind the Akan customary practice that deprives sons and daughters of a deceased the right to enjoy a fair share of their fathers’ estate. Nzegwu (2001) reacted that Appiah (1992) ignored the matrilineal implication of the Asante and underwrote a neocolonial Africanist career by privileging a particular conception of family. Awusabo-Asare (1990) contended that the Intestate Succession Law of Ghana had created problems for people in matrilineal societies because it contravened some principles about the matrilineal system of inheritance. In this dissertation, I adopted functionalism and postcolonialism as theoretical frameworks and used qualitative research design, specifically, critical ethnography to examine the problems associated with inheritance systems of the matrilineal Fantse-speaking Akan. I selected five settlements in the Central Region of Ghana for observation, and conducted in-depth interview with 32 participants made up of five chiefs, two queen mothers, 10 clan heads, 10 widows and five widowers. The study sought answers for the following research questions: - What is the nature of the social organizations of the Fantse? - What are the rights and obligations that these social institutions confer on their members? - What are the changes that have taken place in the family systems of the Fantse? - What is the influence of national laws on the Fantse family systems and their customary practices? I concluded that among the Fantse, the social systems are woven around the lineage and clan with rights and responsibilities molded in dual roles to the conjugal and composite families and the clan or lineage. It also emerged that changes have occurred in family in the areas of childhood construction, marriage, divorce and funeral celebrations. Finally, the inheritance was based more on customary practices that the national law. I suggested that a national conference should be organized on inheritance just as has been done for review of the constitution. Advisors/Committee Members: Godwyll, Francis.