The Role of Religious and Moral Education on Behaviour Formation of the Basic School Child in Ghana

A rapid decline in moral values and ethics among Ghanaian youth has brought inconclusive debates on how Religious and Moral Education (RME) contributes to students’ moral developmental trajectory. This descriptive survey study, therefore, aimed to look into how Religious and Moral Education affected the behaviours of the basic school child. A proportional stratified random sampling technique was employed to select 130 students for this study. Data regarding the status of Religious and Moral Education and students’ behaviours were gathered through a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using the arithmetic mean and Pearson product-moment correlation. It was found that RME inculcates moral values into students as it covers the tenets of all three major religions in Ghana. It was further established that there was a decline in the reported indiscipline behaviours of students. However, there was no significant correlation between the state of RME and behaviour of the basic school child. It was concluded that disciplined behaviours are socially constructed and should be seen from social perspectives rather than the Religious and Moral Education landscape. This study recommended a strong collaboration between RME and Social Studies teachers in instilling moral, ethical and civic values in students. This collaboration is necessary for developing students with empathetic, moral and social learning competencies. This study contributes to Ghanaian moral education discourse by clarifying the limited influence of RME on behavioural formation among basic school learners.