The Role of Social Studies Education in Youth Skills Acquisition and Development in Upper Basic Schools in Delta State

Abstract

This study was focused on the role of Social Studies Education in youth skills acquisition and development in Upper Basic schools in Delta State. Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated and tested in this study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design.The population consist of 49,796 Upper Basic 2 students in public secondary schools in Delta State. The sample comprises 250 Upper Basic 2 students selected through stratified sampling technique across the UBE schools in Delta State. The instrument used for the study was a structured questionnaire designed to gather data from Upper Basic 2 students on the role of Social Studies in youth skills acquisition and development. It assessed students’ views on skill acquisition,critical thinking, and problem-solving. The questionnaire included sections on demographics and specific skill domains, using a 4-Likert- scale for responses. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) to summarize responses and chi-square analysis to test hypotheses. The result showed that Social Studies education significantly enhances youth skills acquisition among students in Upper Basic schools in Delta State, Social Studies education has a significant impact on the development of critical thinking skills among students in Upper Basic Schools in Delta State; and Social Studies education has a significant impact on the development of problem-solving skills among students in upper basic schools in Delta State. It was recommended that enhancing the Social Studies curriculum with skill-based learning, interactive teaching methods, and practical applications will improve students' critical thinking and problem solving skills.