ASSIMILATION OF GLOBAL COMPETENCIES INTO SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM DESIGN: IMPLICATIONS FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the relevance of integrating global skills into Nigeria’s social studies curriculum, highlighting the importance of this integration for students in the twenty-first century. As globalization keeps changing educational paradigms, it is becoming more and more important for education systems to give students the abilities, information, and mindset necessary to thrive in a globalized society. Critical thinking, communication, teamwork, cultural sensitivity, and problem-solving skills are all part of global competences, which let students interact with people from different backgrounds and take on urgent global challenges. Curriculum design, global competences, and social studies were explained in great detail. It was noted that, students of the twenty-first century will be much more likely to acquire the knowledge, ideas, attitudes, values, and skills—as well as the behavioural patterns—necessary to live meaningful lives in a world that is continuously changing and becoming more interconnected if social studies curricula are thoughtfully planned, organized, and integrated with a dash of global competencies. The study also identified the benefits of global competencies for Nigerian 21st-century learners, including increased employability in the global labor market, enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, increased cultural awareness and the capacity to navigate diverse environments, innovation and creativity, and a stronger sense of social responsibility. Nigeria should make sure that national and state educational policies support the integration of global competences in social studies and other courses, among other recommendations.