Curriculum Integration in Social Studies as Predictor of Academic Performance in Social Sciences

Abstract

The study investigated curriculum integration in Social Studies as predictor of academic performance in Social Sciences. Integrated curriculum came into focus in the school system with the introduction of Social Studies in to the school curriculum. Integrated curriculum is considered more effective on students compared to single subject approach. Survey design was used to carry out the study. The study was guided by using one hundred and forty (140) students offering social sciences subjects such as geography, economics, and government, were purposively selected from four secondary schools as study sample. T-test and Pearson moment correlation co-efficient statistical methods were used for data analysis.The result shows that there is no statistical evidence to suggest a wide gap between subjects with integrated curriculum and the subject with single subject approach. It further revealed that Social Studies and Economics have a considerable related mean figure of -  54.25 for Social Studies and 55.67 for Economics, which shows a low mean difference of 1.41.Based on these, the researchers concluded that there is a relationship in integrated curriculum subjects; however, this has no substantial impact on students’ academic performance.

Key Words:        Integrated Curriculum, Academic Performance, School Curriculum, Teacher’s Competence