Main Article Content
Abstract
This study examines the role of the Social Studies curriculum as a vital instrument for enhancing social stability and national development in democratic Nigeria. Recognizing education's global significance, the paper highlights how an effectively implemented Social Studies curriculum can equip learners with the necessary knowledge, values, skills, and attitudes for soci[1]etal development. It explores the curriculum's components, objectives, content, methods, resources, evaluation techniques and their collective contribution to shaping responsible citizens. The study also discusses the curriculum's potential to foster civic responsibility, democratic principles, and cultural appreciation, thereby promoting unity and social stability. Additionally, the paper deployed the social contract theory as the theoretical underpinning for the study, emphasizing the curriculum's role in legitimizing government and encouraging citizen participation in national development. The paper concluded that a well-structured Social Studies curriculum can significantly address Nigeria's socio-political challenges, fostering a peaceful, stable, and developed nation. The paper recommended that teachers should be constantly trained and retrained to be better equipped and positioned to implement the curriculum