Academic Ability and Students’ Knowledge of Social Issues and Concepts: A Review in Social Studies

This paper reviewed the relationship between students’ academic ability and their knowledge of social issues and concepts with a peep on Social Studies curriculum in secondary schools. Buttressing the aim of Social Studies in promotion of knowledge, intellectual processes, and democratic dispositions required of students to be active and become effective citizens that is useful to themselves, people in their environment, the Nation and the world at large, the study explored social concepts and various social issues with a view of eradicating the social problems through adequate knowledge of Social Studies skills and improve students’ academic ability. In order to proffer solutions to the identified social problems that arose due to poor students’ knowledge of social issues and concepts, Social Studies teachers, curriculum planners and government remain to be powerful instruments to resolve these evil effects of poor knowledge of social issues and concepts through full implementation of Social Studies curriculum at both junior and senior secondary classes.