Influence of Social Studies Education on Conflicts Prevention and Peace Building Among Communities in the Southern Senatorial Zone of Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of Social Studies education on conflict prevention and peacebuilding within the Southern Senatorial Zone of Taraba State, Nigeria. The region has historically faced communal sensitivities, making the role of civic education a critical area of inquiry. Anchored on Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, the research examined how the curriculum and pedagogical delivery serve as tools for social engineering. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, utilizing a population of Social Studies teachers and JSS III students. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 400 respondents, and data were collected using the Social Studies and Peacebuilding Questionnaire , which yielded a Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.88. Data were analyzed using mean scores, standard deviations, and t-test statistics at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that Social Studies education contributes to a significant extent to conflict prevention by equipping learners with mediation skills and the ability to deconstruct ethnic stereotypes. Furthermore, the results established a significant relationship between structured Social Studies instruction and effective peacebuilding efforts, as the classroom provides a neutral space for modeling tolerance and empathy. Consequently, the two null hypotheses were rejected. The study concluded that Social Studies is a transformative pillar for regional stability. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the government prioritize regular training for teachers on modern mediation techniques and that the curriculum be updated to include more practical, inter-ethnic collaborative projects to strengthen communal harmony. P-ISSN 2695 2416

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