Mitigating Youth Restiveness Through Social Studies Education: Implications for Institutional Stability, Civic Responsibility, and Student Empowerment in Nigeria

This study examined the role of Social Studies education in mitigating youth restiveness and its implications for institutional stability, civic responsibility, and student empowerment in public secondary schools in Southwestern Nigeria. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was adopted. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, data were collected from 930 respondents comprising principals, teachers, and students across Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo States. Quantitative data were obtained through the Social Studies and Youth Restiveness Questionnaire (SSYRQ), while qualitative data were generated through interviews and classroom observations. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation, and regression analysis were used to analyse quantitative data at the 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. Findings revealed that youth restiveness is largely driven by social, moral, and institutional factors and manifests mainly as truancy, disruptive behaviour, and disrespect for school authority. The Social Studies curriculum was found to be moderately effective in addressing restiveness-related themes, with limited emphasis on experiential learning. Regression and correlation analyses showed that Social Studies education significantly influenced students’ civic attitudes and behaviours and had a positive relationship with institutional stability. The study concludes that strengthening Social Studies pedagogy and curriculum implementation can serve as a sustainable strategy for reducing youth restiveness and promoting civic responsibility and school stability in Nigeria.