Enhancing 21st Century Skill Through Cross-Curriculum activities in Business Studies among Junior Secondary School Students in Delta State, Nigeria

The demands of the 21st-century knowledge require education systems to equip learners with essential skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and digital literacy. However, instruction in Nigerian junior secondary schools remains largely subject-based, with limited cross-curriculum integration. This study examined the effect of cross-curriculum learning activities integrating Business Studies and Basic Technology in the development of 21st-century skills among Junior Secondary School (JSS II) students in Delta State. A quasi-experimental mixed-methods research design was adopted, using a non-equivalent control group pre-test/post-test design and qualitative methods to explore perceptions and implementation challenges. The population comprised public junior secondary school Business Studies students and teachers in Delta State. Using stratified random sampling, 100 students were selected and assigned to treatment (n = 50) and control (n = 50) groups, while 10 Business Studies and Basic Technology teachers were purposively selected. The treatment group participated in integrated cross-curriculum learning activities for eight weeks, whereas the control group received instruction using the conventional curriculum. Quantitative data were collected using a 21st-century skills assessment administered before and after the intervention and analysed using mean, standard deviation, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests. Qualitative data were obtained through interviews, focus group discussions, classroom observations, and document analysis, and analysed thematically. Findings revealed that students exposed to cross-curriculum instruction demonstrated significantly higher gains in 21st-century skills than those taught using conventional methods. The study concludes that cross-curriculum integration is an effective approach for enhancing 21st-century skills among secondary school students.