Home Economics Curriculum and the Development of Life Skills Among In-School Adolescents in Oyo State

This study empirically examines the contribution of the Home Economics curriculum to the development of life skills among in-school adolescents in Oyo State, South West Nigeria. Life skills encompass critical thinking, communication, decision-making, interpersonal relationships, and stress management, all of which are addressed across multiple components of the Home Economics curriculum. The study adopts a cross-sectional analytical design, targeting 400 SS2 students in public secondary schools across Ibadan North, Oyo, and Saki West local government areas. Data were collected using the WHO Life Skills Assessment Tool and a curriculum exposure checklist. Objectives include determining the life skills profiles of students, measuring the breadth and depth of Home Economics curriculum coverage received, and quantifying the independent contribution of curriculum exposure to life skills development. Analytical methods include structural equation modelling, regression analysis, and ANOVA. The Life Skills Education Framework anchors the study. Recent Nigerian literature confirms that students with higher Home Economics curriculum exposure demonstrate significantly stronger interpersonal and decision-making competencies than their less exposed peers. Findings are expected to provide causal evidence supporting curriculum-based life skills investment. Recommendations target the Oyo State Ministry of Education, curriculum planners, and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council regarding the reinforcement of life skills content in the Home Economics secondary school curriculum. Keywords: Home Economics curriculum, life skills, adolescents, secondary school, Oyo State.