By Elimu Assistant Team 
Social Studies is an integrated subject that encompasses various aspects of History, Geography, Citizenship, and Life Skills Education. The central theme of Social Studies is “Living Together,” which fosters awareness and concern for the welfare of others. It encourages learners to protect the environment and engage actively at community, national, regional, and global levels.
The primary objective of Social Studies is to equip learners with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes necessary for good character formation, enabling them to live harmoniously in society. It develops psychosocial competencies that help students tackle the demands and challenges of everyday life effectively.
You may also like:
Social Studies is grounded in foundational documents such as the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Kenya Vision 2030, the National Goals of Education, and the Kenya Sessional Paper No. 8 of 2013 on national values and principles of governance. It aligns with the Africa Agenda 2063 and the Strategic Objective 10 of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (2016-2025), which envisions “an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa.” Furthermore, Social Studies incorporates the 2017 African Union (AU) Ministers of Education decision to include the general history of Africa in school curricula, as well as the aspirations of SDG 4: Target 7 and Goal 16.
The subject is also guided by the National Education Sector Strategic Plan (2018-2022), which builds on the successes and challenges of previous plans, advocating for a value-based education system that transmits life skills, principles, and values essential for personal, social, and economic development.
Social Studies learning is informed by various theories of learning, including Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, Dewey’s social constructivism, and Vygotsky’s socio-cultural development theory. These frameworks have shaped the curriculum design, ensuring that Social Studies prepares learners for the Social Sciences pathway in Senior School.
