ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING: FOSTERING 21ST CENTURY SKILLS

Abstract

The study explored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in redesigning curricula to
equip Nigerian secondary school students with essential 21st-century skills, particularly critical
thinking and creative problem-solving. Two research questions guided the study. Descriptive research
design was adopted to give direction to the study. The population comprised senior secondary school
students in a metropolitan area in Nigeria. The sample consisted of 120 students drawn through
purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. A 20-item researcher-developed instrument
titled “AI-Curriculum and 21st Century Skills Questionnaire” (AI-C21SQ) was used to collect data.
The instrument's validity was established through expert review, and reliability was determined using
Cronbach’s alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.86. Data were analyzed using mean and standard
deviation. Findings revealed that AI tools enable students in the design and revision of secondary
school curricula to promote critical thinking. The findings of the study further showed that AI
integration in curriculum planning positively influenced students’ development of creative problem
solving skills as perceived by the students. It is recommended that government should improve
Infrastructure to support AI deployment in public schools. That way, students’ critical thinning and
problem-solving skills will be fostered.