Emerging Trends in Curriculum Development in Nigeria

EMERGING TRENDS IN CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
PROF. Lilian Rita Akudolu
Department of Educational Foundations

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Nigeria.
Website: http://www.lilianrita.com
1 | Page
Published as chapter 9 in Education in Nigeria: From the Beginning
to the Future, Edited by UMO. Ivowi and Ben B. Akpan (Eds.). 153 166,
2012. Foremost Educational Services Ltd. Lagos.
INTRODUCTION
Over the years, human beings in different societies have sought
and embarked on various means to foster the development and
maturity of the young ones. The goal was to perpetuate the value
system and promote human development in all its ramifications.
In this regard, different forms of education have been in practice
in different cultures. The introduction of more organized or
formal education in schools offered these societies systematic
ways for achieving their goals of education and these systematic
ways constitute the curriculum. Just as the ways of educational
endeavours vary from one society to the other, so are the
variations in the concept of curriculum.
2 | Page
At a focus group discussion with a group of students who offered

curriculum as a course the previous year, the following
perceptions of the curriculum emerged:
1.
A selection of courses that are beneficial to students at

different levels of education.
2.
The content of what children learn in school.
3.
The collection of all the subjects and experiences needed to

be imparted in a child within the four walls of a school.
4.
The content of a particular program.
5.
The courses done during the period of study in school.
6.
The content of what a student is to learn.
However, curriculum embraces more than courses, content,

subjects and learning experiences as presented in the above
perceptions. It involves the planning, the implementation and
assessment of learning experiences that schools offer to learners
for the achievement of the educational goals of the society. This
implies that the curriculum is concerned with the analysis of
educational goals of a society, the selection and organization of
content to achieve those goals, the presentation and learning of
the
content,
and
assessment
to
ascertain
the
degree of
3 | Page
congruence among the goals, organized content, and learnt

content. It is in this regard that Obanya and Fadoju (2008, p.30)
present the curriculum as
a process that involves translating the nations broad
educational goals into down-to-earth realities and of
making informed choices on how the realities can be
implemented to ensure that the ultimate goal of
education derived from the Nations overall development
goals are attained through the concrete activities of the
schools and the entire education system.
The curriculum is therefore developed with a view to achieving
the nations educational goals. In this regard, curriculum
development implies not only the activities of curriculum
specialists in designing the curriculum document but also the
activities of the classroom teachers and learners in planning,
organizing, implementing and assessing learners in the schools
with the aim of achieving the educational goals of the society
which ultimately is geared towards preparing learners for
effective life in the society. It is in this regard that most
curriculum specialists such as Nicholls and Nicholls (1978),
Onyike (1984) Oriaifo (2005) and Obinefuna (2009) present
4 | Page
curriculum
development
as
the
process
of
planning
and
assessing instruction.
Curriculum development is a continuous process aimed at

ensuring the continued relevance and responsiveness of the
curriculum to societal needs. Since life in the society is dynamic,
curriculum development for effective life in the society is also a
dynamic process. It is in this regard that the present discussion
focuses on emerging trends in curriculum development in
Nigeria. Since these emerging trends or current directions of
change in curriculum development in the country are built on
curriculum
development
endeavours
of
yesteryears,
our
presentation commences with a brief review of curriculum

development in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial era in
Nigeria. This leads to a discussion of the emerging trends in
curriculum development in Nigeria.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THE PRE-COLONIAL ERA
Prior to the advent of colonial education in Nigeria, people
acquired indigenous education in the families, age groups and in
some indigenous institutions such as the Umu Ada and Iledi in
5 | Page
Igbo and Yoruba speaking areas respectively. The major aim of

this indigenous education was to produce an individual who is
honest, respectful, skilled, cooperative and conforming to the
social order of the day (Fafunwa, 1990, p.52). Character training
and vocational training constituted the two pillars of the
indigenous education. The learning content was derived from life
activities while the curriculum development process, involved
listening,
activities.
observation,
The
imitation
vocational
and
training
participation
was
given
in
life
through
apprenticeship system.
Though the arrival of Islamic and Christian religions in 14 th and

15th centuries respectively altered this curriculum development
process, it was in 1843 that the first school was established by
the missionaries. The arrival of different missionary groups such
as the Methodist, Anglican, Catholic and Baptist groups resulted
in the establishment of schools by these bodies. The aim of their
curriculum development was the conversion of the citizens to
Christianity and the production of people to manage religious
activities such as catechists, lay-readers and clergy. The learning
content was based on the knowledge of the Bible, ability to sing
6 | Page
hymns and recite catechisms. Each religious body operated a

unique curriculum development process until the colonial
government became interested in the education of the citizens.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THE COLONIAL ERA

The first sign of interest by the colonial government in education
was in the form of financial assistance. Later, the colonial
government became more involved in education and introduced
the use of school inspectors, standardized the syllabuses being
operated
by
introduced
both
external
private
and
mission
examinations.
These
schools
actions
and
also
by
the
government had bearings on curriculum development. The

syllabuses
became
the
guiding
points
for
curriculum
development and instructional efforts were geared towards

preparing learners for external examinations. Uniformity of
purpose embellished in competitive strides became a feature in
curriculum development. Efforts were made in the various
schools to prepare learners for public examinations organized by
such public bodies as Royal Society of Arts, City and Guilds,
London Matriculation, Cambridge examinations etc.
7 | Page
The establishment of West African Examinations Council (WAEC)

in
1952
directed
curriculum
development
efforts
to
the
preparation of students for WAEC examinations. Learning

content, production of textbooks and other instructional activities
were based on the dictates of WAEC syllabus. Curriculum
development in Nigeria followed this pattern until the first decade
of the nation.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THE POST COLONIAL ERA

After independence in 1960, the agitation of Nigerians regarding
the inadequacy of the colonial curriculum to prepare learners for
effective life in Nigerian society and for contribution to the
development of the new nation was intensified. This culminated
in the first national curriculum conference in 1969 which was
aimed at taking a sector-wide review of the education system,
identifying new national goals of education and proposing
strategies to make the curriculum at all levels of the education
system relevant to the Nigerian society. A review of the
recommendations of the conference at the 1973 national seminar
resulted in the publication of the National Policy on Education
(NPE) in 1977 with 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions published in 1981,
8 | Page
1998 and 2004 respectively. The NPE is the pivot of curriculum

development in the country. It specifies the type and quality of
instruction that should be provided so as to help learners at all
levels of education to achieve the aims of permanent literacy,
numeracy and effective citizenship. In this regard, curriculum
development has to be geared towards self realization, better
human relationship, individual and national efficiency, effective
citizenship, national consciousness, national unity, as well as
towards social, cultural, economic, political, scientific and
technological progress (Federal Republic of Nigeria - FRN; 2004,
p.7).
The
NPE
provided
the
curriculum
development
Educational
Research
needed
in
Council
guidelines
the
and
country.
(NERC)
and
boost
for
The
Nigerian
later
Nigerian
Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) used

these NPE guidelines to develop curricula for primary, secondary
and teacher education. Professional associations also started
contributing to curriculum development. Some of these are the
National
Board
for
Technical
Education
(NBTE),
National
9 | Page
Teachers Institute (NTI), Science Teachers Association of Nigeria

(STAN) and the Curriculum Organization of Nigeria (CON).
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) which was

established in 1974 with the job specification of supervising
technical
education
education
in
curriculum
Nigeria
offered
restructured
in
the
polytechnics,
technical
colleges
of
education and technical colleges. The NBTE curriculum was

presented in modules of employable skills with content for
specific job requirements (Adeife, 1993). In 1986, the National
Teachers
Institute
(NTI),
reviewed
and
delivered
teacher
education syllabuses as well as instructional guides for the

implementation of the self-instructional modules.
The Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and the

Curriculum
Organization
of
Nigeria
(CON)
contribute
to
curriculum development through the organization of conferences,

workshops, seminars as well as the production of journals;
textbooks and instructional materials.
10 | P a g e
A close look at these efforts in curriculum development and the

global educational trends indicate the emerging or new issues
that are still unfolding in curriculum development in Nigeria. The
global trends in curriculum development are tilting to the
direction of using the curriculum as an instrument for achieving
total development of every citizen so as to prepare the nation not
only for local and national development but also for international
competitiveness. In this regard, the emerging trends
in
curriculum development in Nigeria or curriculum directions that

are new and still developing are x-rayed in the next section of this
communication and these are discernible in the areas of
educational objectives, content, and methodology.
EMERGING TRENDS IN CURRICULUMDEVELOPMENT
The
breath-taking
developments
in
information
and
communication technologies with the resulting digital revolution

have launched the world into the knowledge economy in which
ideas and technology are used to promote socio-economic
development
through
the
generation
and
exploitation
of
knowledge.
11 | P a g e
Consequently, educationists all over the world are making frantic

efforts to realign educational endeavors to equipping learners
with the necessary skills and competencies for effective life in a
knowledge dominated society. Since Nigerias philosophy of
education presents education as an instrument for national
development (FRN, 2004, p.6), curriculum development in
Nigeria should be aimed at transporting the country from the old,
industrial economy to the new knowledge-based economy.
To achieve this goal of education requires a paradigm shift from

the present time bound model of education to a lifelong model of
education. This is the model of education that is aimed at
developing in the learner the ability to effectively create, acquire,
use and transmit knowledge for the promotion of human
activities in a knowledge dominated society. In this regard,
emphasis in instructional aims is shifting from the acquisition of
factual knowledge to the acquisition of tacit knowledge and
generic skills while that of the instructional process is shifting
from teaching for examinations to teaching how to learn, how to
communicate and how to perform effectively in a team work. By
implication, curriculum development for a knowledge economy is
12 | P a g e
based on the development of basic skills (reading, writing,

listening
and
speaking),
thinking
skills,
interpersonal
management and communication skills, social competencies and

other personal qualities such as responsibility, self-esteem, selfmanagement and integrity (Stinson, 1994, p.21). Obanya (2007)
expressed a similar view when he summarized the core generic
skills curriculum requirements for the knowledge economy as
knowledge, communication skills, adaptability, creativity, team
spirit, literacy, ICT-fluency and life-long as well as life-wide
learning.
The development of these 21st century required skills and

competencies constitute a driving force for the emergent trend in
the aim of education which is the preparation of learners for
effective life in a knowledge economy that is known for its
networked
and
volatile
characteristics.
The
quest
for
the
achievement of this aim of education in different learning

contexts in Nigeria is resulting in the emerging issues in
curriculum development in the country.
13 | P a g e
These issues among others are curriculum development in

Education for peace, education for global citizenship, electronic
learning,
teacher
education,
gender
studies
as
well
as
diversification and enrichment of learning content. Only three of

these issues are discussed in full in this presentation and these
are: education for peace, education for global citizenship and
teacher education as teaching and learning strategies.
Education for Peace

The world is experiencing great technological breakthroughs that
ushered in the 21st century but these advancements are coupled
with
rising
incidences
psychological,
and
interpersonal
levels
of
ecological
as
well
physical,
violence
as
economic,
at
communal,
political,
personal
and
national
and
international levels. To tame this tide of violence different

countries are resorting to peace education as instrument for
institutionalizing the adoption of peace and non-violence to
conflict resolutions. The two arms of peace education being
implemented in most societies are education about peace which
implies peace as a subject of study in schools and education for
peace which is concerned with the in and out of school process of
14 | P a g e
inculcating in learners the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values

to live in harmony with oneself and others by adopting peaceful
resolutions to intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts. In fact
education for peace presents peace as one of the aims of
education. It is in this regard that the United Nations (UN) has
been piloting a global movement for the establishment of a
culture of peace through education by promoting initiatives to
help people recognize the role of education in establishing a
culture of peace. This is a culture in which people act with the
mindset of peace consciousness and peace becomes a way of life
and of doing things. Achieving this global objective of establishing
peace in the society through education requires the inculcation of
peace
dimensions
in
different
aspects
of
curriculum
development, from instructional goals to content, methodology

and evaluation.
In Nigerian curriculum development process, peace education is

not offered as a separate subject but salient topics from this area
of study have been added to the social studies curriculum which
is
offered
to
learners
in
the
Universal
Basic
Education
Programme. However, adequate curriculum development for

15 | P a g e
education for peace requires more than the addition of some

peace topics to the learning content of some school subjects.
Consequently,
while
proposing
peace
education
as
transdisciplinary education that takes place in all learning

spaces, Akudolu (2010, p.7) observed that since peace behavior
is more caught than taught, it pays to complement school
learning of peace behavior with concerted, conscious efforts to
promote peace behavior in a systematic way both in-school and
out-of-school. In-school promotion of education for peace implies
integrating basic elements of peace education (see table 1 from
Akudolu, 2010, p.5) appropriately into all instructional activities
in the school while out-of-school promotion involves all strategies
for the promotion of dimensions of peace education in informal
learning.
Table 1: Basic Elements of Peace Education

16 | P a g e
S/N PEACE DIMENSIONS

1.
Knowledge
2.
Values and Attitudes
3.
Skills
BASIC ELEMENTS
Peace, Justice, Human rights, Civic
participation,
Emotional
literacy,
Problem solving (including conflict
prevention, conflict management and
conflict
resolution),
as
well
as
understanding (including international
and intercultural understanding) etc.
Tolerance, Caring, Social equity, Peace,
Justice, Cooperation and Solidarity,
Human
rights,
Active
citizenship,
Gender equity, Self awareness, Empathy,
Conflict
resolution
using
peaceful
means,
Promotion
of
sustainable
environment, Freedom of religious
practices, Compassion, Respect for
human life etc.
Active
listening,
Understanding
similarities and differences, Cooperation,
Mediation, Problem solving, Trust,
Critical thinking, Self reflection, Self
esteem, etc.
Curriculum development for peace education is aimed at

developing these basic elements of peace education in learners in
all forms of education (formal, non-formal and informal). This
implies that the emergent curriculum development for peace
17 | P a g e
education is one that covers education about peace and

education for peace.
Education For Global Citizenship

One
of
the
ways
that
developments
in
information
and
communication technologies (ICTs) is reshaping human activities

is in the area of availability and accessibility of information any
time, any where and in different modes. With ICTs, a person in
one corner of the globe communicates with another person at the
other corner of the globe simply at the press of a button. In the
same vein, a person stays in the comfort of her/his room and
follows world events through the internet. People stay in their
houses in different countries and participate in teleconferences
and electronic discussions. Davy (2011, p.3) summarizes these
technology based developments by stating that the world is
changing, and there is evidence that we are entering a postinternational environment: borders are weakening, multiple
citizenships are more common place, migration has reached
record level, and we have encountered the death of distance.
18 | P a g e
The use of ICTs has removed the problem of distance in

information exchange and everybody appears to be close to
everybody else regardless of location. Consequently, the world at
the present time is often referred to as a global village. There is a
growing need for people to understand different cultures as well
as the what, how and why of global events. Every society hopes to
satisfy this need through education. Andrzejeski and Alessio
(1999, p.7) opine that by learning how global issues affect
individual and community lives, how and why decisions are made
which affect the planet and life on it, and, most importantly,
means by which the future can be influenced, education can
prepare students to become socially responsible global citizens.
Since one of the goals of education is to prepare the learner for

effective life in the society, and the present 21 st century society is
a globalized one, education for global citizenship is an emergent
issue in curriculum development. The overall philosophy of
Nigeria is to live in unity and harmony and promote inter-African
solidarity and world peace through understanding (FRN, 2004,
p.6) and the national educational goal that is derived from this
philosophy is the training of the mind in the understanding of
19 | P a g e
the world around (FRN, 2004, p.8). However, global events

indicate that the citizenship education offered to learners at the
universal basic education (UBE) level is inadequate for achieving
this goal of education. For learners in Nigeria to be prepared for
international competitiveness, curriculum development efforts
that cover both national and international affairs is the ideal.
This is the type of curriculum that can prepare the learner for
effective local citizenship and responsible global citizenship.
Many countries all over the world are already implementing

education for global citizenship. The United Kingdom (UK)
developed a curriculum for Global citizenship in 1997 and since
then, learners are acquiring education for global citizenship in
schools and in global citizenship projects funded by such bodies
as
Department
for
International
Development
(DFID)
and
International Development Education Association of Scotland

(IDEAS). Education for global citizenship (EGC) gives learners
the knowledge, understanding, skills and values that they need
if they are to participate fully in ensuring their own, and others
well-being and to make a positive contribution, both locally and
globally (Oxfam, 2006, p.1). The aim is for the learner to become
20 | P a g e
a responsible global citizen. Oxford (2006) itemized the three key

elements of responsible Global citizenship as knowledge and
understanding, skills as well as values and attitudes. The
element of knowledge and understanding covers social justice
and
equity,
diversity,
globalization
and
interdependence,
sustainable development, as well as peace and conflict. Items in

the skills element are critical thinking, ability to argue effectively,
ability to challenge injustice and inequalities, respect for people
and things as well as co-operation and conflict resolution. Items
in the values and attitudes element are sense of identity and selfesteem, empathy, commitment to social justice and equity, value
and respect for diversity; concern for the environment and
commitment to sustainable development as well as belief that
people can make a difference. These skills, knowledge and values
should
guide
the
development
of
curriculum
for
global
citizenship.
It is necessary to point out that this presentation is not

proposing
education
for
global
citizenship
(EGS)
to
be
implemented as a separate subject on the school timetable. EGC

is a global ideology that covers all areas of the curriculum. It is
21 | P a g e
made manifest not only in what is taught and learnt but also in
the schools decision making process, the entire school ethos, and
the relationship among learners, teachers, parents, members of
the community and other stakeholders in the school. In fact the
curriculum for EGC encompasses the whole school from the
learning content to presentation strategies as well as the people
and the culture of the school.
Teaching And Learning Strategies

The teacher-centered instructional strategies that have dominated
instructional process since the advent of formal education are no
longer adequate for inculcating in learners the knowledge, skills,
attitude and values necessary for effective life in a knowledge
driven society. They are instructional strategies in which the
learner is merely a recipient of knowledge that comes out from
the teacher. In most cases the learner memorizes the knowledge
and presents it to the teacher on demand. These instructional
strategies cannot develop in the learner, the abilities of autonomy,
innovation, lifelong learning, collaboration, and other 21 st century
22 | P a g e
knowledge and skills. To prepare learners for effective life in this

21st century, the instructional process is shifting from textbook
driven and teacher centered methodologies to flexible, creative,
innovative and learner-centered methodologies. Consequently, the
emerging instruction methods are participatory, interactive and
learner-centered. A learner-centered methodology places the
learner in charge of his/her learning and this leads to the
development of autonomy in the learner. A learner develops
autonomy in learning when he/she derives meaning from the
learning
content.
Participatory,
cooperative
and
interactive
methods are used to help the learner develop a sense of

identification
with
the
learning
content.
Examples
of
participatory methods are cooperative group work, peer teaching,

different types of group discussion, humanistic methods such as
role play, games, quizzes, simulations, and brainstorming.
There is need for teachers to make a paradigm shift from the

traditional
instructional
strategies
to
these
emergent
instructional strategies so as to help learners develop the 21 st

century skills. Though some of these skills have been mentioned
earlier in this communication, an examination of the group of life
23 | P a g e
and career skills which is one of the three groups of 21 st century

skills presented by Partnership for 21 st Century Skills (PCS) in
America
drives
home
the
fact
that
these
skills
require
instructional strategies that differ from what is practiced at the

present time in a good number of classroom situations. Life and
career skills according to PCS (2011:2) encompass the following
skills:
Flexibility and Adaptability
Initiative and self-direction.
Social and cross-cultural skills
Productivity and Accountability
Leadership and Responsibility

These and other such 21st century skills are not just
necessary for performing well in examinations or for job creation

but above all for achieving the development of the learner as a
whole person who can adequately face complex and challenging
situations in life. None of these five skills can be acquired
through the learning of a particular subject. Effort is made to
integrate
these
skills
into
the
different
subjects
in
the
curriculum. In this regard, curriculum implementation has to be

interdisciplinary, integrated and project-based.
24 | P a g e
CONCLUSIONS AND THE WAY FORWARD

Our discussion so far has shown that the purpose of education is
shifting from imparting knowledge to learners to building the
learners knowledge, capacity and skills for successful real-world
living. This shift of emphasis in educational endeavours has given
rise to transformations in the teachers roles in education
delivery; from knowledge dispenser to facilitator of learning; from
all-knowing teacher to lifelong learner; from knowledge deity to
knowledge
professional
and from
education
bureaucrat to
learning technocrat. For teachers to play these roles and

transform the learners into knowledge workers, these teachers
must possess and effectively manifest the desired 21 st century
knowledge, skills, attitude and values and also be capable of
infusing these values into the school system. This implies that
teacher education programmes need to be overhauled to ensure
that
apart
from
knowledge
of
content
and
traditional
methodologies, that the pre-service teachers have the awareness

of and commitment to the promotion of relevant knowledge and
25 | P a g e
skills in the learners. Bose (2011, p.2) shares this view and
warns that:
If teachers are to develop in their students these
abilities, the instructional strategy adopted for them
should overcome the present bias for lecture and include
projects and field based work using ICT to encourage
collaborative knowledge application and creation by
learners.
Focusing on interactive and participatory teaching method as well
as content areas in pre-service teacher education programmes,
can prepare these teachers to adopt teaching methods that can
motivate and engage learners and thereby promote in them the
abilities
for
interaction,
participation,
cooperation,
critical
thinking, problem solving, self-direction, responsibility and

learning to learn, along with the other 21st century skills.
This discussion has presented the realignment of educational

objectives and the implementation of peace education and global
citizenship
education
as
emergent
issues
in
curriculum
development that are capable of fast tracking the nation on the

route to knowledge emancipation and peaceful coexistence. This
is necessary in a nation that is struggling to survive the
26 | P a g e
insurgence of ethnic and religious rivalry, different forms of

security challenges and high illiteracy rate in a knowledge
economy. Curriculum development in these emergent areas will
help the nation to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible,
indissoluble, democratic and sovereign nation founded on the
principles of freedom, equality and justice (FRN, 2004:6).
REFERENCES
Adeife, T.O. (1993). Developing Curriculum in Technical

Education. In U.M.O. Ivowi (Ed.). Curriculum Development in
Nigeria. Pp 239 to 247. Ibadan, Sam Bookman.
Akudolu, L R. (2010). The Formal, Non-former and Informal

Continuum in Peace Education Curriculum. Key Note Paper
Presented at the 8th Biennial Conference on Developing
Peace Education Curriculum for Nigeria, WCCI Nigerian
Chapter.
Andrzejewski, Julie & Alessio, John (1999). Education for Global

Citizenship
and
Social
Responsibility.
Progressive
Perspectives 1998 1993 Monograph Series Vol. 1, No. 2.
Retrieved from http://www.UVM.edu/glomono.html.
27 | P a g e
Davy, Irene (2011). Learners without Borders: A Curriculum for

Global Citizenship. Position Paper. Cardiff, UK. International
Baccalaureate Organization.
Fafunwa, Babs N. (1990). Nigerian Educational History. Journal

of Educational Research and Development. Vol. 1, No. 1, 52.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education

4th Edition. Lagos; NERDC Press.
Nicholls, A. & Nicholls, H. (1978). Developing a Curriculum: A

Practical Guide, London George Allen & Unwin.
Obanya, Pai (2007). Thinking and Talking Education. Ibadan:

Evans Publishers Nigeria Limited.
Obanya, Pai & Fadoju, Andrew (2008). Evans Professional
Teacher-Education Series: General Pedagogy: Ibadan: Evans
Publishers Nigeria Limited.
Obiefuna, Carol (2009). Models of Curriculum Development. In

U.M.O. IVowi, K. Nwosu, C. Nwagbara, J. Ukwungwu, I.E.
Emah and G.C. Offorma (Eds). Curriculum Theory and
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Onyike, I.O. (1984). Steps in Curriculum Development. In U.

Onwuka (Ed.). Curriculum Development for Africa. Onitsha:
Africana FEP Publishers Limited.
Oriaifo, S.O. (2005). Curriculum Development and African

Culture: Implications for Developing Countries. In S..
Oriaifo, G.C. Edozie and D.N. Ezeh (Eds). Curriculum Issues
in Contemporary Education. Pp 37 to 47. Benin City: Da
Sylva Influence.
Oxfam, G.B. (2006). Education for Global Citizenship: A Guide for

Schools. Retrieved from www.oxfam.org.uk/publications.
Stinson, J. (1994, Feb). Reinventing High School: Beyond Shop

Talk. Electronic Learning Pp. 18 to 25.
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EMERGING TRENDS IN CURRICULUM

PROF. Lilian Rita Akudolu

Department of Educational Foundations

At a focus group discussion with a group of students who offered

A selection of courses that are beneficial to students at

The content of what children learn in school.

The collection of all the subjects and experiences needed to

The content of a particular program.

The courses done during the period of study in school.

The content of what a student is to learn.

However, curriculum embraces more than courses, content,

congruence among the goals, organized content, and learnt

Curriculum development is a continuous process aimed at

presentation commences with a brief review of curriculum

Igbo and Yoruba speaking areas respectively. The major aim of

Though the arrival of Islamic and Christian religions in 14 th and

hymns and recite catechisms. Each religious body operated a

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THE COLONIAL ERA

government had bearings on curriculum development. The

development and instructional efforts were geared towards

The establishment of West African Examinations Council (WAEC)

preparation of students for WAEC examinations. Learning

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THE POST COLONIAL ERA

1998 and 2004 respectively. The NPE is the pivot of curriculum

Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) used

Teachers Institute (NTI), Science Teachers Association of Nigeria

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) which was

education and technical colleges. The NBTE curriculum was

education syllabuses as well as instructional guides for the

The Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) and the

curriculum development through the organization of conferences,

A close look at these efforts in curriculum development and the

curriculum development in Nigeria or curriculum directions that

communication technologies with the resulting digital revolution

Consequently, educationists all over the world are making frantic

To achieve this goal of education requires a paradigm shift from

based on the development of basic skills (reading, writing,

management and communication skills, social competencies and

The development of these 21st century required skills and

achievement of this aim of education in different learning

These issues among others are curriculum development in

diversification and enrichment of learning content. Only three of

Education for Peace

international levels. To tame this tide of violence different

inculcating in learners the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values

development, from instructional goals to content, methodology

In Nigerian curriculum development process, peace education is

Programme. However, adequate curriculum development for

education for peace requires more than the addition of some

transdisciplinary education that takes place in all learning

Table 1: Basic Elements of Peace Education

S/N PEACE DIMENSIONS

Values and Attitudes

Curriculum development for peace education is aimed at

education is one that covers education about peace and

Education For Global Citizenship

communication technologies (ICTs) is reshaping human activities

The use of ICTs has removed the problem of distance in

Since one of the goals of education is to prepare the learner for