Assessing Nigeria’s Primary School Curriculum for the Future: Teachers’ Perceptions of Future Directions
摘要
This chapter explored the perceptions of Nigerian primary school teachers, as the drivers of curriculum implementation, regarding the extent to which the current curriculum equips learners with the skills necessary for both the present (twenty-first-century skills) and the future (Fourth Industrial Revolution skills). Underpinned by the Value-oriented Curriculum Theory, the study was guided by three research questions: (1) Does the current Nigerian primary education curriculum adequately equip learners with the skills required for the present? (2) Does the current Nigerian primary education curriculum adequately prepare learners for future skill needs? (3) How can the Nigerian primary education curriculum be enhanced to impart requisite present and future skills to learners effectively? In an attempt to answer these questions, this inquiry adopted a qualitative case study research design. Primary school head teachers were purposively sampled as participants for the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings indicate that the current Nigerian primary education curriculum is somewhat adequate in equipping learners with the required skills of the present and is not adequately preparing learners with skills needed for the future. The curriculum could be enhanced to effectively impart requisite present and future skills to learners through the process of curriculum reviews/evaluation, including ICT-related subjects in the curriculum, provision of digital learning materials, and teachers’ professional development on future skills, and digital learning.