COMPLETE SCHOOL PROJECT TOPICS & MATERIALS :
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REFORMING THE SENIOR SECONDARY LITERATURE CURRICULUM FOR CULTURAL RELEVANCE AND GLOBAL COMPETENCE IN SELECTED SCHOOLS IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA.
Abstract
The Nigeria curriculum of senior secondary Literature-in-English has been long criticised as Eurocentrically orientated, which stops the relevantness of cultures among learners in the South-East region, but which does not provide sufficient intercultural and critical skills that learners need in globalisation. This thesis presents an idea of a reform framework that will be based on combining the Igbo cultural components, i.e. oral traditions, proverbs and indigenous texts with the global literary insights, in order to promote cultural identity and global competence among students in the chosen South-East secondary schools. Based on the newest curricula reforms and empirical issues in teaching literature, and the existing international models, the research design is a mixed-methods design, which will examine the existing curriculum, the teacher and student perception, and the possibility of a hybrid model. It is hoped that the findings will be used to inform policy recommendations to the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and state ministries thereby leading to sustainable context responsive education that can equip Igbo youth in becoming national development and global citizens. Keywords: Literature curriculum change, cultural relevance, global competence, South-East Nigeria, Igbo heritage.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The Nigerian education has been placed as the foundation of the national development and personal empowerment. However, the the curriculum being taught in senior secondary schools especially Literature-in-English, still contains colonial influences of promoting Western canonical literature as the best knowledge systems rather than indigenous one. Traditionally, the Nigerian senior secondary education system (managed by the NERDC) has two streams of subjects, core and elective, where Literature-in-English is a core humanities subject designed to promote language knowledge and proficiency, thinking, and cultural awareness. Nevertheless, it has not been effective because of persistent challenges, including acute shortages of prescribed texts, weak teacher preparation, and low student engagement (Ugwu, 2022).
The latest reforms in the country have tried to cover these gaps. In September 2025 the Federal Ministry of Education presented an alternate, streamlined senior secondary curriculum to be implemented in the 2025/26 academic year, cutting down subject overload to eight or nine core subjects and adding Citizenship and Heritage Studies, which will still be offered as part of the humanities stream. The reform is clear in its intentions to comply with the global best practises of the education system, to facilitate the development of skills, and to include the Nigerian history and culture heritage (Federal Ministry of Education, 2025). This change reflects on wider demands of curriculum hybridization that balances the global competencies with local views as Nigeria struggles to balance its international approach to domestic demands and avoid the loss of local knowledge (Nwafor, 2025).
The cultural relevance is urgently required in the South-East geopolitical area, consisting of the most populated Igbo language and Igbo culture States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo. The Igbo oral tradition, folktales, proverbs, as well as modern literary works of authors, including Chinua Achebe and Flora Nwapa, are rich pedagogical sources that can improve learner identity and involvement. However, research in the area points to the fact that the Eurocentrism of the current curriculum undermines students and constrays the incorporation of local languages and epistemologies as a key to sustainable learning (Ezepue et al., 2023). Elsewhere in Nigeria, socio-cultural reforms in the curriculum indicate that the indigenization of educational systems and contextually-grounded material enables better cognitive growth, economic empowerment, and inter-community integration (Ohadiugha, 2025).
Global competence also creates the need to reform. The ability to analyse local, global, and intercultural problems, comprehend and value various points of view, and act in the interest of the common good, defined by the OECD as global competence has now become a standard of 21 st -century education (OECD, 2018). Graduates of secondary schools in Nigeria are finding themselves in an ever-globalising economy that is demanding intercultural communication, digital literacy, and critical thinking of various storeys. Unless the global literary views are fully integrated together with the Igbo texts, there is the threat that students in South east schools will become culture blind and less employable. Recent scoping reviews highlight the presence of Nigerian literature that can be used to inform the creation of culturally responsive curricula in any discipline, a basis of decolonising and indigenising education (Levy et al., 2025). Therefore, the redesign of the senior secondary Literature-in-English curriculum in selected South-East schools is a timely reaction to the national and international educational needs as well as the new policies.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Although the role of Literature-in-English in language development and value formation has long been known, even with the 2025 curriculum overhaul, implementation gaps exist especially in the South-East Nigeria. Learners still perform dismally in WAEC and NECO exam, and in most cases fail to secure credit passes to enter universities into humanities and other related courses. Ugwu (2022) confirmed a lack of textbooks (less than 17 % of students had prescribed African prose texts), classrooms being overcrowded, the low level of English proficiency, and the overload of teachers being the primary obstacles. These issues are aggravated in the South-East because Igbo cultural aspects are marginalised; the curriculum does not pay much attention to oral traditions and modern Igbo literature, resulting in disconnection and identity loss among students (Ezepue et al., 2023).
Besides, the current framework does not equip students to be competent internationally. Although the new Citizenship and Heritage Studies subject does add some content on Nigerian, Literature-in-English continues to be Eurocentric, and does not provide the opportunities to study interculturally and be able to critique global issues (OECD, 2018). Educators of South-Eastern schools report the lack of training to combine local and international textbooks, which leads to rote learning instead of transformative pedagogy (Ohadiugha, 2025). Without change, there is a risk of students leaving school with a weak cultural identity and insufficient 21 st -century competencies, continuing to contribute to the youth unemployment rate and dragging developmental targets of the nation. The paper thus meets the dire necessity to reconfigurate the Literature curriculum in order to be culturally/ globally competent in the chosen South-East secondary schools.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to propose a reformed senior secondary Literature-in-English curriculum framework that integrates Igbo cultural elements with global perspectives to enhance cultural relevance and global competence in selected schools in South-East Nigeria.
The specific objectives are to:
- Assess the current state of the senior secondary Literature-in-English curriculum in selected South-East schools with respect to cultural relevance and global competence.
- Identify Igbo cultural and literary resources suitable for integration into the curriculum.
- Examine teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the existing curriculum and proposed reforms.
- Evaluate the alignment of the reformed framework with the 2025 national curriculum guidelines and OECD global competence standards.
- Recommend policy and pedagogical strategies for effective implementation of the reformed curriculum.
1.4 Research Questions
- To what extent does the current senior secondary Literature-in-English curriculum in selected South-East schools reflect Igbo cultural elements and promote global competence?
- What Igbo oral traditions, proverbs, and literary texts can be effectively integrated to enhance cultural relevance?
- What are the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the strengths, weaknesses, and reform needs of the Literature curriculum?
- How well would a hybrid curriculum model align with Nigeria’s 2025 reforms and international global competence frameworks?
- What policy, teacher-training, and resource strategies are required for successful implementation?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study will provide empirical evidence and a practical framework for NERDC and South-East state ministries to revise the Literature-in-English curriculum, ensuring it serves both cultural preservation and global competitiveness. Teachers will benefit from actionable pedagogical strategies that blend local and global texts, improving classroom engagement and student outcomes. Students in the South-East will gain stronger cultural identity and 21st-century skills, enhancing employability and civic participation. Academically, the research contributes to decolonisation discourse in African education and adds to the limited body of South-East-specific literature on curriculum reform (Ezepue et al., 2023; Levy et al., 2025). Policymakers and international development partners will find the findings useful for designing culturally responsive, globally oriented education initiatives.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on the senior secondary (SS1–SS3) Literature-in-English curriculum in six purposively selected public and private secondary schools across three South-East states (two schools each in Anambra, Enugu, and Imo). It examines prescribed texts, teaching methods, assessment practices, and student outcomes within the context of the 2025 national reforms. While global competence draws on OECD (2018) indicators, the research is delimited to literary analysis, intercultural themes, and Igbo cultural integration rather than broader subjects.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
Potential limitations include reliance on self-reported perceptions from teachers and students, which may be influenced by social desirability bias. Resource constraints may limit the number of schools sampled, and the rapidly evolving national curriculum (Federal Ministry of Education, 2025) could introduce implementation variables during data collection. These will be mitigated through triangulation of data sources and clear delimitation of scope.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Reforming the Senior Secondary Literature Curriculum: The systematic redesign of content, pedagogy, and assessment in Literature-in-English to address identified gaps, incorporating hybrid local-global elements as proposed in this study.
Cultural Relevance: The extent to which curriculum content, teaching methods, and materials reflect and affirm learners’ Igbo cultural heritage, values, and lived experiences, thereby enhancing engagement and identity formation (adapted from culturally responsive pedagogy principles.
Global Competence: The capacity of students to examine global and intercultural issues, understand multiple perspectives, interact respectfully across cultures, and take informed action for collective well-being.
Selected Schools in South-East Nigeria: Public and private secondary institutions in Anambra, Enugu, and Imo States purposively chosen for the study.
References
Ezepue, E. I., Eze, E. C., & Okeke, C. C. (2023). Evaluating the local language dimensions for effective teaching and learning sustainability in the secondary education system in Southeast Nigeria. Sustainability, 15(9), Article 7510. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097510
Federal Ministry of Education. (2025, September 3). Lighter load, stronger minds: FG overhauls curriculum for a smarter generation [Press release]. https://education.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/FG-OVERHAULS-CURRICULUM.pdf
Levy, S., Gray, M., Okoye, U., & Amadasun, S. (2025). Identifying Nigerian literature to inform culturally relevant social work education: A scoping review. International Social Work. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00208728241305451
Nwafor, A. O. (2025). Challenges of aligning Nigeria’s national curriculum with global standards while preserving indigenous knowledge. Global Journal of Education and Allied Research, 16(2), 1–15.
OECD. (2018). Preparing our youth for an inclusive and sustainable world: The OECD PISA global competence framework. OECD Publishing.
Ohadiugha, M. N. (2025). Social cultural perspectives on curriculum reforms for knowledge acquisition, economic empowerment and social transformation in Nigeria. International Journal of Strategic Research in Education, Technology and Humanities, 13(2), 1–11.
Ugwu, E. O. (2022). The challenges facing effective teaching of Literature-in-English in Nigerian secondary schools. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 12(1), 160–178. https://doi.org/10.5590/JERAP.2022.12.1.12