An Exploratory Study of Curriculum Practices for Balancing Global Artistic Trends and Indigenous Cultural Identity of Art Education in Colleges of Education in North-Central, Nigeria

Sani Muhammad Babangida, Amos Lawal Danlami, Abubakar Jibril Danlami, Magaji Dangusau, Mohammed Jiya Bala

Abstract


This exploratory study investigates curriculum practices in fine and applied arts education programmes in Colleges of Education in north-central, Nigeria. The study focuses on how global artistic trends supposed to be balanced with indigenous cultural identity. Anchored in culturally responsive pedagogy and curriculum hybridity theory, the study adopts a qualitative exploratory design involving curriculum document analysis, semi-structured interviews with lecturers and administrators, and focus group discussions with final-year students across selected colleges of education. Findings indicate increasing incorporation of digital media, contemporary global art movements, and interdisciplinary approaches; however, indigenous art practices are often treated as static historical content rather than dynamic, practice-based knowledge systems. Structural challenges including limited infrastructure, insufficient funding, curriculum rigidity, and inadequate documentation of local artistic traditions further complicate balance. The study concludes that sustainable art education in Nigeria requires deliberate curriculum restructuring that integrates global competencies with community engaged practice based indigenous learning models. The paper contributes to international discourse on decolonising curriculum and culturally grounded innovation in vocational teacher education. 


Full Text:

PDF

References


Abdullahi, M. (2021). Considering multicultural art education. Art Education, 55(2), 33–39.

Aina, J. F. (2013). Art education and cultural identity in Nigerian schools. Journal of Arts Education Research, 5(1), 22–31.

Akinsola, M. K. (2025). Indigenous knowledge systems and culturally responsive pedagogy in Nigerian secondary schools. African Educational Research Journal, 13(1), 45–56.

Birhane, A. (2021). Algorithmic injustice: A relational ethics approach. Patterns, 2(2), Article 100205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patter.2021.100205

Couldry, N., & Mejias, U. A. (2019). The costs of connection: How data is colonizing human life and appropriating it for capitalism. Stanford University Press.

Effiong, E. U. (2023). Indigenous cultural values and art education curriculum development in Nigeria. Journal of African Cultural Studies, 35(2), 180–193.

Eze, F. G. (2020). Celebrating pluralism: Art, education, and cultural diversity. Getty Education Institute for the Arts.

Idogho, P. O., & Aneke, O. (2024). Integrating indigenous storytelling and drama into Nigerian junior secondary school curricula. International Journal of Educational Development in Africa, 8(1), 62–75.

Jiang, Y., Fan, Y., & Liu, Z. (2025). Generative artificial intelligence and educational transformation: Implications for creative arts education. Education Sciences, 15(2), 145–160.

Mamza, M. P. (2015). Contemporary issues in art education. MUSPAL Press.

Mohamed, S., Png, M. T., & Isaac, W. (2020). Decolonial AI: Decolonial theory as sociotechnical foresight in artificial intelligence. Philosophy & Technology, 33(4), 659–684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-020-00405-8

Nyaaba, M., Kyerematen, R., & Mensah, P. (2024). Artificial intelligence and digital cultural preservation in African education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 1–15.

Ojo, A. O. (2023). Artificial intelligence integration in Nigerian education: Prospects and challenges. African Journal of Educational Technology, 12(2), 45–60.

Okeke-Agulu, C. (2015). Postcolonial modernism: Art and decolonization in twentieth-century Nigeria. Duke University Press.

Oksanen, A., Kaakinen, M., Savela, N., & Sirola, A. (2023). Artificial intelligence in creative and visual arts: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 1(1), 100005.

Oloidi, O. (2010). History of Nigerian art. National Gallery of Art.

Osuala, E. C. (2002). Introduction to research methodology. Africana First Publishers PLC.

Pavlik, J. V., & Pavlik, O. M. (2024). Collaborating with generative AI in art and design education. Creative Education, 15(3), 421–438.

Sambo, C. (2012). Research methods in education. Stirling-Horden Publishers.

Sani, M. B., & Umaru, W. (2022). Handcrafts and entrepreneurship education: An option to national development. Paper presented at the 2nd National Conference of the School of Vocational Education, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Nigeria.

Smith, R. (2012). Modern art in Africa. Laurence King Publishing.

Sullivan, G. (2010). Art practice as research: Inquiry in the visual arts (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Tella, A., Jatto, E., & Ajani, Y. A. (2025). Artificial intelligence and indigenous knowledge preservation in Africa. IFLA Journal, 51(1), 35–49.

UNESCO. (2022). Creative economy report: Cultural diversity and innovation. UNESCO Publishing.

UNESCO. (2023). Guidance for generative AI in education and research. UNESCO Publishing.

World Economic Forum. (2023). The future of jobs report 2023. World Economic Forum.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.