A SYNOPSIS OF THE YORÙBÁ STUDIES CURRICULUM: HISTORICAL EVOLUTION, PEDAGOGICAL STRUCTURES, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

• Roheemat Olabimpe Adéye̩mí, Ph.D

  University of Ilorin

  Author

• Ibrahim Àbáyò̩mí Adeigbe, Ph.D

  Author

This paper examines the historical evolution, structure, and educational significance of the Yorùbá language curriculum within the Nigerian educational system. The study aims to trace colonial antecedents of Nigeria’s curriculum, examines emergence of the Yorùbá curriculum, and highlights its pedagogical relevance today. The study adopts a qualitative, descriptive, and analytical methodology grounded in historical and interpretive approaches. Data were sourced from secondary materials, including national education policy documents, approved Yorùbá curricula, syllabi, schemes of work, lesson plans, and relevant scholarly literature, particularly studies associated with mother-tongue education initiatives. The analysis combines historical review with content and interpretive analysis to examine the evolution, structure, and pedagogical components of the Yorùbá curriculum. Findings reveal the foundational role of Yorùbá orthography in strengthening the writing system and sustaining language development. The paper further demonstrates the structure of a typical Yorùbá curriculum, including schemes of work and lesson plans, through model illustrations. It concludes that the Yorùbá language has made significant contributions to human capital development through education and research, particularly in relation to mother-tongue instruction. The study therefore affirms the cultural, pedagogical, and intellectual value of Yorùbá as a viable medium for curriculum development and as a critical

resource for cultural continuity and educational advancement in Nigeria.

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