Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Their Integration into Special Education Curriculum Design in Nigeria

This doctoral study examines the potential for integrating indigenous knowledge systems into special education curriculum design in Nigeria, generating an original framework for curriculum development that synthesises indigenous and formal educational knowledge in ways that enhance cultural responsiveness, family engagement, and long-term functional outcomes for students with disabilities. Indigenous knowledge systems, encompassing the values, practices, ecological wisdom, social norms, and ways of knowing embedded in Nigerian cultural traditions, have been largely excluded from formal curriculum design, creating a persistent disconnect between school learning and community life that is particularly pronounced for students with disabilities who depend on community inclusion for quality of life. The study employs a multi-phase research design. Phase one documents indigenous knowledge relevant to disability, learning, and community life through ethnographic fieldwork in eight purposively selected communities representing diverse ecological and cultural contexts across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. Phase two engages curriculum specialists, elders, and special educators in four regional co-design workshops to translate documented indigenous knowledge into curriculum principles and prototype units. Phase three pilots and evaluates prototype curriculum units in twelve special education schools across the country, collecting data on teacher implementation, student engagement, and family alignment. The resulting curriculum integration framework provides a tested methodology and proof of concept for culturally responsive special education curriculum in Nigerian contexts. Keywords: indigenous knowledge systems, curriculum design, special education, Nigeria, cultural responsiveness.