Developing an Original Theoretical Model of Art Education for Cultural Sustainability in Nigeria

Art education has an under-theorised but critical role in the cultural sustainability of living art traditions, and developing an original theoretical model that articulates the specific mechanisms through which art education either supports or undermines cultural sustainability in the Nigerian context constitutes an important contribution to both art education theory and cultural heritage scholarship. This study developed an original theoretical model of art education for cultural sustainability in Nigeria. A theory-building methodology integrating systematic review, empirical grounding, and expert validation was employed. Systematic review of 78 publications on art education and cultural sustainability in African contexts confirmed a theoretical gap. Empirical grounding was provided through structured interviews with 25 arts educators at universities, 20 traditional art practitioners, 15 arts policy officers, and 10 cultural heritage specialists. Grounded theory analysis generated the original Cultural Sustainability through Art Education Model, proposing four educational mechanisms that support cultural sustainability: living knowledge recognition, intergenerational dialogue pedagogy, cultural practice integration, and critical heritage literacy. The model addresses how formal education can either marginalise traditional knowledge through Eurocentric content and assessment, or actively amplify it through community engagement and indigenous aesthetic theory inclusion. A curriculum implementation guide is developed for each of the four mechanisms. Expert consensus from 18 art education and cultural heritage specialists confirmed the model's theoretical originality and practical relevance for urgent curriculum reform across all six Nigerian geopolitical zones.

Keywords: art education theory, cultural sustainability, traditional arts, Nigerian arts education, original model