Designing a Culturally Responsive Curriculum Model for Hausa Language Education in Primary Schools in Sokoto State

Culturally responsive curriculum design positions learners' cultural knowledge and linguistic identity as assets rather than barriers in education, and developing such a model for Hausa language primary instruction in Sokoto State addresses both language education quality and cultural preservation goals. This study designed a culturally responsive curriculum model for Hausa language education in primary schools in Sokoto North and Birnin Kebbi Local Government Areas, Sokoto State, North West Nigeria. A professional curriculum design methodology was applied, drawing on ethnographic community engagement with 30 community elders, 20 Hausa language teachers, and 10 cultural custodians, alongside review of culturally responsive pedagogy frameworks from Ladson-Billings, Gay, and African language education scholarship. Community engagement documented 14 categories of culturally significant Hausa knowledge and linguistic practice underrepresented in the current curriculum, including oral poetry (wa'azi), proverb use, agricultural vocabulary, and traditional storytelling forms. The designed model integrates these cultural elements across the Primary 1 through 6 Hausa language curriculum through reading passages, oral composition activities, cultural vocabulary expansion, and community knowledge interview projects. A teacher cultural orientation component and parent engagement module are included. Expert review by eight Hausa language education and curriculum specialists confirmed the model's cultural authenticity. The study recommends piloting in 12 schools across the two LGAs with literacy outcome and cultural identity assessment at 18 months.

Keywords: culturally responsive curriculum, Hausa language education, primary school, Sokoto State, cultural preservation