A Theoretical Investigation into the Relationship Between Curriculum Theory and Educational Practice in Nigerian Schools

The theory-practice gap in Nigerian curriculum is a persistent concern, yet its mechanisms, dimensions, and the specific conditions under which theory informs practice have not been theoretically and empirically investigated with sufficient rigour to guide curriculum theory development in the Nigerian academic tradition. This study conducted an original theoretical investigation into the relationship between curriculum theory and educational practice in Nigerian schools. A critical theory-practice analysis methodology was employed, combining systematic review of curriculum theory-practice relationship scholarship (67 publications from 2018 to 2024), a national survey of 150 curriculum studies researchers and 150 secondary school curriculum practitioners from all six zones, case studies of three curriculum theory-to-practice pathways (textbook development, teacher professional development, and curriculum policy formulation), and expert consultation. Survey analysis revealed that 81.3 percent of practitioners had never read an academic curriculum studies journal, that 74.7 percent of researchers had never visited a secondary school classroom for research purposes, and that the primary theory-practice bridge (NERDC curriculum revision) operated with inadequate researcher input in 86.7 percent of respondents' assessment. Case study analysis identified three theory-practice mediation failure modes: translation failure (theory not rendered into practitioner-accessible form), institutionalisation failure (theory-informed practice not sustained within accountability systems), and contextual mismatch failure (theory generated in contexts too distant from Nigerian school realities). The original Theory-Practice Mediation Framework for Nigerian Curriculum constitutes an original disciplinary contribution with direct implications for curriculum research prioritisation.

Keywords: curriculum theory, educational practice, theory-practice gap, Nigeria, theoretical investigation