An Empirical Study of Cross-Cultural Literacy Through Comparative Literature Teaching in South West Nigerian Universities

Cross-cultural literacy, defined as the capacity to read and interpret literary texts from cultures other than one's own with informed cultural sensitivity, is a stated goal of comparative literature education but its actual development in Nigerian students has not been empirically measured. This study empirically assessed cross-cultural literacy development among comparative literature students at the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University. A pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was employed, with 160 students enrolled in comparative literature courses and 160 students in Nigeria-only literature courses as a comparison group. A validated Cross-Cultural Literary Competency Scale measuring five dimensions (cultural contextualisation, empathic reading, recognition of cultural difference, critical distance, and intertextual connection) was administered at the beginning and end of the academic year. Results showed significant gains in cross-cultural literary competency among comparative literature course students on all five dimensions (p < 0.001 for all), with the largest gains on cultural contextualisation and recognition of cultural difference. The comparison group showed non-significant changes on all dimensions. Qualitative data from student reading journals showed that engagement with African texts from unfamiliar regional cultures (particularly North East and North West Nigerian literature) produced the most pronounced self-reported shifts in cultural assumption awareness. The study provides the first empirical evidence for cross-cultural literacy development through comparative literature education in a Nigerian university context and recommends structured pre- and post-course cultural literacy assessments in all comparative literature courses. Keywords: cross-cultural literacy, comparative literature education, South West Nigeria, literary competency, student assessment