Applied Philosophy of Education and Curriculum Ethics for Nigerian University Lecturers: A Professional Development Framework

This study develops an applied philosophy of education and curriculum ethics framework for Nigerian university lecturers, drawing on case studies from institutions in the North East and South East geopolitical zones. University lecturers face ethical questions about curriculum design, pedagogical authority, assessment fairness, intellectual honesty, and the development of students' critical autonomy, yet professional ethics training for Nigerian academics rarely engages with the philosophical dimensions of these questions. Using a professional practice design, the study draws on philosophy of higher education from Ronald Barnett, critical pedagogy from Paulo Freire, and African philosophy of education, supplemented by secondary literature published between 2020 and 2024. Structured interviews with 25 university lecturers, academic affairs managers, and philosophy of education academics in Maiduguri and Nsukka provide the primary data. Findings reveal that university lecturers in the study institutions lack a coherent philosophical framework for resolving curriculum ethics dilemmas, including questions about whose knowledge counts in curriculum design, whether student evaluation is genuinely impartial, and how to balance disciplinary authority with respect for students' epistemic autonomy. The study argues that a framework grounded in Freirean critical pedagogy and African educational philosophy is the most appropriate professional development tool for Nigerian academics. Keywords: philosophy of education, curriculum ethics, university lecturers, critical pedagogy, professional development.