Decolonising Hausa Language Pedagogy: Toward a Culturally Sustaining Framework for Teaching and Learning

Hausa language pedagogy in Nigerian educational institutions has been significantly shaped by colonial-era language teaching approaches and post-independence adoptions of Western second language teaching methodologies that may not adequately reflect Hausa cultural communicative traditions, indigenous knowledge transmission practices, and the epistemological frameworks of Hausa learning communities. This doctoral study critically analyses existing Hausa language pedagogy and develops an original culturally sustaining pedagogical framework that decolonises Hausa language teaching and learning at secondary and tertiary levels. Drawing on decolonial education theory, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and Hausa cultural studies, the research employs a critical participatory action research methodology spanning four years across three educational settings. Phase one involves critical ethnographic analysis of Hausa language classroom practice in six secondary schools and two universities across Kano, Sokoto, and Kaduna, documenting the epistemological and cultural assumptions embedded in current pedagogical approaches. Phase two involves participatory co-design of a culturally sustaining Hausa pedagogy framework through collaborative workshops with 40 Hausa language teachers, 30 community elders and cultural practitioners, and 60 students. Phase three implements and evaluates the co-designed pedagogical framework through action research cycles in three pilot classrooms. Original theoretical contributions include the Culturally Sustaining Hausa Pedagogy Framework, which centres Hausa oral literary traditions, indigenous knowledge epistemologies, community communicative practices, and Islamic intellectual traditions as resources rather than obstacles in Hausa language education. Empirical contributions document significant learner engagement and language outcome improvements in pilot classrooms. Keywords: Hausa language pedagogy, Decolonisation, Culturally sustaining pedagogy, Language teaching, Indigenous knowledge.