Developing an Original Theory of Intergenerational Knowledge Transmission and Early Childhood Learning in Rural Nigerian Communities

Intergenerational knowledge transmission through elder-child interaction, storytelling, apprenticeship, and ritual participation constitutes a foundational early learning mechanism in rural Nigerian communities that formal ECD theory and practice have largely ignored, and developing an original theory fills both a scholarly and practical gap. This study developed an original Intergenerational Knowledge Transmission Theory for Early Childhood Learning in Rural Nigerian Communities. A theory-building methodology integrating systematic review, multi-site ethnographic research, and expert validation was employed. Systematic review of 56 intergenerational learning and indigenous ECD publications confirmed that existing frameworks inadequately theorised the developmental role of elder-child dyadic learning, the embodied knowledge transmission through craft and agriculture apprenticeship, and the ritual-mediated knowledge passing specific to rural Nigerian communities. Ethnographic fieldwork at 18 rural communities across Benue, Niger, and Anambra States over 12 months documented intergenerational learning interactions, coded by type, frequency, developmental relevance, and child engagement quality. Analysis identified five knowledge transmission mechanisms: elder oral narration with evaluative moral commentary, embodied skill apprenticeship in domestic and agricultural tasks, community ceremony participation as ritual knowledge transmission, peer-elder mediated play in community settings, and language socialisation through elder-led song and proverb. The original Intergenerational Transmission-ECD Framework proposes each mechanism as a distinct analytical construct with developmental implications. Expert review by 24 specialists confirmed the framework's original theoretical contribution. Recommendations include incorporating intergenerational learning recognition into national ECD frameworks.

Keywords: intergenerational knowledge transmission, early childhood learning, rural Nigeria, indigenous pedagogy, original theory