Study of the Challenges Facing Curriculum Implementation in Early Childhood Education in Taraba State

Early childhood education curriculum implementation shapes cognitive, social, and emotional foundations for all subsequent learning, and examining the challenges confronting ECD teachers in rural North East Nigeria provides essential evidence for systemic improvement. This study assessed the challenges of implementing the Early Childhood Education curriculum in government-approved pre-primary schools in Jalingo and Wukari Local Government Areas, Taraba State, North East Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was employed, with questionnaires administered to 100 early childhood teachers and 20 school proprietors. Classroom observation visits at 15 schools supplemented survey data. Results showed that 70.0 percent of teachers had not received specific ECD curriculum training, relying instead on general primary teacher preparation. Age-appropriate play materials were absent from 62.0 percent of classrooms. Physical classroom space met minimum standards in only 35.0 percent of schools. Teacher-pupil ratios exceeded the NTI recommended 1:25 standard in 73.0 percent of classrooms. The play-based learning approach prescribed by the national ECD curriculum was observed in only 18.0 percent of visited classrooms. The study concludes that ECD curriculum implementation in Taraba State faces severe capacity, resource, and infrastructure deficits. Recommendations include a state ECD teacher training programme, minimum standard enforcement for class size and materials, and an ECD curriculum guide specifically adapted for resource-constrained northern Nigerian contexts.

Keywords: early childhood education, curriculum implementation, Taraba State, pre-primary school, ECD