Relevance and Adequacy of Senior Secondary School Hausa Language Curriculum to the Socio-Cultural Realities of Students in Taraba State

Abstract

This study investigated the relevance and adequacy of the senior secondary school Hausa language curriculum to the socio-cultural realities of students in Taraba State, Nigeria. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was adopted. The sample comprised 480 students and 48 Hausa language teachers selected through multi-stage sampling from 24 public senior secondary schools across the three senatorial districts of the state. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis. Findings revealed moderate overall relevance of the curriculum. While traditional festivals, literature, and moral values were rated as relevant, significant gaps existed in the coverage of traditional occupations, indigenous knowledge systems, inter-ethnic communication, and contemporary socio-cultural issues. The study concludes that the curriculum is only partially adequate for the multi-ethnic context of Taraba State and recommends contextualized curriculum review, inclusion of local socio-cultural content, and enhanced teacher capacity to improve relevance.