Cultural Narratives in English Language Classrooms: A Tool for Promoting National Unity and Civic Values Among Students in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria's rich ethnic and cultural plurality, encompassing more than 250 distinct groups, presents a compelling context within which the pedagogical use of cultural narratives in English language classrooms can be explored as a pathway to national cohesion and civic education. This study examined the role of cultural narratives in English language classrooms as a tool for promoting national unity and civic values among secondary school students in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Three objectives guided the investigation: to examine the influence of cultural narratives on students' understanding of national unity; to determine the extent to which the English language curriculum accommodates culturally diverse narratives; and to investigate how cultural narratives reduce inter-ethnic prejudice among students. A descriptive survey research design was employed, with a population of 4,280 English language teachers and senior secondary school students drawn from public secondary schools across three senatorial zones in Kaduna State. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 350 participants. A structured, validated questionnaire served as the primary data collection instrument. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) for the research questions and one-sample t-tests for the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that cultural narratives significantly influence students' understanding of national unity (t(349) = 34.01, p < .001); that the English language curriculum moderately accommodates multicultural content (t(349) = 4.79, p < .001); and that cultural narratives significantly reduce inter-ethnic prejudice among students (t(349) = 30.65, p < .001). All three null hypotheses were rejected. The study concluded that the deliberate integration of diverse cultural narratives into English language pedagogy constitutes a viable and evidence-based strategy for building national consciousness and civic harmony in ethnically diverse educational settings. Recommendations were offered for curriculum developers, teachers, and policymakers.