Educational Practices for a New Nigeria: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This article reports on a qualitative study conducted at the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges (NTICs) in Abuja, Nigeria. Twenty-two participants comprised of three administrators, seven teachers, four parents, and eight students participated in the study. The data collected through observations, informal, formal and semi-structured in-depth individual interviews, focus groups, document analysis (of teachers' syllabi, coursework materials, Nigerian nationwide exam reports, and copies of district and state lesson design guidelines), and field notes were used for content analysis. Themes of the study were constructed to explore the schools' role in promoting openness, mutual understanding, and habits of discourse vital to democracy in a society that is deeply divided along religious, ethnic, and geographical lines. This article explains the value of NTICs by focusing on the role of curriculum in promoting tolerance, unity, economic prosperity, and stability. This article also considers how these NTICs attempt to encourage the establishment of a civil society based upon democratic principles of governance while focusing on multicultural values.