EMPATHY-DRIVEN CURRICULUM PRACTICES: MODELLING SOCIAL INCLUSION BEYOND DISABILITY LABELS IN NIGERIAN UPPER BASIC SCHOOLS

Authors: Dr. Oluwaseyi Emmanuel Alasoluyi & Prof. (Mrs) Hanna Onyi Yusuf

ABSTRACT

Empathy is often regarded as an individual trait rather than a structured practice embedded in pedagogy and school culture. This study investigates empathy-driven curriculum practices, with a specific focus on social inclusion beyond disability labels in Nigerian upper basic schools. It aims to examine how students, teachers, and principals understand empathy in relation to inclusion and to identify curriculum practices that promote social inclusion among students in Nigerian upper basic schools, employing a mixed-method design. A stratified random sampling technique was used to determine the sample size, consisting of 152 participants from two upper basic schools in Lagos State. A structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data, while a checklist was used for structured classroom observations. The instrument demonstrated high reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.85. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequency counts, means, and standard deviations. The Kruskal-Wallis test and chi-square (2) test of independence were used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that students, teachers, and principals have a limited understanding of empathy. Furthermore, curriculum practices such as applying differentiated instruction to meet diverse learning needs and using inclusive language in all classroom communication promote social inclusion. It is recommended that workshops and seminars be organised to equip teachers with practical skills and strategies for implementing an empathy-driven curriculum. Moreover, teachers should encourage and facilitate students’ collaboration in class, such as working in groups with peers of varying abilities, to foster an appreciation of others’ capabilities and mutual support.

Keywords: empathy, curriculum practices, social inclusion, disability labels, upper basic schools

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