Exploring the Impact of Indigenous Storytelling on Critical Thinking Skills Development among Secondary School Students in Edo State, Nigeria

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-527-0_10How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Indigenous storytelling; critical thinking; cultural pedagogy; curriculum development

Abstract

This study investigates how indigenous storytelling, rooted in the cultural heritage of Edo State, Nigeria, influences the development of critical thinking skills among secondary school students in general education settings. Despite the rich oral traditions of Edo communities, no prior research has explored their potential as a pedagogical tool for fostering cognitive skills in formal education. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study engaged 300 students across six secondary schools in Edo State through a 12-week intervention integrating indigenous storytelling into the general education curriculum. Quantitative data were collected using pre- and post-intervention critical thinking assessments, while qualitative data were gathered through focus group discussions and teacher interviews to capture perceptions of storytelling’s impact. Results indicate a statistically significant improvement in students’ critical thinking skills, particularly in problem-solving and analytical reasoning, with storytelling enhancing engagement and cultural relevance in learning. Teachers reported increased student participation and motivation, attributing these outcomes to the contextual familiarity of Edo narratives. The findings suggest that indigenous storytelling is a viable, culturally responsive strategy for enhancing critical thinking in general education, offering implications for curriculum design in diverse educational contexts. Further research could explore its applicability across other Nigerian regions.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Isaac Idada
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/24
TI  - Exploring the Impact of Indigenous Storytelling on Critical Thinking Skills Development among Secondary School Students in Edo State, Nigeria
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Applied Arts, Design, and Sustainability (ICAADS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 151
EP  - 158
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-527-0_10
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-527-0_10
ID  - Idada2025
ER  -