Functional Pedagogy for Effective Learning of Skills in Primary Education

Ferdinand Margaret Enyia; Stella Ogar Eyam

doi:10.56201/ijee.v12.no.1.2026.pg452.458

📄 Download Paper

Functional Pedagogy for Effective Learning of Skills in Primary Education

Ferdinand Margaret Enyia, Stella Ogar Eyam,

Abstract

This paper examines functional pedagogy as a pathway to improving skills acquisition in Nigerian primary schools. Functional pedagogy is an approach that links classroom learning to real-life applications and community needs and aligns closely with Nigeria’s National Policy on Education and goals for a more relevant, skills-oriented curriculum. Drawing on policy documents, program reports and recent empirical studies, this paper argues that implementing functional pedagogical approaches (learner-centered, task-based, competency- focused and community-integrated) can reduce learning poverty and improve foundational skills. The paper outlines barriers in the Nigerian context (teacher preparation, resources, curriculum mismatch, inequities), proposes practical classroom and system-level strategies, and offers policy and implementation recommendations for stakeholders including federal and state authorities, pre-service and in-service teacher training providers, development partners, and argues that the adoption of functional pedagogy is not merely an option but a pedagogical imperative for nurturing competent, lifelong learners.

Keywords

Functional pedagogyprimary educationlearner-centeredand learning skills.

References

Adeniran, A., & Okoye, O. (2022). Learning in Nigeria’s schools: Literacy and numeracy evidence (analysis of NEDS data showing learning profiles) [RISE Programme slides/data]. RISE Programme. Ankpa Journal of Functional Education . (2025). Advancing functional pedagogy in primary education. College of Education, Ankpa. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan. Emmanuel, R. G., & Achor, E. (2026). Impact of responsive pedagogy and functional literacy on learning outcomes of internally displaced children. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 14(18), 310–333. https://doi.org/10.37745/IJELT.13/VOL14N183103 Federal Republic of Nigeria. (2013). National policy on education (6th ed.). Abuja: Federal Ministry of Education. Kalantzis, M., Cope, B., & Dally-Trim, L. (2020). Functional literacy pedagogy: Conceptual foundations of functional literacy and task-based instruction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. National Institute of Education. (2020). Meta-analysis of functional mathematics pedagogy in primary schools. Singapore: NIE Press. Ossai, O. V. (2024). Assessment of the pedagogical skills and competencies among early childhood educators in Nigeria. Journal of Educational Research on Children, Parents and Teachers, 5(2), 297–309. Piaget, J. (1972). The psychology of the child. New York: Basic Books. Salami, L. O., Rabiu, A., & Olaleye, O. M. (2026). Professional development in fun-rigour multimodal instructional methods: Teacher preparation for functional primary education. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies, 17(1), 16–24. State Universal Basic Education Boards . (2020). Annual reports on programmatic financing and activities related to basic education. Abuja: SUBEB. UNICEF Nigeria. (2023). Education in Nigeria. UNICEF Nigeria. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/education Universal Basic Education Commission . (2020). Annual report 2020. Abuja: UBEC. University of Helsinki. (2021). Functional literacy programs and reading comprehension outcomes in primary education. Helsinki: Department of Education. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press World Bank, & UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2022). The state of global learning poverty: 2022 update. Washington, DC: World Bank

Functional Pedagogy for Effective Learning of Skills in Primary Education

Abstract

Keywords

References

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND EVALUATION