Assessment of the Current Secondary School Curriculum in Nigeria and Its Adaptability for Learners with Disabilities: Implications for Inclusive Education Reform

Abstract

This study assessed the adaptability of the current Nigerian secondary school curriculum for learners with disabilities in Enugu State and tested a mediated-moderation model linking curriculum design features to inclusive learning participation. Universal Design for Learning, the social model of disability, and Bronfenbrenner's bioecological systems theory framed the inquiry. A cross-sectional survey distributed 440 questionnaires to secondary-school teachers across the six education zones of Enugu State; 382 usable responses were retained (86.8%). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a seven-factor model, χ²(644) = 1236.48, CFI = .938, RMSEA = .049, with α from .83 to .91. One-sample t tests against the 3.00 scale criterion showed that every adaptability dimension fell below the criterion, with the largest deficits in resource and assistive-technology availability (M = 2.05, d = −1.13) and policy–practice alignment (M = 2.31, d = −0.86). Hierarchical regression showed that the curriculum-design block explained incremental variance in inclusive learning participation, ΔR² = .296, F(4, 372) = 46.03, p < .001, f² = 0.50. Content flexibility (β = .29), instructional adaptability (β = .21), and assessment accommodation (β = .16) were significant; policy–practice alignment was not. Teacher differentiation competence partially mediated the content-flexibility pathway (indirect effect = 0.24, 42.9% mediated), and resource availability strengthened the instructional-adaptability pathway. Reform should target curriculum design and classroom resources rather than policy text alone.