Educational Social Contract and Curriculum Reform: A Systematic Review of Epistemic, Pedagogical, and Language Gaps in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Curriculum design is often treated as a technical or administrative undertaking, although it also expresses the state’s commitments under the educational social contract. This systematic review examines whether curriculum design in Nigeria fulfils the state’s foundational educational obligations, with particular attention to early childhood education from birth to age eight. Drawing on social contract theory, the review considers how curriculum and language choices shape young learners’ cognitive development, ownership of knowledge, and sense of belonging within the education system. A systematic search of seven academic databases identified 61 sources. Following PRISMA-guided screening, 40 sources were included in the analytical synthesis, while 21 informed the theoretical and foundational framework. Five themes emerged: the gap between policy declarations and classroom practice; the enduring influence of colonial hierarchies on the recognition of legitimate knowledge; the enabling or constraining effects of language choices on early learning; tensions between pedagogies that promote independent thinking and those centred on memorisation; and the interdependence of curriculum reform, assessment, teacher preparation, and language policy. The synthesis indicates that Nigeria’s curriculum challenges are not merely administrative but are also philosophical and epistemic. Meaningful reform therefore requires reconsideration of which knowledge systems, languages, and pedagogical practices are legitimised within education rather than policy revision alone. Early childhood settings constitute critical sites for this transformation because the epistemic dispositions and learning practices established during this period influence subsequent educational experiences. By connecting curriculum reform with the educational social contract, the review contributes an integrated framework for advancing epistemic justice, pedagogical coherence, and more inclusive early childhood education in Nigeria.