PROMOTING INNOVATION IN CERAMICS EDUCATION IN KADUNA STATE THROUGH STUDIO-BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES

Abstract

This study investigates how studio-based learning (SBL) strategies promote innovation in ceramics education within selected Colleges of Education in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Grounded in Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, Vygotsky's Constructivist Theory, and Wenger's Communities of Practice framework, the research employs a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design involving 120 final-year ceramics students (60 experimental, 60 control) and 15 educators across eight purposively selected institutions. SBL intervention modules were designed, validated, and implemented over a twelve-week period. Quantitative data collected through pre- and post-test competency assessments were analysed using paired and independent samples t-tests and multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data from focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and structured observations were subjected to thematic analysis using NVivo. Results indicate statistically significant improvements in creativity (t = 8.43, p < .001), technical proficiency (t = 9.11, p < .001), and innovation orientation (t = 10.72, p < .001) in the SBL group compared to marginal gains in the control group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that SBL exposure hours (β = 0.61), studio readiness (β = 0.47), and peer collaboration (β = 0.43) were the strongest predictors of student innovation outcomes (R² = 0.68). Six qualitative themes emerged, including engagement and motivation, creative agency, peer-mediated learning, infrastructural barriers, curriculum misalignment, and professional identity formation. The study concludes that SBL is a contextually viable and pedagogically transformative approach for ceramics education in Nigeria, with implications for curriculum reform, studio infrastructure policy, and teacher professional development.