Embracing Yoruba Folktales as a Tool for Moral Development in Children
Gbenusola Akinwale 
& Victor Ojakorotu
Issue: Vol.6 No.5 August 2024 Article 1 pp. 54-67
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/motbit.2024651 | Published online 29th August, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
It is sad to note that morality issues have become a subject of debate in many homes as society now embraces several wrong behaviours and seems not to appreciate the culture of morality. The present study set out to explore the views of adults on the use of Yoruba folktales as a tool for moral development. The two objectives were to explore the benefits of folktales to children and examine the role of demographics in the acceptance of folktales as a tool for moral development. The study adopted a mixed method of research, where a 10-item self-designed questionnaire was used to examine the two objectives of the study. Focus Group Discussion was also used to gain a deeper insight into the benefit of Yoruba Folktales for Moral Development in Children. The participants were selected from Oke ’Badan High School, Ibadan, Nigeria through a convenient sampling method. 150 valid responses were analysed using frequencies and chats. The findings also showed that Christians showed greater support for folktales than participants from the Islamic religion. The study concluded that folktales are a valuable addition that could be revived to help salvage the issue of morality among young people in Nigeria. The study recommended folktales be added to school literature to promote indigenous knowledge and mother tongue enhancement and also to teach acceptable behaviours in society.
Keywords: Yoruba Folktales, Moral Development, Children, Mother’s Tongue
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Gbenusola Abike Akinwale (PhD) is a Developmental Psychologist trained at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. A trained Psychologist and behaviour analyst, who also works as a gender specialist. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of International Relations and Politics, North West University, South Africa. She teaches Psychology at Undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Lagos.
Victor Ojakorotu is a scholar of International relations and an astute professor at North West University, South Africa. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. A First Class Honours graduate (BSc) from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria in International Relations and an MSc. Degree in the same school. He has actively worked at various capacities as an academic of repute in the last 28 years, specifically, he worked for Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, and Monash University, Johannesburg. Currently, he holds a position as Deputy Director, School of Government Studies, North West University, Mafikeng – South Africa and recently appointed as an Honorary Professor at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) South Africa. His research interests span across several areas which are not limited to peace and conflict issues, social movements, environmentalism, peace advocacy and inter-ethnic harmony in local communities in Africa.
Akinwale, Gbenusola & Victor Ojakorotu. “Embracing Yoruba Folktales as a Tool for Moral Development in Children,” Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology 6, no.5(2024):54-67. https://doi.org/10.38159/motbit.2024651
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
