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( ISSN 2811-2466 )   

                                                                                       Olujoke Stella AKINRUJOMU (Ph.D)* 
https://ijojournals.com/                                       Volume 07 || Issue 06 || June, 2024 || 

Educational Implication of Folktales on Nigerian Children 
 

 
 

Educational Implication of Folktales on Nigerian Children 
 

Olujoke Stella AKINRUJOMU (Ph.D) 
Department of Design and Fine Arts, College of Technology, Bamidele Olumilua University 

of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere -Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. 

 
Abstract 
Teaching and learning have been undertaken sometimes in the absences of visual materials. 
Teaching of morals, values and virtues in children can best be achieved with printmaking 
illustrations while using folktales as sources of influence. Folktales have been described in 
this paper as veritable tool for teaching sociological and cosmological issues. The paper 
suggests some educational implication of folktales as it specifically affects children. 
 
Keywords: Folktales, folklore, Educational Implication, Nigerian Children. 
 
 
Introduction  

Folktale is rooted in tradition and culture of a particular people and was originally 
passed on by the words of mouth from one generation to another. Kondi (2019) declares 
Kershenblatt-Gimblette refers to folklore as the study of a cultural production with focus on 
oral tradition. This has existed with man as oral literature. Fayose (1995) explains that social 
anthropologists can see folktale as “Cement of society” and psychoanalyst say, “folk stories 
are symbols of emotional fantasies which all people experience”. Kathleen Kagan (2023) 
postulates that every individual in every culture have the ability to tell tales and understand it 
without any formality. The functional role of tales was of great importance as described by 
Noss (1987). Whether for revealing sociological and cosmological aspects of a culture or for 
providing a practical means of pedagogy. Folklore like folktale is the study of the traditional 
believes of the society, the two are knotted since they contain stories that can reshape and 
transform the life of the children. It is the accumulated wisdom of simple everyday folk or a 
society’s common knowledge. Fayose (1995). While no strong line of demarcation can be 
drawn on the differences in folktales and folklore, Ogundipe (1972) attempts to distinguish 
the terms for different verbal forms in folklore and other related terms when he wrote: 

1. “Folktales” (Stories that require chorus from listeners)  
2. “Myth and Legends”(Stories about cosmology and cosmogony) 
3. “Proverbs” 
4. “Songs” 
5. “Curses” 

Ogundipe’s analysis clearly corroborates Abimbola (1977) that folklore and folktales connote 
the same interpretations. 

The period when folktales are narrated to children is noteworthy in their development 
and growth in Nigeria. This is what makes stories and narratives accepted without 
questioning or investigating the sources. The grown-ups, usually parents and elderly people 
seize the opportunity of the naivety and innocence of the child to illustrate educative tales 
which embody societal values and satisfy the needs of security and social values. Children 
listened to stories, riddles and jokes, parables, and proverbs, which develop them socially and 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  
( ISSN 2811-2466 )   

                                                                                       Olujoke Stella AKINRUJOMU (Ph.D)* 
https://ijojournals.com/                                       Volume 07 || Issue 06 || June, 2024 || 

Educational Implication of Folktales on Nigerian Children 
 

 
 

morally to live a full contented life, stories of achievement and success give self-confidence 
and encouragement to the children. 
 
Educational Implications of Folktale 

Folktale is an instrument of traditional education because some of them reveal the true 
source of tradition and superstitious beliefs and indeed explains some religious background to 
certain prevailing customs. The activities that happen in folktales indicate human values. In 
most times, families are constituted to show father, mother, child (ren), sometimes stewards 
and servants. Fayose (1995) declares that even the animals operate within a physical or 
supernatural world including a home. She said further that this home and family are naturally 
essential to the security and the well-being of the children.Oratory power is needed and 
valued in the folktale as one of the art of narrations also give panacea to problem of speech 
making. 

Most of these stories teach children what the society requires of them. It serves as an 
eye opener for future occurrences. Yo & Sato (2019) argued that folktales have pedagogical 
function of disseminating information about the environs. Folktales are relevant to everyday 
living as the moral of the stories are attached to the lives of every individual. 

To extol virtues and condemn vices, folktales also function as wisdom-lore of the 
elders. Nwoga (1981) suggests that most of the lessons a person learns are based on how he 
lives and interacts successfully and meaningfully with other individuals. It was based on this 
assertion that Hoffman (1957) posited that folktales are expressions of “popularly sanctioned 
attitudes towards human character, class structure and man’s reaction to nature”. 

Folktales transcend the non-literate societies. Just as the rural area urbanizes, folktales 
have been maintained as effective devices for passing on the knowledge and wisdom of 
ancestors. Tsuji, Yu & Manidoc (2022) remark that folktales purposely develop, sustain, and 
preserve indigenous culture for improved future. 

The satiric function of folktales in human society transcends mere story illustration. 
Apart from the fact morals are positively drawn from the tales and lores, confident 
judgements are made, excepts for the assertion of Ebewo (1987) which postulates that the 
African trickster tales are responsible for the vices in the economic, social, and political 
activities in Africa. Although Ebewo (1987) assert that folktales are also meant for 
entertainment and for educating the child, however, he agrees with Arohunmolase (1988) 
who states that folktales are a useful tool for socialisation, although children and adults may 
not be able to accept them as scientific truths, they are satires that serve as weapon used for 
reforms in African societies. 

Apart from the tales of valour and lesson from knowledge of life and mundane 
experiences, folktales also provide stylistic forms for fun and amusement. The leisure is spent 
usefully at any given time when there is readiness on the part of the audience. Folktales are 
made under the shade of trees, at bonfires in starry nights and moonlights (Akinrujomu, 
2004). Folktales cannot be ignored in the society. They served as psychological release from 
tension and problems arising from socio-human existence. 

 
Folktale as a Veritable tool in Children’s Preparation Teaching 

The use of various techniques in printmaking arts such as serigraphy, relief e.g. wood 
or linocut to visualize folktale would help to activate the memory of the child towards the 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  
( ISSN 2811-2466 )   

                                                                                       Olujoke Stella AKINRUJOMU (Ph.D)* 
https://ijojournals.com/                                       Volume 07 || Issue 06 || June, 2024 || 

Educational Implication of Folktales on Nigerian Children 
 

 
 

lesson learnt in a particular folktale. In the age where foreign movies and imported visual 
works for the documentation of folktales become exigent. 

Rendering folktale in visual forms would improve moral standard in schools, Valdez 
& Moyano (2021) opines that there is always an overt lesson in every folktale to learn. There 
is tendency for children to remember physical object that would remain permanent in their 
memory and the lessons taught would not be forgotten. 

They are important educational tools used in non-literate and literate societies of the 
preparatory and the primary schools as well as supplement for informal and formal education. 
For example, the following story illustration best describes folktale as an instrument of 
learning and teaching: 
 
Folktale Illustration 

A Yoruba folktale once asserted that long ago all animals in the bush lived happily 
together. Sometimes after all the day’s work, they gathered to amuse themselves. At one of 
these gatherings “Lolo” the elephant invited the tortoise for a race, all the animals were 
astonished and laughed. Lolo laughed loudest of all boasting he was the strongest animal. 
They later settled for the race after much amusement. “Let us do the race now,” said Lolo. 
No, “Tomorrow” said the tortoise. As they all dispersed, the tortoise sought the opinion of 
some older animals on what to do to win the race. Some suggestions were made which the 
tortoise followed strictly. 

Later that night, the tortoise went to the arena of the race. He knotted some grasses 
from right and left of the road as a trap for “Lolo” and then covered it with sand to make it 
hidden, near a resting pole. On the following morning, all animals came to watch, the tortoise 
had hardly moved a few yards, but Lolo was so far ahead. Soon Lolo could not be seen any 
longer.  Disaster struck as he got near the resting pole, Lolofell and was unable to get up 
immediately. 

As he was struggling to get up, a cool breeze blew on him, this made him fall into a 
deep and peaceful slumber. Tortoise saw Lolo on the way sleeping, he ran past Lolo straight 
to the winning pole where other animals were waiting without having a rest at the pole. He 
told other animals to permit him rest on a nearby tree. When Lolo woke up, he managed to 
get up and ran like a mad dog to the winning pole. Lolo thought he had won at last despite the 
sleepover, but other animals quickly pointed to tortoise on the tree as a winner of the race. 
Lolo was ashamed and henceforth stopped boasting as the strongest of all animals. 
 
Lesson and Morals from Folktales 

This story is full of suspense and actions that is finally satisfying. The elephant was 
confident of his racing ability especially against the tortoise who was small and slow in 
action. Lolo boasted because of its size and power to put tortoise to shame but the humiliation 
fell backto him. In real sense, this story reveals that the society frowns on the use of might 
which is not always right but cherishes humility, obedience, and virtues. Econ (2021) opines 
that communities that punish offenders and have low tolerance towards anti-social behaviours 
that also give punishment to tricksters are trustworthy and prosperous. Lolo trusted in his 
powers and might, but the tortoise humbled himself by seeking advice from elders. It taught 
the lesson that the small, the weak and the poor can as well get the best out of their opponent, 
the big, the strong, and the wealthy. The story gives succour to children who are small, weak, 
and poor in the society. 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  
( ISSN 2811-2466 )   

                                                                                       Olujoke Stella AKINRUJOMU (Ph.D)* 
https://ijojournals.com/                                       Volume 07 || Issue 06 || June, 2024 || 

Educational Implication of Folktales on Nigerian Children 
 

 
 

Conclusion 
The paper concludes that teachers should make use of folktales to teach morals, 

obedience, humility, virtues, etc in their lessons bearing in mind of its educational implication 
that have been discussed so far. It would help in solving psychological and emotional 
problems encountered by the child when growing up, such problems as jealousy and rivalry, 
fear and uncertainties, peer recognition and acceptance, threat, and other social predicaments. 
Stories of competence and successful heroesand heroines who refuse to accept defeat help 
children when growing up. 

Teachers should also apply the method of “learning by seeing” which seems to have 
gained recognition by Nigerian children. They remember what they see than the abstract. 
There is no doubt that positive implication of folktales would help researchers and learners 
achieve a better result in educational goals and aspiration. 
 
Reference 
Abimbola, W. (1977). The study of Yoruba Literature; An Inaugural Series, University of Ife 

 Press,  5-15. 
Akinrujomu, O.S. (2004). “Yoruba Folktale: A Study of Childhood Experiences in 

Contemporary Printmaking” Unpublished MFA Thesis, University of Benin, Benin 
city, 8. 

Arohunmolase, O. (1988). “Heroes in African Folktales: Agents of Contemporary 
Corruption” A critique seminar paper presented at the Obafemi Awolowo University, 

Ile-Ife,.1-10. 
 
Ebewo, P. (1987). Heroes in African Folktales: Agents of Contemporary Corruption. Paper 

 presented at the Nigerian Folklore Society, Sokoto, June 25, 27, pp. 6-9. 
Econ, O.J. (2021). “Folklore” do: 10.101093/qje/qjab003.pmid:34658674 
Fayose, P.O. (1995). Nigerian Children’s Literature in English Ibadan AENL Educational 

 Publishers,  18-30. 
Hoffman, D.O. (1975). “Folklore in Literature: A Symposium.” Journal of American 

 Folklore, 21-32. 
Kathleen, kagan (2023). “Gender of Multicultural Sample of Published Folktales Collected 

 from Storytellers, 23(2). 
Kondi, B. (2019). “The SAGE International Encyclopaedia of Music and culture.” 
Noss, C.A. (1987). in Ernest, J. Gaines (Ed) “The Problem of Black Manhood Giving 

Positive Models. Black Cultures and Black Consciousness in Literature, 155-167. 
Nwoga, D.I. (1981). “Igbo Poet and Satire” in Abalogu U. et al (ed. Oral) Poetry in Nigeria, 

 Nigerian Magazine, 230. 
Ogundipe, A. (1972). Yoruba Tongue Twisters in Richard Dorsons African folklore. 

 Bloomington: Indiana University Press,  219. 
Tsuji, T., Yu, A.L., & Manidoc, E.M. (2022). South Eastern Philippines Journal of Research 

 and Development, 47(2). 
Valdez, P.G. & Moyano M.A. (2021). “Tracking Ethnicity: The Quest for the Undocumented 

Folktales Legends and Myths of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines.” Global 
Education & Social Science Journal, 1(1). 

Yo, N. & Sato, K. (2019). “Systematic Qualitative Analysis Reveal the Folk. Zoological 
 Knowledge Embedded in Folktales. 

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