Curriculum Exposure And Design Philosophy: A Chi-Square Analysis Of Heritage Coursework Impact On Architectural Orientation At Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi

Abstract

Architectural education shapes the design values that students carry into professional practice, yet the empirical relationship between heritage coursework exposure and design philosophies remains understudied. This study examines how heritage curriculum content influences design orientations among final-year architecture students at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria. Despite the call in Sustainable Development Goal 11.4 for the protection of cultural heritage, Nigerian architectural programmes reportedly give limited attention to structured heritage conservation, producing graduates whose preferences remain predominantly modernist and culturally detached. The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design involving 300 undergraduate students (400-level: n=48, 16.0%; 500-level: n=252, 84.0%). A structured questionnaire measured heritage coursework exposure through a six-item composite scale and classified design philosophy as Traditional, Modern, or Hybrid. The chi-square test of independence was used to examine associations between exposure level and design philosophy. Findings revealed no statistically significant association between heritage coursework exposure and design philosophy orientation (χ²=0.522, df=2, p=0.770, V=0.042). Students with high heritage exposure showed a philosophical distribution (Modern 38.0%, Hybrid 30.7%, Traditional 31.3%) comparable to those with low exposure (Modern 42.0%, Hybrid 29.3%, Traditional 28.7%). Modern orientation predominated across both groups. These results suggest that formal heritage coursework at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University does not significantly shift students toward heritage-responsive orientations. External factors such as professional registration requirements, client and developer preferences for contemporary aesthetics, the availability and cost of modern building materials in the Nigerian market, and the influence of global architectural media and social platforms may exert stronger influence than the formal curriculum. The study demonstrates the application of chi-square categorical analysis to curriculum assessment and provides empirical evidence for pedagogical restructuring toward values-based pedagogy, vertical curriculum integration, and revised studio assessment criteria to foster heritage-responsive design values aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 11.4.