Enhancing Children’s Intelligence Quotient Through Indigenous Play: A Study of Ibibio Traditional Games in Uyo, Nigeria

This study examines the potential of indigenous Ibibio traditional games to enhance the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of children in selected schools within Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Framed against a global resurgence of interest in culturally responsive pedagogy, the study interrogates structured participation in play activities rooted in Ibibio culture. A mixed-methods design combining historical and ex post facto approaches was adopted. Sixty pupils and students drawn from two primary schools and one secondary school completed identical pre-test and post-test cognitive assessments bracketing a week of structured play involving six Ibibio games, including Abukpok Nsa and Nsa Ison. Qualitative data gathered through interviews with teachers in a focused group discussion, and face-to-face interviews with ten teachers. The study is theorised through Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory. Findings indicate consistent, though uneven, improvement in post-test scores across all three schools, concentrated in memory recall, logical reasoning, and problem-solving, alongside near-unanimous teacher recognition of the developmental value of traditional games. The study concludes that Ibibio traditional games constitute an underused cognitive and cultural resource and recommends their deliberate incorporation into curricula, particularly for mathematical and logical reasoning instruction, alongside institutional support for teacher training and cultural documentation.