An analysis of indigenous knowledge systems: implications for agricultural extension education with particular reference to natural resource management in Zimbabwe

Muchena, Olivia N.

doi:10.31274/rtd-180813-9398

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…With regard to inclusion of agriculture, the teachers in this study value the relevant IK practices and other studies (Mapira & Mazambara, 2013; Pedzisai, 2013) confirm that that the inclusion of IK in the curriculum would foster sustainable development and revitalize food production and oppose colonial denigration of indigenous agricultural practices. However, Muchena (1990) and Pedzisai (2013) argue that including IK when teaching about agriculture is challenging, as until now it has relied on oral tradition. Nevertheless, with increasing research in agricultural IK agriculture, climate change issues can be addressed by, for example, growing drought resistant plants such as the indigenous herb Amaranth (Cernansky, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this regard, a study (Cameron et al, 2016) involving community involvement reports that teachers saw value in schoolcommunity dialogue, wherein custodians could contribute ideas on how they could contribute to IK integration, and more creativity about contextual teaching methods using local resources. Indigenous scholars also suggests that integrating IK using local languages into the current colonialized school curriculum would enhance curriculum relevance and bring about an improved understanding of concepts (Mufanechiya & Mufanechiya, 2011). However, Shizha (2008) noted a concern that, first, the primary school curriculum in Zimbabwe is still largely western-based and, second, that teacher attitudes and colonized identities can act as a barrier to integrating indigenous languages and IK into the curriculum.…”

Section: Literature On Iks Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

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Teachers’ and custodians’ views and dilemmas arising thereof regarding the integration of indigenous knowledge in the primary school

Govender

Mutendera

2020

AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples

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Indigenous Knowledge is largely neglected in the primary school curriculum, yet it espouses the history, art, nature, and traditions of the community from which students come. This study explores the views of six custodians and six teachers on the integration of Indigenous Knowledge in the primary school curriculum in Zimbabwe. Indigenous standpoint theory and participatory research methodology framed the study. Data were generated through focus group discussions with Indigenous Knowledge custodians through individual interviews with teachers. The custodians’ views confirmed that Indigenous Knowledge was significant to their identities, but they were concerned with the loss of their culture due to modernization. Most teachers acknowledged the wisdom of Indigenous Knowledge custodians, welcomed their contributions, but some teachers were sceptical about custodians teaching formally in the classrooms. Several dilemmas arose from the views of participants, which have implication for the integration of Indigenous Knowledge in primary schools.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature On Iks Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Teachers’ and custodians’ views and dilemmas arising thereof regarding the integration of indigenous knowledge in the primary school

Govender

Mutendera

2020

AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples

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“…Even newcomers or Westerners should be introduced to both the society's indigenous knowledge systems and the ancestors of the land that are believed to protect the inhabitants of that land. Muchena (1990) observes that rural people's knowledge covers the whole range of human experiences. A partial selection of the scope of IKS is presented below using a framework of academic disciplines.…”

Section: Nexus Between African Indigenous Knowledge Systems and The Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thirdly, Muchena (1990) notes that in all the fields, each rural group has developed knowledge encompassing theory, concepts, interrelations, factual data and attributive information of a high degree of accuracy suitable to them. Such knowledge is so good that such societies have been able to exploit them both for social organizations and productive endeavors to maintain the group.…”

Section: Fig 1 Iks Dimensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cosmovision and African conservation philosophy: indigenous knowledge system perspective

Mashingaidze

2016

Environmental Economics

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Cosmovision is the worldview of a society that is deeply imbedded in the way in which that society is organized and evolves over time. It is a society’s attempt to explain and better understand all that surrounds it, including its place within the cosmos, or universe and how it conserves it environment. In Africa, like elsewhere, indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) were used to administer peace, harmony, and order amongst the people and their physical environment. However, with the advent of colonialism in Africa, IKSs were not only marginalized, but demonized leaving their potentials for establishing and maintaining a moral, virtuous society, unexploited. It is in this light that this article argues for a correction to the vestiges of colonialism. The article adopts examples of IKS success stories in pre-colonial era showing the beauty of the undiluted African indigenous knowledge systems and their potential for establishing a moral, virtuous society. To this end, the article argues that Africa, today, is in the grips of high crime rates, serious moral decadence, and other calamities because of the marginalization, false, and pejorative label attached to the African IKSs. This article criticizes, pulls down, and challenges the inherited colonial legacies, which have morally and socially injured many African societies. Keywords: cosmovision, indigenous, knowledge, conservation, philosophy, taboos. JEL Classification: D83, O13, O15

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“…In other words, most formerly colonised nations face the same fate of devaluation and marginalisation of their social and cultural resources. In some instances, dehumanisation of the colonies' own indigenous knowledge systems became part of the major colonial practice as evidenced in their deliberate exclusion from the education systems (Muchena, 1990;Shizha, 2013). This situation was borne out of the Western dominant-superiority attitude which largely accounted for imposition of their own knowledge systems to the local citizens (Logan, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meteorological Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Prediction of Rainfall in the Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe and Potential for Community Disaster Preparedness

Sithole¹,

Chundu²

2020

JSS

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The paper focuses on indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) which people of Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe use to predict rainfall patterns. This is based on a 2019 socio-ecological study conducted in the district. The main objective of the study was to establish the extent of use and efficacy of meteorological IKS for prediction of rainfall in Chimanimani and to explore potential contribution of the meteorological IKS in local community disaster preparedness. The study came at the backdrop of a trail of unprecedented human and environmental destruction that occurred in the district following the devastating Cyclone Idai of April of 2019. Despite the existence of IKS and modern weather forecasting tools, the Cyclone seemed to have caught both the community and government unprepared, prompting this study. In depth-interviews and storytelling were conducted with traditional leaders and community elders. A qualitative approach was applied through the use of detailed interviews and focus group discussion to collect meteorological IKS from three communities in the district. Thematic analysis anchored in the interpretive and ontological paradigms was utilized within the realism theory. The meteorological IKS found in the study were classified into five interpretive categories namely vegetation, animals, birds, insects and cosmology. The study concluded that meteorological IKS are no longer widely used due to a number of factors including inferioritisation and limited documentation. It was noted that the IKS have potential for incorporation into the community disaster preparedness frameworks.

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An analysis of indigenous knowledge systems: implications for agricultural extension education with particular reference to natural resource management in Zimbabwe

Abstract: Recommended Citation Muchena, Olivia Nyembezi, "An analysis of indigenous knowledge systems: implications for agricultural extension education with particular reference to natural resource management in Zimbabwe " (1990). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 9868.

Cited by 4 publications

References 64 publications

Teachers’ and custodians’ views and dilemmas arising thereof regarding the integration of indigenous knowledge in the primary school

Teachers’ and custodians’ views and dilemmas arising thereof regarding the integration of indigenous knowledge in the primary school

Cosmovision and African conservation philosophy: indigenous knowledge system perspective

Meteorological Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Prediction of Rainfall in the Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe and Potential for Community Disaster Preparedness

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