INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND THE CURRICULUM OF BASIC SCHOOLS IN THE NADOWLI DISTRICT OF THE UPPER WEST REGION

Abstract

The premise of this thesis was that the educational reforms in Ghana for the past decades have failed to integrate the scientific indigenous knowledge systems into the science curriculum of basic schools. The study, therefore, sought to find out the possible ways of integrating of scientific indigenous knowledge systems in the school curriculum of the basic schools in the Upper West Region, especially in the Nadowli District. A qualitative method was employed. Purposive sampling was used to select the key informants and science teachers. Questionnaire and key informant interview guide were employed in the data collection. The study reveals among other things that scientific indigenous knowledge system is embedded in the traditional life of the people; the science teachers/key informants acknowledged the inclusion of experts in the science lesson delivery; teachers used scientific indigenous knowledge systems in their science lessons for demonstrations; decentralization of the science curriculum such that scientific indigenous knowledge system be examinable in the students’ local content; the need for local science laboratories and more teaching of scientific indigenous knowledge systems in the training of science teachers. Also, the integration of the science curriculum with scientific indigenous knowledge systems could be enhanced with the following factors – religious tolerance, favourable political atmospheric, organization of field trips and creation of indigenous laboratories. Based on the findings/conclusions the study recommends that the science curriculum should be decentralized with a government policy backing it; experts in scientific indigenous knowledge system should help the science teachers in the classroom when the need arises; GES should organize workshops for the science teachers and the experts .