In this response to Hewson and Ogunniyi's paper on indigenous knowledge (IK) and science teaching in South Africa, I seek to broaden the debate by setting the enterprise of integrating IK into science education in its cultural and socio-political context. I begin by exploring the multiple meanings of indigenous knowledge in Africa, next consider…

The word gospel means "good news," and gospel music is the good news of the message of Jesus of Nazareth in song. African American gospel is a style that is growing in popularity. The number of twenty-four-hour gospel radio stations in the United States is increasing, and sales of gospel music recordings are on the rise. Gospel music…

This article looks at the indigenous music of Botswana as an African musical idiom, to illustrate common aspects between approaches to teaching and learning music in African societies and the Jaques-Dalcroze approach. The author argues that a strong foundation exists in African musical practices upon which the Dalcroze approach can build. That…

Summarizes and interprets Wole Soyinka's play "Death and the King's Horseman," clarifying some of the shared misunderstandings dividing African and European cultures. Relates the play's theme to the creative acts of teaching and learning. (DMM)

Discusses the ways that one teacher undertook a "cultural safari" in an attempt to learn extensively about African culture and society. Narrates this teacher's experiences in Senegal, her research about Africa, and its impact on her teaching. Argues that such activities "connect" students and teachers to the world community.…

The ninth-grade students are helped in finding their writing voices by using a traditional African poem as a model. With the teaching of this poetry project, it is observed that having a well-defined structure allows students to think and write creatively.

This study argues for the integration of African oral traditions and other elements of traditional learning into the modern school curriculum. It thus contributes to supporting the increased relevance of education to local communities. In particular, using the example of riddles collected from one of the main ethnic groups in Northwestern…

In the course of exploring critiques of globalisation, this essay will focus on two postures--each with its range of arguments--that have emerged as alternatives to globalisation, namely, the delinking position and the subverting position. The first argues for standing "outside" of globalisation and its educational cultures and apparatuses. It…

The study of controversies about the legitimacy and historical groundedness of assertions about African civilization is used to support an Afrocological teaching approach to African civilization, exploring the content of the American college curriculum. There is a historically factual basis for a holistic pedagogical approach to African…

Presents a case study of controversies related to African studies and makes the case for an Africological pedagogical approach to African Civilization. The title "African Civilization" reflects the African place in the whole of world civilization even though that place is itself a multiple entity. (SLD)

Discusses the success of a family folklore unit in a racially and ethnically diverse sixth-grade class (containing Black, White, Japanese-American, and Jewish students), provides suggestions for a folklore curriculum, and points out the significance of folklore. (SKC)

Discusses background issues and defines relevant terminology related to Africentrism. Curriculum issues surrounding innovative approaches to infusing African and African-American content into the public school system are discussed. The diverse multicultural society in the United States must represent the histories and contributions of minority…

Disparities between Whites and African Americans exist in many areas in U.S. society. These disparities are exacerbated by social ills, including the Persian Gulf conflict. Positive change on the part of African American educators is required to combat these problems. The following four postulates for teaching African American youth are provided:…

Although most educators agree that cross cultural education is a valuable component of the curriculum and that it offers students the opportunity to understand differences and commonalities among people, there is little agreement about how to teach such a subject. An anthroliterary approach to this discipline helps students understand and…

In this article, Alfred Tatum argues that the current framing of the adolescent literacy crisis fails to take into account the in-school and out-of-school challenges confronting many African American male adolescents today, particularly those growing up in high-poverty communities. Using the metaphor of literacy instruction as a human body, he…