Pedagogie van inheemse kennis as sosiale konstruk

Abstract

In hierdie artikel word daar in die eerste plek gepoog om inheemse kennis as sosiale konstruk te verklaar, waarna die waarde daarvan vir die opvoedingspraktyk toegelig word. Inheemse kennis (IK) begrond dikwels leerders se eerste ervarings en verbind sodanige ervarings, deur spontane konsepvorming, met wetenskaplike verskynsels. IK dien ook as primêre leerorganiseerder vir verdere konseptualisering en skematisering. Die uitsluiting van inheemse kennis uit formele kurrikula is gewoonlik nie doelbewus nie, en die daadwerklike insluiting daarvan in leermateriaal kan ’n waardevolle bydrae lewer om as skakel tussen bestaande kennis en nuwe inligting te dien. Die erkenning van plaaslike bevolkings se inheemse kennis in kurrikula bemagtig nie net die kurrikuleerder nie, maar ook leerders wat op die inligting aangewese is. Aangesien inheemse kennis verweef is met die sosiale konstrukte van die samelewing, is deelnemende navorsingstrategieë gepas om hierdie kennis met die oog op kurrikulumontwikkeling te versamel, te kwantifiseer en te verifieer.This article explains indigenous knowledge, firstly as a social construct, and subsequently in terms of the value it holds for educational practice. Indigenous knowledge (IK) often constitutes the basis of learners’ first experiences and links such experiences, via spontaneous conceptualisation, with scientific phenomena. IK also serves as the primary organiser of learning, with a view to further conceptualisation and schematisation. The exclusion of indigenous knowledge from formal curricula is usually not intentional, and its actual inclusion in learning material can make a valuable contribution towards linking existing knowledge and new information. The article claims that the indigenous knowledge of local populations should be acknowledged to empower curriculum developers and learners. Seeing that indigenous knowledge is interwoven with the social constructs of society, participatory research strategies are suggested to gather, quantify and verify information for curriculum development purposes.