| dc.description.abstract | The study aimed at exploring the relevance of indigenising life skills education in
alleviating health and social pathologies among learners in rural areas and to
assess the impact of Eurocentric life skills education on learners in rural areas
and to investigate the role of parents, social workers and life skills educators in
indigenising life skills education.
With regard to methodology, explorative-qualitative design was used as it
facilitated the observation and studying of subjects, providing them with
information and learning from them about their needs and problems. Exploratory
research design was also used as it enabled preliminary investigations into
relatively unknown areas of research. It is an open, flexible and inductive
approach of research to explore the appropriateness and relevance of
indigenous knowledge systems in relation to life skills education in rural areas.
Probability-sampling design was used to select a sample from each category of
the population groups which were learners, life skills educators, parents and
social workers. Literature review, focus group interviews and individual interviews
using interview schedule which contained open-ended questions were used to
obtain qualitative data. Literature review includes identifying relevant sources of
information, assessment of these sources and the application of subject literature
in the text. It involves insight and comprehension, the ability to argue a point,
synthesis, and the ability to distinguish important study materials from less
important materials. The data is presented, analysed and interpreted in such a
way that true expressions of research participants are revealed and explained
according to their beliefs and experiences.
The study revealed that there is consensus on indigenising life skills education
and it also showed that the research subjects had common understanding of
what life skills education is. A concern was raised on the way current life skills
education is presented as well as the need to use local language (mother
tongue) in the teaching of life skills education. Further, a concern was raised that
life skills education should not be examined and that its reading materials should
be indigenised. Suggested methods to be used in indigenising life skills
education entailed that custodians, holders and vessels of cultural practices,
values, beliefs and customs who are parents, community leaders and indigenous
knowledge holders should in partnership with life skills educators be actively
involved in presenting life skills education. As a method, indigenous knowledge
needs to be researched and be brought to the school level. Factors which
contribute to the failure of life skills education such as the thorny issue of life
skills educators' sexual involvement with learners surfaced. Learners'
performance appraisal on life skills education should not be on quantitative
results but on learners' participation and behavioural changes.
The study recommended that western methods, paradigms, theories,
perspectives and models should be adapted to fit the local conditions of people.
The teaching of life skills education should be in mother tongue to facilitate
effective teaching and learning. Indigenous life skills education reading materials
must be developed to complement the use of mother tongue. There should be a
paradigm shift from edu-centric and Eurocentric methods of teaching and
learning to Afro-centric methods of teaching and learning. The method should
stress learner-centredness and oriented with equal emphasis on social cultural
knowledge on the total up-bringing of children. | en_US |
