Masihambisane, lessons learnt using participatory indigenous knowledge research approaches in a school-based collaborative project of the Eastern Cape.

Workshops
Participatory action-research
Reflect-Action
Reflect-Action combines Paulo Freire’s theories with the methodology from Rural Participatory Analysis.

This is a participatory research project incorporating the Reflect approach which heightens the participatory research method by allowing participants reflect together on the accumulated knowledge of past generations and those that will be using the materials produced from that knowledge.

The project works with youth in Cofimvaba, Cape, SA to see how indigenous knowledge systems in their rural town can be incorporated and enhance their school curriculum.

The research follows the Nguni concept/word masihambisane, which refers to the Cofimvaba Indigenous knowledge system (IKS) and principle of working together (participation).
Acknowledged Indigenous women as Indigenous knowledge (IK) holders and main source of strength of (IKS) as it was identified by the Cofimvaba community members
Employed values of collective inquiry and experimentation, grounded in experience and socio-cultural history of the Cofimvaba community
Requested consent and ethical clearance for the project from Cofimvaba’s individual research participants and traditional and political leadership structures as well as other local educational authorities and academic institutions
Participation is inherent to each stage of the research
Participants (Indigenous and no-Indigenous) are conceived as communities of inquiry; co-researchers

By using Cofimvaba Indigenous knowledge and practices on teaching and learning, teachers and parents in the community of Cofimvaba were able to work together to design more appropriate and culturally relevant teaching and learning materials.

The process of bringing about change (and new learning materials), was done by building on what people know (IKS gained over generations), rather than training people on what they don’t know.

Teaching and learning materials redesigned based on IKS; record of conversations held with various Cofimvaba people about the change in the relationships with the teachers and community members; participants reported that trust has been (re)established between teacher and parents; researchers’ observations.

Collaborative reflect approach to learning – an approach that is akin to indigenous knowledge systems and participatory methodologies, required that participants spend significant time sharing with other teachers and parents. Ongoing process of developing teaching and learning materials to be used in the classroom(s). Published (as research journals) for other teachers to be able to find information on how to develop culturally appropriate material.

“Reflect is “an innovative approach to adult learning and social change, which fuses the theories of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire with participatory methodologies” (Reflect Action, 2009b:1). It is a process which promotes a collaborative and community-based approach to research, hence our reference to the Nguni word masihambisane, which refers to the IKS principle of working together. (Human Sciences Research Council et al., 2013, p. 2)

Education