Geography student teachers’ understanding of indigenising the Climatology module in a South African higher education institution.

Abstract

This research project explored Geography student teachers’ understanding of Indigenising the Climatology module in a South African higher education institution. While previous research conducted on indigenous knowledge systems has primarily focused on teaching strategies to teach indigenous knowledge, and approaches to integrate indigenous knowledge with western knowledge systems, this research project was interested in Geography student teachers’ views about indigenising the geography curriculum, specifically the Climatology module. To gain an insight of the participants views on indigenising the Climatology module, two research questions were used, namely; ‘What are Geography student teachers’ understanding of indigenising the Climatology module?’ and ‘Why do Geography student teachers have those understandings on indigenising the Climatology module?’ To generate data and respond to the two research questions, 16 in-depth qualitative semistructured interviews and two focus groups were employed in this study. Purposive sampling was employed in this study as only Geography student teachers who had the experience of studying the Climatology module were selected as research participants. The study findings suggest that Geography students value indigenous knowledge systems because it is practical and experiential as they witness its application and use on climate related issues in their contexts. The findings from this study also indicate that students are positive about indigenous knowledge being accommodated in their university spaces because such knowledge converges with western knowledge in some areas on climate. In conclusion, the study argues that indigenous knowledge systems have n critical role to play in transforming and decolonising the Geography curricula in South African higher education.