Traditional healers' views on their indigenous knowledge and the science curriculum

Abstract

African traditional healers (THs) were interviewed in order to explore their indigenous knowledge (IK) concerning natural science topics and science teaching, with potential implications for school science curriculum. First, THs in Lesotho were interviewed about their general ideas and these were compared with ideas obtained from THs in a previous study in South Africa. Then THs in the Western Cape (South Africa) were interviewed about more specific aspects of their IK that could usefully be taught, and also invited to demonstrate teaching methods. The traditional healers interviewed in these studies expressed a coherent view about what could be taught, how to teach it, and enthusiasm to become more engaged in the schooling of African children.1