Applying indigenous knowledge resources in children’s play-crafting in Southern Nigeria : practice-led research using Ibibio folk narratives

Date
2022-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study is to investigate the possibility to use play-crafting as a form of educational drama to renew the interest of Ibibio children in their Indigenous Knowledge Resources. The educational and moral function of these materials were eroded by colonialism and is further weakened by globalisation. The primary activity in this practice-led research is therefore an educational project carried out with a group of approximately 50 Ibibio children, aged between 9 and 12 who are pupils of selected primary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Chapter two analyses the available indigenous knowledge resources, namely proverbs, folktales, storytelling, myths, folksongs, traditional games, riddles, and legends and the oral tradition in which these resources are embedded. Chapter three analyses constructivism, participatory learning and play as important components in this practice-led study, which employs play-crafting as a learning method. Constructivism with Dewey as important figure perceives learning as interactive and engaging as learners can be coconstructors in the process of knowledge making. Constructivism emphasizes collaboration, problem solving and the experiences of the learners. This school of thought challenges the formal or traditional educational philosophy that emphasizes the transfer of fixed body of knowledge from educators to learners in a highly formalized context involving a top-down release of knowledge by an educator to the educated. The cognitive constructivism theory of Bruner and Piaget, Vygotsky’s social constructivism and Von Glaserfeld’s radical constructivism theories are also relevant to this study. Participatory learning as voluntary and active involvement in learning as seen in the philosophy of Freire rests on the same principal. Play is important to this study as many Scholars advocate play as an important means of learning as it serves as an interactive space and a form of social enculturation, cultural practices and knowledge transmitter. Play is not only an enjoyable and spontaneous activity of young children, but it also contributes significantly to children’s learning and development. Play therefore forms the bases for play-crafting as an educational drama activity which combines constructivism and its related participatory learning. Chapter four looks at the three different approaches to education drama: Creative Drama and Playmaking, Drama-in-Education and the integrated approach, which combines these approaches. The objective of Creative Drama and Playmaking is to give each child an avenue of self-expression, guide the creative imagination and to provide a controlled emotional outlet. Drama-in-Education uses drama as a teaching and learning medium. The practice-led fieldwork as described in chapter five followed the combined approach by incorporating storytelling, improvisation and role-playing as creative tools in play-crafting. The findings in chapter six points to the effectiveness of adapting Ibibio indigenous knowledge resources by means of play-crafting in teaching traditional values and social skills to young children in selected schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Through various levels of investigation, a field experiment and extensive analysis, this study is able to establish that the application of indigenous resource could transform the learning experience for children with optimal benefit to the child and society.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die moontlikheid te ondersoek van toneelskepping as ʼn vorm van opvoedkundige drama met die doel om die belangstelling van Ibibio kinders in hulle inheemse kennisbronne te laat herleef. Kolonialisme het die opvoedkundige en morele funksie van hierdie bronne weggekalwe en dit word verder verswak deur globalisering. Die primêre aktiwiteit van hierdie praktykgeleide navorsing is daarom ʼn opvoedkundige projek met ʼn groep van ongeveer 50 Ibibio leerders tussen die ouderdom van 9 en 12 jaar in geselekteerde primêre skole in die Akwa Ibom staat, Nigerië. In hoofstuk twee word die beskikbare inheemse kennisbronne ondersoek, naamlik spreekwoorde, volksverhale, storievertelling, mites, volksliedjies, tradisionele speletjies, raaisels en legendes, asook die mondelinge tradisie waarin hierdie bronne opgesluit lê. In hoofstuk drie word konstruktivisme, deelnemende leer en speel as belangrike komponente in hierdie praktykgeleide studie ondersoek waarin toneelskepping as ʼn leermetode aangewend word. In konstruktivisme met Dewey as belangrike figuur word leer as interaktief en betrokke beskou aangesien leerders medeskeppers is in die proses van kennisskepping. Konstruktivisme beklemtoon samewerking, probleemoplossing en die ervaring van die leerders. Hierdie denkskool daag die formele of tradisionele opvoedkundige filosofie uit waarin klem gelê word op die oordrag van ʼn vasgestelde liggaam van kennis deur opvoeders na leerders in ʼn hoogs geformaliseerde konteks met ʼn bo-na-onder benadering. Die kognitiewe konstruktivistiese teorie van Bruner en Piaget, Vygotsky se sosiale konstruktivisme en Von Glaserfeld se radikale konstruktivisme is ook relevant tot hierdie studie. Deelnemende leer as vrywillig en met aktiewe betrokkenheid soos gesien in die filosofie van Freire berus op dieselfde beginsel. Speel is in hierdie studie belangrik aangesien baie navorsers speel ondersteun as ʼn bron van leer aangesien speel ʼn interaktiewe ruimte skep en as ʼn vorm van sosiale inlywing, kulturele uitdrukking en kennisoordrag dien. Speel is nie net vir kinders ʼn genotvolle en spontane aktiwiteit nie, maar lewer ook ʼn merkbare bydrae tot hulle opvoeding en ontwikkeling. Speel vorm dus die basis van toneelskepping as ʼn opvoedkundige drama-aktiwiteit waarin konstruktivisme en die verbandhoudende deelnemende leer gekombineer word. Hoofstuk vier ondersoek die drie verskillende benaderings tot opvoedkundige drama: Kreatiewe Drama en Toneelskepping, Drama-in-die-Onderwys en die geïntegreerde benadering waarin die verskillende benaderings gekombineer word. Die doel van Kreatiewe Drama en Toneelskepping is om elke kind die geleentheid te gee tot selfuitdrukking, die kreatiewe verbeelding te lei en ʼn ordelike emosionele uitlating te skep. Drama-in die-Onderwys gebruik drama as ʼn onderrig- en leermetode. In die praktykgeleide veldwerk soos beskryf in hoofstuk vyf word die gekombineerde benadering aangewend deur storievertelling, improvisasie en rolspel as kreatiewe middele in toneeelskepping aan te wend. Die bevindinge in hoofstuk ses dui op die effektiwiteit van Ibibio inheemse kennisbronne wat deur middel van toneelskepping omskep is om jong kinders in geselekteerde skole in Nigerië se Akwa Ibom staat in tradisionele waardes en sosiale vaardighede te onderrig. Deur verskillende lae van ondersoek, ʼn veldeksperiment en uitgebreide ontleding, kon hierdie studie bevind dat die aanwending van inheemse kennisbronne die leerervaring van kinders kan verander tot optimale voordeel van die kind en die gemeenskap.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Drama in education, Ibibio (African people) -- Social life and customs, Ibibio (African people) -- Folklore, Play-crafting as learning method, Indigenous knowledge resources, UCTD
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