Until recently, there have been different and sometimes conflicting views on whether or not the communal land tenure system (CLTS) has a positive or negative impact on rural economic welfare. This study analyses some trends associated with the CLTS in the Ditsobotla area of the NorthWest province, focusing on the implications for rural economic welfare. The results of the study suggest that the CLTS is extremely important in order to sustain the rural economy, and therefore this dissertation presents developmental, policy and research options for consideration by government and other affected stakeholders for the betterment of the livelihood of people in the Ditsobotla area. The study adopts participatory research techniques in the selected villages of Springbokpan and Mooifontein. It also reflects on land tenure experiences in other African countries. The dissertation concludes with a suggestion that the South African government should engage in in-depth research programmes prior to the implementation of the envisaged communal land tenure reform legislation and that, the state should secure sufficient funding to boost agricultural activities in the area. Taking all these factors into account, a view is held that all developmental endeavours in the area must be informed by the collective participation of the affected local people, and their efforts must be united for the enhancement of their livelihood. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Museums and schools evolved as the definition of the concept of education to describe a lifelong process of developing knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that take place not only in the classroom, but also in a variety of formal and informal contexts and settings. In order to fulfil and extend the potential of the partnership, museum educators and school teachers should be assisted to develop a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the museum-school collaboration. They should learn the difference between museums and classrooms. When the Botswana National Museum was established in 1968, the Botswana government aspired to avail information relating to Botswana customs, indigenous knowledge system and values to Botswana‘s future citizens, with the hope that the information and artefacts collected at the time would retell the story of Botswana to learners and the public alike. The Botswana National Museum, through its educational programmes, has the capability to help educate learners; make teaching and learning an exciting undertaking; and provide the opportunities for hands-on activities and interaction with real objects. In order to address the research question posed for this study, the researcher conducted open-ended interviews with a sample comprising 40 participants: 10 teachers, 10 learners, 10 museum employees and 10 curriculum developers. The data collected from the interviews were decoded and presented in narrative form. The responses were presented using three identified categories: the curriculum development process in Botswana; the typical learner activities in the classroom and in the Botswana National Museum; and collaboration between the Botswana National Museum and schools. The data analysis revealed that the curriculum development process in Botswana was exclusively done by curriculum developers. Learners, teachers and museum employees were not involved. The Botswana National Museum‘s education programmes are not familiar to all role-players. All role-players were positive regarding a possible collaboration with the Botswana National Museum. Generic and specific recommendations were put forward to this end. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

The founding documents for a new, democratic South Africa adopted a more inclusive and people-driven approach to innovation. The literature and policy analysis reveals a „shift‟ away from this approach to a more market-driven, exclusivist approach to innovation. R&D (research and development) and technology-driven innovation had been institutionalised at the expense of social, cultural and indigenous innovations. This „shift‟ limits the potential of innovation to benefit a wider segment of society. The absence of a „model‟ of innovation that exploits the strengths of all forms of innovation runs the risk of defeating the normative intentions of the founding innovation policies of the new, post-Apartheid and democratic South Africa. The OECD, from which South Africa „inherited‟ its notion of innovation, acknowledges the shortcomings of the technological innovation and calls for a conceptual framework that will address the shortcomings of the dominant, exclusivist notion of innovation. This inquiry was conducted to investigate an appropriate conceptual framework of innovation that would contribute towards achieving normative policy intentions of post-Apartheid South Africa. It employed a grounded theory design that used semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, observations and cooperative inquiry. The data analysed suggest the following propositions: 1. Thesis 1: Innovation is constrained by the dominant science and technology paradigm. 2. Thesis 2: Inclusive and integrative innovation cannot exist within an exclusivist innovation paradigm. 3. Thesis 3: Transforming an exclusivist paradigm into an inclusivist paradigm requires change at constitutive level and not just at regulatory level.4. Thesis 4: Synthesising an inclusive and integrative innovation requires creativity, open dialogue and imagination. Against the above propositions, this thesis recommends a conceptual framework that is underpinned by an inclusive and integrative paradigm. Such a framework proposes transformative actions that have potential to achieve normative policy intentions of post-Apartheid South Africa. Further research into a constitutive design for an inclusive and integrative innovation policies and practices is recommended. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

The integration of modern science and indigenous knowledge systems in the science education curriculum for South African schools represents social justice for the majority of South Africans as they determine the knowledge necessary for themselves and for future generations in the new South Africa. An exploratory research reveals tension and a dichotomous relationship between modern science and IKS, caused by false hierarchies that are influenced by factors such as colonialism, capitalism and modernisation to the exclusion of the core values held by indigenous people in their relationship with nature. The thesis demonstrates that the integration requires an epistemology that puts humanity first and a framework that accommodates both ways of knowing. This should allow for the best in the two systems of knowing to serve humanity in a dialogical manner. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

Despite decades of development efforts to combat desertification processes in southern Zimbabwe, a development deadlock occurs. Using the local knowledge systems as a basis, and making an effort to strategically facilitate the revival of their capacity for checks and balances as a development approach, endogenous development could become more realistic. The actor-oriented RAAKS.methodology offers relevant tools for a case study'in which an insight into the processes of innovation is obtained in order to confirm this. The Charurnbira case study shows that many local interfaces hinder development. Although the facilitation of platform processes could enhance endogenous development, the external environment provides a serious constraint. The method employed did ndt permit broad conclusions, but a deeper examination of recent experiences suggested that by giving local people a greater say in natural resource use, local knowledge could be utilized more effectively and better use could be made of traditional management structures. / Development Administration / M.A. (Development Administration)

This dissertation on negating, resisting or affirming cosmological principle towards an African humanism leadership theory and model has evolved through an embryonic process that arose from the research ‘itch’ as regards the way in which post-colonial African leadership has been critiqued. This research ‘itch’ also focused on how the postcolonial leadership in Africa, were trail blazers in formulating liberation philosophies and ideologies that did not, unfortunately, translate into sustainable peace and development. Thus, this dissertation has been a journey of immersion into the public and macro-level discourse contained in pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial African leadership case studies. This enriching journey revealed a postcolonial African leadership which had focused on ideologies and philosophies and had deviated from the spirituality embedded in indigenous cosmologies and knowledge systems. Hence, this dissertation examines relevant cosmological principles embedded in indigenous cosmologies and knowledge systems for analysing African leadership; for the embryonic process that begins with the universal humanism perspective of African leadership, cognitive justice and transformation by enlargement, and basic African humanism perspectives. Thus, this study examines cognitive justice as the enabler of indigenous cosmologies and transformation by enlargement as the enabler of indigenous knowledge systems, both of which provide relevant cosmological principles for analysing African leadership. In addition, the dissertation analyses indigenous cosmologies and knowledge systems from the African continent in an effort to distinguish between the various forms of leadership found in Africa and to generate an African humanism leadership theory and model. The indigenous cosmologies and knowledge systems in this dissertation are from four regions in Africa, namely, North Africa (Egypt); West Africa (Ghana-Akan); the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia) and Southern Africa (Bantu). The methodologies used in the study include Afrikology and critical discourse analysis and enabled the research study to ascertain whether cosmological principles embedded in indigenous cosmologies and knowledge systems are relevant for analysing African leadership. Critical discourse analysis enabled the geographic triangulation of African leadership and the indigenous cosmologies and knowledge systems, thus resulting in the development of the African humanism leadership theory and model of individual dualism leadership. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

Today, unlike yesterday we talk about Moral Regeneration amongst the Vhavenḓa youth of today and throughout the whole world. Strategies of combating this monster that is snatching our youth are recommended in this study. The problem dealt with in this study is the issue of Moral degeneration amongst the youth which needs to be regenerated. There are many causes of moral degeneration amongst the youth discussed in this study which are accompanied by the remedial strategies. As a way forward in this study, observations of researchers and scholars on how to find the solution about moral degeneration that has impacted on the lives of Vhavenḓa youth and other youth of today around the globe were focused on. The literature review in this study was based more on issues that are linked to Indigenous Knowledge Systems as discussed by various scholars. This study used the qualitative research methodology though quantitative minimally. The sampling of data was more purposive though there were cases of convenience and snowballing so as to get more data. Data for this research study was collected through questionnaires and interviews from a host of interviewees. This data was analysed using open and axial coding. The findings were grouped or categorised into major themes in terms of selective coding. Reasons behind the findings were explained too. Finally, consequences, implications for further study and also recommendations were indicated. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African languages)

Thesis (PhD (Dept. of Forest and Wood Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyze under which conditions the structure, organization and integration of knowledge systems can provide the implementation of adaptive collaborative management of natural resources under conditions of high biodiversity in the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. The study specifically did the following: characterized sustainable slash-and-burn agriculture innovations; examined the influences of local perceptions of nature and forest knowledge management systems on adaptive slash-and-burn agriculture practices; analyzed the influences of the social representation of land use patterns and their local indicators on agro-ecological sustainability; characterised the biophysical dimensions of local management of agricultural biodiversity knowledge systems; analyzed how local agricultural biodiversity knowledge is used to adapt and to satisfy household consumption needs, market preferences, and sustainable livelihoods; examined the influences of local perceptions of climate variability for the ability and adaptive capacity of people to use local knowledge to deal with the effect of pests-diseases on crop yield, corrective management actions, and adaptive slash-and-burn agriculture management. The study was conducted in three blocks within the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon along a gradient of natural resource use management intensification and population density. Data were collected via structured and semi-structured interviews, multi-disciplinary landscape assessment and a review of secondary information. Chisquare tests were used to show how local knowledge influences - natural resource management at the forest-agriculture interface, while binary logistic regressions were used to understand the influences of biophysical and socio-economic factors on farmers’ decisions to domesticate tree species and to cultivate several crop cultivars. Fourteen research and development (R&D) themes were identified and found to be equally distributed among blocks but unequally distributed across technical, marketing and socio-organisational types of innovation. There was a gap between social demand and innovation offer. Innovations offered covered more technical issues, such as crop variety development, indicating their agricultural focus rather than the integration of forest and agriculture issues. The local perceptions of nature and forest resources are based on social representation of the vital space into components having a specific function for the social, physical and spiritual life of people. Needs of the human world determine the role of local forest knowledge systems in the interpretation and responses of the natural environment, and guide the trajectories of natural resource management practices. The management of agro-ecological sustainability is based on the local definition of well-being, social representation of space and on a multi-criteria approach combining bio-indicators such as plants, earthworm activities, age of vegetation or forest cover, soil colour and quality but it is also positively influenced by land use history, the use value of wild plant and crop species, the knowledge of crop qualities, the knowledge of interactions between crops, and between crops and other wild plant species, the tree size of tree species used, the future use of a current land use, the estimated land use for own use and market access. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal onder watter omstandighede die struktuur, organisasie en integrasie van kennissisteme kan bydra tot die implementering van aanpasbare deelnemende bestuur van natuurlike hulpbronne onder toestande van hoë biodiversiteit in die vogtige woudsone van suidelike Kameroen. Die studie het spesifiek die volgende gedoen: volhoubare kap-en-brand landboukundige ontwikkelinge gekarakteriseer; die invloede van plaaslike persepsies van die natuur en woudkennisgebaseerde bestuursisteme op aanpasbare kap-en-brand landboupraktyke ge-evalueer; die invloede van die sosiale verteenwoordiging van grondgebruikspatrone en hul plaaslike indikatore op agro-ekologiese volhoubaarheid ontleed; die biofisiese dimensies van die plaaslike bestuur van landboukundige biodiversiteitskennissisteme gekarakteriseer; geanaliseer hoe die plaaslike landboukundige biodiversiteitskennis gebruik word om aan te pas by en bevrediging te verkry vir huishoudelike gebruiksbehoeftes, marksvoorkeure en volhoubare bestaansbehoeftes; die invloede en gebruik van plaaslike kennis en persepsies van klimaatsvariasie beoordeel in die vermoë en aanpassingskapasiteit van mense om die effekte van siektes-peste op gewasproduksie, regstellende aksies en aanpasbare kap-enbrand landboubestuur te hanteer. Die studie is uitgevoer in drie blokke binne die vogtige woudsone van suidelike Kameroen langs ‘n gradient van natuurlike hulpbrongebruiksbestuursintensiteit en populasiedigtheid. Data is versamel deur gestruktureerde en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, multi-dissiplinere landskapsevaluering en ‘n oorsig van sekondere inligting. Chi-kwadraat toetse is gebruik om te wys hoe plaaslike kennis die bestuur van die woudlandbou konneksie beinvloed asook binêre logistiese regressies om die invloede te verstaan van biofisiese en sosio-ekonomiese faktore op die boere se besluite om boomsoorte te domestikeer en om verskeie gewaskultivars te kweek. Veertien temas in navorsing en ontwikkeling (N&O) was gelyk versprei tussen die blokke en ongelyk versprei tussen tegniese, bemarking en sosio-organisatoriese tipes innovering. Daar was ‘n gaping tussen sosiale aanvraag en innoveringsaanbieding. Innoverings het meer tegniese aspekte gedek, soos ontwikkeling van ‘n verskeidenheid gewasse, wat wys op ‘n landboukundige fokus eerder as ‘n integrasie van woud en landboukundige aspekte. Die plaaslike persepsies van die natuur en woudhulpbronne was gebaseer op sosiale verteenwoordiging van lewensbelangrike ruimte in komponente met ‘n spesifieke funksie vir die sosiale, fisiese en geestelike lewe van die mense. Behoeftes van die menslike wereld bepaal die rol van plaaslike woudkennissisteme in die interpretasie van en reaksie op die natuurlike omgewing, en rig die gebruik van hulpbronbestuurspraktyke. Die bestuur van agro-ekologiese volhoubaarheid is gebaseer op die plaaslike definisie van geluk, sosiale verteenwoordiging van ruimte en op ‘n multikriteria benadering wat bio-indikatore kombineer soos plante, erdwurmaktiwiteite, ouderdom van plantegroei- of woudbedekking, grondkleur- en kwaliteit, maar is ook positief beinvloed deur grondgebruiksgeskiedenis, die gebruikswaarde van natuurlike en gewassoorte, die kennis van gewaskwaliteite, die kennis van die interaksie tussen gewasse en tussen gewasse en natuurlike plantsoorte, die boomgrootte van boomsoorte wat gebruik word, die toekomstige gebruik van ‘n huidige grondgebruik, die beraamde grondgebruik vir eie gebruik en vir toegang tot die markte.

This study is a meta-analysis of the transformation of the curriculum for basic education in South Africa. The integration of indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) in the curriculum is one of the reconciliatory practices adopted in an effort to deal with the rights of indigenous people globally. The study analysed cases relating to IKSs and the curriculum in Canada for a case reference in juxtaposition with South Africa, in particular. Examples of cases drawn from elsewhere in the world have also been included briefly to justify the researcher’s claims for the urgent integration of IKSs into the curriculum, which complies with the human rights course of the rights of indigenous people. Cognitive imperialism – in the form of residential schools and their assimilation policies, which functioned in the context of an informal apartheid system as was the case in South Africa with Bantu education – has been an obstacle to transformation of the curriculum in the education system in Canada. However, the Canadian government of the day has been held to account for recognising the knowledge of the indigenous people (IP) of Canada. In South Africa, the curriculum continues to be characterised by the “mute” tendencies of perpetuating a colonial-type of curriculum, which is still being European in nature and is largely excluding African interests and cultural practices. The affirmation of the United Nations Organisation’s (UNO 2007) advocacy for recognising the rights of indigenous people by means of various international forums motivated a number of scholars globally to shift their attention to a research agenda on IP issues such as their IKSs in relation to education systems that should be transforming their curricular programmes. This study forms part of that indigenous research agenda by proposing that IKSs be integrated into the curriculum for basic education in South Africa, in response to the UNO’s declaration on crucial guidance to developing societies for transforming their education systems to include relevant curricula related to IP. The aim of this study is to explore ways in which the curriculum for basic education in South Africa can be transformed by, among other things, changing the paradigm of knowledge production through emerging concepts in developmental education and using, on the way to recovery, experiences of assimilation in the education system of South Africa, with reference to experiences from Canada, in particular, and elsewhere. An in-depth literature study relating to IKS perspectives of integration in the curriculum, and its implication for transformation in the basic education curriculum in South Africa, was done. The qualitative research approach was used and a cultural phenomenological design was used. Data were collected through a desk research, including pre-meta-analysis (PMA), meta-analysis (MA), in-depth desk research (IDR), and case studies (CSs). The collected data were investigated by means of a pre-meta-analysis, which demonstrated how the transdisciplinary approach can be used to immerse IKS in such a way that it may enable indigenous people to define their own perspectives instead of relying solely on Western research concepts of anthropology and history theorists, which have relegated IKSs to something “exotic”. The synthesis of data in this study “opened a window” to the researcher, which also assisted the researcher to understand the concept of “coming to knowing”1 as an antithesis of the language of conquest that is used in the hidden agenda of assimilation in a curriculum that continues to marginalise the representation of IKSs. The transformation of the curriculum in the education system of South Africa is a political initiative driven by government, by virtue of the establishment of the South African Chairs Initiative (SAChI) which has been entrusted with the task of developing education in the country in the different disciplines. One of the driving concepts of this particular chair, the South African Chair Initiative in Development Education (SAChI-DE), is the methodology of immersion that is based on the notion of “transformation by enlargement” (TbE). Using this methodology, the emergence of new concepts in transformative education is propagated, which, according to the findings of this study, may reverse the negative situation in which the indigenous worldviews is erased for indigenous learners (IL) throughout the world. The findings were used to invoke the attention of the Department of Basic Education (DBE), for them to consider validating the newly emerging concepts of the SAChI-DE, which can make a meaningful contribution to the guidelines for a suggested, Afriko-continuum curriculum for basic education at the foundation level. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / Ph. D. (Education)

This study was based on the Science and Indigenous Knowledge Systems Project (SIKSP) at the School of Science and Mathematics Education, University of the Western Cape. The project seeks to enhance educators’ understanding of and ability to implement a Science-IKS curriculum (Ogunniyi, 2007) through using the theoretical framework of argumentation (Toulmin Argument Pattern) to the extent that learners would value the significance of both worldviews. This study sought to find the effects of an Argumentation-Based Instruction on grade 10 learners’ understanding of the causes of pollution at a river site. Since the integration of Science and IKS are envisaged by Curriculum 2005 (C2005), two theoretical argumentation constructs have been used namely, Toulmin’s (1958) Argumentation Pattern (TAP) and Ogunniyi’s (1995) Contiguity Argumentation Theory (CAT).