Identifying indigenous conceptions and assessment criteria of intelligence for integration into Zambia school curriculum.
Date
2020
Authors
Simatende, Barnabas
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Psychometric measures of intelligence, which are grounded in early 20th century psychological
investigations of intelligence in Europe and USA, are established means of assessing intelligence
across many contemporary societies. In Zambia, schools, hospitals and employment opportunities
use adopted Western assessments of intelligence to classify, sort, and rank children and candidates
in relation to opportunities in life. Yet African communities have well developed, and culturally
embedded motivational and cognitive assessment systems ensconced in a single curriculum that
integrates skill and knowledge about all aspects of life and which was traditionally implemented
in the child’s daily routine and as a preparation for successful life in community (Nsamenang,
2006, Akinsola, 2011).
A qualitative hermeneutic research was conducted that explored embedded traditional cultural
motivational and cognitive assessment practices through which child intelligence is assessed among
the 7 major language groups of Zambia - Lozi, Tonga, Chewa, Luvale, Kaonde, Bemba and Lunda.
Findings reveal that in indigenous Zambian cultures, primarily there are two types of intelligenceinnate and acquired, explicitly highlighted among the Bemba and the Lozi as: Chifyalilwa and
Ngana tanu (innate), and Mambulwa and Ngana takuwanina (acquired), respectively. Innate
intelligence is recognized as intelligence that children are born with or as natural potency,
capacity or powers that need only to be actualized through an appropriate education system and
assessment criteria that are tailored towards their abstraction and actualization. Acquired
intelligence on the other hand is intelligence that children acquire from social interaction and
formal school systems. Whereas formal school system ensures a child’s fuller participation in
universal educational standards of successful learning, intelligence acquired in indigenous
knowledge system is basic and essential as it is tailored towards the promotion of basic survival
skills while maintaining harmony of all in society.
Certain commonalities were detected across the seven language groups. According to each
group’s cultural belief system, certain established concepts of intelligence must be elucidated,
activated and/or elaborated through a social culturally appropriate learning system. In each
group’s cultural belief-system the appropriate learning system must follow the hierarchy of innate
characteristics of intelligence that must be actualized.
Each cultural belief system specifies characteristics of intelligence that are necessary for the
development of a child and the wellbeing of society. These characteristics of intelligence are
nurtured through indigenous childcare practices.
When relevant indigenous childcare practices associated with developing psychosocial skills
among children are included in the ECE curriculum, student retention and success may be
enhanced in these centers and in subsequent higher levels of education. Community acceptance of
the general formal school system would likely improve. A curriculum review could incorporate
appropriate findings from this research and improve the current state of affairs whereby many
children in Sub-Saharan Africa leave school pre-maturely or perform poorly in academic tasks
such as reading and mathematics and are assessed at primary school level as incapable of
undertaking formal school education. Learning from and incorporating indigenous educational
practices into formal school systems across Africa will further increase the current value and
meaning of formal education.
Description
Thesis (PhD)
Keywords
Children--Intelligence levels--Study and teaching. , Child rearing. , Children--Intelligence testing. , Assessing intelligence--Children and adolescents. , Psychometrics.