African proverbs as pedagogical tools in the contemporary education system

Abstract

Recently, there have been calls for the decolonisation of education in Africa to promote a culturally relevant, inclusive and appealing education system. African proverbs, as a component of indigenous knowledge system (IKS), are a cultural template and framework through which African societies leave an indelible mark. The beauty of proverbs lies in their relevance, which includes being a way of impacting wisdom, education and morality. Hence, considering the experiences of colonisation by African countries, displaced and consequently replaced African identity and the call for decolonisation across the education system, this study aims to explore and appraise the relevance of African proverbs in education. This study employs a qualitative research design which is underpinned by textual and interpretative analyses of selected Yoruba proverbs. Among other things, it is observed that the content and instructional component of these proverbs can reorient learners on the importance of education, provide a moral and culturally inclusive education and aid reflective learning and easy understanding of abstract ideas. This study concludes that the application of proverbs by educators can be a useful tool in enhancing the teaching and learning process and cultivating good character.