A culturally responsive pedagogy: identity, place, and voice in contemporary schooling in Kenya

Abstract

<p>The aim of this paper is to report on the use of a culturally responsive pedagogy in Kenya. For countries such as Kenya that were colonised, the global North has continued to influence education in the global South. The education system in Kenya reflects a curriculum based on the British curriculum and context which is foreign to the Gīkūyū way of life. Four schools were selected for the study. Eight teachers in Phase 1 and five teachers in Phase 2 were interviewed. The research was conducted in Central Kenya where the population practices Gīkūyū culture. A case study format was used in the study. Thematic analysis was used to identify the themes. The findings showed that teachers used Indigenous values and practices such as storytelling, language, songs, the circle, family relationships, and teamwork in their teaching because they recognised that the curriculum was promoting Western values and culture. The use of Indigenous values and practices gave students and teachers a voice and a sense of identity in their culture and place. This paper will demonstrate the value of using a culturally responsive pedagogy in the global South and how Australia can benefit from case studies from the global South that demonstrate how Indigenous people’s identity, voice, and connection to place can be embedded in the curriculum. The research demonstrates the value of receiving both Western and Indigenous education for culturally diverse communities. There is a power imbalance when culturally diverse communities in multicultural countries receive a curriculum that ignores or silences their cultures. A culturally responsive pedagogy connects the students to their culture and their way of knowing. Indigenous knowledge and Western knowledge can coexist in the classroom. The implications for practice include the need for universities and policymakers to include a culturally responsive pedagogy in pre-service teacher curriculum and in the school curriculum respectively. </p>