Indigenous Educational Practices in East Africa: Typologies of Maasai Pastoralists' Indigenous Instructional Methods and Learning Approaches

Abstract

The Maasai pastoralists of East Africa are among the societies that still practice indigenous education, which is founded on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). The pastoralists have distinct indigenous instructional methods and learning approaches that enable them to transact and transmit IKS to their learners. In Maasai society, all people are instructors with the parents and grand-parents taking the lead. Data for this study was collected through interviews of the Maasai elders, Chiefs, Head teachers, youth as well as focus group discussions with secondary school students and direct observations by the researcher. The study established that indigenous Maasai instructional methods include: Telling/listening, imitation, observation and participation. Learning approaches include: Self-directed and interactive approaches. Instructional methods of learning approaches are employed singly or concurrently during lessons. The study further established that Maasai instructors evaluated learning outcomes through observational changes and competencies as well as listening to narratives and expressive skills by the learners.