Culturally relevant education and training for communities: A review

Abstract

Inclusion of people's cultural background in education and training is crucial for development. This article considers involvement of learning institutions in communities as a way of sharing cultural values. There is need for culture in aspects of education and training. This can only be realized by integrating communities' culture in generating knowledge and skills. Education and training change people's behaviour which has an implication on how people relate to their culture. It is important to provide education and training which are reflective of people's culture. This is a way of enabling people to embrace it, wholly. This paper points out the need for institutions of learning to collaborate with communities in a bid not only to learn from one another, but also to collectively share and find solutions to prevailing problems. Learning institutions are urged to use approaches that enable communities to fully participate in activities conducted in their areas. Communities should not be used for selfish gain, but to develop them to acceptable levels. Culturally relevant education (CRE) is a terminology espoused by researchers and academics. It makes a synergy between CRE and training for communities. This paper addresses relationship between education and training, effect of education, training for community responsibility and how to involve it in its own education. This is done against the backdrop that people are educated and trained but fails to make meaningful contributions to improving their own lives as well as those of other communities. What is surprising is that there is little being done in some cases to support this and systematically lead to its realisation. Among other thought-provoking questions, the article raises the following: i) Why is the education and training that some receive fail to have a trickle-down effect? ii) Is it because institutions of learning are focusing on education alone, leaving the aspect of training? The article advocates for institutions of learning to consider education and training of people (the community) as crucial aspects of development.

Mutual Knowledge Between Spouses About Their Characteristics and Its Relationship to Their Educational Level, Jourdan

“…the level of knowledge of the husband's characteristics according to the educational level and in favor of those with higher education and at a high level. This corroborates with the tenets of culturally relevant education for emancipation of communities espoused by Banda & Mpolomoka (2018). It is also consistent with the findings of a study by Watd & Hamida (2018).…”

“…This is consistent with the study by Power (2020). The researchers further question the role culturally relevant education (Loscocco & Walzer, 2013;Banda & Mpolomoka, 2018;Papp, 2018) can play in harmonizing, harnessing and grooming husbands and wives to better appreciate one another's characteristics and gain more knowledge or/about one another.…”

Adapting Fadel’s Four-Dimensional Education Model in Teaching and Learning Civic Education In 21st Century Zambia

“…In Chu (2017), Fadel contended that younger generations need to receive training that enables them to meet tomorrow's challenges. This corroborates with what Banda and Mpolomoka (2018) advanced that "in Zambia, decontextualized education provision has equipped some people with knowledge and skills not applicable in their own communities. Education viewed in this sense delineates people from their own communities."…”

“…In this regard, teachers and teacher-educators should consider the integration of Fadel's fourdimensional education in the teaching and learning process. Young people should not only be academic masters, but should have an educational experience that develops their social and emotional learning competencies like self-awareness and relationship skills which are the foundation of later workplace skills (Banda and Mpolomoka, 2018).…”

Teaching Comprehensive Sexuality Education at Secondary School: Towards Promoting Healthy Sexual Decisions among Pupils, Luapula Province, Zambia

“…An open-ended interview guide helped to collect data from pupils and teachers. The tool helped the researchers obtain data with a sense of objectivity, validity and reliability, on one hand, and on the other, it helped the researchers to collect in-depth data (Creswell, & Plano Clark, 2011; Banda, et al (2018).…”