Exploring Methodologies for Researching Indigenous Knowledge of Plant Healing for Integration into Classroom Science: Insights Related to the Data Collection Phase

Abstract

This article forms part of a major study being conducted in Zimbabwe to explore the possibilities of integrating indigenous knowledge of plant healing (Ikoph) into western-oriented classroom science. The article reports on an aspect of research methodology. This study explored appropriate strategies for gaining access to indigenous knowledge holders, and for generating indigenous knowledge data from these knowledge holders. It is a descriptive study rooted in an African indigenous research methodology. Data were generated through field-noted observations and audio-recorded conversations with 12 participants during the phases of attaining access and of data generation. The findings demonstrated that the participants hold a solid spiritual worldview alongside that of western science and Christianity. Ikoph occupies these participants' metaphysical knowledge zone, although when asked they initially display western science and Christian worldviews related to plant healing. The use of the knowledge holders' language, terminology and metaphors, and of socio-cultural research protocols and methods, was pivotal in accessing the indigenous knowledge of plant healing. It also emerged that spirits play a central role in penetrating this metaphysical knowledge zone. It is argued that classical interpretive research approaches are constricting research involving indigenous knowledge. A shift from such approaches to those that accommodate unique aspects of spirituality, language, methods and protocols of the researched-that is, indigenous African interpretive approaches-is being called for.

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