Conceptualization of Curriculum in Africa

Education in Africa has become instrumental in promoting Western worldviews as universal. In other words, little attention has been given for its rich cultural heritages and indigenous knowledge in its education. To meet this challenge, various scholars suggest that making educational change particularly decolonizing school curriculum as vital. Hence, this requires an urgent need to conceptualize African education. Accordingly, this chapter focuses on conceptualization and approaches/model/s of Africanizing education particularly connected with curriculum. There is almost no curriculum approach/model that appropriately covers African experiences. In order to fill this void, new curriculum model known as CAI is suggested. CAI refers: Countrysization, Africanization, and Internationalization. Countrysization refers to the incorporation of pertinent local, regional (federal), and national issues of a given country. Africanization focuses on relevant/exemplar indigenous and non-indigenous African experiences. Internationalization represents exemplar or pertinent non-African experiences from the West (Europe, North America) as well as the South (Japan, China, Korea, etc.). The author of this book believes that the realization of this model becomes applicable when African concerned countries and organizations interact with one another. Involving related organizations in curriculum and research from Africa and abroad is vital. By and large Conceptualization of Curriculum in Africa also necessitates additional research and ongoing dialogues among notable African people, scholars, leaders, as well as other concerned scholars from the world.