School Knowledge and Its Relevance to Everyday Life in Rural Western Kenya
This article examines the relevance of school knowledge in the context of everyday life using ethnographic data collected among primary schoolchildren and adults in rural western Kenya. Using the concept of the educated person as an analytical construct, it is shown how children in rural western Ke...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nordic Africa Research Network
2006-12-01
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| Series: | Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| Online Access: | https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/35 |
| _version_ | 1797696398426112000 |
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| author | W. Onyango-Ouma |
| author_facet | W. Onyango-Ouma |
| author_sort | W. Onyango-Ouma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This article examines the relevance of school knowledge in the context of everyday life using ethnographic data collected among primary schoolchildren and adults in rural western Kenya. Using the concept of the educated person as an analytical construct, it is shown how children in rural western Kenya aspire to become educated and to acquire school knowledge to increase their chances of success in everyday life. Adults acknowledge the importance of school knowledge in everyday life and take pride in their children attending school. School knowledge is believed to transform and change children and the status of the educated person draws its importance from the relevance of education in everyday life. The extent to which school knowledge is relevant or not, including the relevant aspects are discussed. It is concluded that education programmes should strive to meet both cognitive and immediate functional needs of the learners in everyday life.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:25:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3f073a710a6d45e393f18e952f50025c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1459-9465 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:25:49Z |
| publishDate | 2006-12-01 |
| publisher | Nordic Africa Research Network |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f073a710a6d45e393f18e952f50025c2023-09-03T13:37:58ZengNordic Africa Research NetworkNordic Journal of African Studies1459-94652006-12-0115310.53228/njas.v15i3.35School Knowledge and Its Relevance to Everyday Life in Rural Western KenyaW. Onyango-Ouma This article examines the relevance of school knowledge in the context of everyday life using ethnographic data collected among primary schoolchildren and adults in rural western Kenya. Using the concept of the educated person as an analytical construct, it is shown how children in rural western Kenya aspire to become educated and to acquire school knowledge to increase their chances of success in everyday life. Adults acknowledge the importance of school knowledge in everyday life and take pride in their children attending school. School knowledge is believed to transform and change children and the status of the educated person draws its importance from the relevance of education in everyday life. The extent to which school knowledge is relevant or not, including the relevant aspects are discussed. It is concluded that education programmes should strive to meet both cognitive and immediate functional needs of the learners in everyday life. https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/35 |
| spellingShingle | W. Onyango-Ouma School Knowledge and Its Relevance to Everyday Life in Rural Western Kenya Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| title | School Knowledge and Its Relevance to Everyday Life in Rural Western Kenya |
| title_full | School Knowledge and Its Relevance to Everyday Life in Rural Western Kenya |
| title_fullStr | School Knowledge and Its Relevance to Everyday Life in Rural Western Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | School Knowledge and Its Relevance to Everyday Life in Rural Western Kenya |
| title_short | School Knowledge and Its Relevance to Everyday Life in Rural Western Kenya |
| title_sort | school knowledge and its relevance to everyday life in rural western kenya |
| url | https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/35 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wonyangoouma schoolknowledgeanditsrelevancetoeverydaylifeinruralwesternkenya |