Mending the Epistemic Wall for Preservice Teachers through the Integration of African Indigenous Knowledge in Social Sciences

The paper investigates ways social science preservice teachers can be prepared to integrate African Indigenous Knowledge into their social sciences teaching. The paper follows a conceptual methodology to advance the concepts and arguments around the integration of African Indigenous knowledge in social sciences. The paper advances two significant arguments. Firstly, it submits that there is an epistemic wall that is structural, ideological and cultural that impedes social sciences preservice teachers from being prepared to integrate African indigenous knowledge in social sciences teaching. Secondly, it contends that the unpreparedness of these teachers and the lack of integration of social sciences in classrooms further delay the integration of AIKS. Teacher Education Social Sciences programmes, and the Social Sciences school curriculum are the main contributors to the lack of integration of African Indigenous knowledge in Social Sciences lessons. Following the methodological and regional limitations of the study, the findings provide tentative inclusions which should be further investigated through empirical research methods. The insights furnished in this study can aid in guiding the social sciences teacher education and preservice teachers on how to integrate the African Indigenous Knowledge in their social sciences practice