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Archives of Business Research – Vol. 13, No. 03
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
DOI:10.14738/abr.1303.18436.
Catherine, U. C. (2025). Management of Indigenous Knowledge and Quality Education Delivery in Public Senior Secondary Schools
in Rivers State, Nigeria. Archives of Business Research, 13(03). 128-136.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Management of Indigenous Knowledge and Quality Education
Delivery in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State,
Nigeria
Ukala Chinyere Catherine
Department of Educational Management
Faculty of Education University of Port Harcourt
ABSTRACT
The study investigated management of indigenous knowledge and quality
education delivery in senior secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria. Three
objectives, three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The
study adopted correlational research design. The population for this study
consisted of the 313 principals in 313 public senior secondary schools in Rivers
State. The sample size used for the study was 313 respondents using census
sampling technique. The instruments for data collection are two self-structured
questionnaires titled “Management of Indigenous Knowledge Questionnaire and
Quality Education Delivery Questionnaire with 30 items. The reliability coefficient
of management of indigenous knowledge was .86 and quality education delivery
was .87 while utilization of indigenous knowledge was .83 and strategies to improve
indigenous knowledge was .89 using Cronbach method. The research questions
were answered using simple regression statistics, while t-test was used to test the
hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings among others showed that
management of indigenous knowledge contributed to quality education delivery by
21.8% while the hypothesis showed that management of indigenous knowledge
significantly contributed to quality education delivery in senior secondary schools
in Rivers State.
Keywords: Management, Indigenous, Knowledge, Education
INTRODUCTION
Indigenous knowledge is seen as the philosophy, skill and culture which constitute a way of life
developed over the years by local communities through historical interactions with their
natural environment. This interaction plays a crucial role in the ways they handle the challenges
of life. However, contemporary discourse in education increasingly recognises the importance
of contextually relevant knowledge systems for improving teaching and learning outcomes
(Battiste, 2020; UNESCO, 2017). In many postcolonial societies such as Nigeria, indigenous
knowledge – that is, the body of cultural, environmental, and communal insights passed down
through generations often remains underutilized or sidelined in formal school curricula
(Clarke, 2020; Jacob, and Samuel, 2020). When effectively managed and integrated into
teaching practices, indigenous knowledge can serve as a powerful foundation upon which
students build cultural identity and achieve deeper academic engagement. However, many
schools remain reliant on lecture-dominant methods that often overlook local knowledge
systems and innovative technological methods of instruction (Habler, 2019) which remains
silent or ignored in the field of development. In Rivers State, significant heterogeneity in
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Catherine, U. C. (2025). Management of Indigenous Knowledge and Quality Education Delivery in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State,
Nigeria. Archives of Business Research, 13(03). 128-136.
URL: http://doi.org/10.14738/abr.1303.18436
cultural practices and resource distribution complicates the implementation of new
pedagogical models (Eric & Ezeugo, 2019).
Although government initiatives encourage the use of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) tools, teacher proficiency in such technologies and awareness of indigenous
pedagogical strengths are unevenly distributed (Othieno et al., 2024). This gap underscores the
urgency for research exploring the practical ramifications of combining indigenous education
strategies with modern technology to advance student learning and cultural appreciation.
Overcoming this gap necessitates a deliberate management of local knowledge resources,
encompassing systematic documentation, teacher training, and alignment with national
educational policies. This study therefore explores how managing indigenous knowledge can
enhance the overall quality of education in Rivers State’s public secondary schools.
Despite Underpinning this study was a combination of constructivist theory and sociocultural
learning theory (Vygotsky, 2022; Battiste, 2020). Constructivism suggests that learners form
knowledge most effectively when actively engaged (Nwankwo et al.,2024; Ukala et al., 2023)
and encouraged to connect new information to prior experiences and cultural contexts (Hattie,
2023). Socio-cultural learning theory emphasises how cultural practices, beliefs, and social
interactions shape cognitive development. By effectively managing (i.e., collecting,
documenting, archiving, and disseminating) indigenous knowledge, teachers can leverage local
contexts to make formal education more relevant, thus promoting deeper comprehension and
long-term retention (Darling-Hammond, 2020).
Management of Indigenous Knowledge
Management of indigenous knowledge refers to the systematic processes involved in
identifying, preserving, transferring, and appropriately utilising local cultural and community
wisdom within educational settings (Battiste, 2020; Brown, 2017). Indigenous education draws
on local languages, traditions, and problem-solving strategies passed down through
generations (Battiste, 2020). Research indicates that students exposed to culturally relevant
content often demonstrate higher motivation, better attendance, and improved conceptual
understanding (Jebson, 2023). In Nigeria, the prevalence of diverse ethnic groups underscores
the potential richness that local knowledge systems bring to the classroom if harnessed
appropriately (Clarke, 2020). However, a persistent challenge lies in training teachers to
effectively document and adapt indigenous knowledge for contemporary curricula while
maintaining cultural authenticity and integrity.
Quality Education Delivery Secondary Schools
Quality education typically features engaging pedagogy, relevant curriculum, adequate
resources, and meaningful learning outcomes (UNESCO, 2017; Slavin, 2018). In the context of
Rivers State, these indicators must align with the local environment and cultural heritage if
lessons are to resonate with learners. Scholars argue that indigenous knowledge management
can be a catalyst for higher-order thinking and better performance, provided there is
administrative support, community engagement, and ongoing professional development to
guide implementation.
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Archives of Business Research (ABR) Vol. 13, Issue 03, March-2025
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Empirical Evidence and Gaps
Although recent policy documents highlight the importance of cultural relevance in Nigerian
schools (Jacob & Samuel, 2020), integrating with systems with modern pedagogical tools to
foster meaningful learning experiences (Habler, 2019; UNESCO, 2017). Despite promising
theoretical frameworks, empirical data on such integrative approaches in Rivers State,
integrating the active management of indigenous knowledge remain sparse. Additionally, while
some schools have embraced pockets of technology usage or introduced cultural elements,
systematic exploration of their combined effect on students’ performance is lacking (Eric &
Ezeugo, 2019). With these observations, a thorough investigation is essential to determine how
teacher practices, administrative policies, and community collaborations can institutionalize
indigenous knowledge management and, by extension, elevate the quality of education in
Rivers State.
Challenges in the Management of Indigenous Knowledge
Challenges are instruments that hinder the actualization of organizational goals and objective.
There are several challenge befalling the management of indigenous knowledge for quality
educational delivery in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. One of the major issues
in managing indigenous knowledge generally is language barriers; for instance in Rivers State,
there are language barriers due to more than ten ethnic languages that it becomes a problem
of which one to be introduced during instrumental delivery.
Indigenous knowledge of often transmitted orally and lack formal written documentation. This
has the effect of making it loose valuable information over time especially as the older
generation translates. Moreover, indigenous knowledge most time resists to change, minding
adaptation to new technologies and the knowledge to remain the way their ancestors that used
it. It also includes sensitivity respect and access to indigenous common and digital divide
among others.
Strategies in the Management of Indigenous Knowledge
The environment where we line is dynamic. Civilized society employs all available knowledge
at their disposal whether such knowledge is documented or acquired. Knowledge Is an
important procedure factors any civilized society must recognize. It could be acquired through
experience, oral transition, folk tales or education. It could be by perception, discovery,
experience or learning something in the school system of such Environment that ensure
students are impacted upon with necessary tradition, culture, skills, ethics, thou among others
which they will in turn use to impact on the society positively. Every culture has a procedure
for carrying out its activities efficiently to achieve its goals and objectives.
As a result there are strategies that enable teachers as well as government to play the role
effectively.
1. Development of the child’s physical skills Character through moral training.
2. Development of intellectual and Social skill of the learner.
3. To acquire specific vocational training among the youth for self reliance.
4. To develop healthy attitude towards labour high integrity, accountability and
transparency