Operationalization of Indigenous Knowledge in teaching general drawing principles in Engineering Graphics and Design
A global south perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33830/ijrse.v8i2.14446Keywords:
Engineering Graphics and Design, Drawing, Teachers, Indigenous Knowledge System, CultureAbstract
The system of indigenous knowledge has been met with various debates and contradictions in so many disciplines and its relevance into the current education discourse. Teacher’s expertise in design plays an important role in communicating drawing messages. The purpose of this study was to explore how is the operationalization of Indigenous Knowledge System in teaching Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD) to teach general drawing principles. This study used a qualitative research approach and phenomenological design to understand participants’ experiences. Purposive sampling was used to select five teachers and a total of seventy-three learners. Indigenous knowledge framework was employed to capture all relevant information. Interviews and classroom observations were used to collect data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze it. This study discovered that in EGD classroom, the operationalization was done using vernacular architecture examples, using ancient glyph writing styles to teach numerical and alphabetical printing, as well as contextualized story telling. The study concludes that, through these strategies, strides were made to operationalize indigenous knowledge in teaching general drawing principles and that there is some level of appreciation on how teachers cognitive and wise legacy about indigenous knowledge playout during instruction. As a recommendation, this study for content knowledge structure in STEM subjects that is centered around language, context and culture dynamism in order to capture each indigenous group’s social realities.
References
Adler, R. H. (2022). Trustworthiness in qualitative research. Journal of Human Lactation, 38(4), 598–602.
Ayton, D., & Tsindos, T. (2023). Foundations of qualitative research—Paradigms, philosophical underpinnings. In Qualitative research: A practical guide for health and social care researchers and practitioners. [Publisher and chapter details to be verified].
Bartlett, K. A., & Dorribo Camba, J. (2023). The role of a graphical interpretation factor in the assessment of spatial visualization: A critical analysis. Spatial Cognition & Computation, 23(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/13875868.2021.2019260
Blose, P., & Gumbo, M. T. (2019). The integration of indigenous graphics knowledge and skills into the teaching of graphic design in grade 9. In Rethinking teaching and learning in the 21st century (p. 260). [Publication details to be verified].
Blose, P., & Gumbo, M. T. (2024). Developing a framework for integrating IKS in technology education with sustainable development principles. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2024.2356416
Blose, P., & Mtshali, T. I. (2025). Fostering the use of indigenous knowledge system to teach freehand sketches in engineering graphics and design. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi dan Kejuruan, 31(2), 130–146. https://doi.org/10.21831/jptk.v31i2.77379
Borges, L. C., & Revez, J. (2019). Pragmatic paradigm in information science research: A literature review. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 8(2), 179–188. https://qqml-journal.net/index.php/qqml/article/view/485/516
Bowman, R. F. (2018). Teaching and learning in a storytelling culture. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 91(3), 97–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2017.1373547
Brown, N., & Stockman, T. (2013, September). Examining the use of thematic analysis as a tool for informing the design of new family communication technologies. In Proceedings of the 27th International BCS Human Computer Interaction Conference (HCI 2013). https://doi.org/10.14236/ewic/HCI2013.30
Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., … Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: Complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206
Casey, E. S. (2000). Imagining: A phenomenological study. Indiana University Press.
Chedi, J. M. (2015). Technical drawing/graphic skills acquisition for teaching and learning and challenges in technology education. ATBU Journal of Science, Technology and Education, 3(3), 128–133. https://atbuftejoste.com/index.php/joste/article/view/187
Clark, V., & Braun, V. (2013). Teaching thematic analyses: Overcoming challenges and developing strategies for effective learning. The Psychologist, 26(3), 120–123. https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/preview/937606/Teaching%20
De Jager, F. R., & Loots, A. G. (2003). Esther Mahlangu: This exhibition the work of Esther Mahlangu, internationally acclaimed South African artist. [Publisher and source details to be verified].
Department of Basic Education. (2011). National curriculum statement: Curriculum and assessment policy statement (CAPS), technology grades 7–9. Government Printers.
Estrada, A., Garber, P. A., Gouveia, S., Fernández-Llamazares, Á., Ascensão, F., Fuentes, A., & Volampeno, S. (2022). Global importance of Indigenous Peoples, their lands, and knowledge systems for saving the world’s primates from extinction. Science Advances, 8(31), Article eabn2927.
Friese, S., Soratto, J., & Pires, D. (2018). Carrying out a computer-aided thematic content analysis with ATLAS.ti. https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-0001-364E-C
Gumbo, M. T. (2015). Indigenous technology in technology education curricula and teaching. In P. J. Williams, A. Jones, & C. Bunting (Eds.), Contemporary issues in technology education (pp. 57–74). Springer.
Gumbo, M. T. (2016). A model for indigenising the university curriculum: A quest for educational relevance. In V. Msila & M. T. Gumbo (Eds.), Africanising the curriculum: Indigenous perspectives and theories (pp. 33–56). SUN Press.
Gumbo, M. T. (2017). Rethinking teaching of technology: An approach integrating indigenous knowledge systems. In M. J. de Vries (Ed.), Handbook of technology education. Springer. [Chapter page range to be verified].
Haq, Z. U., Rasheed, R., Rashid, A., & Akhter, S. (2023). Criteria for assessing and ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research. International Journal of Business Reflections, 4(2), 150–173.
Hart, M. A. (2010). Indigenous worldviews, knowledge, and research: The development of an Indigenous research paradigm. Journal of Indigenous Social Development, 1(1A). http://www.hawaii.edu/sswork/jivsw
Heyd-Metzuyanim, E., & Shabtay, G. (2019). Narratives of ‘good’ instruction: Teachers’ identities as drawing on exploration vs. acquisition pedagogical discourses. ZDM, 51(3), 541–554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-018-01019-3
Hoppers, O. C. (2021). Research on Indigenous knowledge systems: The search for cognitive justice. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 40(4), 310–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2021.1966109
Jiyana, M. W. (2022). The role of traditional storytelling in the teaching and learning of isiNdebele in Grade 3 [Master’s thesis, University of Pretoria].
Johnson, M., & Ekpo, E. S. (2026). Indigenous interior design practices and dialectics: Refiguring indoor space and materiality to enhance well-being. In The Routledge handbook of interior architecture research (pp. 26–37). Routledge.
Jones, A. (1997). Technology education in the New Zealand curriculum. In J. Burns (Ed.), Technology in the New Zealand curriculum: Perspectives on practice. Dunmore Press.
Kamel, M. A. E., & Khalil, M. W. I. (2023). The impact of using computer-aided design (CAD) on the creativity of architecture students. JETT, 14(4), 245–256.
Kigozi, F., Otulaja, F., Risenga, I., & Dukhan, S. (2021). Teachers’ indigenous knowledge awareness and how to implement it in teaching and learning sciences in South African schools [Doctoral dissertation; institutional details to be verified]. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/37773
Maeko, M. S. A., & Khoza, S. D. (2018). Identifying synergies in civil technology practical activities and engineering graphics and design in a university technology course in South Africa. International Journal of Engineering and Technology, 9(6), 4154–4159.
Makgato, M., & Khoza, S. D. (2016). Difficulties of student teachers in the engineering graphics and design course at a South African university: Snapshot on sectional drawing. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 12(4), 609–621.
Mapara, J. (2022). Indigenous knowledge across the curriculum in the Global South: An epistemic and cognitive shifting process. In Re-imagining indigenous knowledge and practices in 21st century Africa: Debunking myths and misconceptions for conviviality and sustainability (p. 41). [Publication details to be verified].
Matindike, F., & Ramdhany, V. (2025). Incorporating indigenous knowledge perspectives in integrated STEM education: A systematic review. Research in Science & Technological Education, 43(3), 1022–1042.
Maurial, M. (1999). Indigenous knowledge and schooling: A continuum between conflict and dialogue. In L. M. Semali & J. L. Kincheloe (Eds.), What is indigenous knowledge? Voices from the academy (pp. 59–78). Routledge.
Mayring, P. (2014). Qualitative content analysis: Theoretical foundation, basic procedures and software solution. Social Science Open Access Repository. [Source details to be verified].
Merriam, S. B., & Grenier, R. S. (2019). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Mlambo, P. B. (2024). Instructional practices by engineering graphics and design teachers: A focus on teaching and learning of isometric drawing. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 9(2), 359–376. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.2024.41
Mtshal, T. I. (2023). Students metacognitive challenge in the interpretation of mechanical drawings in engineering graphics and design. Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 7(4), 189–203.
Mtshali, T. I. (2023). Mastery of content representation (CoRe) by engineering graphics and design teachers: Promotion of equity and inclusion through civil drawing tasks. In Handbook of research on advancing equity and inclusion through educational technology (pp. 306–318). IGI Global.
Ndlovu, E. C., & Gumbo, M. T. (2024). Decolonising technology education: Integrating indigenous knowledge for sustainable development in electrical and mechanical systems and control. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2024.2381984
Ndwandwe, K. P., Ramaligela, M. S., & Mtshali, T. I. (2024). Smartboard enhanced creativity in the technology classroom: Lessons on mechanical systems and control. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi dan Kejuruan, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.21831/jptk.v30i1.72289
Nkosi, P. B., Kola, M. I., & Mtshali, T. I. (2023). The paradox of creative thinking skills in the vocational technology classroom: Where do technology teachers go wrong? Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 7(4), 486–497.
O’Leary, M. (2020). Classroom observation: A guide to the effective observation of teaching and learning. Routledge.
Okung, A. (2025). Form follows culture: Decolonizing Nigerian dwellings through neo-vernacular design [Doctoral dissertation, Laurentian University]. https://laurentian.scholaris.ca/handle/10219/4373
Peters, O. R. (2020). Assessment methods in free-hand sketching and drawing related courses in visual communication education. International Journal of Research in Education Humanities and Commerce, 1(1), 56–71.
Pophiwa, N., & Saidi, U. (2022). Approaches to embedding indigenous knowledge systems in Made in Africa evaluations. African Evaluation Journal, 10(1), Article a623. https://doi.org/10.4102/aej.v10i1.623
Ramose, M. B. (2004). In search of an African philosophy of education: Perspectives on higher education. South African Journal of Higher Education, 18(3), 138–160.
Shava, S. (2013). The representation of indigenous knowledges. In International handbook of research on environmental education (pp. 384–393). [Publisher details to be verified].
Sibiya, M. T., Mtshali, T. I., & Ramaligela, M. S. (2023). The use of augmented reality to promote equity and inclusion: A case of teaching and learning graphical communication and graphical techniques in the technology classroom. In Handbook of research on advancing equity and inclusion through educational technology (pp. 170–188). IGI Global.
Sıngh-pıllay, A., & Sotsaka, D. (2020). An exploration of first year pre-service engineering graphics and design teachers’ spatial visualisation ability at a university of technology. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 8(2), 681–690.
Springer, L. (2023). The value of sketching in teaching graphic design: Developing skills in a higher education institution. Grafica, 11(21), 113–119. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364488043_value_of_sketching_in_teaching_graphic_design_Developing_skills_in_a_higher_education_institution
Sütçü, N. D. (2021). Examining the two- and three-dimensional spatial visualization skills of secondary school students. Milli Eğitim Dergisi, 50(231), 427–448. https://doi.org/10.37669/milliegitim.737639
Taneri, B., & Dogan, F. (2021). How to learn to be creative in design: Architecture students’ perceptions of design, design process, design learning, and their transformations throughout their education. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 39, Article 100781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100781
Thomas, N. (n.d.). Celtic number glyphs. Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/29148678/CELTIC_NUMBER_GLYPHS
Tunstall, E. D. (2020). Decolonizing design innovation: Design anthropology, critical anthropology, and indigenous knowledge. In Design anthropology (pp. 232–250). Routledge.
Zwane, T. T., Simelane-Mnisi, S., & Skosana, N. M. (2021). Exploring the practical application of course drawing among high school engineering and graphics and design learners. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives (IPADA) (pp. 391–398).
Żychowska, M. J. (2021). Classroom-based and distance teaching of freehand drawing: A comparative analysis. World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, 19(3), 276–280.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Princess Blose, Thokozani Mtshali

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Content Licensing, Copyright, and Permissions
1. License
International Journal of Research in STEM Education has CC-BY NC or an equivalent license as the optimal license for the publication, distribution, use, and reuse of scholarly work for non-commercial purposes. The non-commercial use of the article will be governed by the Creative Commons Attribution license as currently displayed on Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons License
2. Author’s Warranties
The author warrants that the article is original, written by the stated author(s), has not been published before, contains no unlawful statements, does not infringe the rights of others, is subject to copyright that is vested exclusively in the author and free of any third party rights, and that any necessary written permissions to quote from other sources have been obtained by the author(s).
3. User Rights
The International Journal of Research in STEM Education's objective is to disseminate articles published as free as possible. Under the Creative Commons license, this journal permits users to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work for non-commercial purposes only. Users will also need to attribute authors and this journal on distributing works in the journal.
4. Rights of Authors
Authors retain the following rights:
Copyright, and proprietary rights relating to the article, such as patent rights,
The right to use the substance of the article in future own works, including lectures and books, The right to reproduce the article for own purposes, The right to self-archive the article, the right to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the article's published version (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal (International Journal of Research in STEM Education).
The author has a non-exclusive publishing contract with a publisher, and the work is published with a more restrictive license, the author retains all the rights to publish the work elsewhere, including commercially, because she/he is not subject to the conditions of her / his own license, regardless of the type of CC license chosen.
5. Co-Authorship
If the article was jointly prepared by other authors, the signatory of this form warrants that he/she has been authorized by all co-authors to sign this agreement on their behalf and agrees to inform his/her co-authors of the terms of this agreement.
6. Termination
This agreement can be terminated by the author or International Journal of Research in STEM Education at two months' notice where the other party has materially breached this agreement and failed to remedy such breach within a month of being given the terminating party's notice requesting such breach to be remedied. No breach or violation of this agreement will cause this agreement or any license granted in it to terminate automatically or affect the definition of the International Journal of Research in STEM Education.
7. Royalties
This agreement entitles the author to no royalties or other fees. To such extent as legally permissible, the author waives his or her right to collect royalties relative to the article in respect of any use of the article by This agreement can be terminated by the author or International Journal of Research in STEM Education upon two months's notice where the other party has materially breached this agreement and failed to remedy such breach within a month of being given the terminating party's notice requesting such breach to be remedied. No breach or violation of this agreement will cause this agreement or any license granted in it to terminate automatically or affect the definition of the International Journal of Research in STEM Education or its sublicensee.
8. Miscellaneous
International Journal of Research in STEM Education‚ will publish the article (or have it published) in the journal if the article's editorial process is successfully completed and the International Journal of Research in STEM Education or its sublicensee has become obligated to have the article published. International Journal of Research in STEM Education may conform the article to a style of punctuation, spelling, capitalization, referencing, and usage that it deems appropriate. The author acknowledges that the article may be published so that it will be publicly accessible, and such access will be free of charge for the readers.