Page 12 - UNAM Virtual Graduation e-Book (April2021)

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATION
(ADULT EDUCATION)

CANDIDATE: JONAS-IITA Misitilde N P

CURRICULUM VITAE

Misitilde Nangula Pashukeni Jonas-Iita was born in the Omusati region in
northern Namibia. She matriculated from Oshakati Secondary School in the
Oshana region. Her qualifications include Master of Education (University of
Namibia); B.Ed. Honours Degree in Education, Training and Development
(University of Johannesburg); Higher Education Diploma (Vista University); and Basic Education Teacher Diploma
(Ongwediva College of Education). Her professional career includes working as a high school teacher; special
school teacher, Senior Education Officer and Chief Education Officer (Directorate of Adult Education) in the
Ministry of Basic Education, Arts and Culture. She is currently a Lecturer at the University of Namibia, Department
of Lifelong Learning and Community Education, Windhoek Main Campus. Her research interest is on linking
Indigenous Health Knowledge (IHK) of the indigenous communities to literacy learning.

CANDIDATE’S DISSERTATION

LINKING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE ON HEALTH TO LITERACY LEARNING: A STUDY CONDUCTED AMONG THE
OVAHIMBA COMMUNITY, KUNENE REGION, NAMIBIA

The doctoral study was undertaken and completed under the supervision of Dr. H. Nekongo-Nielsen (University
of Namibia), as Main-Supervisor; and Professor A. Cleghorn (Concordia University, Canada), as Co-Supervisor.

The study explored the link between Indigenous Health Knowledge (IHK) and literacy learning among the
Ovahimba community in Namibia. It used the multiliteracies theory and developed a conceptual framework
of Indigenous Health Knowledge to theorise how indigenised learning content could influence literacy learning.
The study employed a qualitative approach with ethnographic and phenomenographic designs. The study
found that practitioners possessed IHK at three levels of high, medium and low. Classification of indigenous
practitioners produced three categories: the individual - whereby an expert within the community possessed IHK;
family - whereby IHK is possessed and shared among members of the family; and communal - whereby many
across community boundaries share IHK. The implementation of a Literacy Education Programme culminated in
participants learning new functional literacy skills and health knowledge. The strength of this study lies in the fact
that this was an ethnographic conducted by a Namibian, which made significant contribution to knowledge
by producing a tangible product, the Literacy Educational Programme comprising a facilitators’ guide and
a learners’ workbook. The study recommends for the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture to implement the
LEP among other indigenous communities in Namibia to investigate its effectiveness of attracting participation
to educational programmes. There is a need to conduct studies that can investigate the effectiveness of
participatory research methods and to co-develop educational programmes with indigenous/local partners.
Also, a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study should be conducted among modern health practitioners
to establish whether IHK can be used to complement modern medicine.

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