History Faculty's Insights About African History Curriculum's Position Within Liberal Arts Colleges

摘要

This study is an historical analysis of curriculum development in postsecondary schools to locate the contemporary position of African history within liberal arts institutions. The study features educational development in ancient Kemet where scholars organized curriculums to reflect the purpose of education, which was to cultivate a learner's divine nature. Research indicates that Kemet's scholars created the seven liberal arts of language, science, philosophy, mystic science, music, mathematics, and African history to accommodate their educational philosophy. Liberal arts spread to the Mediterranean region through the efforts of Greek intellectuals, but Rome's fall resulted in the lack of postsecondary schools in Mediterranean Europe until the Moors established colleges and universities in Al-Andalus (Spain) during the medieval period. Research shows that as medieval educators modified curriculums, African history lost its position as one of the seven liberal arts and American schools implemented curriculums based on medieval Europe's curricula formats, so African history did not regain its position within the liberal arts tradition. Therefore, the research questions were: What are the insights of history professors about the position of African history curriculum within liberal arts institutions? How do history professors describe the status of African history curriculum within history departments in liberal arts institutions? How do history professors view the future of African history curriculum within liberal arts institutions? Utilizing qualitative methodology generated themes in response to the research questions. Data analysis involved interpreting these themes underscored by basic qualitative design. Participants were full-time history professors, instructors, and lecturers with at least five years teaching experience and varied in age, ethnicity, and gender. The study's results were that African history has an unstable, peripheral, negligible position within liberal arts institutions and the discipline in the future will be situationally the same as its present position.