SPECIAL ISSUE 1 July 2026
DOI DOI: 10.66434/ijsie.v1i1si.448

Integrating indigenous rangeland knowledge with geographic information systems in fostering inclusive education through culturally responsive pedagogy

Tolulope Ayodeji Olatoye1, Raymond Nkwenti Fru1, Anathi Magadlela1
  1. 1 Sol Plaatje University, South Africa

Abstract

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, learner exclusion persists through curricula that silence indigenous ecological intelligence. This study argues that integrating indigenous rangeland knowledge with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) advances inclusive education and mediates learner behavior through culturally sustaining digital pedagogy. The research problem addresses how technology-mediated behaviour management strategies remain exclusive, privileging Western spatial frameworks and alienating learners from pastoralist communities. A systematic literature review methodology following PRISMA protocols was conducted for the study. Grounded in the culturally sustaining pedagogy and restorative practice theory, the study frames spatial justice as inseparable from behavioural inclusion. Findings reveal that when learners map indigenous grasing routes alongside satellite-derived vegetation indices, identity safety increases, disciplinary referrals decrease by 41%, and learners with learning disabilities demonstrate accelerated spatial cognition. However, infrastructure gaps and teacher epistemological insecurity persist as barriers. This study advances SDG 4 (Quality Education) by eliminating educational disparities affecting pastoralist learners; SDG 15 (Life on Land) through the documentation/preservation of sustainable rangeland management practices for biodiversity conservation; SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)-challenging epistemic hierarchies that exclude pastoralist communities from education, and SDG 13 (Climate Action)- centring indigenous ecological knowledge of adaptation to variable environments, as fundamental to building climate-resilient pastoralist livelihoods and educational systems.

How to Cite

Olatoye, T. A., Fru, R. N., & Magadlela, A. (2026). Integrating indigenous rangeland knowledge with geographic information systems in fostering inclusive education through culturally responsive pedagogy. International Journal of Studies in Inclusive Education, 1(1si), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.66434/ijsie.v1i1si.448
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