article

Decolonizing Teaching and Classroom Experiences in Africa: The Role of Bilchiinsi

Authors

• • Ali Ahmed
  • Texas Tech University
• • Najat Ahmed
  • S. D. Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development, Ghana
• • Amadu Musah Abudu
  • University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana

Abstract

This article is framed in decoloniality and responds to calls for educational systems, curricula, and classroom instruction in sub-Saharan Africa and other Global South contexts to be decolonized. The article proposes the adoption of a Dagbaŋ Indigenous philosophy—Bilchiinsi (ethical living)—as a relational pedagogy for transforming teaching and classroom interaction in Ghana and beyond. After a brief examination of decoloniality and associated concepts, the authors discuss Bilchiinsi within a decolonial framework, highlighting its epistemological, ontological, and axiological underpinnings. It concludes by considering the classroom as a potential space for practicing Bilchiinsi, addressing the possibilities and limitations of using it as a decolonizing pedagogy.

Keywords: Bilchiinsi philosophy, classroom experiences, decoloniality

How to Cite: Ahmed, A. , Ahmed, N. & Abudu, A. M. (2025) “Decolonizing Teaching and Classroom Experiences in Africa: The Role of Bilchiinsi”, Educational Considerations. 50(3).