Paper short abstract:

A high school curriculum offers a unique space in which introductions to disciplinary knowledge can be facilitated. African Leadership Academy has scoped out African Studies in three ways: through the structure and sequence of the programme, the framing of content and approaches to assessment.

Paper long abstract:

A high school curriculum offers a unique space in which introductions to disciplinary knowledge can be facilitated. Luke et al define school subjects as "'a selective tradition' with conscious and deliberate inclusions and exclusions from a vast range of possible disciplinary contents available"(11). This makes African Leadership Academy, a school in Southern Africa, an interesting case study when it comes to defining the field of African Studies. ALA has defined African Studies through:the structure and sequence of the programme; the selection and framing of content and approaches to assessment.

At ALA, African Studies is defined as an interdisciplinary Humanities and Social Science course that introduces students to the principles, practices and procedures of selected disciplines and gives students the opportunity to apply these to African contexts. In their first year students are led through a series of themes and use concepts and approaches from the disciplinary fields of Sociology, Politics, History (to name a few) to organise and understand content. In second year, students move into a multidisciplinary study of more clearly bounderised disciplines, exploring fields such as African Philosophy, African Literature or Gender Studies.

ALA's African Studies courses include three elements: conceptual or theoretical knowledge; African case studies or examples to which the theory is applied; and opportunities to apply and evaluate arguments. Through our approach to assessment students have the opportunity to practice identifying arguments and to deliver their own arguments using various forms. Through common assessments we ensure we achieve standardisation regardless of the content taught.