INDIGENOUS GAMES AND THE ACQUISITION OF MULTIPLE INTELLEGENCES AMONGST AFRICAN CHILDREN

Intelligence may be conceived in different ways in different cultures. Such differences are important, because cultures evaluate their members, as well as members of others cultures, in terms of their own conceptions of intelligence. Almost all of the judgments of intelligence that are made in the world are made on the basis of people’s implicit theories, not on the basis of tests, whether or not they are based on psychological (explicit) theories. An evaluative criterion with which African parents determine intelligent behaviour is social responsibility. Therefore, the onus to understand the social cognition and intelligent behaviour of Africans lies in capturing shared routines and participatory learning, rather than in completing school-based instruments. This paper therefore examines the concept of multiple intelligences and how African indigenous games can facilitate the acquisition of intellectual skills in children. It is worthy to note that the Africentric conception of intelligent behaviour in children goes beyond academic success to embrace aspects of social, moral, environmental adaptation and development of intrapersonal skill. The current paper is underpinned by a study that was carried out amongst the Nso people of Cameroon. The purpose of the study was to investigate how Nso people perceive intelligent behaviours in children and the cultural strategy, namely, indigenous games for facilitating these behaviours.A mixed research method was used for the study which called for both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, through the use of questionnaires, interviews and observations. The sample was composed of 33 children. The findings of the study revealed that through indigenous games children learned various aspects of academic, moral, social and interpersonal skills