Understanding Challenging Behaviors

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to gain an understanding of challenging behaviours from an African perspective. The author explored literature on challenging behaviours from African European researchers and an indigenous knowledge system. An indigenous knowledge system implies using the African context through oral traditions and narrations passed from one generation to the next to transfer knowledge. The results show that African communities believed in their ancestors, traditional healers, Dingaka, and their trainees Mathosana, to support learners with challenging behaviours. The recommendations from the findings suggest that even though African communities believed in their ancestors and traditional healers to support learners with challenging behaviours, they should also be guided by the policy on screening, identification, assessment, and support (SIAS), since it provides guidelines and a framework to standardise how teachers go about their daily teaching tasks in schools.