Conversational Thinking as Pedagogy: An Indigenous Approach to Decolonizing Philosophy of Education in Nigerian Primary Schools

Abstract

This research delves into Conversational Thinking, an African hermeneutic approach grounded in Ezumezu logic, as a method for decolonizing philosophy education in Nigerian primary schools, specifically in Osun and Ondo States. Situated within the Conversational School of Philosophy, this approach draws on complementary concepts of nkwu (affirmative complementarity) and arụ (creative struggle) to enhance dialogical interactions in which meaning is collaboratively constructed through mutual epistemic negotiation. Through philosophical analysis and hermeneutic interpretation, the research illustrates how the fundamental tenets of Conversational Thinking resonate with Yoruba epistemological traditions, such as ìjìnlẹ̀ ọgbọ́n (deep wisdom) and proverbial discourse, thereby creating an epistemological continuity often missing in Western educational models. The inquiry supports Conversational Thinking as a philosophically sound avenue for fostering critical, culturally embedded thinkers who can actively engage in communal knowledge creation.