Preserving Oral Traditions through School Curriculum A Qualitative Study in Northern Mongolia
Keywords:
oral traditions, cultural preservation, Indigenous education, Mongolian education, curriculum integration, intergenerational knowledge transmissionAbstract
This qualitative study investigates the integration of oral traditions into formal school curricula as a mechanism for cultural preservation in Northern Mongolia, where rapid modernization threatens indigenous knowledge transmission systems. Through ethnographic fieldwork across twelve schools in the Khövsgöl and Selenge provinces, including interviews with educators, community elders, students, and curriculum developers, the research examines how educational institutions navigate tensions between standardized national curricula and localized cultural preservation goals. Findings reveal that successful integration requires collaborative curriculum design involving community knowledge holders, pedagogical approaches honoring oral transmission methods, and institutional structures supporting intergenerational cultural exchange within educational settings. However, challenges including teacher preparation gaps, assessment difficulties, time constraints within standardized curricula, and generational disconnection impede effective implementation. The study demonstrates that schools can function as vital spaces for oral tradition preservation when curricula authentically incorporate indigenous epistemologies rather than merely adding superficial cultural content to conventional academic frameworks, suggesting broader implications for Indigenous education globally.
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