Ubuntu Philosophy and Decolonization of Education in Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

There has been a global recognition of the importance of the Ubuntu philosophy to decolonizing education in Africa and beyond. This recognition is a result of the usefulness of Ubuntu in decolonizing education and addressing the critical areas of value orientation among indigenous people, particularly in Africa. The call for integrating the principles of Ubuntu into the curriculum will facilitate behavioral modification and embed indigenous values and spirituality into the education system in Africa. However, this study aims to investigate the extent of research conducted on Ubuntu philosophy and the Decolonization of Education in Africa. The researchers performed a bibliometric analysis using Biblioshiny, a component of the bibliometric package in RStudio designed for text mining analysis, to collect data from the WoS database, the largest database. Data selection followed certain criteria, including that articles must be peer-reviewed, published between 2010 and 2024, and in English. The authors used the PRISMA flow model for data collection, which was analyzed with the RStudio statistical package to identify the most cited institutions and countries, production trends, and the most productive country. Results show South Africa as the most productive and cited country on Ubuntu philosophy and Decolonization. The findings also indicate the majority of the productions are single-country collaborations. The review also reveals authors like Metz (2010), Gade (2012), Letseka (2012), and Le Grange (2012) as the most influential authors emphasizing integration of Ubuntu philosophy in education theory and practice.