Boarding school, indigenous knowledge, and the formation of adolescent identity: the case of Asante youth in Ghana

This study explores how Ghanaian boarding school environments
shape adolescent identity formation through the interaction of
institutional practices and Asante Indigenous Knowledge Systems
(AIKS). Using an interpretive phenomenological design, data were
gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions
with students and cultural elders in selected boarding
schools. The findings reveal a dual dynamic, as the boarding house
routines of discipline, hierarchical authority, and peer regulation
often enforce conformity and restrict indigenous expression, while
AIKS provides cultural frameworks that nurture belonging, resilience,
and moral responsibility. Proverbs, storytelling, and mentorship
emerged as vital resources that adolescents use to negotiate
institutional pressures and sustain coherent identities. The analysis
shows that identity formation in this setting is both psychological
and cultural, extending Erikson’s psychosocial model by embedding
indigenous epistemologies. The study contributes to developmental
psychology and offers policy insights for integrating
indigenous knowledge into education to promote holistic adolescent
development.