Indigenous knowledge in the life sciences classroom: Science, pseudo-science or a missing link?

Beer, Josef J. De; Wyk, Ben‐Erik Van

doi:10.4102/satnt.v31i1.368

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Thabo Mbeki (1998) expressed the following viewpoint in his African renaissance speech of 1998: Perhaps, the new generation of scientists will find inspiration in the country's rich IK, to solve problems like the HIV and AIDS pandemic and the high unemployment, to mention but two problems that the country grapples with. Mothwa (2014) have shown that there are many teachers who have objections to teaching IK. One reason for this opposition is teachers' negative perceptions of IK, which are often fuelled by naïve understandings of the tenets of both IK and science.…”

Section: Addressing the 'Missing Link' In Stem Education: The Affective Domainmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The above also poses a problem for teachers. In a culturally diverse classroom, whose IK should be taught (De Beer & Mothwa 2014)? Also, teachers do not have sufficient knowledge of all these different IKS.…”

Section: Implications For Pre-and In-service Teacher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, this is easier said than done. The rich cultural diversity in South Africa can pose challenges, as learners from different cultural groups are present within a single classroom, which makes it difficult to decide which IK to infuse into the classroom (De Beer & Mothwa 2013;George 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Arguing for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the STEM curriculum: Possibilities and challenges

Beer¹,

Wyk²

2019

NWU Self-Directed Learning Series

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Peer review declarationThe publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book Publishers Forum Best Practice for Peer Review of Scholarly Books'. The manuscript was subjected to a rigorous two-step peer review prior to publication, with the identities of the reviewers not revealed to the author(s). The reviewers were independent of the publisher and/or authors in question. The reviewers commented positively on the scholarly merits of the manuscript and recommended that the manuscript should be published. Where the reviewers recommended revision and/or improvements to the manuscript, the authors responded adequately to such recommendations. Research JustificationThis book is the result of a longitudinal research project (2016)(2017)(2018) funded by the National Research Foundation and the Fuchs Foundation, and it disseminates original research. The project researched the affordances of indigenous knowledge in the school Science, Technology and Mathematics curricula. Short learning programmes (SLPs) were offered to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers, during which they engaged in creative and inquiry-based teaching and learning strategies. Research shows that strategies such as problem-based and cooperative learning have the potential to enhance self-directed learning. This design-based research was conducted in several provinces in South Africa (North-West Province, the Northern Cape, Limpopo province, and Gauteng). Based on the data obtained after each intervention, design principles were formulated for redesigning of SLPs. The qualitative research focussed on teachers' lived experiences of the epistemological bordercrossing between Natural Science and indigenous knowledge, their views on the nature of science and indigenous knowledge, and the reformed teaching and learning that took place after the intervention in teachers' classrooms. Most of the chapters in the book report empirical data, with the exception of three chapters (Ch. 2, Ch. 10 and Ch. 11), that can be categorised as systematic reviews. The book is devoted to scholarship in the field of STEM education and teacher professional development, with a specific focus on research into the enhancement of self-directed learning. The target audience are scholars working in the fields of indigenous knowledge systems, STEM education, teacher professional development and self-directed learning. This book makes a unique contribution in terms of, firstly, its extensive use of third-generation Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a research lens and, secondly, in drawing on research from the fields of neuroscience, science education philosophy, self-directed learning and indigenous knowledge systems, in arguing for such border-crossing. Chapter 1 shows how this research contributes to the development of fourthgeneration CHAT, which, owing to the complexity of the object (which Engeström refers to as 'runaway objects'), requires a focus on numerous activity systems. The book also explores the conundrum of rese...

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Section: Addressing the 'Missing Link' In Stem Education: The Affective Domainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications For Pre-and In-service Teacher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Arguing for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the STEM curriculum: Possibilities and challenges

Beer¹,

Wyk²

2019

NWU Self-Directed Learning Series

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Secondary School Life Sciences Teachers’ Understanding of Indigenous Knowledge in Relation to their Views on its Integration into their Classroom Practice

Ahanonye,

Otulaja,

Risenga

et al. 2024

African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technol

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botanical content in the South African curriculum: A barren desert or a thriving forest?

Abrie

2016

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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Botanists who are interested in education have often expressed their dismay at how plant sciences are neglected in Biology curricula, despite the important roles that plants play. While botanists in several overseas countries have studied the ways in which plant sciences are represented in curricula, no research has been done on how botany is neglected in the South African curriculum. Currently, the South African curriculum is known as the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for Grades R–12. In this study, a comparison was made among the content that is generally taught in introductory plant sciences courses, the American Society of Plant Biologists’ principles for plant biology education and the relevant CAPS documents. The time spent on plant, animal or human-focused content was established and compared at both phase and grade level. It was found that while the curriculum addresses all the major concepts in the plant sciences, very little time was being allocated to exclusively plant-focused content as compared to animal and human-focused content. This neglect was particularly prevalent in the Foundation Phase. The way in which the content is structured and presented in the curriculum may in all likelihood not be sufficient to provide a strong knowledge and skills foundation in the plant sciences, nor will it encourage the development of positive values towards plants. While consensus regarding the content of a curriculum will be difficult to achieve, awareness of potential gaps in the curriculum should be brought to the attention of the botanical and educational communities.

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Indigenous knowledge in the life sciences classroom: Science, pseudo-science or a missing link?

Cited by 8 publications

References 6 publications

Arguing for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the STEM curriculum: Possibilities and challenges

Arguing for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the STEM curriculum: Possibilities and challenges

Secondary School Life Sciences Teachers’ Understanding of Indigenous Knowledge in Relation to their Views on its Integration into their Classroom Practice

botanical content in the South African curriculum: A barren desert or a thriving forest?

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