Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Science Education and Its Integration in Grades 7 and 8 Canadian Science Curriculum Documents

Abstract

Though science education has been prominent in the Canadian educational system, researchers increasingly recognize the scientific and educational value of integrating traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into their curriculum. Despite national strategies to integrate TEK, Canada has yet to initiate a comprehensive study of its prevalence and representation within the curriculum. This study is the first to explore the current status of TEK in provincial Grade 7 and 8 science curricula and to make recommendations for further research. The results from a mixed methods content analysis of the official curricula reveal a high variation in the prevalence and representations of TEK.Résumé: L'enseignement des sciences a toujours prévalu dans le système d'éducation au Canada, et les chercheurs reconnaissent de plus en plus l'intérêt pédagogique d'intégrer les savoirsécologiques traditionnels dans les curriculums. Cependant, malgré des stratégies nationales pour intégrer ces savoirs, le Canada n'a pas encore amorcé uneétude exhaustive de leur prévalence et de leur représentation dans les curriculums. Cetteétude est la premièreà analyser le statut actuel des savoirś ecologiques traditionnels dans le curriculum scientifique provincial des 7e et 8e années età faire des recommandations pour des recherches ultérieures. Les résultats de notre analyse des curriculums officiels, fondée sur des méthodes mixtes, révèlent que le niveau de représentation de ces savoirs varie beaucoup.

Neo-colonialism in Our Schools: Representations of Indigenous Perspectives in Ontario Science Curricula

“…As seen in Saskatchewan's successful case (Aikenhead & Elliot, 2010;Kim & Dionne, 2014;Saskatoon Public School Division, 2014), the meaningful integration of IK can be accomplished by consulting with local Aboriginal knowledge holders and experts. Instead of being used as a tool to tokenize IK, the contributions and knowledges of Aboriginal peoples can be introduced across all teaching strands and grade levels in a respectful manner towards Indigenous peoples without misrepresenting them as primitive or inferior.…”

“…Kimmerer (2002) also pointed out that IK are unknowingly or knowingly ignored in curricula. Indeed, my previous study (Kim & Dionne, 2014) revealed that many Canadian jurisdictions showed either a lack of Indigenous-related content in their grades 7 and 8 science curricula (i.e., evidence of ignoring) and/or evidence of essentialism and appropriation of IK in their science curricula. However, unlike the other Canadian provinces and territories, Nunavut and Saskatchewan have made some headway in integrating IK into science curricula (Kim & Dionne, 2014).…”

“…Indeed, my previous study (Kim & Dionne, 2014) revealed that many Canadian jurisdictions showed either a lack of Indigenous-related content in their grades 7 and 8 science curricula (i.e., evidence of ignoring) and/or evidence of essentialism and appropriation of IK in their science curricula. However, unlike the other Canadian provinces and territories, Nunavut and Saskatchewan have made some headway in integrating IK into science curricula (Kim & Dionne, 2014). For example, rather than treat IK as add-on curricula, as Figure 1 shows, the official science curricula of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education recognized IK "as a legitimate way to understand the physical world" along with disciplines developed by WMS (i.e., life science, physical science, earth and space science) (Aikenhead & Elliot, 2010, p. 329 Aikenhead and Elliot (2010) specified that the Saskatchewan curriculum renewal process required collaboration with Indigenous groups and scholars to ensure "the cultural and political validity of Indigenous knowledge [s] included in the curriculum"; in the process, Indigenous groups in Saskatchewan helped find connections between IK and the Pan-Canadian Science Framework 4 published by the Canadian Minister of Education Canada (CMEC) in 1997 (Aikenhead & Elliot, 2010, p. 330).…”

“…For example, rather than treat IK as add-on curricula, as Figure 1 shows, the official science curricula of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education recognized IK "as a legitimate way to understand the physical world" along with disciplines developed by WMS (i.e., life science, physical science, earth and space science) (Aikenhead & Elliot, 2010, p. 329 Aikenhead and Elliot (2010) specified that the Saskatchewan curriculum renewal process required collaboration with Indigenous groups and scholars to ensure "the cultural and political validity of Indigenous knowledge [s] included in the curriculum"; in the process, Indigenous groups in Saskatchewan helped find connections between IK and the Pan-Canadian Science Framework 4 published by the Canadian Minister of Education Canada (CMEC) in 1997 (Aikenhead & Elliot, 2010, p. 330). In turn, IK content was integrated throughout four foundation pillars of the Pan-Canadian Framework: 1) science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE); 2) attitudes; 3) skills; and 4) knowledge, with the goal of avoiding tokenism of IK within curricula (Kim & Dionne, 2014). Indigenous scholars, including Battiste and Henderson (2000), Simpson (2004), and Deloria and Wildcat (2001), have underscored the importance of the participation and involvement of Indigenous scholars and Elders in reclaiming their epistemic identities and empowering their IK to gain social value and status as a system of knowledge in contemporary society.…”

ᓴᑭᐦᐃᑐᐃᐧᐣ (Sakihitowin/Love and Kindness): Practicing an Indigenous Process of Decolonization

“…Although preliminary, the research indicates a need for more effective and relevant mediation processes, tailored specifically, to Indigenous people. Secondly, the increasing number of studies on Indigenous knowledge in the fields of: environment (e.g., Kim & Dionne, 2014;Menzies & Butler, 2007;McGregor, 2004), health (e.g., Downey & Sweetwater, 2004;Milbur, 2004), education (e.g., Ball, 2004;Battiste & Henderson, 2009;Villegas, Neugebauer, Venegas, 2008) and Indigenous methodologies (e.g., Kovach, 2009;Tuhiwai Smith, 1999;Wilson, 2008), to name a few, demonstrate that Indigenous knowledge provides unique ways of interacting with, examining and understanding the world around us.…”