Using Cultural Identity to Improve Learning

Klos, Maureen Lilian

doi:10.1080/00131720608984915

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The curriculum designer or teacher should not design science teaching in isolation from the social, cultural and historical background (Yacoubian, 2020). Culturally relevant or responsive teaching can make science learning more effective for students in non-Western cultures (Klos, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing indigenous scientific discovery in medicinal chemistry to promote selected nature of science attributes among Chinese high school students: case of Artemisinin

Wan

Subramaniam

2023

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract.

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Though there are a multiplicity of approaches that have been used to promote Nature of Science (NOS) among school students, an approach based on exploration of a scientific discovery indigenous to the sample population, of contemporary interest, and based on a topic outside the school science syllabus seems to be lacking in the literature. This study focused on Chinese high school students (N = 98), using the discovery of an anti-malarial drug by a recent Nobel Prize winning Chinese scientist as a focus. A popular science article on this discovery formed the basis for the intervention, and a mainly qualitative approach was used. Variants of an explicit-reflective approach were used for the three groups formed by random sampling for the intervention. The four NOS attributes targeted were: socio-cultural, empirical nature, scientific method, and creativity/imagination, and these were explicitly interrogated through four open-ended questions, respectively. Responses to these questions were parked into five rating levels, which helped to explicate the extent to which the samples were able to provide descriptors to characterize their understandings. The approach based on reading of the article followed by student discussions and mediation by the instructor showed, overall, more gains in NOS as compared to just (1) reading/re-reading of the article and reflecting on it, and (2) reading of the article followed by small sub-group discussions and reflecting on it. It is suggested that there is a case for using indigenous scientific discovery as an approach to foster interest in NOS among students. Some implications of the study are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing indigenous scientific discovery in medicinal chemistry to promote selected nature of science attributes among Chinese high school students: case of Artemisinin

Wan

Subramaniam

2023

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract.

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“…• Second, a related broadening of approaches and curricula is turning out in many cases to be one key instrumental element in helping the new strata of secondary school graduates now acceding to higher education in Africa, many of whom have less familiarity with European academic customs than past cohorts of university entrants in those countries, to understand and deal with a tertiary program of study (Klos 2006). • Third, the increasing commercial importance of selected branches of IK, like the native knowledge bases in pharmaceutical and ecological sciences mentioned above, are driving university-based investigation of those topics and producing spillover effects in other realms of academe (Shepherd, Anderson, Hicks, McWilliam, Eijck and Verran 2010).…”

Section: Broader Issues At Stakementioning

confidence: 99%

Hawks and baby chickens: cultivating the sources of indigenous science education

Easton

2011

Cult Stud of Sci Educ

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Kome ya ke cikin aikin ëan tsako, shaho ya daëe da saninshi. (Hausa proverb: Niger/Nigeria) Whatever concerns the habits of baby chickens, you can be sure the hawk learned it long ago.Abstract In this response to Hewson and Ogunniyi's paper on indigenous knowledge (IK) and science teaching in South Africa, I seek to broaden the debate by setting the enterprise of integrating IK into science education in its cultural and socio-political context. I begin by exploring the multiple meanings of indigenous knowledge in Africa, next consider the sources available for accurately apprehending those different varieties of IK and then raise three issues of procedure that the Hewson and Ogunniyi approach seems largely to overlook: the varying meanings and styles of argumentation in African culture; the relevance of more participatory and discovery-based modes of inquiry to their topic; and the critical importance of grasping the socio-political terrain on which IK must operate. I conclude that, while their initiative opens valuable new paths of inquiry and practice, the proposed methodology would benefit from more solid grounding in discovery learning, African styles of debate and a clear mapping of stakes and stakeholders.

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“…Many countries now recognize the importance of incorporating IK systems into science education [20,21]. This laid the groundwork for science education to promote lifelong learning empowers the academic field of study and employs social justice practices to benefit the nation's marginalized groups [1,20,[22][23][24]. For this purpose, scholars suggested the necessity of merging IK with Western science and producing sets of hybrid knowledge systems [25][26][27][28][29][30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous Epistemologies: The Practice and Challenges of Inclusion of IK in the Classroom Lessons of Primary and Middle School Teachers of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

2023

PSI

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This study investigated the practices and challenges of indigenous knowledge (IK) in the classroom teaching. The sample size was obtained using available sampling methods. The results of the data collected through the questionnaire and interviews showed the presence attempts of teachers to consider and relate classroom lessons to IK systems. However, lack of awareness about the knowledge of IK possessors, socially demoralizing IK possessors, the culture of undermining the ancients’ noble works, little attention given for IK inclusion in the textbook and inaccessibility of well-documented indigenous values posed challenges in doing so. There were no statistically significant mean differences between male and female respondents when considering local area indigenous values and facing challenges. Whereas, there were statistically significant differences between teachers teaching in towns and rural areas in terms of incorporating indigenous pedagogies during lesson planning and in terms of incorporating IK in the classroom teaching. The post hoc analysis of variances also revealed that these changes seemed to indicate that the value of sensing knowledge diversity in the classroom may increase as service year increases in teaching.

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Using Cultural Identity to Improve Learning

Cited by 10 publications

References 2 publications

Harnessing indigenous scientific discovery in medicinal chemistry to promote selected nature of science attributes among Chinese high school students: case of Artemisinin

Harnessing indigenous scientific discovery in medicinal chemistry to promote selected nature of science attributes among Chinese high school students: case of Artemisinin

Hawks and baby chickens: cultivating the sources of indigenous science education

Indigenous Epistemologies: The Practice and Challenges of Inclusion of IK in the Classroom Lessons of Primary and Middle School Teachers of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

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