PEDAGOGICAL MODEL FOR DECOLONISING, INDIGENISING AND TRANSFORMING SCIENCE EDUCATION CURRICULA: A CASE OF SOUTH AFRICA
Journal: Journal of Baltic Science Education (Vol.20, No. 1)Publication Date: 2021-02-15
Authors : Maxwell Jnr Opoku; Angela James;
Page : 93-107
Keywords : context sensitive curricula; pedagogical strategies; South African curriculum; Western worldview;
Abstract
In Africa, Science education curricula have been instrumental in promoting Western worldviews as being universal. An educational transformation and decolonisation of the school curriculum is required. A focus on an African worldview and an integration of the local context and community-based information is necessary for survival, i.e., Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS). While IKS is enshrined in the schooling curriculum, Educators experience challenges with implementing it, because the pedagogical strategies have not been clearly described. An in-depth qualitative study was conducted with the Indigenous Knowledge (IK) holders of the Zulu cultural group and Senior High School (SHS) Science teachers to explore how IK on environmental sustainability could be taught in South African science classrooms. The research employed an interpretivist, multi-site ethnographic, qualitative approach, and naturalistic research style. In-depth interviews were used to generate data from the purposively selected community persons. The thematically analysed findings were used to develop a culturally specific pedagogical model on how to teach IK in science classrooms: touring cultural places; demystifying indigenous practices and perception; utilizing indigenous pedagogies; teaching wisdom behind indigenous practices etc. The research recommends that future studies be conducted on applying the model in different geographical and cultural schooling contexts.
Other Latest Articles
- Reticulocyte haemoglobin content: 2020 update
- THE CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURE OF CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM IN UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: EVIDENCE FROM FACTOR ANALYSIS
- Substance-induced psychosis and schizophrenia: the interaction point
- STUDENT, PARENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS ON THE BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENTIFIC CREATIVITY AND THE IMPLICATIONS TO ENHANCE STUDENTS' SCIENTIFIC CREATIVITY
- Therapygenetics: how is effectiveness of psychotherapy related to genotype?
Last modified: 2021-01-26 21:39:51