Exploring indiginising the university’s science curriculum through bottom-up decolonisation: Affordances and hindrances
- Authors: Mutanho, Chrispen
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Decolonization South Africa , Ethnoscience South Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Pedagogical content knowledge , Culturally relevant pedagogy , Science Study and teaching South Africa , Science teachers In-service training South Africa , Transformative learning South Africa , Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191668 , vital:45146 , 10.21504/10962/191668
- Description: The integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) in the science curriculum is a spreading phenomenon driven by the need to bring about relevancy and equality in science education. In South Africa, for instance, the need to integrate IK in science education is part of the global effort to build a democratic state from the debris of apartheid. Henceforth, the integration of IK is backed up by both the National Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the South African Department of Basic Education’s (2011) National Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement. However, the success of this policy seems to be hindered in part by the fact that the teachers who are the implementers of the curriculum changes seem to lack the relevant pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to integrate IK in their science teaching repertoires. Such a trend is often blamed on their Eurocentric educational background. Interestingly, very little research has been done to explore ways of supporting teachers to develop the relevant conceptual tools and teaching strategies that will enable them to integrate IK in science teaching. It is against this background that an interventionist case study on how to support the Bachelor of Education Natural Sciences in-service teachers in particular to develop exemplar science lessons that integrate IK as easily accessible resources was conducted. The study is underpinned by three complementary paradigms, namely, the interpretive, the critical, and indigenous research paradigms. While the interpretive paradigm enabled me to understand and interpret descriptive data, the critical paradigm enabled me to take an emancipatory stance and challenge the micro-aggressive elements embedded in conventional research practices; within the indigenous research paradigm, Ubuntu was the relational perspective that informed the researcher-participant relationships in this study. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as an overarching theoretical framework, in conjunction with the cultural historical activity theory. Additionally, the topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge provided the methodological and analytical tools. Data were gathered through questionnaires, individual face-to-face interviews, focus group interview, participatory observation, and the teachers’ reflections. This study established that if teachers are given back the agency to collaboratively resolve the contradictions that confront them in their workplaces, they can generate their own ideas on how to integrate IK in science vii teaching. The teachers in this study experienced a shift in their agency from a paralysed state of resisting the integration of IK at the beginning of the intervention to an ‘I can do it’ attitude at the end of the intervention. Thus, it could be argued that this study’s major contribution to new knowledge lies in demonstrating possible ways of supporting teachers to integrate IK as easily accessible resources in their science teaching. Additionally, the study also challenged the Eurocentric approach to ethics and offered Ubuntu as a relational perspective that can be used to complement the shortcomings of Eurocentric research paradigms. The study thus recommends that continuing professional development or professional learning communities should afford teachers the opportunity to collaboratively engage with the challenges that they face in their workplaces in order to resolve the contradictions that confront them. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
- Authors: Mutanho, Chrispen
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Decolonization South Africa , Ethnoscience South Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Pedagogical content knowledge , Culturally relevant pedagogy , Science Study and teaching South Africa , Science teachers In-service training South Africa , Transformative learning South Africa , Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191668 , vital:45146 , 10.21504/10962/191668
- Description: The integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) in the science curriculum is a spreading phenomenon driven by the need to bring about relevancy and equality in science education. In South Africa, for instance, the need to integrate IK in science education is part of the global effort to build a democratic state from the debris of apartheid. Henceforth, the integration of IK is backed up by both the National Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the South African Department of Basic Education’s (2011) National Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement. However, the success of this policy seems to be hindered in part by the fact that the teachers who are the implementers of the curriculum changes seem to lack the relevant pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to integrate IK in their science teaching repertoires. Such a trend is often blamed on their Eurocentric educational background. Interestingly, very little research has been done to explore ways of supporting teachers to develop the relevant conceptual tools and teaching strategies that will enable them to integrate IK in science teaching. It is against this background that an interventionist case study on how to support the Bachelor of Education Natural Sciences in-service teachers in particular to develop exemplar science lessons that integrate IK as easily accessible resources was conducted. The study is underpinned by three complementary paradigms, namely, the interpretive, the critical, and indigenous research paradigms. While the interpretive paradigm enabled me to understand and interpret descriptive data, the critical paradigm enabled me to take an emancipatory stance and challenge the micro-aggressive elements embedded in conventional research practices; within the indigenous research paradigm, Ubuntu was the relational perspective that informed the researcher-participant relationships in this study. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as an overarching theoretical framework, in conjunction with the cultural historical activity theory. Additionally, the topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge provided the methodological and analytical tools. Data were gathered through questionnaires, individual face-to-face interviews, focus group interview, participatory observation, and the teachers’ reflections. This study established that if teachers are given back the agency to collaboratively resolve the contradictions that confront them in their workplaces, they can generate their own ideas on how to integrate IK in science vii teaching. The teachers in this study experienced a shift in their agency from a paralysed state of resisting the integration of IK at the beginning of the intervention to an ‘I can do it’ attitude at the end of the intervention. Thus, it could be argued that this study’s major contribution to new knowledge lies in demonstrating possible ways of supporting teachers to integrate IK as easily accessible resources in their science teaching. Additionally, the study also challenged the Eurocentric approach to ethics and offered Ubuntu as a relational perspective that can be used to complement the shortcomings of Eurocentric research paradigms. The study thus recommends that continuing professional development or professional learning communities should afford teachers the opportunity to collaboratively engage with the challenges that they face in their workplaces in order to resolve the contradictions that confront them. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
Motivation to learn science and make sense of the concept of malleability through the traditional blast furnace in a grade 9 Physical Science class
- Authors: Kudumo, Wilfred Peter
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Science -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia -- Kavango West , Metals -- Effect of high temperatures on , Blast furnaces , Ethnoscience -- Namibia -- Kavango West , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Culturally relevant pedagogy , Motivation in education -- Namibia -- Kavango West , Continuity Argumentative Theory (CAT)
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177262 , vital:42804
- Description: The current situation of teaching and learning science in Namibia is of great concern since it does not seem to take into consideration learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds. As a result, learners are finding that science is not relevant to their everyday life experiences and hence are not motivated to learn it. This is compounded in part by the fact that the Namibian curriculum seems to be silent on how science teachers should include learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds, for example, local or indigenous knowledge in their teaching repertoires. It is against this background that in this study I explored how mobilising the cultural practice of a traditional blast furnace (mudukuto) as an approach enables and/or constrains learners’ motivation to learn science and make sense of the concept of malleability. This is a qualitative case study underpinned by a combination of interpretive and Ubuntu paradigms. It was carried out in a rural school in Namibia, Kavango West Region, where I am currently teaching. The participants in the study were grade 9 learners and one expert community member. Focus group interviews, participatory observation, learners’ reflections, and stimulated recall interviews were used to gather qualitative data. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory was used as a theoretical framework and Ogunniyi`s Continuity Argumentative Theory (CAT) was used as analytical framework or lens to analyse the data. A thematic approach to analyse data was employed. That is, qualitative data were analysed inductively to come up with sub-themes and themes. The findings of the study revealed that the traditional furnace motivated the learners involved in this study to learn science and learners were able to extract science concepts on malleability from the traditional practice. The implication for this study is that when science is related to learners’ daily life or real-world experiences, they are enabled to bridge the gap from what they learn at home or in the community with school science. The study thus recommends that teachers should make an effort to integrate local or indigenous knowledge and practices to make science accessible and relevant in their classrooms. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Kudumo, Wilfred Peter
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Science -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia -- Kavango West , Metals -- Effect of high temperatures on , Blast furnaces , Ethnoscience -- Namibia -- Kavango West , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Culturally relevant pedagogy , Motivation in education -- Namibia -- Kavango West , Continuity Argumentative Theory (CAT)
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177262 , vital:42804
- Description: The current situation of teaching and learning science in Namibia is of great concern since it does not seem to take into consideration learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds. As a result, learners are finding that science is not relevant to their everyday life experiences and hence are not motivated to learn it. This is compounded in part by the fact that the Namibian curriculum seems to be silent on how science teachers should include learners’ socio-cultural backgrounds, for example, local or indigenous knowledge in their teaching repertoires. It is against this background that in this study I explored how mobilising the cultural practice of a traditional blast furnace (mudukuto) as an approach enables and/or constrains learners’ motivation to learn science and make sense of the concept of malleability. This is a qualitative case study underpinned by a combination of interpretive and Ubuntu paradigms. It was carried out in a rural school in Namibia, Kavango West Region, where I am currently teaching. The participants in the study were grade 9 learners and one expert community member. Focus group interviews, participatory observation, learners’ reflections, and stimulated recall interviews were used to gather qualitative data. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory was used as a theoretical framework and Ogunniyi`s Continuity Argumentative Theory (CAT) was used as analytical framework or lens to analyse the data. A thematic approach to analyse data was employed. That is, qualitative data were analysed inductively to come up with sub-themes and themes. The findings of the study revealed that the traditional furnace motivated the learners involved in this study to learn science and learners were able to extract science concepts on malleability from the traditional practice. The implication for this study is that when science is related to learners’ daily life or real-world experiences, they are enabled to bridge the gap from what they learn at home or in the community with school science. The study thus recommends that teachers should make an effort to integrate local or indigenous knowledge and practices to make science accessible and relevant in their classrooms. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
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