Abstract
An innovative school science curriculum in South Africa requires the inclusion of African societal/cultural knowledge, such as indigenous knowledge (IK). The main project involves introducing argumentation to accomplish this requirement. We used a focus group plus critical incident technique to ascertain nine teachers’ understandings of argumentation and IK, their perceptions of how argumentation helps in teaching IK, examples of how argumentation-teaching had (or had not) worked in their classrooms, and their suggestions. Our results show that the teachers accepted argumentation as a viable approach to teach science and introduce IK into their classrooms.
Executive Summary
IiNgcali kwezemfundo, ehlabathini jikelele, ziya qala ukuwaqonda ngoku amaseko emfundo engenamkhethe, edlelana nabantwana ezikolweni; yiyo loonto zinomdla ngokona kwimfundo engqinelana nolwazi lwezemvelo. Ikharityhulamu entsha nehlaziyiweyo yoMzantsi Afrika icebisa ukuba abafundi bafundiswe isixa esimashumi mathathu ekhulwini (30%) kwezeNzululwazi ngokungqinelana nendlela yolwazi oluphuma kwizithethe nobugcisa bakwaNtu. Oku kungumcelimngeni kubafundisi-ntsapho (ootishala) abangenalwazi lwezemvelo olufana nolo lwabafundi babo okanye ukuba banalo, bangaluhlomelela njani ezifundweni zabo. Injongo yolu phando lwethu kukubona ukuba aba bafundisi-ntsapho benze mqela mni na ekufundiseni unzululwazi ngale ndlela, iziziphina iindawo abaxinge kuzo. Xa bekusetyenziswa intlanganisela yendlela yodliwano-ndlebe lwamaqela (ifokhas-gruphu) kwakunye nendlela yodliwano-ndlebe locikido (ikhrithikhal-insidenti), abafundisi-ntsapho abalithoba (abenza izifundo zophando kumabakala ezidanga zembeko nangaphezulu) bebexoxa: malunga nabakwaziyo ngendlela yokuxoxa ekuthiwa yimvunyelwano-mpikiswana (i-adyumenteyishini) kwakunye nolwazi lwezemvelo (i-indijinas noleji); izimvo zabo malunga nendlela ingxoxo-mpikiswano ethi incede ngayo ekufundise ngolwazi lwezemvelo; imizekelo apho ingxoxo-mpikiswano ethe yabanokunceda (okanye ayanceda) kumagumbi okufundisa (iiklasi); kwakunye nezimvo zabo ngabakucingela ukuba kusafuneke kwenziwe ekwenzeni indlela yemvunyelwano-mpikiswano ibenokusebenza ngokunempumelelo. Imvunyelwano-mpikiswano yaye yamkeleka njengendlela yokufundisa enako ukwenzeka ngempumelelo. Iimiceli-mngeni engundoqo yaquka: isidingo sokuba abafundi babenezakhono zokusetyenziswa kolwimi namava emvelo; isidingo sokuba kongezelelwe ixesha lokufundisa; isidingo sophuhliso-mava ngakumbi kwicala lweendlela zokufundisa; isidingo sokuphuhliswa kwekharityhulamu ngendlela efanelekileyo; kwakunye nenkxaso yabathabathi-nxaxheba kwezemfundo. Kwaye kwabakho nenkxalabo emalunga nendlela yokufundisa imvunyelwisano-mpikiswano ukuba iyingendlela yokufundisi esisixhobo sezenzululwazi lwasentshona na okanye indlela kawonke-wonke yokuxoxa equka iindlela zolwazi lwezemvelo zesi-Afrika. Abathabathi-nxaxheba baye babonisa uchulumanco malunga nokusetyenziswa kwemvunyelwano-mpikiswano ngengendlela yokufundisa ezenzululwazi kwakunye nokuhlonyelwa kolwazi lwezemvelo kwizifundo zenzululwazi emagumbini okufundisa (eziklasini).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
The cultural group referred to as Coloured is South African terminology for people of mixed race, who are frequently of Malay descent.
In South Africa there are 11 official languages, of which English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa are but three. Because of this language diversity the medium of instruction at high schools and universities is currently English. Each language generally reflects specific cultural groups with diverse beliefs, religions, and social practices. Xhosa people predominate in this part of South Africa.
References
Aikenhead, G. S. (2001). Students’ ease in crossing cultural borders into school science. Science Education, 85, 180–188.
Aikenhead, G. S., & Jegede, O. J. (1999). Cross-cultural science education: A cognitive explanation of cultural phenomena. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36, 269–287.
Aikenhead, G. S., & Ogawa, M. (2007). Indigenous knowledge and science revisited. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2, 539–620.
Barnhardt, R., & Kawagley, A. O. (2005). Indigenous knowledge systems and Alaska native ways of knowing. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 36, 8–23.
Brandt, C. B., & Kosco, K. (2009). The power of the earth is a circle. In W.-M. Roth & K. Tobin (Eds.), The world of science education: Handbook of research in North America. Chapter 21. Rotterdam, Holland: Sense Publishers.
Cajete, G. A. (1994). Look to the mountains: An ecology of indigenous education. Durango, CO: Kikavi Press.
Cobern, W. (1993). Construction of knowledge and group learning. In K. Tobin (Ed.), The practice of constructivism in science education. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.
Department of Education. (2002). C2005: Revised national curriculum statement grades R-9 (schools) policy for the natural sciences. Pretoria: Government Printer.
Erduran, S., & Jiménez-Aleixandre, M. P. (Eds.). (2008). Argumentation in science education: Perspectives from classroom-based research. New York, NY: Springer.
Erduran, S., Simon, S., & Osborne, J. (2004). TAPping into argumentation: Development in the use of Toulmin’s argumentation pattern in studying science discourse. Science Education, 88, 915–953.
Flanagan, J. C. (1954). The critical incident technique. Psychological Bulletin, 51, 1–33.
Hewson, M. G. (1988). The ecological context of knowledge: Implications for learning science in developing countries. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 20, 317–326.
Hewson, M. G., & Hewson, P. W. (2003). The effect of instruction using students’ prior knowledge and conceptual change strategies on science learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40((Supple.)), S87–S98.
Hewson, M. G., Javu, M. T., & Holtman, L. B. (2009). The indigenous knowledge of African traditional health practitioners and the South African science curriculum. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13, 5–18.
Jegede, O. J., & Aikenhead, G. S. (1999). Transcending cultural borders: Implications for science teaching. Research in Science and Technology Education, 17, 45–67.
Kelly, G. (2007). Discourse in science classrooms. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research in science education (pp. 443–470). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Lave, J., & Wegner, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Liphoto, N. P. (2008). The effect of a cross-cultural instructional approach on learners’ conceptions of lightning and attitudes towards science. Dissertation, University of the Western Cape.
Loucks-Horsley, S., Stiles, K. E., Mundry, S., Love, N., & Hewson, P. W. (2010). Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, California.
Morgan, D. L. (1998). The focus group guidebook. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications, Inc.
Odora Hoppers, C. A. (Ed.). (2002). Indigenous knowledge and the integration of knowledge systems: Towards a philosophy of articulation. Claremont, SA: New Africa Books.
Ogunniyi, M. B. (2004). The challenge of preparing and equipping science teachers in higher education to integrate scientific and indigenous knowledge systems for their learners. South African Journal of Higher Education, 18, 289–304.
Ogunniyi, M. B. (2006). Effects of a discursive course on two science teachers’ perceptions of the nature of science. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 10, 93–102.
Ogunniyi, M. B., & Hewson, M. G. (2008). Effect of an argumentation-based course on teachers’ disposition towards a science-indigenous knowledge curriculum. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 3, 159–177.
Riggs, E. M. (2003). Field-based education and indigenous knowledge: Essential components for geo-science teaching for Native American communities. Science Education, 89, 296–313.
Roberts, D. (2007). Scientific literacy/ science literacy. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research in science education (pp. 729–780),. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Stears, M., Malcolm, C., & Kowlas, L. (2003). Making use of everyday knowledge in the science classroom. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education, 7, 109–118.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications, Inc.
Toulmin, S. (1958). The uses of argument. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
van Rooyen, H., & de Beer, J. (Eds.). (2006). Teaching science in the OBE classroom. Braamfontein, SA: Macmillan South Africa Publishers.
Warren, D. M., & Rajasekaran, B. (1993). Putting local knowledge to good use. International Agricultural Development, 13, 8–10.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hewson, M.G., Ogunniyi, M.B. Argumentation-teaching as a method to introduce indigenous knowledge into science classrooms: opportunities and challenges. Cult Stud of Sci Educ 6, 679–692 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-010-9303-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-010-9303-5