Abstract:

In recent years, various research studies have highlighted the importance of implementing pedagogical approaches that put forward active and collaborative participation, facilitating the learning process, notably in Science Education. Inductive approaches such as Experiential learning (EL) (Kolb, 1984) allow students to take an active part in their learning process. By observing, experimenting, engaging and constructing scientific knowledge, students’ different perspectives and abilities are taken into account (Barak, 2017) as opposed to the traditional Western science approach that favors a more deductive and explicit way of learning (Yavuzcan & Gür, 2020). Moreover, given that contemporary problems such as environmental issues tend to require a different set of skills, thinking and capabilities that goes beyond what is taught in the classroom, educators, particularly, science educators have to integrate a broader perspective to science teaching that goes beyond the conventional Western approach to Science Education.

Experiential Learning (EL) could be envisioned as a relevant way to include Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives and deepen students’ learning, but to what extent ? For instance, in Alberta, Western Canada, science teachers in primary and secondary schools have to integrate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in their teaching practices, since 2019. Based on the literature review on the subjects, combined with our teaching practices with pre-service teachers both in Science Education and Indigenous Perspectives in Education our reflections and experiences as university professors have guided the subject for this presentation allowing us to have a better understanding of the strengths and limits of this approach. We therefore present our EL experiences, limits and ways forward to a richer and broader learning space for both teachers and learners.

More specifically, during this presentation we will first discuss how Experiential learning - through the distinct lenses of Western pedagogy and Indigenous ways of learning - can emulate new pedagogical practices in Science Education. We will provide specific examples of how Experiential learning can be enacted through Western pedagogical approaches, Indigenous ways of learning and transsystemic approaches (Bartlett et al., 2012; Battiste & Henderson, 2021 ; Kimmerer; 2015)

Then, we will discuss how this integration of Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives in Science Education that are not anchored in the Western constructs, can challenge students and teachers on a pragmatic level when it comes to their relationship to scientific knowledge, to their own process of learning science, to the school tasks involved in learning science, but also in terms of their identity, to others and to the World (Schrager, 2011).

Keywords:

Science Education, Experiential learning, Western pedagogy indigenous ways of learning, transsystemic approaches.