Abstract:

It is imperative that teaching and learning of every science subject acknowledges the existence of different knowledge systems. The level of teacher understanding of an innovation, determines its implementation in the classroom. While the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) advocates for the integration of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in Life Sciences teaching, there has not been concerted effort in assisting teachers in identifying relevant IK and teaching strategies to use when teaching various Life Sciences topics. There has not been any significant effort made to ensure IK integration in Life Sciences teaching from the DBE except for the rhetoric in the curriculum document. For instance, in the final Grade 12 Life Sciences examinations, there is barely any reference to IK in the examination items except for reference to traditional medicine. Previous studies have argued for and clearly justified the role of IK in making science concepts meaningful and relevant in learners’ lives. One wonders whether teachers in various school contexts are prepared for this task and also realise what is at stake. It is against this background that the study sought to answer the question: What are Life Sciences teachers’ understandings of IK relevance in Life Sciences teaching. In a qualitative exploratory case-study research design, 10 Life Sciences teachers from one district in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa were purposefully and conveniently selected. A questionnaire with open ended questions was administered to all the 10 teachers to determine their understanding of IK relevance in Life Sciences. After analysis of questionnaire data, only three teachers whose responses showed: negativity; non-aligned; and positivity, in terms of their understandings of the relevance of IK in Life Sciences teaching, were selected and interviewed once using a semi-structured interview schedule to provide them with an opportunity to articulate or justify their responses. All data was analysed using Saldana (2009) manual coding. The findings showed that teachers’ understandings of IK and its relevance for integration, were based on their race, ethnicity, religion and experiences in their different school contexts as Life Sciences teachers. Teachers from multiracial schools questioned the source of that relevant IK for integration in the classrooms as it is likely to create confusion amongst learners. Such teachers viewed science as absolute knowledge, full of facts and should be taught that way. On the other hand, teachers from township schools enrolling Black learners, showed knowledge, appreciation and willingness to integrate IK in their teaching. They even suggested the involvement of community leaders in identifying the relevant IK which should be perpetuated in their children’s Life Sciences classrooms. The findings inform DBE of the need to involve the community and to continuously motivate and equip teachers with the knowledge and skills for IK integration.

Keywords:

Indigenous Knowledge, Life Sciences, township, multiracial schools.