Teachers’ Understanding of the Link Between IK and School Science

To help the grade 8 Physical Science teachers integrate IK in their science lessons, there was a need for the teachers to first explore the relevant IK they are familiar with. After participating in the two presentations by the ECM the teachers made this reflections:

Both chemical and physical changes were observed e.g. soaking and boiling. White (nature as they call it) palm leaves in Muhonono leaves turn black, while grinding Munzinzila barks was physical change (TI).

Both chemical and physical changes were observed; grinding Munzinzila barks is physical change, while palm leaves changing to different colours is chemical change (T3).

On chemical change the palm leaves changed colour when heated in different plant extracts. And colour could not be reversed. In physical change, in weaving when a mistake is done you re-do (T4).

The above quotes were responses to a question that was asked about what they had observed in the presentation by the expert community member. They also had to reflect on whether the

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observed changes were chemical or physical. Notably, before the science teachers were engaged in the two presentations they appeared to be familiar with the traditional practice of dyeing and weaving baskets. As it can be seen in the teachers’ responses, the discussions from the presentation by the ECM gave the science teachers an opportunity to explore and understand the link between the dyeing and weaving of baskets with school science (chemical and physical changes). The teachers were enabled to see beyond the simple traditional practice of dyeing and weaving. However, they did not seem to have any knowledge of how this IK could be used to mediate the learning of chemical and physical changes.

The following excerpts are teachers’ responses during the two ECM’s presentations and they show the opportunities for science topics which could be mediated by the indigenous technology of dyeing and weaving baskets:

That is surface area effect on rate of reactions. When the split strips are left to dry in the sun the strips provides more surface area, that the water molecules inside the fronds quickly heats up and evaporates, this leaves the strips dry (T4).

Oh they are many science concepts as here. Apart from chemical and physical changes, I see forces in action, pushing the awl to make a hole, pushing and pulling the palm leaf strip through the hole made (T1).

There is also pressure here; she is applying a force on an area (T2).

After the ECM’s presentations the teachers met to brainstorm science concepts embedded in the indigenous technology of dyeing and weaving African basketry. As a result of their improved understanding of IK and the school science link, the teachers were enabled to come up with science concepts or topics that emerged and could be mediated by the indigenous technology of dyeing and weaving baskets from the ECM’s presentation. From these concepts we subsequently co-developed an exemplar lesson that integrated the science concepts that emerged from dyeing and weaving of baskets to mediate learning of chemical and physical changes. The concepts that emerged from the expert community member’s presentations are shown in Figure 5.11 below.

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Figure 5.11: School science concepts that emerged from the ECM’s presentations 5.5 Observed Shifts in Teachers’ ZPD and Pedagogy

After the ECM’s presentations, teachers were asked to reflect on the presentations. An improved understanding was not only observed in the teachers’ subject matter knowledge but also in their pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1986). This was evident in their reflections presented in Table 5.3 below.

Table 5.3: Teachers’ reflections

It is much helpful because learners could see for themselves the different changes like grinding the barks remain the same barks, only shape changes. But the dyed palm leaves looks/seem to have something in it that makes it different (T4).

Some of the practices used in the presentation would be very useful in my future teaching not only in the topic chemical and physical changes but in other topics too (T1).

I will not depend on examples given in the textbook anymore, I will try to give at least 50% of example in the local community (T3).

In my selection of teaching aids I have learned to include some from the local environment. Moreover inviting community members so that they can share the knowledge e.g. traditional way of preserving food (T4).

The extracts from these teachers’ reflections suggest that the expert community member’s presentations assisted them to visualise chemical and physical changes. By reflecting on their previous teaching practices, and as alluded to earlier, these teachers showed a significant

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increase in both their subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.

Moreover, they also exhibited understanding of IK and its implication in science lessons. The reflections also show that these teachers learnt how to integrate IK in science lessons. They thus reflected with confidence that they would use the knowledge in their future teaching. More importantly, this suggests that these teachers would be able to fulfil the curriculum requirements.