New Perspectives in Science Education

The purpose of this study was to examine Physical Sciences in-service teachers’ conceptualization of the subject matter knowledge of indigenous knowledge for integration in Physical Sciences teaching. The study was carried out as a survey that used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore Physical Sciences teachers’ subject matter knowledge of indigenous knowledge and whether they were willing to integrate indigenous knowledge in Physical Sciences teaching. The study was influenced by sudden changes in indigenous knowledge research paradigm where the focus is now on the nature of indigenous knowledge and teaching strategies for indigenous knowledge integration in school science. Thirty-six teachers from Gauteng West in South Africa participated in this study. The research question that guided this study was: What is the existing subject matter knowledge of science teachers of indigenous knowledge? Open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the Physical Sciences teachers’ subject matter knowledge of IK for possible integration in Physical Sciences teaching. The following variables were determined through the mentioned data collecting instruments: IK as a body of knowledge; teachers’ IK as a methodological process; and IK as a way of knowing. Determination of these variables was done through both qualitative and qualitative data analysis. Quantitation was done as means of validation of the qualitative data analysis before and after the professional development program. We can conclude that in-service Physical Science teachers possessed varying degrees of subject matter knowledge of IK before engaging in a professional development program. We also conclude that participation in a teacher development program that employed indigenous practices as inquiry activities improved the teachers’ subject matter knowledge of IK. While some in-service teachers view IK as a product of primal worldview that has no place in the school science, some teachers claim IK and NOS are compatible. Teachers realised that IK practices can inform their teaching strategies as means of making school science relevant to their daily experiences.

Keywords: Indigenous knowledge; subject matter knowledge of indigenous knowledge;