Storytelling: A Teaching Technique to Infuse Indigenous Knowledge in Physical Science Pre-service Teacher Training
The infusion of indigenous knowledge in academic subjects is often problematic due to personal perceptions or little experience with indigenous knowle.
- Pub. date: June 15, 2025
- Online Pub. date: May 07, 2025
- Pages: 113-126
- 23 Downloads
- 114 Views
- 0 Citations
- #Indigenous knowledge
- # participatory action and learning research
- # physical science
- # project-based - and contextualised learning
- # storytelling.
Abstract:
The infusion of indigenous knowledge in academic subjects is often problematic due to personal perceptions or little experience with indigenous knowledge in a teaching and learning environment. The aim of the research was to indicate the experiences of pre-service teachers when infusing indigenous knowledge via storytelling in Physical Science. This article reports on the personal experience(s) of pre-service teachers in training at a higher education institution where indigenous knowledge was infused into the teaching and learning of Physical Sciences. The implementation of Ethnophysics as a teaching strategy, storytelling as a teaching technique, contextualised - and project-based learning as teaching methods and approaches and reflection on experiences when implementing participatory action learning and action research indicated a transformative way to embrace indigenous knowledge in the teaching and learning of Physical Science. Stories, related to the concept of heat in physical science were collected by the pre-service teachers from trusted adult members in their local communities. The pre-service teachers analysed the stories and reported their interpretation of scientific and indigenous knowledge in the stories. Inductive, thematic analysis was used to interpret pre-service teacher reflection on the experience and the Cultural Historical Activity Theory was used to indicate an overview and the connection between different elements of the research. The participating pre-service teachers indicated that storytelling, as a teaching technique, adds value to how they interpret concepts in Physical Science related to their unique culture. The pre-service teachers gained research skills regarding qualitative research and showed the ability to identify the contribution of both scientific and indigenous knowledge.
indigenous knowledge participatory action and learning research physical science project based and contextualised learning storytelling
Keywords: Indigenous knowledge, participatory action and learning research, physical science, project-based - and contextualised learning, storytelling.
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