SCIENCE FOR CLASSROOM 2
NST2601
YEAR MODULE
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
ASSIGNMENT 2
STUDENT NUMBER:
STUDENT NAMES:
, QUESTION 1
Colonization
This stage does not refer necessarily to the time of colonial occupation in
Africa but rather to the stage when indigenous knowledge was not recognized
as valued knowledge. In many Southern African countries such as
Mozambique, gaining political independence did not create immediately an
open and official curriculum place for indigenous knowledge. For many African
countries, indigenous knowledge remained unofficial and was considered
superstitious with no legitimacy for inclusion in the school curriculum.
Decolonization
I view the decolonization stage as the period when awareness about the value
of indigenous knowledge started to take place in debates on curriculum
policies in education. This was an agitated period and one of the challenges
was to define a criterion or standard to judge which practices and knowledge
could be promoted in school curriculum. Assuming that each practice or
knowledge is good depending on the cultural standpoint one takes to look at it.
Neo – colonialization
Although IKS was included in the curriculum, it was decolonization and neo –
colonization are blurred. And it is an irony that it was with the justification to
contextualize science education that IKS was decontextualized and exploited.
In fact it is important to be critical of our own discourse because ‘we may
reinforce and maintain a style of discourse which is never innocent. By
building on previous text written about indigenous people and indigenous
knowledge, we continue to legitimate view about ourselves and our
knowledge, which are hostile to us.
Re – birth
This is the stage where researchers and other educationist interrogate the
lenses through which IKS is communicated . The re – birth stage question the
interests being served by specific content and pedagogies. This stage does
not only argue for the inclusion of IKS, but also questions the way in which it
has been included or integrated. I see this stage as being in consonance with
ideas from the triple crises in social science research, as pointed out by
Denzin and Lincoln representation, legitimation and prasus. The re – birth
stage is also a trubulent stage and faces the challenge to avoid romanticizing
and essentializing IKS
Theorization
Awareness of the importance of theory dominates this stage. During the re –
birth stage, researchers are confronted with lack of theoretical frameworks for
supporting alternative ways of including IKS in schools. I noted that, although
the first four stages may have some space for theory. The fifth stage is framed
NST2601
YEAR MODULE
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
ASSIGNMENT 2
STUDENT NUMBER:
STUDENT NAMES:
, QUESTION 1
Colonization
This stage does not refer necessarily to the time of colonial occupation in
Africa but rather to the stage when indigenous knowledge was not recognized
as valued knowledge. In many Southern African countries such as
Mozambique, gaining political independence did not create immediately an
open and official curriculum place for indigenous knowledge. For many African
countries, indigenous knowledge remained unofficial and was considered
superstitious with no legitimacy for inclusion in the school curriculum.
Decolonization
I view the decolonization stage as the period when awareness about the value
of indigenous knowledge started to take place in debates on curriculum
policies in education. This was an agitated period and one of the challenges
was to define a criterion or standard to judge which practices and knowledge
could be promoted in school curriculum. Assuming that each practice or
knowledge is good depending on the cultural standpoint one takes to look at it.
Neo – colonialization
Although IKS was included in the curriculum, it was decolonization and neo –
colonization are blurred. And it is an irony that it was with the justification to
contextualize science education that IKS was decontextualized and exploited.
In fact it is important to be critical of our own discourse because ‘we may
reinforce and maintain a style of discourse which is never innocent. By
building on previous text written about indigenous people and indigenous
knowledge, we continue to legitimate view about ourselves and our
knowledge, which are hostile to us.
Re – birth
This is the stage where researchers and other educationist interrogate the
lenses through which IKS is communicated . The re – birth stage question the
interests being served by specific content and pedagogies. This stage does
not only argue for the inclusion of IKS, but also questions the way in which it
has been included or integrated. I see this stage as being in consonance with
ideas from the triple crises in social science research, as pointed out by
Denzin and Lincoln representation, legitimation and prasus. The re – birth
stage is also a trubulent stage and faces the challenge to avoid romanticizing
and essentializing IKS
Theorization
Awareness of the importance of theory dominates this stage. During the re –
birth stage, researchers are confronted with lack of theoretical frameworks for
supporting alternative ways of including IKS in schools. I noted that, although
the first four stages may have some space for theory. The fifth stage is framed
