Exploring how the integration of indigenous knowledge in the topic of acids and bases influences Grade 10 Physical Science learners’ conceptions, dispositions and sense-making
- Authors: Haimene, Johanna Shetulimba
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Physical sciences -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Ethnoscience -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Science -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Curriculum planning -- Study and teaching -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94996 , vital:31105
- Description: The inclusion of indigenous knowledge (IK) in science education is gaining momentum. That is, it is acknowledged that the starting point in learning is what learners already know from their homes or community. This will be consolidated by what these learners will learn in classroom. It is for this reason that the Namibia National Curriculum for Basic Education (NCBE) advocates Learner Centred Education (LCE). The Physical science syllabus also encourages the use of practical activities to enhance the conceptual understanding of the learners. However, the views and beliefs that learners have towards science influence their learning of science. Looking at the same context, various studies carried out have pointed out that the attitude of learners towards the subject influences their performance in that specific subject. It is against this background that this study sought to explore how the integration of indigenous knowledge in lessons on acids and bases influences (or not) learners’ conceptions, dispositions, interest and sense-making. This study used a mixed-method approach whereby both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. It is underpinned by the interpretive paradigm. Within the interpretive paradigm a case study approach was employed. The study was carried out with the Grade 10B Physical Science learners at Namaela Secondary School (Pseudonym) in the Oshikoto Region. To generate data, a variety of data generation techniques were employed, namely pre-and post-intervention questionnaires, pre-and post-test, observations, learners’ journal reflections and semi-structured interviews. Conceptions, dispositions and sense-making, and Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory were used as a lens to analyse the data. A deductive-inductive approach was adopted for data analysis. The findings from the study revealed that learners were able to make sense of science concepts when IK is integrated in the lessons. Additionally, the learners’ conceptions and dispositions shifted positively due to the use of the everyday materials. It emerged that learners were able to learn science well when they link their everyday experiences to school science. This study thus recommends that teachers should be encouraged to integrate IK in their lessons. In order for teachers to effectively integrate IK, the curriculum developers should be explicit on how teachers should integrate IK in their lessons. Moreover, teacher-training institutions should include ways of integrating IK when they are training teachers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Haimene, Johanna Shetulimba
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Physical sciences -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Ethnoscience -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Science -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Curriculum planning -- Study and teaching -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94996 , vital:31105
- Description: The inclusion of indigenous knowledge (IK) in science education is gaining momentum. That is, it is acknowledged that the starting point in learning is what learners already know from their homes or community. This will be consolidated by what these learners will learn in classroom. It is for this reason that the Namibia National Curriculum for Basic Education (NCBE) advocates Learner Centred Education (LCE). The Physical science syllabus also encourages the use of practical activities to enhance the conceptual understanding of the learners. However, the views and beliefs that learners have towards science influence their learning of science. Looking at the same context, various studies carried out have pointed out that the attitude of learners towards the subject influences their performance in that specific subject. It is against this background that this study sought to explore how the integration of indigenous knowledge in lessons on acids and bases influences (or not) learners’ conceptions, dispositions, interest and sense-making. This study used a mixed-method approach whereby both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. It is underpinned by the interpretive paradigm. Within the interpretive paradigm a case study approach was employed. The study was carried out with the Grade 10B Physical Science learners at Namaela Secondary School (Pseudonym) in the Oshikoto Region. To generate data, a variety of data generation techniques were employed, namely pre-and post-intervention questionnaires, pre-and post-test, observations, learners’ journal reflections and semi-structured interviews. Conceptions, dispositions and sense-making, and Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory were used as a lens to analyse the data. A deductive-inductive approach was adopted for data analysis. The findings from the study revealed that learners were able to make sense of science concepts when IK is integrated in the lessons. Additionally, the learners’ conceptions and dispositions shifted positively due to the use of the everyday materials. It emerged that learners were able to learn science well when they link their everyday experiences to school science. This study thus recommends that teachers should be encouraged to integrate IK in their lessons. In order for teachers to effectively integrate IK, the curriculum developers should be explicit on how teachers should integrate IK in their lessons. Moreover, teacher-training institutions should include ways of integrating IK when they are training teachers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Exploring Intersemiotic Complementarity in three Namibian Physical Science teachers’ classroom practice
- Authors: Nakakuwa, Tomas
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Semiotics , Communication in science , Communication in education , Physical sciences -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Science -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Language and education -- Namibia , Science teachers -- Training of -- Namibia , Visual learning , Verbal learning
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96812 , vital:31324
- Description: The Namibian Science curriculum promotes learners’ development of self-confidence, self-knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live. The world we live in is increasingly multimodal, necessitating a multiliteracy in learners in order for them to engage meaningfully with knowledge and skills. Furthermore, scientists themselves engage in a range of inscription practices. While verbal language is the primary medium through which scientific knowledge and concepts are constructed, communicated, and learned, visuals can help learners to gain knowledge that they may not receive from verbal explanation alone. The verbal and visual semiotic modes can also function in a complementarity way, and this is significant in contexts where science lessons are for the most part in a second language - as is the case in Namibia where the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) of English is commonly not the learners’ mother tongue. However, no studies were found exploring the nature of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in the practice of Namibian science teachers, or whether it was related to the number of years of science teaching experience. This study thus aimed to explore the dynamics of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in the classroom practice of three Junior Secondary Physical Science teachers, with varying amounts of science teaching experience, in the Oshana region of Namibia. This qualitative case study, on the dynamics of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in science teacher classroom practice follows in the path of earlier studies which employed Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) in the analysis of multimodal discourse. This thesis is also informed by Social Constructivism in which the various semiotic modes are recognised as components of the toolkit for mediating learning. The study adopted the interpretive paradigm. Data collection involved lesson observations and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis involved identification and coding of themes and categories inductively. The results reveal that the participant teachers employed the full range of intersemiotic sense relations which literature outlines. It was found that the ideational meanings in the verbal and visual modes of the science teachers’ practice are lexico-semantically related through these intersemiotic sense relations. While some teachers utilised some intersemiotic sense relations more often than others, there were no correspondences evident between the use of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity and the number of years of science teaching experience. The results also indicated that different intersemiotic sense relations served different purposes in the science classroom. The verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in the participant teachers’ practice tended to focus on: physical material, processes, symbolism or resemblance. This study has significant implications, providing an empirical basis for informing pre-service Physical Science teachers’ training and guiding the in-service training of Physical Science teachers in Namibia. Since its effective use may not be left up to teaching experience, Namibian Physical Science teacher training programmes need to include the use of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in order to equip and empower Physical Science teachers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Nakakuwa, Tomas
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Semiotics , Communication in science , Communication in education , Physical sciences -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Science -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Language and education -- Namibia , Science teachers -- Training of -- Namibia , Visual learning , Verbal learning
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96812 , vital:31324
- Description: The Namibian Science curriculum promotes learners’ development of self-confidence, self-knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live. The world we live in is increasingly multimodal, necessitating a multiliteracy in learners in order for them to engage meaningfully with knowledge and skills. Furthermore, scientists themselves engage in a range of inscription practices. While verbal language is the primary medium through which scientific knowledge and concepts are constructed, communicated, and learned, visuals can help learners to gain knowledge that they may not receive from verbal explanation alone. The verbal and visual semiotic modes can also function in a complementarity way, and this is significant in contexts where science lessons are for the most part in a second language - as is the case in Namibia where the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) of English is commonly not the learners’ mother tongue. However, no studies were found exploring the nature of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in the practice of Namibian science teachers, or whether it was related to the number of years of science teaching experience. This study thus aimed to explore the dynamics of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in the classroom practice of three Junior Secondary Physical Science teachers, with varying amounts of science teaching experience, in the Oshana region of Namibia. This qualitative case study, on the dynamics of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in science teacher classroom practice follows in the path of earlier studies which employed Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) in the analysis of multimodal discourse. This thesis is also informed by Social Constructivism in which the various semiotic modes are recognised as components of the toolkit for mediating learning. The study adopted the interpretive paradigm. Data collection involved lesson observations and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis involved identification and coding of themes and categories inductively. The results reveal that the participant teachers employed the full range of intersemiotic sense relations which literature outlines. It was found that the ideational meanings in the verbal and visual modes of the science teachers’ practice are lexico-semantically related through these intersemiotic sense relations. While some teachers utilised some intersemiotic sense relations more often than others, there were no correspondences evident between the use of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity and the number of years of science teaching experience. The results also indicated that different intersemiotic sense relations served different purposes in the science classroom. The verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in the participant teachers’ practice tended to focus on: physical material, processes, symbolism or resemblance. This study has significant implications, providing an empirical basis for informing pre-service Physical Science teachers’ training and guiding the in-service training of Physical Science teachers in Namibia. Since its effective use may not be left up to teaching experience, Namibian Physical Science teacher training programmes need to include the use of verbal-visual intersemiotic complementarity in order to equip and empower Physical Science teachers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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