Indigenous Knowledge in Science Education

Abstract

This chapter introduces indigenous knowledge as a way of contextualizing the curriculum for diverse learners. Based on the views of various scholars in this field, a working definition of indigenous knowledge is distilled to serve as a foundation for the chapter. Additionally, embodied, situated, and distributed cognition theory is briefly discussed to support the argument that indigenous knowledge can contextualize science for culturally diverse learners and enhance the realization of affective outcomes. The chapter explores different perspectives on the relationship between western science and indigenous knowledge. These include: the inclusive perspective, which views indigenous knowledge as part of western science; the exclusive perspective, which views western science and indigenous knowledge as independent knowledge areas; and the intersecting perspective, which states that, while the two knowledge systems differ in some respects, there are also a number of shared tenets, e.g., both indigenous knowledge and western science are empirical and inferential. Based on a literature review, several trends or themes are identified regarding the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the science classroom and its implications for science teacher education.