INTEGRATING CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE IN SCIENCE TEACHING AT ORDINARY LEVEL IN BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE

Abstract

Abstract The Zimbabwean Competence based curriculum framework (2015-2022) recognizes the importance of cultural knowledge in school science teaching. The framework stresses that competences to be taught in science lessons should be informed by cultural knowledge. Despite this recognition, the Zimbabwean Ordinary Level science teaching has remained the same without adopting this new approach. This study sought to establish the cultural knowledge held by different communities around Bulawayo which is relevant to the Ordinary Level school science and how that knowledge can be used in the teaching of science at this level. Through a qualitative research approach, data were gathered from a sample of ten elders who were 60 years old or older who originated from different Zimbabwean communities and five Ordinary level science teachers. The elders were purposively chosen for their experience and expertise in cultural knowledge and were asked to explain the cultural knowledge held by their communities. The teachers were randomly selected from Bulawayo urban schools and were asked to explain how the cultural knowledge cited by the elders could be integrated with science teaching. Data from participants were gathered through interviews. The results from the study indicated that there is a vast and rich cultural knowledge base held by communities which could be integrated with school science. The paper concludes that there is a lot of potential in integrating cultural knowledge with school science. Such an approach to science teaching would make science lessons more relevant and accessible to the learners from different cultural backgrounds.