INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM and PRACTICES

INTEGRATION IN TEACHING SCIENCE IN

PUBLIC SECONDARY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN

BURGOS and BAGULIN CLUSTER

A Thesis Proposal

Presented to the

Faculty of the Graduate School

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN PHILIPPINES

In Partial Fulfillment To

the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Education – Major in Science Education

MARIO V. MARIANO JR.

DECEMBER 2017
 THE PROBLEM

INTRODUCTION

Indigenous peoples have showed through their own use and application of

traditional knowledge and their own survival that their knowledge systems are based

on wide-ranging concepts. It is inspiring to look at scholarly papers that show us how

indigenous knowledge is still used with success. Such are the ideas of herbal

medicine or ideas of plant irrigation, and other sustainable way of caring and

harmonizing with the environment like the “muyong system” of Ifugao. Also the

traditional way of forecasting weather systems which is very helpful to farmers as to

when and what are they going to plant. These however, because of formal education

systems, it have disrupted the practical everyday life aspects of indigenous

knowledge and ways of learning, replacing them with abstract knowledge and

academic ways of learning. Today, there is a grave risk that much indigenous

knowledge is being lost and, along with it, valuable knowledge about ways of living

sustainably is degrading.

The country has more than 110 ethnic tribes and cultural communities whose

cultures and traditions are in varying states of extinction. These vanishing ancestral

traditions and customary laws used to define social relationships and values and

promoted efficiency of economic activities. Unfortunately, environmentally

devastating socio-economic ventures, large-scale indiscriminate mining and

industrial logging have brought incalculable damage to their primary source of

livelihood and cultural sanctuary. The consequent destruction of their environment

resulted in the further degradation of ancestral cultures which are largely shaped by

the indigenous people's interaction with the natural elements.

 This resulting to the loss of their cultural identities, coupled with the

devastation of their environment, has resulted in the serious economic displacement

and cultural disempowerment of these communities. Tribal communities in various

geographical areas are thus among the most impoverished and marginalized sectors

of Philippine society (ACPC 2005).

Though the Philippines has been in existence for more than 100 years, it has

only been since the late 1980s and the 1990s that the government sought to address

the plight of the indigenous peoples.

As when they embodied in Section 17, Article XIV of the Constitution the

recognition of IPs, it states that “The State shall recognize, respect, and protect the

rights of indigenous cultural communities to preserve and develop their cultures,

traditions, and institutions. It shall consider these rights in the formulation of national

plans and policies.” This is to express a national policy and an evidence of a nation

seeking to understand and articulate its own cultural identity after many years of

colonial rule. It was further strengthen when Indigenous People’s Right Act of 1997

(RA 8371) was signed into law in October 29, 1997 which guarantees the rights of

IPs to ancestral domain, self-governance and empowerment, social justice and

human rights, and cultural integrity. As to education, this law serves as a basis of

establishing integrated system of education. In section 28 of this law it states that

“The State shall, through the National Commission on Indigenous People, provide a

complete, adequate and integrated system of education, relevant to the needs of the

children and young people of ICCs/IPs.” Furthermore, Section 30 states that “The

State shall provide equal access to various cultural opportunities to the ICCs/IPs

through the educational system, public or private cultural entities, scholarships,

grants and other incentives without prejudice to their right to establish and control
their educational systems and institutions by providing education in their own

language, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.

Indigenous children/youth shall have the right to all levels and forms of education of

the State.”

Within these legal frameworks that mandates the educational institutions to

promote and ensure that IPs cultures, knowledge and identities shall enrich through

integration of Indigenous knowledge and skills to their curriculum.

That is, in response to the distinct educational needs of IP communities, the

Department Education has earlier issued DepED Order No. 42, s.2004 (“Permit to

Operate Primary Schools for Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Communities”), this

was provided so that these Indigenous People (IP) schools have been encouraged

to register with the DepED for mainstreaming in the educational system. Also,

DepED Order No. 101, s.2010 (“The Alternative Learning System (ALS) Curriculum

for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) Education”) was initiated. This is to provide an IP

Education Curriculum for the Alternative Learning System (ALS). It was developed in

the year 2006 in coordination with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples

(NCIP) and was validated by the various indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) in

the Philippines. The learning competencies of the IP Curriculum were drawn from the

existing ALS curriculum for the basic literacy, elementary and secondary levels. The

curriculum content however, was based on the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act

(IPRA) or Republic Act (RA) No. 8371. The educational goal of the IP Curriculum is

the attainment of functional literacy for the IPs.

Furthermore, pursuant to Proclamation No. 1906, s. 2009, October of every

year has been designated as the National IP Month, the Department of Education
issues memorandum each from that year to encouraged all educators most

especially those in public to participate and take cognizance thereof.

In 2011, DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2011 (“Adopting the National Indigenous

Peoples (IP) Education Policy Framework”), this is in line with the country’s

commitment to achieve its Education for All (EFA) targets and the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs), and in pursuit of the Basic Education Sector Reform

Agenda (BESRA), the Department of Education (DepEd) is adopting the enclosed

National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework. This Policy Framework is

intended to be an instrument for promoting shared accountability, continuous

dialogue, engagement, and partnership among government, IP communities, civil

society, and other education stakeholders. Recognizing education as a necessary

means to realize other human rights and fundamental freedoms, the DepEd urges

the strengthening of its policy on IP education and develop and implement an IP

Education Program. This Program subscribes to the rights-based approach which

gives primary importance to the principles of participation, inclusion, and

empowerment.

That is every year, the Department of education adopted this policy in

recognition of the right of indigenous peoples to culturally rooted and responsive

basic education, which aims to provide guidance to schools and other education

programs as they engage with indigenous communities in contextualizing the K to 12

Curriculum based on their respective educational and social contexts.

The said framework is a fruit of a series of consultations with community

elders, leaders and implementers of community-based Indigenous Peoples

Education (IPEd) initiatives. As a major milestone in the enhancement of the IPEd

Program, it will benefit more than 1.19-million IP learners enrolled in public schools,
as well learners enrolled in community and civil society organization-run schools. In

line with this, DepEd has started a training program for teachers and school heads in

schools serving indigenous communities.

The design of a culturally-appropriate and responsive curriculum is anchored

on the defining features of indigenous communities: the ancestral domain, the

community’s worldview, and its indigenous cultural institutions. It includes and

respects the community’s expression of spirituality and strengthens indigenous

cultural identity. DepEd values indigenous languages in the implementation of a

Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) among indigenous

learners in order to regenerate and enrich the community’s Indigenous Knowledge

Systems and Practices (IKSPs) and Indigenous Learning Systems (ILS). The

curriculum is designed to enable indigenous learners to be future culture-bearers,

capable of exercising their right to self-determination as they interact with other

cultures.

The curriculum is open to the community’s teaching-learning processes

complementing with that developed by DepEd. The commitment of culture bearers

and IKSP holders to serve as knowledge managers in the teaching-learning process

is recognized and their participation as appropriate is encouraged. DepEd

recognizes that the ancestral domain where IKSPs are experienced, lived, and

learned is the primary learning environment and learning space for indigenous

learners. Community’s guidance shall be sought in designing learning activities

involving places in the ancestral domain to maintain the wellbeing and sacredness of

the area.

As instructional materials and other learning resources are vital to learners’

growth, they shall be developed and utilized in line with the indigenized curriculum
content and teaching-learning processes. The content of these materials are not

limited to artifacts, stories, dances, songs, musical instruments and the like. It is

mother tongue-based and shall abide by the cultural standards and protocols agreed

upon by DepEd and the community.

Classroom assessment shall be done utilizing tools adhering to the standards,

competencies, skills and concepts being covered. Their design and use shall

address the needs and concerns of the community and shall be developed with their

participation.

The IPEd curriculum framework is guided by the principles of inclusion,

participation, and empowerment as provided by DepEd’s National IPEd Policy

Framework (DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2011 or “DO62”) and is consistent with the

Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 and the United Nations Declaration

on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which specify the right of IPs to

“establish and control their educational systems and institutions”.

The meaningful participation of indigenous communities in the indigenization

of the national curriculum shall be institutionalized through community engagement

processes, mechanisms and activities mutually entered into by DepEd and the

communities.

With this effort of the Department of Education recognizing the IPs rights,

culture, knowledge and skills, how would administrators and teachers on the field

implement the orders of the department? How would they integrate IKSP in particular

subject? It is within this view where the researcher wants to study such.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The aim of this study is to determine the Indigenous Knowledge Systems and

Practices integrated in teaching science in Public Secondary Schools of Burgos and

Bagulin clusters.

Specifically, the study answers the following questions:

1. What Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSP)

integrated by teachers in teaching of the following science subjects:

a) Life and Earth Science with Disaster Risk Reduction

Management;

b) Physical Science.

2. What is the extent of Integrating the Indigenous Knowledge

Systems and Practices in teaching the following science subjects:

a) Life and Earth Science with Disaster Risk Reduction

Management;

b) Physical Science.

3. What are the problems encountered by teachers in the integration

of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSP) in teaching

science?

SCOPE and DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study covers all Public Senior High School teachers of Bagulin and

Burgos Clusters during School Year 2017 – 2018 as respondents. It will only

consider the integrated IKSP, extent of integration of IKSP and problems

encountered by teachers in integrating IKSP. The use of the term ‘indigenous’ refer

only to people of Philippine descent.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK/ CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Indigenous usually means, “having originated in and being produced, growing,

living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment” Merriam Webster

dictionary latest edition (2016) or ‘Indigenous’ implies belonging to or originating in

an area, or naturally living, growing or produced in an area. (Ogunniyi & Ogawa,

2008).

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

There is no universal and unambiguous definition of the concept of

'indigenous peoples', but there are a number of criteria by which indigenous peoples

globally can be identified and from which each group can be characterized.

The most widespread approaches are those proposed in the International

Labour Organization (ILO) Convention no.169 and in the Martinéz Cobo Report to

the UN Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination of Minorities (1986).

The ILO Convention no. 169 states that a people are considered indigenous

either: (a) because they are descendants of those who lived in the area before

colonization; or (b) because they have maintained their own social, economic,

cultural and political institutions since colonization and the establishment of new

states. Furthermore, the ILO Convention 169 says that self-identification is crucial for

indigenous peoples. This criterion has for example been applied in a land-claims

agreement between the Canadian government and the Inuit of the Northwest

Territories.

According to the Martinéz Cobo’s Report to the UN Sub-Commission on the

Prevention of Discrimination of Minorities (1986), indigenous peoples may be

identified as follows:
 “Indigenous communities, peoples and nations are those which, having a

historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that

developed on their territories, consider themselves distinct from other sectors

of the societies now prevailing in those territories, or parts of them. They form

at present non-dominant sectors of society and are determined to preserve,

develop and transmit to future generations their ancestral territories, and their

ethnic identity, as the basis of their continued existence as peoples, in

accordance with their own cultural patterns, social institutions and legal

systems.”

The World Council of Indigenous People, for instance, defines indigenous

peoples as:

...population groups who from ancient times have inhabited the lands where

we live, who are aware of having a character of their own, with social

traditions and means of expression that are linked to the country inherited

from our ancestors, with a language of our own, and having essential and

unique characteristics which confer upon us a strong conviction of belonging

to a people, who have an identity in ourselves and should be thus regarded by

others (IUCN Inter-Commission Task Force on Indigenous Peoples, 1997, p.

27)

In the Philippines, the term “indigenous peoples” began to be cited in the

literature on Cordillera Studies during the late 1990s until the turn of the new

millennium (2000-present).  It was also during this time when the term gained

currency among advocates and activists for indigenous peoples’ rights.  In 1997, the

Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) was enacted.  This defines Indigenous

People/ICC as a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-

ascription and ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized

community on communally bounded and defined territory, and who have, under

claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such

territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions and other

distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social and

cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, became

historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. ICCs/IPs shall, likewise

include peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from

the populations which inhabited the country, at the time of conquest or colonization

or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and cultures or the

establishment of present state boundaries who retain some or all of their own social,

economic, cultural and political institutions, but who may have been displaced from

their traditional domains or who may have resettled outside their ancestral domains.

Thus, the Philippines is a culturally diverse country with an estimated 14- 17

million Indigenous Peoples (IPs) belonging to 110 ethno-linguistic groups. They are

mainly concentrated in Northern Luzon (Cordillera Administrative Region, 33%) and

Mindanao (61%), with some groups in the Visayas area.

Starting from Northern Luzon, Indigenous Peoples here is called Igolot or

Igorot (“people of the mountains”), particularly in Cordillera. This is derived from a

Northern Philippine cognate of the Tagalog golod (mountain ridge). Early Spanish

records used ‘Ygolotes,’ ‘Ygorotes,’ and later ‘Igorrotes,’ which carried over into the

American-period Igorrote. Historically, the Spanish colonialists who reached the

Pangasinan lowlands and southern Ilocos coastal strip adopted the term to refer to

the peoples living in the southern section of the Cordillera ranges – namely, what are
now Benguet and western Mountain Province. The IP’s of these areas ultimately

accepted the term to refer to themselves.

By tradition, IP’s in other parts of the Cordillera like the Tinguian, Kalinga and

Ifugao did not usually call themselves by this same term. But in more recent times,

there has been a trend of loose acceptance of the term Igorot to refer to all Cordillera

peoples. The Cordillera Peoples Alliance has been a consistent popularizer of the

term Kaigorotan (“the entire Igorot people”) as the equivalent of Cordillera peoples.

("Mapping North Luzon's Indigenous People" by Pio Verzola, Jr. - October 17, 2007)

Major groups of Indigenous people in Cordillera are: The Bontoc tribe which is

located in central Mountain Province, living on the banks of Chico River, this tribe

who speak Bontoc language are known as peaceful farmers. They are known before

for their practice of headhunting and for their body with decoration of tattoo. Bontocs

are practicing a circular rhythmic dance acting out certain aspects of the hunt with

the gang-sa or bronze gong. Kalinga tribe is located in Kalinga Province, speaks

Kalinga and Limos language. They live in the drainage areas of middle Chico River.

They practice both wet and dry farming and developed an institution of peace pacts

called "Budong" to minimized warfares and headhunting. The Isneg tribe also known

as Apayao, Isnag or Dibagat-Kabugao-Itneg is located in Northern Apayao. They live

in the banks of Apayao River and tributaries of Northern Luzon. Their language is

Isnag. They are distinguished from other Igorot tribes for their fine construction of

their houses. Until now they still practice animism with small percentage of Christian.

The Kankana-ey tribe also known as Sagada/Besao Igorot, western Bontoc or Aplai

are located in Western Mountain Province, Southeastern Ilocos Sur, Northern and

some part of Benguet. They speak Kankana-ey language. They live in Western

Mountain Province, Northern Benguet and Southern Ilocos Sur. The Ibaloi tribe also
known as Ibaloy or Nabaloi is located in Southern Benguet. They are traditional

farmers that cultivate rice. Their language is Malayo-Polynesian branch of

Austronesian language family which is closed to Pangasinan language. The

Tinggians is a group of indigenous peoples based in Nortwestern Luzon. They are

also called Itneg because they live near the Tineg River. Other terms used for their

names are I-tineg, Tinguian, Itinek, Tinguianes, Mandaya and Tingian. They reside in

the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Iloilo and greater concentration in Abra.

Other indigenous groups living in Northern Luzon are: Gaddang (Ga-dang; in

Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela provinces); Bago (communities in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos

Sur, Abra, La Union, Pangasinan, the Cordilleras and the Cagayan Valley); Illongot

(Ibilao, Bugkalot; in Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija provinces); Isinay (Isinai,

Inmeas; primarily in Nueva Vizcaya); Ivatan (Batanes Islands). All of these, with

exception of Ga-dang, Ilongot and Ivatan, are in advance state assimilation into

national mainstream with substantial erosion of Indigenous identity except language.

(Source: Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Minority Rights Group, 2011)

From Northern down to North, Central and Southern Luzon, the main

indigenous groups in these predominantly Tagalog and Bikol territories belong to the

Negrito groups whose economies have depended on widen agriculture, hunting and

gathering, fishing, wage labor and trade. The Negrito, of which up to 25 major groups

have been identified, are mostly distinguished by their Australoid physical features.

They live in dispersed groups throughout the major islands, usually in the less-

accessible forested areas. Pre-historians suggest that one migration stream (with

groups now called Alta, Arta, Agta) settled the northern part of Luzon and moved

down the eastern part, along the Sierra Madre and Pacific coast down to the Bondoc

and Bicol mountains.

 Another branch (with groups now called Aete, Ayta, Atta, Ita, Ati, Dumagat,

Sinauna) settled in western and southern Luzon, with larger populations now found

in the Zambales-Bataan mountains and Southern Tagalog foothills, while others

settled on Palawan (Batak), Panay, Negros and northern Mindanao (Mamanwa).

In Visayas, "Mangyan" is the collective term for indigenous groups in Mindoro,

which are usually clustered into the Northern Mangyan (Tadyawan, Alangan and

Iraya) and the Southern Mangyan (Buhid, Taobuid and Hanunuo). A small group

called Bangon is considered a branch of the Taobuid. Another small group,

Ratagnon on Mindoro's southernmost tip, is closely related to the Cuyonin of

Palawan. Generally, the Mangyans of Mindoro practise swidden agriculture

combined with hunting, fishing, gathering and trade.

Several groups in Palawan may be considered as indigenous: the Agutaynen,

Tagbanwa (Kalamianen), Palaw'an, Molbog, Batak and Tau't batu. The Cuyonin no

longer consider themselves an indigenous group, having long been assimilated into

the mainstream culture. In some reports, theAgutaynen, Tagbanwa and Kagayanen

are deemed already fully assimilated, although clearly some indigenous ways of life

remain. (Sources: Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Asia Development Bank)

In the island of Mindanao, the spread of Islam in Mindanao-Sulu created a

differentiation among its native peoples between those who became Muslim (also

called Moro) and those who did not (now called Lumad). There are nine major

Islamized ethnic groups in the Mindanao-Sulu area (the Maranaw, Maguindanao,

Tausug, Yakan, Sama/Samal, Sangil, Iranun, Kalibugan and Kalagan). The Lumad,

or non-Moro indigenous peoples of Mindanao, area complex patchwork of

indigenous groups. The Lumad stress that they are different from the Moros and they

do not recognize the Moros as being indigenous. Depending on how groups are
identified, the number of Lumad groups ranges from 15 to 21. To simplify, Lumad

groups may be clustered into (a) the Manobo cluster, (b) the Bagobo-B'laan-T'boli-

Tiruray cluster, (d) the Mandaya-Mansaka cluster, (e) the Subanen, and (f) the

Mamanwa. There is much inter-penetration among the groups, especially between

the Manobo, Bagobo and Mandaya. For the most part, the indigenous peoples in

Mindanao basically subsist through swidden and wet rice cultivation, hunting, fishing,

gathering and the trade in locally manufactured items. (Source: The Indigenous

People, March 2011)

Each Indigenous group is unique. We speak thousands of different

languages, and our traditions are as diverse as our lands. However, there are basic

principles that all Indigenous communities share. These principles are the foundation

of all Indigenous practices, and it is because of them that our economies and our

societies are equitable, balanced, and sustainable.

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS and PRACTICES

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) (2003), ‘Local and indigenous knowledge’ refers to the

cumulative and complex bodies of knowledge, know-how, practices and

representations that are maintained and developed by peoples with extended

histories of interactions with the natural environment.

Local and indigenous knowledge includes the sophisticated understandings,

interpretations and meanings that are accumulated and developed by peoples

having extended histories of interaction with the natural environment (UNESCO

2003: 1).

Indigenous knowledge is variously presented in the literature as ‘indigenous

knowledge/technology’ (Dekkers, 2005; Maluleka, Wilkinson & Gumbo, 2006;

Snively & Corsiglia, 2000); ‘traditional ecological knowledge’ (Turner, Ignace &

Ignace, 2000); ‘indigenous local knowledge’ (Atteh, 1992); ‘traditional/local

knowledge’ (Mazzochi, 2006), ‘indigenous/native science’ (Aikenhead, 2006a).

Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), is an integrated pattern of human knowledge,

beliefs, and behaviour (Atteh, 1992). Language, ideas, beliefs, customs, taboos,

rituals, ceremonies, folk stories, artefacts and techniques all combine as constituents

of IKS. IKS is thus a “combination of knowledge systems encompassing technology,

social, economic and philosophical learning, or educational, legal and governance

systems” (Odora Hoppers, 2002a, p. 9,10). IKS is “a conglomeration…a redemptive,

holistic, and transcendental view of human experience with the cosmos…”

(Ogunniyi, 2007a, p. 965) IKS is not just about crafts and traditional dances but

includes the thinking behind those practices and artefacts. It is a “…systematic

reference to the knowledge and practices of indigenous communities constitutive of

their meaning and belief systems, as well as the substantive dimension of their

practices and customs” (Nel, 2005:7). Because IKS has a spiritual dimension, it has

to be understood as an inclusive way of life, and a way for people to understand

themselves (Keane, 2008a; Mbiti, 1969). I will quote the Inter-Commission Task

Force on Indigenous Peoples’ definition of IKS to illustrate this point:

Indigenous Knowledge Systems are local, community-based systems of

knowledge which are unique to a given culture or society and have developed as the

culture has evolved over many generations of inhabiting a particular ecosystem. IKS

is a general term which refers broadly to the collective knowledge of an Indigenous

People about relationships between people, habitat and nature. It encompasses

knowledge commonly known within a community or a people as well as knowledge

which may be known only to a shaman, tribal elders, a lineage group, or a gender

group (Onwu & Mosimege, 2004, p. 2).

IKS therefore includes technologies and practices used both in the past and

present by indigenous peoples for their survival in a variety of environments (Onwu &

Mosimege, 2004). Some knowledge may be common to all members of a

community, and as such may be easier to share with outsiders, while other, more

specialized (and sometimes secret) knowledge is only held by certain members of

the group. IKS is thus described as a broad field which takes a plural form. For

instance, Atteh, 1992; Odora Hoppers, 2002; Ogunniyi, 2007 describe the

knowledge using terms like ‘integrated’; ‘combination’; ‘conglomeration’; and

‘collective’. These descriptions suggest IKS represents the sum total of a

community’s knowledge, practices, and belief systems. Indigenous knowledge (IK) is

a component of IKS. IK constitutes those aspects of IKS which are more likely to be

identifiable in the field as part of the life ways of participants, and which could be

used in the science classroom (Otulaja, Cameron & Msimanga, 2011).

SECONDARY SCIENCE CURRICULUM

The Department of education is implementing a new curriculum in all subject

areas in line with the passes of Republic Act 10533 known as “Enhanced Basic

Education Act of 2013”. The enhanced basic education program encompasses at

least one (1) year of kindergarten education, six (6) years of elementary education,

and six (6) years of secondary education, in that sequence. Secondary education

includes four (4) years of junior high school and two (2) years of senior high school

education.
 In this Act, it lays standard and principles in developing enhanced basic

education curriculum. It states that “The DepED shall adhere to the following

standards and principles in developing the enhanced basic education curriculum:

a) The curriculum shall be learner-centered, inclusive and

developmentally appropriate;

b) The curriculum shall be relevant, responsive and research-based;

c) The curriculum shall be culture-sensitive;

d) The curriculum shall be contextualized and global;

e) The curriculum shall use pedagogical approaches that are

constructivist, inquiry-based, reflective, collaborative and integrative;

f) The curriculum shall adhere to the principles and framework of Mother

Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) which starts from

where the learners are and from what they already knew proceeding

from the known to the unknown; instructional materials and capable

teachers to implement the MTB-MLE curriculum shall be available;

g) The curriculum shall use the spiral progression approach to ensure

mastery of knowledge and skills after each level; and

h) The curriculum shall be flexible enough to enable and allow schools to

localize, indigenize and enhance the same based on their respective

educational and social contexts. The production and development of

locally produced teaching materials shall be encouraged and approval

of these materials shall devolve to the regional and division education

units.

Thus, DepEd provides conceptual framework that the Science education aims

to develop scientific literacy among learners that will prepare them to be informed
and participative citizens who are able to make judgments and decisions regarding

applications of scientific knowledge that may have social, health, or environmental

impacts.

The science curriculum recognizes the place of science and technology

in everyday human affairs. It integrates science and technology in the social,

economic, personal and ethical aspects of life. The science curriculum promotes a

strong link between science and technology, including indigenous technology, thus

preserving our country’s cultural heritage.

The K to 12 science curriculum will provide learners with a repertoire of

competencies important in the world of work and in a knowledge-based society. It

envisions the development of scientifically, technologically, and environmentally

literate and productive members of society who are critical problem solvers,

responsible stewards of nature, innovative and creative citizens, informed decision

makers, and effective communicators. This curriculum is designed around the three

domains of learning science: understanding and applying scientific knowledge in

local setting as well as global context whenever possible, performing scientific

processes and skills, and developing and demonstrating scientific attitudes and

values. The acquisition of these domains is facilitated using the following

approaches: multi/interdisciplinary approach, science-technology-society

approach, contextual learning, problem/issue-based learning, and inquiry-based

approach. The approaches are based on sound educational pedagogy namely,

constructivism, social cognition learning model, learning style theory, and brain-

based learning.

Science content and science processes are intertwined in the K to 12

Curriculum. Without the content, learners will have difficulty utilizing science process
skills since these processes are best learned in context. Organizing the curriculum

around situations and problems that challenge and arouse learners’ curiosity

motivates them to learn and appreciate science as relevant and useful. Rather than

relying solely on textbooks, varied hands-on, minds-on, and hearts-on activities will

be used to develop learners’ interest and let them become active learners.

As a whole, the K to 12 science curriculum is learner-centered and inquiry-

based, emphasizing the use of evidence in constructing explanations. Concepts and

skills in Life Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences are presented with

increasing levels of complexity from one grade level to another in spiral progression,

thus paving the way to a deeper understanding of core concepts. The integration

across science topics and other disciplines will lead to a meaningful

understanding of concepts and its application to real-life situations.

The following are the grade level standards that students should attain:

 Life and Earth Science with Disaster Risk Reduction Management

This learning area is designed to provide a general background

for the understanding of Earth Science and Biology. It presents the

history of the Earth through geologic time. It discusses the Earth’s

structure, composition, and processes. Issues, concerns, and

problems pertaining to natural hazards are also included. It also

deals with the basic principles and processes in the study of

biology. It covers life processes and interactions at the cellular,

organism, population, and ecosystem levels.

 Physical Science

Evolution of our understanding of matter, motion, electricity,

magnetism, light, and the universe from ancient times to the present;
 applications of physics and chemistry concepts in contexts such as

atmospheric phenomena, cosmology, astronomy, vision, medical

instrumentation, space technology, drugs, sources of energy, pollution

and recycling, fitness and health, and cosmetics.

TEACHING SCIENCE

According to the ‘Seven Grandfather Teachings’ what we teach our children

now, will have an effect for the next 7 generations. What can Educators teach this

generation of students right now, which will help our planet and environment for the

next seven generations? These teachings refer to the Indigenous Knowledge Skills

and Practices that have to be passed from one generation to the next generation.

That is why integration of these IKSP in teaching will greatly help in passing these

IKSPs.

But before we can integrate these IKSPs, we have to look at the worldview of

our students for us to know how we will integrate such IKSPs because our

worldviews are believed to shape our perceptions and ways of creating knowledge

(Keane, 2008). This especially affects the learning of science. Science education

research has shown that the presuppositions a person has of what the world is like

form a basis for how he or she thinks about and understands phenomena in science

classes (e.g. Cobern, 1991; 1996; Hansson & Lindahl, 2010). Teaching science in

many countries, including Philippines, is taught from a Western perspective, which is

not necessarily the same as the perspective from which many of the learners

operate. Science education research suggests that as a result of this Western

orientation (of school science), non-Western learners experience difficulties in

understanding science (e.g. Aikenhead, 1996; 2006b; Cameron, 2007; Jegede,

1995; Jegede & Okebukola, 1991). Learning theories such as cognitive border
crossing (Aikenhead, 1996); collateral learning (Jegede, 1995); amalgamated

cosmology theory (Ogunniyi & Ogawa, 2008) and dialogical argumentation

instruction (Ogunniyi, 2011) are attempts at explaining the process of negotiating the

differences between science curriculum content and other knowledge systems, with

their associated (and often incompatible) worldviews.

The acknowledgement of the existence of multicultural societies and

multicultural classrooms, and how cognitive frameworks different from that of

science, accounts for the general consensus among science education researchers

of the need to consider ways of knowing in addition to Western-oriented science in

the classroom (see Cobern, 1993; Lawrenz & Grey, 1995; Richards, Conlin, Gupta &

Elby, 2012). Including Indigenous knowledge in the classroom is a step towards

recognizing diversity in ways of knowing, as well as recognizing the value of

Indigenous knowledges. Research suggests that indigenous knowledges throughout

the world make significant contributions to knowledge diversity (Turnbull, 1997).

Besides, IK constitutes students’ prior knowledge and could be a useful resource for

learning (Chinn, 2007; Malcolm, 2008).

In explaining the purpose Science Teaching, the Republic Act 10533 makes

on reference on the importance of what is the views and already known by students:

“The curriculum shall adhere to the principles and framework….which starts from

where the learners are and from what they already knew proceeding from the known

to the unknown.” The Department of Education here considers the integration of IKS

and science as an opportunity for focusing on the affective dimension of science

education, which is articulated through learner comparisons and evaluation of

different knowledge perspectives. The underlying assumption here is that learners

will be given the opportunity to verbalize their thoughts, which may not always be the
case in the majority of schools, because teachers are anxious to ‘complete the topic

scope’.

The K to 12 Basic education curriculum documents do acknowledge the value

of indigenous knowledges although there are problems regarding working definitions

of the nature of IKSP. In principle the integration of IKSP in the teaching and learning

of all learning areas is mandatory, but the challenge is in identifying the knowledge

that could be included in science. An additional challenge stems from the nature of

IKSP as local. While there may be components of IKSP that are common across

different ethnic groups, there are likely to be variations dependent upon natural

environments and social histories.

To be able to integrate IKSP in teaching science or any subject, it is important

for each individual to learn and know by heart the IKSP present in the community.

Society expects learning to result from education in the school and the results of

education are achieved in a specific place within schools. Education is provided not

only in the classroom but everywhere. As pointed out by Fisher and Webster (2000),

all the variables that contribute to Education outcome exist in one way or another in

the classroom or in the environment.

The paradigm of the study is shown in figure 1. This consists of Input,

Process, Output and Expected outcomes.

The input of this study is to determine the IKSP integrated in teaching

science. It measures the extent of integration IKSP to the concepts given in science

discussions. And, it identifies the problem encountered by teachers in incorporating

IKSP to their discussions.

The descriptive survey approach will be used as a process in gathering data

to answer the problems identified in this study. The outputs on the other hand are the
identified IKSPs integrated by secondary science teachers in teaching the subject,

identified extent of integration of the IKSPs and the identified problems encountered

by teachers in integrating IKSPs.

Finally, the expected outcomes are the sample learning plan incorporating

IKSPs to specific topics in any of the four areas of science and a project proposal

incorporating IKSP in any school activities, program or events related to science.

This will be based on the data gathered and interpreted.

Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

INPUTS PROCESS OUTPUTS

Indigenous Knowledge Identified Indigenous

Knowledge Systems
Systems and Practices
and Practices (IKSP)
(IKSP) integrated in integrated in teaching
teaching of: of:
c. Life and Earth
a. Life and Earth
Science with
Science with Disaster Disaster Risk
Risk Reduction Reduction
Management Management
Description d. Physical Science
b. Physical Science
Survey on the
Identified extent of
Extent of Integration of Indigenous
Integration of
Indigenous Knowledge Knowledge Indigenous Knowledge
Systems and Practices Systems and Systems and Practices
(IKSP) in teaching of:
(IKSP) in teaching of: Practices (IKSP)
c. Life and Earth
a. Life and Earth used in Science with
Science with Disaster Secondary Disaster Risk
Risk Reduction Reduction
Public Senior
Management
Management High Schools in d. Physical Science
b. Physical Science Bagulin and
Burgos Cluster. Identified problems
Problems encountered by encountered by
teachers in integrating teachers in integrating
Indigenous Knowledge
Indigenous Knowledge
Systems and Practices
Systems and Practices (IKSP) in teaching
(IKSP) in teaching science. science.
 EXPECTED OUTCOME

Sample Learning Plan incorporating Indigenous

Knowledge System and Practices (IKSP) in teaching
science

Project Proposal in incorporating Indigenous Knowledge

System and Practices (IKSP) to school activities,
programs, and events in science

ASSUMPTIONS

The researcher assumes that respondent’s responses to the items in the

questionnaires are reflections of what is really integrated and done in their course of

teaching. That they, teachers, honestly and respectfully answer the questions. It also

assumes that the instruments for data gathering are valid and reliable and it

measures the purpose or answers the problems of the study stated.

HYPOTHESIS

There is significant difference in the level of effectiveness of the Indigenous

Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSP) in teaching Earth Science, Biology,

Chemistry and Physics.

DESIGN and METHODOLOGY

On this part presents the research design or methodology, population and

locale, data gathering instrument, data gathering procedure and treatment of data

used in the study.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The descriptive survey method will be used in this study. According to

Fraenkel and Wallen (2006), a descriptive studies describe a given state of affairs
are fully and as carefully as possible. In addition, descriptive research is used to

obtain information concerning the status of the phenomena to describe “what exists”

with respect to variables or conditions in a situation.

The extent of Integration of Indigenous Knowledge System and Practices in

teaching aforementioned subjects will be measured by using the following scales 1-5
(5 as the highest) which was adapted by Carreon (2008) and Domes-Yan (2009) in
their study. The scale is as follows:

STATISTICAL
SCALE EXTENT OF INTEGRATION
LIMITS
1 1.00 – 1.50 NO INTEGRATION

2 1.51 – 2.50 POOR INTEGRATION

3 2.51 – 3.50 FAIR INTEGRATION

4 3.51 – 4.50 GOOD INTEGRATION

5 4.51 – 5.0 HIGH INTEGRATION

POPULATION and LOCALE OF THE STUDY

The study will be conducted at all Secondary Public Senior High Schools in

Burgos and Bagulin District. The respondents of the study are all Science Teachers

(all who teaches science even if it’s not his/her major), permanent or not. Only Public

schools so that there will be uniformity in the curriculum and sequence of subject

matter. The researcher is intended to let the 28 teachers of both clusters teaching

science to respond to the questionnaire.

The researcher chose to conduct study in Bagulin and Burgos since it is

where the researcher is working. It is more convenient and more accessible to float

questionnaires and has a direct contact to the respondents. Also, it is where most of

Indigenous students were concentrated in the Province of La Union.

DATA GATHERING INSTRUMENT

The researcher will use questionnaire as the main gathering instrument. The

modified, self-made questionnaires that will be used will be pre-tested 25 Secondary

National High Schools of Naguilian District, Naguilian, La Union. The reliability of

questionnaire will be determined using Cronbach’s Alpha. The questionnaire is

intended to determine the IKSP integrated and the extent of integration in teaching

science.

The questionnaire contains two parts. Part one will be the profile gathering

questions to get the personal information of the teacher answering it which was

constructed by the researcher himself. Part two will be questionnaires adopted from

the research of Donato (2012) in her master’s thesis entitled “Indigenous Knowledge

Systems and Practices in the Teaching of Science.” with substantial modification as

to the IKSPs enumerated, structure, and content.

DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

As soon as the final questionnaire is prepared, the researcher will submit a

letter of request and approval to the Schools Division Superintendent noted by the

Graduate School Head and the Adviser before forwarding to the Secondary

Principals and Science Head Teachers for action.

During the final administering the respondents will be asked for honesty and

respect in answering the questionnaire for not more than one hour. After the

administration of the test, the questionnaires will be retrieved for verifying and

tallying.

Finally, the data will be tabulated, categorized, analyzed, and interpreted

through the use of appropriate statistical tools.

TREATMENT OF DATA

The gathered data that will be tabulated and categorized will be entered in a

computer enabled file and will be analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social

Sciences (SPSS) 18 ®. Descriptive and Inferential analyzes will be employed to

answer the problems of the study.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices used or integrated by schools

in teaching science as well as the problems encountered by teachers in the

integration in teaching will be evaluated using Frequency, Percentage and ranking.

The IKSP with the highest frequency and percentage will be ranked first and so on.

On the other hand, the extent of integration of IKSP in teaching the four core

areas of science will be determined using the weighted mean and significant

difference will be determined by One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) or F- Test.

Analysis will be set at 95% confidence interval (Þ = 0.05).