a.

APPENDIX E
INTEGRATION OF SCIENCE AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
THROUGH STORYTELLING QUESTIONNAIRE
An evaluative assessment of prior knowledge of pre-service Life Sciences teachers on the
integration of science and IKS through storytelling
ETHICS STATEMENT:
All information provided will be treated confidentially. Anonymity is guaranteed.
You may withdraw from participation at any time.

PART A: BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Gender: Male ( ) Female: ( √ ) Age:24 Student number: 219008205
Year/level of study: 4th year
Any teaching experience: YES Grade(s) you have taught ( 9 ) Years of teaching
experience:
Religion: Christian
Home Language: Xhosa
Location of home (urban or rural): urban

PART B
Question 1
Specific Aim 3 of the new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for the
Natural Sciences, life Sciences and Physical Sciences states that: “The learner will be able to
demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships between science and technology,

society and the environment.” The same statement also acknowledges the need for the
curriculum to be sensitive to other worldviews, including the indigenous knowledge that
learners hold.
1. Do you agree with this statement? Yes

Give reasons for your answer: : because Infusing IK into the science classroom creates a
sense of pride, and connects all learners to the cultural history of science. Additionally, taking
cognizance of IK's role in science has ethical and cultural lesson objectives in the "hidden"
curriculum. By infusing IK into the science classroom, ample opportunities are provided to
address one of the goals in the AfricanNational Congress‟s (ANC‟s) National Health Plan
(1994), as referenced by De Beer and VanWyk (2011a), which declares that “people have the
right of access to traditional practitioners aspart of their cultural heritage and belief system.”
According to CAPS learners hold different views about the natural world and people use
different ways of thinking in different situations. Scientists can observe and measure things
objectively without being influenced by what is being observed and/or measured. What’s
nmdifficulties do you think you as a pre-service Life Sciences teacher may have with the
scientific way of knowing?
Give one example: Science as a way of knowing refers to the belief that the actions of science
are based on logic, evidence and reasoning. Although there are other ways of knowing that
may be important in our personal and cultural lives, like art, philosophy, and religion, they
rely on opinion, belief and other factors rather than on evidence and testing. As a pre- service
teacher this would be the challenge as it is difficult to instill new knowledge in people that
already have their beliefs and that have observed the world and experienced it in a different
ways, for example some students believe that God created Humans, that’s their view or
believes with no evidence or tested facts, on the other hand Science states that Humans
evolved from apes which is backed up by evidence and tested facts, this kind of create
confusion and tension between the learners that hold different views and the teacher and may
result in difficulties in delivering the lesson as this often leads to unending discussions in
class, changes in learners' views of nature and adaptation to what scientists say about nature
would be tough.
a. How do you deal with this difficulty mentioned in a classroom?
I'd try to explain to them why experts see nature in various ways; it's due to their
background knowledge, therefore the easier option is to offer learners a background so that
they may have the same perception as scientists, and then try to experiment to prove
scientists' perspectives.
c. Do you show any relationship between home culture and the Life Sciences you are taught
in class? Yes
Give one example:
Culture and science are linked because I believe cultural habits are mirrored in scientific
information such as art, the colors of which are derived from scientific knowledge discovered
by scientists in the natural world. Yes, I demonstrate the link through the use of traditional
medicine such as umhlonyane, which was recently used for covid and is now considered a
cure by certain doctors and scientists.
Question 2
It is generally assumed that: “The s scientific method is the only way to do scientific
inquiry”. It is therefore common practice to follow the steps of the scientific method in a set
manner: (1) identify the problem (2) gather data by means of observations and (3) suggest a
hypothesis and (4) if hypothesis accepted further testing is done or (5) if rejected discard or a
ytustraayaaaytsts tyt dazhypothesis and gather new data by means of observations to test a
newly formulated hypothesis.
2.1 Do you think this is applicable to IKS? No
Explain your answer: because IKS is solely concerned with specific people and their
perceptions of the world, rather than how scientists examine the world
………………………………………………………………………………
Question 3
(a) Tick off the statements in the Table below which you think belong to the scientific
method (Western science), storytelling (IKS) or to both. Da, do a a
ITEM STATEMENT SCIENTIFIC STORYTELLING BOTH
METHOD (IKS)
(WESTERN
SCIENCE)
1 Brewing of beer ✔️
(umnqombothi)
2 Traditional healing of cancer ✔️
by using natural medicines
3 Observation and testing of
natural phenomena ✔️
4 Explanation of natural
phenomena in different ways, ✔️
e.g. dancing, art, music
5 Logical explanation for the
fact that lightning strikes twice ✔️
in the same place
6 The formation of species can
be ascribed to something other ✔️
than evolution e.g. created by
a Supreme Being.
7 Language is an important tool ✔️
that can be used to explain,
predict and even create natural
phenomena.
8 Albinism (lack of
pigmentation in the skin) is a ✔️
disease
9 All events have natural causes
only. ✔️
10 Humans are capable of ✔️
understanding nature.
11 No logical explanation for the ✔️
fact that lightning strikes twice
in the same place.
12 Explanation of natural ✔️
phenomena by science only.
13 Healing of cancer by radiation ✔️
and chemotherapy.
14 Near death experiences have a
physical and spiritual ✔️
explanation.
 15 Language is an important tool
that can be used to describe, ✔️
explain but not to create
natural phenomena.
16 Evolution is the most likely
way in which species were ✔️
formed.
17 Humans are capable of
understanding only part of ✔️
nature.
18 Near death experience has a ✔️
spiritual explanation only
19 Natural phenomena are partly ✔️
observable and partly
unobservable.
20 Events have both natural and
unnatural causes. ✔️
21 Humans should harmonize ✔️
with nature rather than exploit
nature.

3(b) In view of the way you have categorized the two sets of assumptions above, do you think
that the goal of Specific Aim 3 to integrate science and indigenous knowledge systems by
means of storytelling is realistic?
Explain: Yes, since I feel that using stories to explain science makes it simpler to understand
and remember.
Question 4
Life Sciences pre-service teachers are dealing with different fields of science. In addition,
they are dealing with indigenous knowledge.
4.1 Should the boundaries between the different fields of science such as Life Sciences,
Physical Science, Earth Science, etc. be emphasized? Yes

Explain your answer:

Because different scientific fields have different practical specialities, such as life science that
focuses on living things and physical science that focuses on matter, they all have different
traditions, methodology, and approaches.
4.2 In your view, what distinguishes a science such as Life Sciences from indigenous
knowledge?
Science is universal, whereas Indigenous Knowledge is specific to a group of people and
their worldview.
Question 5
5.1 Which of the following instructional methods do you consider to be critical for
integrating science and indigenous knowledge through storytelling?
Tick the ten most critical (Top ten) instructional methods for integrating science and IKS in
the 3rd column, then rank them in the 4th column from the most critical = 1 to the least
critical = 10.
ITEM INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS FOR INTEGRATING TOP RANK
SCIENCE AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE TEN
1 Acknowledge that there are methods other than the scientific
method to teach IBSE √ 7
2 Using a holistic or an integrated instructional approach.
√ 7
3 Using an alternative pedagogy such as storytelling to integrate
science and IKS √ 7
4 Recognition of cultural knowledge systems/IKS as a valid source
of scientific knowledge √ 9
5 Exploring IKS alternatives/parallels to an existing scientific
phenomenon such as the treatment of HIV/AIDS, Covid-19, √ 8
genetic engineering, drugs & sports, plastic surgery, etc.
6 Create opportunities for learners to share their own
cultural/traditional view during the discussion of a scientific √ 10
topic/concept.
7 Extending science classroom discussions to include the IKS
modes of inquiry, e.g. inviting IKS experts into class on some √ 6
topics.
8 Do not present Western science as superior to IKS. √ 6
9 Reject the claim that Western science and IKS operate in two
separate worlds/realms that cannot be integrated.
10 Assess each knowledge claim with its own assumptions and
standards rather than using science to judge indigenous √ 7
knowledge as true or false.
11 Emphasize that cultural background has an influence on
learners’ conceptual understanding when doing scientific √ 9
inquiry-based activities.

5.2 (a) Which method would you personally use to ‘bridge’ the gap between Western
science and IKS in the Life Sciences classroom?
Extending science classroom discussions to include IKS techniques of inquiry, for example,
by inviting IKS experts into class on certain themes.
(b) What in your view is the difference between telling a story, scientific inquiry and the
the scientific method (Explain and give reasons or examples).
-story telling is when you utilize scientific procedures to construct a story in order to teach
the method; this gets students more engaged in science because they can design their own
questions and answers based on the knowledge they gained from the story; story telling is
more remembered for kids.
- Science inquiry is student-centered because it allows students to participate in investigations
and experiments; it is the application of evidence from observations and investigations to
provide logical explanations and outcomes.
- The scientific method characterizes the evolution of science observation and interpretation
where a hypothesis with experiments and outcomes is required.
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