1. Challenges for Enacting an Indigenised Science Curriculum: A Reply to Ogunniyi and Ogawa
- Author
-
le Grange, L.
- Abstract
In their article Ogunniyi and Ogawa explore the prospects and challenges of training South African and Japanese educators to enact an indigenized science curriculum. They discuss the nature of science and the nature of indigenous knowledge (IK) and also that IK is acknowledged alongside Western science as a legitimate way of knowing in the new curricula of both countries. Ogunniyi and Ogawa argue that although indigenous knowledge is recognized in the science curricula of the two countries, successful implementation will require specific teacher training. I wish to address three areas of their work that afford an opportunity for further discussion. First, I argue that a focus on the performative side of science provides a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between Western science and indigenous knowledge. Second, I discuss the role of indigenous knowledge in a global knowledge economy, an area that Ogunniyi and Ogawa do not give much attention. Third, I elaborate on the challenges that an indigenized science curriculum has for teacher education, another area which I feel Ogunniyi and Ogawa do not do justice to.
- Published
- 2008