The Conundrum of Indigenous Knowledge in the School Science Curriculum

A Question of Ontology

Abstract

This article focuses on the ontological similarities and differences between the natural sciences and indigenous knowledge. The theoretical paper explores the affordances of indigenous knowledge in the science classroom, and how pedagogies that allow learners to explore the tenets of respectively science and indigenous knowledge could be utilized. The conclusion is that engaging pedagogies, underpinned by problem-based- and cooperative learning principles, such as the Kirby-Bauer technique to explore the antimicrobial activity of muthi plants, ethnobotanical surveys, and the Rationality Index of Plant Use (RIPU) heuristic, hold potential to provide learners with nuanced understandings of, and appreciation for indigenous knowledge systems.