Contemporary Issues in African Sciences and Science Education

• Main Authors: Asabere-Ameyaw, Akwasi, Sefa Dei, George J, Raheem, Kolawole
• Format: eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Rotterdam BRILL 2012
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: 20th century; Africa; History; Science; Science fairs; Study and teaching; United States
• ISBN: 9789460917011; 9460917011; 9789460917004; 9460917003
• DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6091-702-8

In this careful articulation of science, the editors provide an intellectual marriage of Indigenous science and science education in the African context as a way of revising schooling and education. They define science broadly to include both the science of the natural/physical/biological and the &#...

Table of Contents:

• Children's Misconceptions on Certain Concepts in Science -- Prior Conceptions or Misconceptions -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- SCIENCE STUDENT TEACHERS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS IMPROVISATION -- INTRODUCTION -- LITERATURE REVIEW -- THE PROBLEM -- DEFINITION OF TERMS -- RESEARCH PROCEDURE -- RESULTS -- DISCUSSION -- CONCLUSION -- RECOMMENDATIONS -- REFERENCES -- BELIEFS ABOUT THE NATURE OF SCIENCE HELD BY AFRICAN TEACHERS IN THE CARIBBEAN DIASPORA -- INTRODUCTION -- REVIEW OF LITERATURE -- Background -- The Nature of Science (NOS) -- Metaphors of Teaching -- Summary -- METHOD -- Survey -- Samples -- Demographic Description of the Teachers -- Portfolios as Data Sources -- Classroom Observations -- ANALYSIS OF THE FINDINGS -- Analysis of the Survey -- Traditional View of Science -- Traditional View of Science Education -- Nontraditional View of Science -- Interpretation of Findings -- Years of Teaching -- Traditional View of Science -- Traditional Views of Science Education -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- GAZING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION IN GHANA: YE ASISI YEN (WE HAVE BEEN SHORTCHANGED!) -- INTRODUCTION -- DISCURSIVE LENS -- HISTORY OF SCHOOL GOALS, ORGANIZATION AND RESULTS IN GHANA -- COLONIAL EDUCATION IN GHANA -- EDUCATION IN KWAME NKRUMAH'S ERA -- EDUCATION IN POST-NKRUMAH ERA -- WHY TEACH AND LEARN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE IN GHANAIAN SCHOOLS? -- MATHEMATICS TEACHING AND LEARNING AS RULES/ PROCEDURES -- A PORTRAIT OF GHANAIAN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CLASSROOM -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- CULTURE, IDENTITY AND SCIENCE IN AFRICAN EDUCATION: THE RELEVANCE OF LOCAL CULTURAL RESOURCE KNOWLEDGE -- INTRODUCTION -- THE QUESTION OF AFRICAN INDIGENEITY -- THE QUESTION OF AFRICAN IDENTITY -- WORKING WITH LOCAL/INDIGENOUS TEACHINGS: A CASE STUDY -- STUDY FINDINGS: SUBJECT NARRATIVES
• Intro -- CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN AFRICAN SCIENCES AND SCIENCE EDUCATION -- TABLE OF CONTENTS -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- FOREWORD -- INTRODUCTION: INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN AFRICAN SCIENCE EDUCATION -- INTRODUCTION -- THE COMPLEX ISSUE OF SPIRITUALISM AND INDIGENOUS SCIENCE -- THE QUESTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EDUCATION -- SCIENCE AS CIVIC AND PEACE EDUCATION -- CHAPTER OUTLINES -- REFERENCES -- THE QUESTION OF INDIGENOUS SCIENCE AND SCIENCE EDUCATION: A LOOK AT THE CURRENT LITERATURE -- INTRODUCTION -- THE PEDAGOGY AND INSTRUCTION OF SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS -- TOWARDS A COUNTER-PEDAGOGY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION -- REVISIONING SCIENCE EDUCATION IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXTS -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- REFERENCES -- ENGAGING SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES TO BUILD ENDOGENOUS SCIENCE AND LAY FOUNDATION FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF LIVING CONDITIONS IN AFRICA -- SCHOOL-BASED SCIENCE AS A HUMAN ACTIVITY -- THE NEED FOR ENDOGENOUS SCIENCE -- CULTURAL LEARNING APPROACH TO CAPACITY BUILDING -- THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING TRANSFER -- BUILDING AGENCY AMONG YOUTHS AND ADULTS -- IMPROVEMENT OF LIVING CONDITIONS THROUGH ALTERNATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING APPROACH -- SUMMARY -- NOTE -- COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT AND INNOVATION CENTRE -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND SCIENCE LEARNING -- INTRODUCTION -- CONCEPTUALIZATION OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY -- LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION PROFICIENCY AND SCIENCE LEARNING -- HOME LANGUAGE AND SCIENCE CONCEPT LEARNING -- GENDER, LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND CONCEPT ACQUISTITION IN SCIENCE -- SCIENTIFIC LITERACY AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY -- IMPLICATION FOR EDUCATION -- REFERENCES -- CHILDREN'S INDIGENOUS IDEAS AND THE LEARNING OF CONVENTIONAL SCIENCE -- INTRODUCTION -- RESEARCH QUESTIONS -- METHODOLOGY -- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION -- Pupils' Indigenous Prior Conceptions -- Children's Perceptions of Living Things
• Proverbs as Local Cultural Teachings about Self Discipline, Respectand Sense of Community -- Teaching Discipline and What Indigenous Proverbs Offer for suchCharacter and Moral Education -- DISCUSSION -- CONCLUSION -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- ETHIOPIA SURVIVES: REINTEGRATING OUR SPIRITUALITY AND CULTURE INTO OUR OWN SCIENCE -- INTRODUCTION: DEPARTURE -- LITERATURE REVIEW: LANDING -- REDEFINING EDUCATION -- REDEFINING DEVELOPMENT -- ONTOLOGY AND EPISTEMOLOGY OF THIS RESEARCH -- SPIRITUALITY, CULTURE AND SCIENCE IN EDUCATION -- ALTERNATIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS -- Argument from Postcolonial Theories Perspectives -- From the Perspectives of the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) -- From the perspective of Sankofa -- From the perspective of Native Science -- METHODOLOGY AND METHOD -- Sources of the data -- Instruments of data collection: An in-depth interview and observation -- FINDINGS -- ANALYSIS -- CONCLUSION -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- INDIGENOUS CONCEPTIONS OF CIVIC EDUCATION: REINVENTING THE PAST -- INTRODUCTION -- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK -- CONCEPTUALIZATION OF PEACE AND DEMOCRACY -- THE NEED TO TEACH PEACE -- METHODOLOGY -- CONCEPTUALIZATION OF PEACE IN THE KENYAN CONTEXT -- SUPPRESSION OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES: PROMOTION OF NATIONAL UNITY DISCOURSE -- AUTHORITARIANISM -- INDIGENOUS CIVIC EDUCATION CONCEPTS: PEDAGOGICAL POSSIBILITIES -- NOTE -- REFERENCES -- ACHIEVING THE CULTURE OF LIMITED AGGRESSION: THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION -- INTRODUCTION -- PEACE CULTURE -- ACCESS TO EDUCATION: CHALLENGES OF EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS -- DYNAMICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ROLE OF EDUCATION -- BUILDING A GLOBAL CIVIC CULTURE -- EDUCATION FOR NON-VIOLENCE -- HIGHER EDUCATION AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FEMALES -- CONCLUSION -- RECOMMENDATIONS -- REFERENCES
• ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD COMMUNICATION: REVISITING THE INDIGENOUS METHODS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES IN GHANA -- INTRODUCTION -- STUDENTS' INVOLVEMENT IN ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD COMMUNICATION -- INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES -- STUDENTS' FIELD WORK, ASSESSMENT AND COMMUNICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION HAZARDS -- THE ROLE OF TEACHER-TRAINEES IN COMMUNICATING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES -- HEALTH HAZARDS COMMUNICATION -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- CONCLUSION: RE-VISIONING SCIENCE AND INDIGENOUS EDUCATION IN AFRICA: MEETING FUTURE CHALLENGES -- REFERENCES -- CONTRIBUTORS
• Intro -- CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN AFRICAN SCIENCES AND SCIENCE EDUCATION -- TABLE OF CONTENTS -- Acknowledgements -- Foreword -- 1. Introduction: Introduction to contemporary issues in African science education -- 2. The question of Indigenous science and science education: A look at the current literature -- 3. Engaging scientific activities to build endogenous science and lay foundation for the improvement of living conditions in Africa -- 4. Language proficiency and science learning -- 5. Children's Indigenous ideas and the learning of conventional science -- 6. Science student teachers' attitude towards improvisation -- 7. Beliefs about the nature of science held by African teachers in the Caribbean diaspora -- 8. Gazing mathematics and science education in Ghana: Ye asisi yen (we have been shortchanged!) -- 9. Culture, identity and science in African education: the relevance of local cultural resource knowledge -- 10. Ethiopia survives: Reintegrating our spirituality and culture into our own science -- 11. Indigenous conceptions of civic education: Reinventing the past -- 12. Achieving the culture of limited aggression: The role of higher education institution -- 13. Environmental hazard communication: Revisiting the Indigenous methods to meet the challenges in Ghana -- 14. Conclusion. Re-visioning science and Indigenous education in Africa: Meeting future challenges -- Contributors