Transcript The elusive indigenous perspective through science

The elusive indigenous perspective
through science education student
teachers’ eyes.
Gregory Smith
(Charles Darwin University)
Michael Michie
(Batchelor Institute)
Research Question
What are pre-service teachers’
perceptions of indigenous
perspectives?
Data collection
 Assignment task set in a science education unit
undertaken by preservice students at a regional
university,
 Open-ended task, exploring students’ own views of
science and indigenous perspectives: no predefined
concepts or expert maps,
 Data collected over two years, and
 149 students
The Concept Map
 hierarchical visual knowledge representations where
concepts are linked by linking words to form propositions
(Novak, 1990),
 ‘represent meaningful relationships between concepts’
(Novak & Gowin, 1984, p.15),
 More dynamic interplay of concepts: hierarchical, cyclic,
networked, spider maps, spokes & chains, mind, links:
labelled, unlabelled or unidirectional (Safayeni et al.,2005,
Kinchin et al.,2000, Nesbit & Adesope, 2006, Cañas et al.,
2012)
Concept map morphology
(Kinchin & Alias, 2005)
A. Chain
B. Spoke
C. Net/network
Additional morphology - spokes
Recognised the increasing
complexity during analysis
phase:
a. Basic spoke
b. Spoke with chains
c. Repeated spokes
Why use concept maps?
 Relational structure that reveals the perceptions of the
creator, and so is unique, as it reflects ’his/her
experiences, beliefs and biases in addition to his/her
understanding of a concept’ (Kinchin & Hay, 2000, p.44;
Cañas & Carvalho, 2008),
 Represents student mental models or an image of aspects
of their cognitive structure (Safayeni et al. et al., 2005), and
 Visual construction of the students’ cognitive structures
depicting conceptual understanding as emergent
knowledge (Kinchin, 2011; O’Connor, 2012)
Results
Morphology
Type of concept map
Total
Percent
1. Chain
1
0.7
2a. Basic spoke
5
3.4
2b. Spoke with chains
22
14.8
2c. Repeated spokes
98
65.8
3. Network
22
14.8
Other
1
0.7
149
100.2
Science Themes
Majority of students presented one of six science themes to
present their understanding of indigenous perspectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Seasons (including weather)
Astronomy
Ecology
Plants
Animals
Natural Resource Use
Weather: network
Repeated spokes
Repeated spokes
More than Bush Tucker?| 11 July 2011 | Slide 12
spokes
Animals are caring for their
young
Because of the sun plants are
fruiting
Stranded
animals and
eggs are a good
food source at
this time
Flood water recedes and streams start to
run clear
Heat and humidity
generate an
explosion of plant
and animal life
and the blue skies prevail
Gudjewg/
Monsoon:
Dec to
Mar
Now Bininj people moved from
camp to live under shelter.
Because of the coming storms
Gurrung / Hot
dry weather.
August to
October
The build up of
cloud that
creates humidity
Sea turtles
lay their eggs
while the
goannas rob
their nests
Banggerreng / knock
em down storm
season April
The Bininj/Mungguy
indigenous people of
Kakadu weather
seasons
Gunumeleng / pre
monsoon storm
season October to
December
Thunderstorms build
in the afternoons.
Barramundi move
from their waterholes
Flowering woollybutt
tells Bininj/Mungguy
that it’s time to start
burning the
woodlands
The rain clouds have cleared
Thunderstorm
s, heavy rain
and flooding.
The true wet!
This action
promotes
new growth
for grazing
animals
Relatively
cool with
low
humidity
Wetlands
and
billabongs
are covered
with water
lilies
Yegge/
cooler but
still humid
season May
to June
Wurrgeng/
cold
weather
season
June to
August
The sun is
out with
cool
breeze.
Humidity is
low, day
time
temperature
s are low.
Clear skies
Seasons: Spokes with chains
Water
resources dry
out. Animals
flock to the few
watering holes
left
Complexity
 Students who used more complex concept maps
were considered to have more complex mental
models (Kinchin, 2011)
Meta-analysis
 Grouping of concept maps,
 Relationships between topics maintained,
 Relationship Matrix: identifying relationships between
nodes,
 Word cloud (frequency), and
 ‘Meaning diagram’
Word Cloud: Astronomy
Conclusions
1. Majority of students displayed reasonably complex
relationships in their perceptions of indigenous
perspectives
2. Relate to 6 science themes
Related to Science
understandings: Biological,
Earth & Space Sciences but
limited Physical or Chemical
Sciences.
3. The science themes demonstrate a
complex network of interrelationships.
OBSERVATION-PATTERNS-RELATIONSHIPS-CHANGE
Represents a holistic approach associated
with Indigenous ways of thinking.
4. Relationship to the curriculum
a. Science understandings  Biological, Earth &
Space Sciences but limited Physical or Chemical
Sciences.
b. Context  Science as a Human Endeavour
i. Nature and development of science
(observation, patterns, change, relationships)
ii. Use and influence of science (application)