INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE INTO GENERAL SCIENCE: CONCEPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF DAWURO ZONE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN LOMA BOSA WOREDA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore teacher’s conception on the integration of indigenous knowledge in general science in the case of governmental primary schools of Dawuro zone Loma Bosa Woreda. Out of 30 governmental primary schools in the Woreda 10 primary schools were selected by using simple random sampling technique and all teachers teaching General science were purposively sampled. School principals, cluster supervisors and department head teachers were also purposively included in the study. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaire, interview and actual classroom observation. The finding of the study revealed that teachers have a positive perception on the integrating of IK into General Science. The sum mean score was 3.56 (with a standard deviation of 0.72), reflecting favorable perceptions. This finding was supported by interviews with cluster supervisors, school principals, and department heads. The other issue addressed in this study was about the level of awareness of teachers on the integration of indigenous knowledge. As the result, the study exposed those teachers demonstrated moderate level of awareness regarding the integration of IK in General Science teaching. The average score was 2.52 (with a standard deviation of 1.1), interview data and classroom observations further supported this finding. Teachers actively engaged with Indigenous knowledge during General Science instruction, resulting in an overall mean score of 2.92 (with a standard deviation of 0.87). Even though, the observation data showed that the teachers’ practical implementation of integration of IK was assessed as poor. The other question focused in the present study was about the major challenges teachers were facing during integrating the indigenous knowledge in teaching General science. Despite positive perceptions and awareness, challenges persisted in the study; for instance, insufficient well-documented resources and inadequate training in IK hindered successful integration into the General Science curriculum. The scarcity of relevant national and local resources, including IK-focused textbooks for students and teachers’ guides, posed additional obstacles. Depending on the finding of the study it was recommended that, addressing resource gaps and enhancing training opportunities are crucial for effective integration of IK in General Science teaching