Faculty of Humanities and Education (Postgraduate) - The University ...

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POSTGRADUATE REGULATIONS & SYLLABUSES 2012 - 2013
THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES & EDUCATION
Solomon, J., Duveen, J., Scot, L., & McCarthy, S. (1992). Teaching
about the nature of science through history: Action
research in the classroom. Journal of Research in Science
Teaching, 29(4), 409-421.
Staley, K. W. (1999). Logic, liberty, and anarchy: Mill and
Feyerabend on scientific method. The Social Science
Journal, 36(4), 603-614.
Sweeney, A. E. (2003). An overview of science education in the
Caribbean: Research, policy and practice. CASTME Journal,
23(1&2), 2-18.
Tsou, J. Y. (2003). Reconsidering Feyerabend’s ‘anarchism.’
Perspectives on Science, 11(2), 208-235.
Zais, R. S. (1976). Curriculum: Principles and foundations. New
York: Harper & Row.
WEBSITES
http://users.aristotle.net/~asta/science.htm
www.project2061.org/publications/sfaa/online/chap1.m
http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons.unt.ns.r.html
http://www.msu.edu/~dugganha/NOS.htm
YEAR: 1
SEMESTER: 1
COURSE CODE: EDSC 6001
COURSE TITLE: SCIENCE EDUCATION AND CULTURE
NUMBER OF CREDITS: 4
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
Rationale
Science as taught in the formal education system, from primary
to tertiary levels, is projected as an objective, universal body
of knowledge that is value-free. This is the view of science to
which Caribbean teachers are exposed as students and as
student teachers. It is not surprising, therefore, that this is the
image of science that they present to their students. This view
of science has been challenged, and the counter claim has been
made that science as taught in schools is a product of western
thought and thus may be viewed as a sub-culture of western
culture (Aikenhead, 2001). Furthermore, over the years, scientific
activity has occurred in non-western contexts such as Africa,
India, and China, but such activity is hardly ever recognized in
school science.
Caribbean people and people from other non-western settings
can lay claim to a non-western cultural heritage, in addition
to those aspects of western culture that they have adopted.
Consequently, the norms, values, attitudes and beliefs existing
in these settings are likely to have also been influenced by
non-western cultural traditions. In the Caribbean, it has been
found that the principles which underpin traditional beliefs
and practices that govern how people conduct their daily
lives sometimes overlap with those of western science, but
sometimes they are at odds with the tenets of western science
(George & Glasgow, 1988, 1999). In the formal education system,
this tension is often not addressed, nor is the fact that there is
sometimes some overlap between the two ways of knowing.
This omission from the school science curriculum can lead to
the marginalization of indigenous literacies and/or the rejection
of school science by some students.
This course seeks to expose participants to a more holistic view
of science, and to provide participants with the tools necessary
to deal with the interface between the cultural background
of the Caribbean learner and school science. It seeks to equip
participants to utilize to the fullest those aspects of the cultural
background of the learner that can be built upon in science
classes, and also to use appropriate classroom strategies to
engage students in a critical examination of those differences
between school science and the traditional practices and beliefs
to which they adhere.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
• evaluate the contribution of non-western countries to the
development of science
• describe the contribution of world view theory to an
understanding of the interplay between science and
culture
• analyse Caribbean traditional practices and beliefs that
deal with content areas which are also covered in school
science
• assess the relationship between western science and
traditional Caribbean knowledge
• devise and use strategies for teaching and learning science
in Caribbean classrooms that present science in a holistic
fashion, and that take into account the cultural background
of the learner.
CONTENT
• World view theory
• History and philosophy of western science
• History and philosophy of selected examples of non-
Western science
• Cognitive learning theory
• Caribbean traditional practices and beliefs
• The evolution of science curricula in Caribbean schools
• Science curricula for inclusion and access
• Caribbean scientists: ‘The western path and the road less
travelled’
• Science and language
MAJOR COMPETENCIES TO BE DEVELOPED
• Critical and creative thinking
• Enhanced skills in science curriculum design, evaluation,
and enactment, with a focus on cultural issues
ASSESSMENT
• Written examination (3 hours) 60%
• Project – 40%
• Development of a database on Caribbean indigenous
practices and beliefs that can impact on the teaching/
learning of science
• Categorising these practices and beliefs to show their
relationship to conventional science
• Outline of sample science lessons with a Caribbean
cultural studies focus