The effect of a cross-cultural instructional approach on learners' conceptions of lightning and attitudes towards science

Abstract

This study looks at the effect of a cross-cultural instructional approach on the learners' conceptions of lightning and attitude towards science. It explored Basotho conceptions of lightning and thunder under the following themes: nature of lightning, protection against lightning, animalistic/humanistic behaviour of lighting and nature of wounds inflicted by lightning. Fictitious stories were developed around these themes. It was important to develop stories around these themes because stories stimulate curiosity of the learner particularly if they are situated within their everyday experiences. Using an instrument named My Ideas about Lightning and Thunder (MILT), the learners' conceptions about lightning and thunder were collected. The MILT was structured in such a manner that it allowed learners to read a story and then to express agreement or disagreement with one or more statements which reflect their views on the story. Furthermore, ample space was provided for the learners to write and express their own views and explanations of the incidence described in the story. The study provides an overview of science education in Lesotho. In particular, it gave an outline of developments, apparent changes and dilemma experienced prior and after independence. It was against the background of curricular innovation and concomitant changes (Bishop, 1986) that the study was carried out Theoretical frameworks within multiculturalism were explored and were found to be appropriate to guide the study. These included contiguity theory, border-crossing, concept construction, collateral learning, collaboratively learning, collateral learning and others. These frameworks were applied in the analysis of the data. The learners were introduced to the scientific interpretation of lightning as presented in the Lesotho Junior Science curriculum using a cross-cultural instructional approach based on Jegede's (1995) cross-cultural pedagogical paradigm.