The influence of local worldview presuppositions on learners’ conceptions of selected mechanics topics
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Date
2021
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Publisher
EASA
Abstract
The study is situated within a worldview theory as espoused by socio-cultural constructivists. Science classrooms in
secondary schools in Swaziland are culturally largely homogeneous where learners and their teachers have a strong
grounding in traditional Swazi culture. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the conceptions held by Grade 11
learners of selected mechanics topics were influenced by the worldview presuppositions prevalent in their socio-cultural
environment. The learners were exposed to a socio-culturally-based teaching/learning strategy that integrated selected
indigenous knowledge presuppositions into school science. The learners were given a pre-and post-physics achievement test
(PAT). At the end of the intervention, a focus group interview was conducted with some of the learners. Data on selected
PAT questions were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The learners’ responses to the focus group interview and the
PAT’s open-ended questions were analysed at a later stage using the Ogunniyi’s Contiguity Argumentation Theory (CAT).
The findings of the study show that the learners’ post-conceptions on selected mechanics topics were influenced by their
local worldview presuppositions and could be analysed according to the CAT worldview categories.
Description
Keywords
Socio-cultural constructivism, Mechanics, Science, Swaziland, Post-physics achievement test, Integration
Citation
Fakudze, C. (2021). The influence of local worldview presuppositions on learners’ conceptions of selected mechanics topics. South African Journal of Education, 41(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v41n2a1885