Sele, Eric Mlamli David2025-12-122025-12-122024https://hdl.handle.net/10566/21581This research draws on the Indigenous Knowledge (IK) views of how lightning is formed. Many learners were informed by their parents that lightning is caused by witch doctors, traditional healers, or witchcraft. As these learners matured, some of them were made to understand that lightning is made by natural causes as well. According to the scientific worldview, lightning occurs through a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge when two electrically opposite charged regions in the atmosphere or ground temporarily equalise themselves causing an instantaneous release of gigajoules of energy. Lightning has killed many people all over the world including South Africa. Indigenous people have different ways of explaining lightning depending on how the elders were nurtured by their forefathers on the formation of lightning. Some traditional lightning protection methods differ from scientificallybased approaches to safeguarding communities. They differ from one environment to the other. However, there are commonalities in both methods. The study investigated if the integration of science and indigenous knowledge systems in teaching and learning electrostatics in Grade 10 could have an impact. The study also explored the role of using English as the second language in teaching and learning electrostatics in Grade 10. The study examined two groups from two different schools. A quasi-experimental design was used with an experimental group receiving the treatment and the control group which received tuition in the traditional way using textbook and expositions explanations on the chalkboard. Both groups were given the pre-test of which the experimental group received treatment after they finished writing it, but the control group did not get it. These two groups wrote a post-test which was the same as the pretest. Both groups consisted of boys and girls. The experimental group received the Dialogical Argumentation Instructional Model (DAIM).The inclusion of home language improved learners’ understanding of scientific concepts in electrostatics. Data analysis exposed that the learners had their own set of indigenous science. The study also showed that the learners appreciated the fact that their language and Indigenous background were recognised by the school. Learners in this study expressed support for merging Science and Indigenous Knowledge Systems methodologies.enTraditional beliefsPrior knowledgeLanguageObservationsInterviewsThesis