Effect of teachers’ and students’ worldviews on learning of O-level chemistry at a school in Harare, Zimbabwe

Year 2010, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 79 - 98, 30.12.2010

Takawira C. Kazembe Gift M. Nyanhi

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between students’ and teachers’ enacted worldviews
and school culture, and the extent to which cultural beliefs, values and norms and religion
influence the teaching and learning of chemistry at a school in Harare. Interviews,
observations, and discussions involving students in forms 3 and 4 and their teachers were
conducted to study the potential of teachers to help students negotiate cultural borders in the
learning of chemistry. Church leaders and community elders were also interviewed to
establish their possible influence on the views of the teachers and students. Teachers’ and
students’ views on traditional medicine and nature and on traditional medicine and chemistry
were used as criteria to match teachers’ and students’ worldviews. It appeared that the
worldviews of teachers and students were not sufficiently compatible to permit teachers to
effectively assist students to negotiate cultural borders. However, the religious and cultural
views the participants brought into the classroom did not have much influence on the teaching
of O-level chemistry at this school. Notwithstanding, teachers did not attempt to include
community experiences as appropriate prior knowledge. But, all the same, the worldviews of
the participants did not appear to be relevant to chemistry learning at the level in question.

Keywords

Community science, enacted scientific worldviews, cultural border-crossing, chemistry teaching, misconceptions

References

• Aikenhead GS. (1997) Toward a First Nations cross-cultural science and technology curriculum. Science Education 81(2):217-238.