Multimodal Narratives to Evidence: A Case Study of Primary Students' Experiences With Embedding Indigenous Knowledges

• In Event: 61.016 - Equity and Diversity in Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This paper describes one example of how primary school aged students in Queensland, Australia, developed relational and respectful engagement between Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and Western science knowledge (WSK) when undertaking the iDream challenge. The iDream Challenge was a university-government partnership scheme designed to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives within schools. Participating students were given specific questions, requiring them to create a multimedia product that integrated the perspectives of local IKS and WSK. This paper focuses on the science challenge that investigated an animal misunderstood by society, such as crocodiles, bats, sharks. Ultimately, students were able to navigate this crosscultural terrain and demonstrate how IKS and WKS can co-exist and provide different educational insights.

Authors

• Ali J. Sammel, Griffith University

• Susan L Whatman, Griffith University