Language Negotiations Indigenous Students Navigate when Learning Science
Abstract This paper reports on implications of a research study with a group of 44 Indigenous middle school students learning the science concepts of energy and force. We found the concepts of energy and force need to be taught in English as we failed to find...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of Queensland
2008-12-01
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| Series: | The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education |
| Online Access: | https://ajie.atsis.uq.edu.au/ajie/article/view/494 |
| _version_ | 1797963145488105472 |
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| author | Philemon Chigeza |
| author_facet | Philemon Chigeza |
| author_sort | Philemon Chigeza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract
This paper reports on implications of a research study
with a group of 44 Indigenous middle school students
learning the science concepts of energy and force. We found
the concepts of energy and force need to be taught in
English as we failed to find common comparable abstract
concepts in the students' diverse Indigenous languages.
Three categories of describing the concepts were
identified: nine students who used scientific genre to
explain and demonstrate the concepts (20%); 15 students who
used limited scientific genre to explain and demonstrate
the concepts in terms of direct action (35%); and 20
students who did not use scientific genre to either
describe or display by direct action their knowledge of the
concepts (45%).
Indigenous students learning school science navigate
language negotiations before negotiating the language
challenges in science learning. School science achievement
is measured using Standard Australian English concept
descriptors. These assessment instruments are designed to
measure the student's negotiations from Standard Australian
English into science. It is possible that these instruments
do not adequately measure the Indigenous student's
negotiations from their vernacular language into science.
Developing a Creole science could empower Indigenous
students learning school science to develop the capacity to
successfully negotiate the language systems.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:23:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-485d96eacfd8417f9b397f99739fe370 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2049-7784 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:23:43Z |
| publishDate | 2008-12-01 |
| publisher | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of Queensland |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-485d96eacfd8417f9b397f99739fe3702023-01-03T10:48:24ZengAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of QueenslandThe Australian Journal of Indigenous Education2049-77842008-12-0137110.1017/S1326011100016136Language Negotiations Indigenous Students Navigate when Learning SciencePhilemon Chigeza0James Cook UniversityAbstract This paper reports on implications of a research study with a group of 44 Indigenous middle school students learning the science concepts of energy and force. We found the concepts of energy and force need to be taught in English as we failed to find common comparable abstract concepts in the students' diverse Indigenous languages. Three categories of describing the concepts were identified: nine students who used scientific genre to explain and demonstrate the concepts (20%); 15 students who used limited scientific genre to explain and demonstrate the concepts in terms of direct action (35%); and 20 students who did not use scientific genre to either describe or display by direct action their knowledge of the concepts (45%). Indigenous students learning school science navigate language negotiations before negotiating the language challenges in science learning. School science achievement is measured using Standard Australian English concept descriptors. These assessment instruments are designed to measure the student's negotiations from Standard Australian English into science. It is possible that these instruments do not adequately measure the Indigenous student's negotiations from their vernacular language into science. Developing a Creole science could empower Indigenous students learning school science to develop the capacity to successfully negotiate the language systems. https://ajie.atsis.uq.edu.au/ajie/article/view/494 |
| spellingShingle | Philemon Chigeza Language Negotiations Indigenous Students Navigate when Learning Science The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education |
| title | Language Negotiations Indigenous Students Navigate when Learning Science |
| title_full | Language Negotiations Indigenous Students Navigate when Learning Science |
| title_fullStr | Language Negotiations Indigenous Students Navigate when Learning Science |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language Negotiations Indigenous Students Navigate when Learning Science |
| title_short | Language Negotiations Indigenous Students Navigate when Learning Science |
| title_sort | language negotiations indigenous students navigate when learning science |
| url | https://ajie.atsis.uq.edu.au/ajie/article/view/494 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT philemonchigeza languagenegotiationsindigenousstudentsnavigatewhenlearningscience |