Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1994 Interaction of socio-cultural backgrounds and beliefs with conceptions of the nature of science, societal issues, and instructional ideology among secondary science teachers in Zimbabwe Overson Shumba Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Recommended Citation Shumba, Overson, "Interaction of socio-cultural backgrounds and beliefs with conceptions of the nature of science, societal issues, and instructional ideology among secondary science teachers in Zimbabwe " (1994). 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Contact UMI directly to order. A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 3l3.'761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Number 9518445 Interaction of socio-cultural backgrounds and beliefs with conceptions of the nature of science, societal issues, and instructional ideology among secondary science teachers in Zimbabwe Shumba, Overson, Ph.D. Iowa State University, 1994 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Interaction of socio-cultural backgrounds and beliefs with conceptions of the nature of science, societal issues, and instructional ideology among secondary science teachers in Zimbabwe by Overson Shumba A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Curriculum and Instruction Major: Education (Curriculum and Instructional Technology) Approvi Signature was redacted for privacy. In6Ch»ee of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Department Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Graduate College Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1994 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER L INTRODUCTION 1 Background to the problem 1 Statement of the problem 10 Research questions 11 Significance of the study 12 Assumptions of the study 17 Limitations of the study 18 Definition of terms and constructs 19 Explanation of the dissertation format 21 Explanation of conceptual linkage among dissertation papers 22 CHAPTER II. INTERACTION OF TRADITIONAL SOCIO-CULTURAL VARIABLES WITH INSTRUCTIONAL IDEOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR ZIMBABWE 23 Abstract 23 Introduction 23 Some notions of the nature of science 24 Significance of societal expectations and socio-cultural context 29 Indigenous culture of Zimbabwe 31 Nature of science studies 37 Instructional ideology studies 39 Theoretical and practical significance of socio-cultural and world-view research 40 Implications for science education research 44 References 46 CHAPTER III. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 51 Introduction 51 Null hypotheses 51 Sample 53 The BEd program history and structure 54 Data collection procedures 56 Data analysis procedures 58 Reliability of scales 59 Sample demographics 62 Summary 74 Ill CHAPTER rV. SCIENCE TEACHERS' ASSESSMENT OF THE INTERACTION OF INDIGENOUS AFRICAN CULTURE WITH SCIENCE EDUCATION IN ZIMBABWE 75 Abstract 75 Background 75 Research questions and conceptual fran\ework 79 Methodology 81 Data analysis 82 Results 84 Discussion 96 Implications 109 Conclusion Ill References 112 CHAPTER V. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHERS- ORIENTATION TO TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN ZIMBABWE AND BELIEFS CONCERNING SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL IDEOLOGY 116 Abstract 116 Background 116 Overview of indigenous culture of Zimbabwe 117 Significance of indigenous cultural variables to science education.. 120 Hypotheses 123 Sample 124 Instrumentation 126 Results 128 Discussion 139 Conclusion 144 References 145 CHAPTER VI. INDIGENOUS ZIMBABWEAN SCIENCE TEACHERS' UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE RELATIVE TO MODELS OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE AND RELATIVE TO PROHLES OF TEACHERS IN TWO COUNTRIES 149 Abstract 149 Introduction 149 Statement of problem 152 Research questions 153 Methodology 154 Results 159 Summary, discussion, and conclusion 178 References 182 i V CHAPTER VII. ASSESSMENT OF SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHERS* AWARENESS OF A SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY-SOCIETAL ISSUE RELATIVE TO KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE, INSTRUCTIONAL IDEOLOGY, AND TO ORIENTATION TOWARDS TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN ZIMBABWE 185 Abstract 185 Background 185 Research questions 189 Sample 191 Data analysis 195 Results 197 Discussion 204 Conclusion 208 References 209 Appendix 211 CHAPTER VIII. SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 213 Introduction 213 Interpretation of results and conclusions 213 Summary and discussion 220 Conclusion 225 REFERENCES 227 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 232 APPENDIX: SUPPLEMENTARY DATA TABLES 234 1 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION This study measured secondary science teachers' conceptions and beliefs concerning the nature of science and scientific knowledge, science-related societal issues, instructional ideology, and traditional culture in Zimbabwe. The 63 teachers were enrolled in the Bachelor of Education (BEd) at the University of Zimbabwe in 1994. Although technically these teachers are students on the BEd program, they are referred to as "BEd science teachers" in the study. The study explored the science teachers' socio-cultural backgrounds as well as their level of commitment to indigenous cultural beliefs and values and how they interacted with science education. Relationships among teachers' socio-cultural backgrounds and orientation to indigenous culture and their perceptions on the nature of science and scientific knowledge, on a societal issue, and on instructional ideology were explored. Background to the problem Snow (1961) more than three decades ago described "the gulf of mutual incomprehension" between the scientifically literate and the non-scientifically literate. More recently, the National Commission on Educational Excellence (1983) in the USA reported that "there is a growing chasm between a small scientific and technological elite and a citizenry of ill-informed, indeed uninformed, on issues with a science component" (p. 10). In order to narrow this chasm it is essential to provide a general education in science for all so that a greater segment of society can attain scientific and technological literacy. The goal of scientific and technological literacy is featured also in non-western countries who are said to "have lost the freedom to exclude science as a culture from their own culture, because science and technology have become a widespread culture in the world (Ogawa, 1986; p. 117). However, as abundantly clear from predominandy western literature, defining scientific and technology literacy is neither easily done nor easily implemented. Several valid perspectives on science and technology literacy exist. For example, numerous researchers identify understanding the nature of science as perhaps its most important 2 dimension (Meichtry, 1993; Andersen, Samuel, & Harty, 1986; Lederman, 1992,1986 & 1987; Rubba & Andersen, 1978; Kimball, 1967). The widely acclaimed Project 2061: Science for all Americans sets one of the benchmarks for science literacy as understanding nature of science (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989) [AAAS]. The AAAS defines the nature of science in terms of three literacy goals, understanding the scientific world view, understanding scientific inquiry, and understanding the scientific enterprise. Almost underscoring the importance of nature of science, the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) (Good, 1992) committed issue 4 of volume 29 of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching to "teaching about the history and nature of science and technology". Others nominate understanding the interaction