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Pedagogic principles in negotiating cultural conflict: A Melanesian example

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 19:27 authored by Waldrip, BG, Timothy, JT, Wilikai, W
This paper draws on the personal experiences of three researchers: an “outsider” (or western‐oriented) science teacher, a science teacher educator who has lived in Melanesian countries for almost a decade, and a national researcher who was born and educated in Melanesia. During a recent interpretative research study of the problematic relationship between the traditional world‐views of Melanesian villagers and the official school science views of young Melanesian people, Bruce became increasingly aware of the importance of conducting culture‐sensitive interpretative research. Bruce and Joe describe three people with different experiences and approaches to education. Mindful of the important role of the outside teacher researchers in providing essential information for the local contextualisation of school science curricula, we propose a number of culture‐sensitive practices when working in Melanesian cross‐cultural contexts.

Karsoon: I like Melanesian ways. I wanted to learn Western ways and so when mission came, I went to school [so that I could] learn their ways. I thought I would learn new ways. I use school ways no more.

Karsoon: The white man didn't want us to learn about his ways but only about his religion. (Waldrip & Taylor, 1999a, p. 297)

I've studied overseas where I came across Papua New Guineans suffering from the “dry coconut syndrome”—brown on the outside, but white on the inside. These are the people who suddenly forget their own ways because they are living in another country. (Pamba, 1999)

History

Publication title

International Journal of Science Education

Volume

29

Pagination

101-122

ISSN

0950-0693

Department/School

Faculty of Education

Publisher

Taylor & Francis Ltd

Place of publication

4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, England, Oxon, Ox14 4Rn

Rights statement

Copyright 2007 Taylor & Francis

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Teacher and instructor development

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