Abstract
Research has shown that in education children acquire literacy more easily in a language they already know. This leads to more effective education. The use of a community’s own language in its educational system makes for the utilization of the linguistic and cultural wealth of the community and is an acknowledged right in education. Traditionally, the teaching of math and science (or STEM subjects in general) in African education has departed from the inclusion of the community’s linguistic and cultural wealth largely because these subjects are projected as containing culture-free knowledge. Delivered primarily in European languages, the truths that derive from math and science are held to be culture free, objective, and universal. This paper argues that culture is important to knowledge production and that language arts contain knowledge that is relevant to STEM education. The incorporation of such culturally relevant knowledge into STEM education should provide a means by which the linguistic and cultural wealth of the community can play an essential role in the formal education of its children. It would also make STEM subjects more accessible, being approached from the basis of local knowledge. The paper will examine how verbal arts might get integrated into STEM education with the adoption of culturally relevant pedagogy.
I am indebted to Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite for the stimulus to focus on language arts in STEM education and for collaboration on issues of social justice and rights in education. Thanks to Dennis Banda, Langa Khumalo, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, Pascal Kishindo, Patricia Pui Ki Kwok, and David Kyeu for comments on earlier versions of the paper, and to Francis Moto and Flora Suya for help with lyrics of, and comments on, ‘Ogode’, the children’s play song; and, to Matthews Sapemba Tisatayane for reminders of Chichewa proverbs. None of them necessarily endorses the views expressed in the paper. In American Canyon, California, I thank Collin Domingo for seeing to it that I maintain an acceptable level of fitness, and Jeremy Reyes who, subjected to comparable requirements, provided encouragement and support. At Encore Dental, Kevin Cabugao, Jade Castro, Nikkie Felton, Maricel Guya, Monica Morales, and Nicole Reyes have cheerfully, but resolutely, ensured that my every smile displays healthy teeth and gums. Thanks guys. Finally, at the Junction Brewery and Grill, “where family and friends meet,” Kasie Albrecht, Selina Bayardo, Tina Chan, José Flores, Savannah Garcia, Carole Lonzanida, Travis Loveseth, Philo Robold, Scott Turnnidge, Vilma Wakin, and ADY make every visit a happy occasion. Thank you all for always making me feel that I am among family and friends.
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Notes
- 1.
The number of participants is not fixed. It just has to be more than one.
- 2.
As a consequence of the policy that made Chichewa the national language in Malawi in 1968, the majority of Malawians are functionally literate in that language despite the presence of other languages in that country (cf. Mchombo, 1998).
- 3.
The following abbreviations are used to indicate the various morphemes in the glosses of the sentences: appl = applicative; caus = causative; fv = final vowel; NEG = negation; OM = object marker; pst = past tense; recip = reciprocal; and SM = subject marker. The numbers associated with the nouns indicate gender class. An acute accent over a vowel indicates high tone. Low tones are not marked. The remaining Chichewa expressions, songs or proverbs, will not get marked for tone.
- 4.
In the song, the line Amayi aphika nsima lacks the present tense marker. This is to ensure that the line does not contain more syllables than the metric design allows.
- 5.
For the Chewa, the chicken has always been the major delicacy and of significant cultural value. When a visitor has to be made to feel truly welcomed, the host(s) kill(s) a chicken for him/her. In disputes, when the ruling is passed, the fine for the offending party to pay the offended party is, normally, stated in terms of number of chicken(s).
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
I am indebted to Langa Khumalo for drawing my attention to this Sir Winston Churchill’s statement made at Harvard.
- 9.
William Kamkwamba dropped out of school in Malawi during his early teens because of lack of funding. Yet, using local resources, he proceeded to build a windmill in his village in Kasungu district that generated electricity to his house. His accomplishments got recorded in the New York Times best seller, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope, NY: Harper Perennial. Significantly, the scientific knowledge and the technical expertise did not depend on proficiency in English. At the time, he hardly spoke the language.
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Mchombo, S. (2019). Verbal Arts as Culturally Relevant Pedagogical Tools in Math/Science Education. In: Babaci-Wilhite, Z. (eds) Promoting Language and STEAM as Human Rights in Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2880-0_2
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