Integration of local knowledge in the secondary school chemistry curriculum - A few examples of ethno-chemistry from Zambia

Heliyon. 2024 Apr 8;10(7):e29174. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29174. eCollection 2024 Apr 15.

Abstract

Before formally introducing chemistry in schools, Africans practiced it as ethnochemistry as they lived in their ethnic groupings. To a large extent, it may be true for other ethnic groups and communities across the globe as well. This study aimed to document a drop from the ocean of ethnochemistry knowledge that people in Zambia practiced in the past and modern times to use such ethnochemistry knowledge to teach chemistry in ethnically responsive ways. Further, this study sought to raise the profile of indigenous cultural knowledge in the globalized world dominated by modernity. Ethnography research design was used including unstructured interviews for data collection. This study purposively selected twenty (20) research participants using snowball sampling. Results show that many relevant ethnochemistry practices in Zambia can be used to grow the national economy, enrich the teaching of Secondary School Chemistry to ethnically diverse students, and generate secondary school students' interest and better familiarity with Chemistry.

Keywords: Cultural society; Culturally responsive teaching; Ethnochemistry; Ethnopedagogy.