Science And Culture: The Art of Balancing

ABSTRACT

New priorities in the thinking of what effective science education is - such as the need to generate learning by situating science concepts and ideas for the learner familiar context - have lead to a resurgence in the interest of the relationship between science and culture. The paper sets out to revitalise the science and culture debate by exploring inputs from cognitive psychology, anthropology, philosophy and African science educators. The author argues that - while avoiding an over-protective attitude - culture needs to be better acknowledged in science education by helping learners to understand different fundamental views underlying (Western) scientific knowledge production and purpose on the one hand and ‘traditional’ or religious knowledge production and purpose on the other hand. This should lead to a dynamic balancing of affirming cultural identity while stimulating social, economic and cultural change.