Learning benefits of a knowledge systems approach to science

In this recorded professional learning webinar, educational experts Dr Rosemary Hipkins and Pauline Waiti provide provocations about the purpose of Mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori and explore the learning benefits of a knowledge systems approach to science.

...having access to knowledge systems to interrogate each other is quite an important thing, and it leads to greater understanding. And I think that's one of the benefits for students of this way of being educated ... it is going to mean they're going to have opportunities to think outside the current square in terms of solutions for future problems.

Pauline Waiti, 2024

The webinar follows two earlier ones: Enduring competencies for designing science learning pathways and What is a knowledge system?

You can download the videos.

Introduction

In the first part of the webinar Pauline and Rosemary introduce themselves and provide some context for their work in this area.

Provocations regarding the purpose of the Mana ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori imperative

Rosemary and Pauline set the scene for the webinar with the question:

Which option most closely matches your current understanding of the purpose of the mana ōrite initiative?

• It supports culturally responsive pedagogy
• It helps Māori kids not feel so dumb
• It makes every teacher use Māori contexts
• It makes the nature of science more meaningful

Before watching the next excerpt, consider your response.

This question is designed to provoke our thinking about the purpose of Mana ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori – a mandate that impacts the whole of schooling. It is important to note that in responding to this provocation, Rosemary and Pauline refer to educational issues that occur at a systemic level. As educators we are challenged to consider how these issues impact both the wider system that we work in, and our own thinking and agency.

Questions to prompt further thinking:

• What does culturally responsive pedagogy look like to you? Do you think there is a widely accepted and shared understanding of this among educators?
• What does contextual teaching and learning look like to you? Again, do you think there is a widely accepted and shared understanding of this among educators?
• If the question asked about the outcomes (rather than the purpose) of Mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori, would your response differ? Why or why not?

Making NOS more meaningful

Here Pauline and Rosemary discuss some benefits of adopting a knowledge systems approach to think about the nature of science.

Questions to prompt further thinking:

• What is your understanding of the nature of science? Do you think there is a universal way of defining science?
• The Venn diagram helps us to identify some points of intersection between Western and Indigenous knowledge systems, and distinct differences. What aspects of the Venn diagram do you agree with? What do you disagree with? What might be missing? What other models do you know of that explore intersections between Western and Indigenous knowledge systems? You might like to view this video He awa whiria – braided rivers.

Ontology and epistemic agency

In this section the webinar unpacks ideas about ontology – what can be known – and epistemology – how we come to know. Questions to prompt further thinking:

• What is your understanding of ontology and epistemology?
• Why are these concepts important when thinking about knowledge systems?
• What is epistemic agency?

Why epistemic agency matters

Here Pauline and Rosemary discuss the challenges students may face if they are only able to draw from a single knowledge system and share how students can use knowledge systems to interrogate each other.

A question to prompt further thinking:

• In what ways might your students benefit from having awareness of more than one knowledge system?