CULTURAL BELIEFS: AN IMPEDIMENT TO SCIENCE EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Abstract

This paper determined to find out the influence of some cultural beliefs on science education curriculum. The study set out to identify, classify, analyze and relate some cultural beliefs to science concepts and scientific explanations. Four research questions guided the study while 250 senior secondary school two science students from ten public secondary schools in Onitsha North local government area of Onitsha Education Zone in Anambra State was employed as sample. These 250 SS2 students were asked to collect some cultural beliefs of some natural phenomena and their explanations in their environment. Out of the numerous cultural beliefs collected, 24 were science based, 16 beliefs relate to biology, 5 beliefs relate to chemistry while 3 beliefs relate to physics and almost all the cultural beliefs listed seemed to have influence on students understanding of science. It was recommended
among others that teachers should use proper teaching approaches that should minimize the conflict between these cultural beliefs and science concepts.