What is Inquiry for Indigenous Science Students?
The program provides teacher professional learning to embed Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural knowledges through hands-on inquiry-based projects, to increase student engagement and achievement in science.
33C - CSIRO - I2S2
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Narrator: On Kamilaroi Country students learn how Elders pass down their knowledges and scientific understanding of stone tool production.
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On the traditional lands of the Goombungee people students learn about the properties of solids, liquids and gases by investigating scientific understandings used in traditional cooking methods.
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These activities are part of the Inquiry for Indigenous Science Students Programme or I²S², one facet of the Indigenous STEM Education Project, delivered by CSIRO and funded by the BHP Foundation.
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Aimed at Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students in Years 5 to 9, one of the keys to the programme’s approach is the value placed on how Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to create and develop high level science inquiry skills.
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As a result this programme here is strengthening students sense of culture, connection to traditional ecological and scientific knowledges, and the way they learn and think about science.
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Teachers have reported increased capacity and confidence in embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts into the science curriculum.
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Schools benefit too by becoming more skilled and confident in delivering culturally responsive teaching and creating stronger school community partnerships.
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An evaluation of I²S² show that: 40% of all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students had increased engagement after an Inquiry unit; an even higher 51% of low achieving students had increased engagement,
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27% of all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students increased their academic achievement after taking part in I²S²;
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and 44% of low achieving students increased their academic results.
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Implementing an I²S² unit was also shown to have a positive impact in academic results and engagement for non-Indigenous students 59% of low achieving non-Indigenous students improved their academic achievement after an Inquiry Unit.
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I² S² provides a blueprint for culturally responsive and sustaining science education.
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If you want to learn more about the evaluation findings of this project visit csiro.au/indigenous-education.
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