SED 102 Past Questions and Answers

SED 102 Quiz and Exam Past Questions and Answers

QUIZ QUESTIONS

1. Name four advantages of using indigenous knowledge in solving local problems.

Indigenous knowledge is very useful in solving problems that affect local people because it is knowledge that comes from their own experience and environment.

• First, it is cheaper and more available because the resources are already around the community.
• Second, it respects culture and tradition, so people accept it easily and trust it more.
• Third, it helps in providing quick solutions, for example in farming, healing, and weather prediction.
• Fourth, it promotes self-reliance because people don’t always have to wait for foreign solutions before they act.

2. What role does Ethnoscience play in traditional medicine?

Ethnoscience plays a very big role in traditional medicine because it helps to explain and organize the knowledge that people use for healing. It makes sure that plants, roots, and local practices are studied and understood scientifically. It also helps in preserving healing methods that are passed from one generation to another. By doing this, ethnoscience connects traditional medicine to modern science and gives it more recognition and respect.

3. Why is it important to document indigenous knowledge systems?

It is important to document indigenous knowledge systems because if they are not recorded, they can be lost when the older generation dies. Documentation helps to keep the ideas and practices safe for the future. It also allows researchers and students to learn from them and even improve on them. Again, documenting such knowledge helps to protect people’s intellectual property so that outsiders do not steal and claim it as their own. Finally, it creates a link between local knowledge and modern education, making it possible to combine the two for better results.

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

1a. Define Ethnoscience Education and discuss its significance in the educational context.

Ethnoscience education is the teaching and learning of science based on the knowledge, culture, and practices of indigenous people. It uses the way local communities explain nature, medicine, farming, and environment as part of science learning.

Its significance in education is that it makes learning more meaningful to students because it connects science to their daily lives. It also promotes respect for culture and diversity in the classroom. Another importance is that it helps in solving local problems with ideas that students can relate to, instead of only depending on Western methods.

1b. List and explain the key rationales behind integrating Ethnoscience into the educational system.

• To make learning practical: students see examples around them.
• To preserve culture: traditional knowledge will not die out.
• To encourage innovation: combining local and modern ideas can bring new solutions.
• To build confidence: students value their culture and see that it has scientific worth.
• To promote development: local knowledge can support agriculture, medicine, and technology in the community.

2a. Define Ethno-taxonomy and discuss its importance in classifying knowledge within indigenous communities.

Ethno-taxonomy is the way indigenous people classify and name plants, animals, and things in their environment based on their use, shape, or meaning in the culture.

Its importance is that it helps communities to easily identify useful plants and animals, especially in farming and medicine. It also keeps knowledge organized in a way that children and learners can understand. Furthermore, it helps in passing knowledge from one generation to another in a structured manner.

2b. Enumerate and explain the scope of Ethnoscience in understanding indigenous knowledge systems.

• Agriculture: local ways of planting, harvesting, and storing crops.
• Medicine: use of herbs, roots, and traditional healing methods.
• Environment: predicting weather, managing forests and water.
• Culture: rituals, taboos, and beliefs that protect nature.
• Technology: local crafts, tools, and building techniques.
  This wide scope shows that ethnoscience touches almost every part of community life.

3a. Discuss the challenges associated with implementing Ethno-Based Education in modern educational curricula.

Some challenges are:

• Lack of written records since most indigenous knowledge is oral.
• Negative attitude, as some people see local knowledge as backward.
• Shortage of teachers who are trained in ethnoscience.
• Difficulty in combining it with modern curriculum requirements.
• Influence of globalization that pushes Western science more than local science.

3b. Examine the key challenges facing Science Education in the 21st century and how these impact learners and educators.

Challenges include poor funding, lack of laboratories, shortage of qualified teachers, and too much focus on theory instead of practice. Another challenge is the fast growth of technology which many schools cannot keep up with. These challenges affect learners by making science hard and uninteresting. For educators, it makes teaching stressful and less effective because they don’t have the right tools and support.

4a. Analyze the relationship between Ethnoscience and the Western Conceptual Method. Highlight the similarities and differences in their approaches to knowledge.

The similarity is that both seek to understand nature and solve human problems. Both depend on observation and experience.

The difference is that ethnoscience is based on culture, traditions, and local environment, while Western science is based on experiments, measurement, and universal rules. Ethnoscience is often practical and connected to daily life, while Western science is more formal and structured.

4b. Explore the concept of the Lost Science of Africa and its relevance in today’s scientific and cultural discourse.

The Lost Science of Africa refers to the scientific knowledge that Africans had in areas like medicine, astronomy, architecture, and technology before colonization but was ignored or destroyed by foreign influence. Its relevance today is that rediscovering it can inspire pride in African heritage. It also provides ideas that can solve present-day problems, especially in agriculture, health, and environment.

5a. Discuss potential strategies for improving the state of Education in Nigeria, with a particular focus on integrating both traditional and modern educational practices.

Some strategies include funding schools properly, training teachers in both modern and local knowledge, and including ethnoscience in the curriculum. Schools can also invite community elders to share knowledge with students. Another strategy is to encourage research that joins traditional practices with modern science. By doing this, education in Nigeria will become more balanced and meaningful.

5b. Identify five (5) challenges facing Nigerian education today and propose solutions for addressing them.

• Poor funding → Government should increase budget for education.
• Lack of infrastructure → Build more classrooms and laboratories.
• Shortage of teachers → Employ and train more qualified teachers.
• Examination malpractice → Promote integrity and strengthen monitoring.
• Outdated curriculum → Regularly review curriculum to include modern and local knowledge.