Integrating Indigenous Metal Crafting in Chemistry Instruction: Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives and Implementation Challenges

The integration of indigenous knowledge into science education has gained increasing attention as a culturally responsive approach to contextualize scientific concepts and promote meaningful learning. This study examined teachers’ and students’ perspectives regarding the integration of indigenous metal crafting practices in Chemistry instruction and identified the challenges encountered in its implementation. A descriptive survey research design with a mixed-method approach was employed, involving 33 junior high school teachers from selected public and private secondary schools in Marawi City and 145 Grade 10 students from MSU–University Training Center. Data were collected through self-administered survey questionnaires consisting of Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using mean scores and descriptive statistics, while qualitative responses were examined through thematic analysis. Findings revealed that both teachers (M = 3.14) and students (M = 3.01) generally expressed positive perspectives toward the integration of indigenous metal crafting practices in Chemistry instruction. Teachers and students recognized the relevance of indigenous metal crafting in supporting the understanding of Chemistry concepts, particularly the properties of metals and the relationship between science and local culture. However, several challenges were identified, including limited resources, insufficient instructional materials, lack of training, curriculum constraints, safety concerns, and limited exposure to indigenous practices. Despite these challenges, most students reported that indigenous metal crafting practices supported conceptual understanding and contributed to more meaningful Chemistry learning. The study concludes that indigenous metal crafting practices may serve as a contextualized and culturally responsive approach to Chemistry instruction. Strengthening instructional support, culturally relevant materials, and teacher preparation may further improve the integration of indigenous knowledge in science education.

Chemistry instruction, contextualized learning, indigenous metal crafting

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