Teachers’ Perceptions and Experiences of Integrating Islamic Indigenous Knowledge in Life Sciences teaching and learning

The Life Sciences curriculum in South Africa presents learners with complex and abstract concepts, hindering their comprehension and academic success. To remedy this situation, the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document for Life Sciences has directed teachers to integrate Indigenous Knowledge (IK) when teaching. As such, this article presents the findings from a qualitative study exploring teachers’ perceptions and experiences of integrating Islamic IK when teaching Life Sciences in Grades 10-12. In-depth, qualitative questionnaires were administered to ten teachers to collect data, while five teachers were observed integrating Islamic IK into their teaching. The teachers participating in the study were purposively selected from nine schools located in Johannesburg. The data analysis process followed Saldana’s manual coding system, leading to the emergence of codes, themes, and findings. The findings showed that teachers value Islamic IK integration as essential for making Life Sciences more relatable. Several teachers described how linking cellular processes to Islamic purification practices or using dietary laws to explain human nutrition made lessons more meaningful for learners. However, teachers also expressed uncertainty about how to integrate IK systematically, citing the absence of structured guidelines and limited professional development. Data obtained from lesson observations confirmed that, in the absence of clear pedagogical guidelines, teachers relied on personal initiative to design integration strategies. Consequently, the study points to concrete needs: professional development focused on curriculum-aligned IK integration, faith-informed pedagogical workshops to support meaningful integration of Islamic concepts, and clearer policy directives outlining when and how IK should be integrated.