Study on the Promotion of Indigenous Education by Informal Education—the Implementation of Science Education Camps

The conventional schooling is considered the formal education where students acquire knowledge in classrooms. In the formal schooling system, each student receives the same science curriculum. When students did not catch on to the pace with other students, they often lack the opportunity to ask questions and to fully understand the logic and theory behind the science knowledge. Therefore, an informal education can play a significant compensating function for students’ learning and development. The informal and open curriculum design such as science camps can incorporate science knowledge with activities to guide students to learn at a gradual pace. In addition, it can include culturally diverse materials which helps expanding students’ prospective and making the curriculum more relevant to students’ experience. This study designed an informal education curriculum which integrated the knowledge of indigenous culture in Taiwan. The design of the culturally oriented science curriculum aimed to increase the science interests for indigenous students, and to teach students the traditional culture from different tribes in the science camp. The goals of the study were to understand the positive initiatives for indigenous students to study science, and to develop an effective informal education which can be combined with the formal education, and to include more materials on the traditional culture in Taiwan in the formal education system. The informal curriculum used in the study was a three-year experimental education program implemented in DaPo Elementary School in Chihshang Township, Taidong County in Taiwan. Students’ learning efficacy and level of cultural identity were evaluated. After a two-day science camp, the study observed an increased interest in traditional culture, a significant growth of self-cultural identity among the students, and a significant improvement of students’ science knowledge.