Authentically integrating Indigenous knowledge(s) in early childhood education powerfully enriches children's development of botanical literacies

The study explored how including Indigenous knowledge(s) from a Noongar Elder named Maarman impacted the development of botanical literacies in two early childhood education classes in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. The researchers worked with the classes over the course of a school year, visiting the classes fortnightly to conduct nature-based learning activities focused on exploring the bush spaces within the grounds of each school. Towards the end of the school year, Maarman visited each class to share his Indigenous knowledge about the traditional Noongar uses and significance of the native plants found in their respective bush spaces.

The study utilized a framework of four progressive levels of botanical literacies, ranging from basic abilities like naming plants at the lowest level, to demonstrating an understanding that plants are part of an interconnected ecosystem that humans rely upon at the highest multi-dimensional level. The term ‘botanical literacy’ was first described by Uno (2009, p. 1753), and later further developed for use with young children in a study in Perth, Western Australia, which suggested a shift in the term to ‘botanical literacies’ (Beasley et. al., 2021), recognising young children as learners who create meaning using a diverse range of modes and materials. Data was collected through teacher interviews, observations of the children's behaviors and learning, and work samples produced by the children over the course of the research period.

Key findings from the study were that prior to Maarman's visit, the learning in the bush spaces focused primarily on Western botanical practices such as identifying plants, mapping the locations of plants, and observing changes in the plants over the changing seasons. However, Maarman's pedagogical approach of using engaging storytelling and hands-on activities taught the children about the traditional Noongar uses and cultural significance of plants like the balga, marri, djop born and biara found in their school environments. After Maarman's visits, the children demonstrated achieving the highest multi-dimensional level of botanical literacy by exhibiting an understanding that plants are part of an interconnected system that humans rely upon for sustenance, tools, fire, shelter and medicine. Their curiosity and motivations shifted from solely focusing on how the plants grow and progress through life cycles, to enthusiastically exploring and replicating the cultural plant uses that Maarman had described to them during his visit. The children's play in the bush spaces incorporated utilizing the plants in new ways based on the knowledge shared by Maarman. Although initially nervous about the children's increased hands-on use of the plants after the visit, the teachers came to realize this reflected different Indigenous cultural constellations of practices around sustainable use of plants in balance with practices of caring for plants.

The study concluded that the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge(s) from Maarman powerfully enriched the children's development of botanical literacies by immersing them in Indigenous pedagogies that view humans and nature as deeply interconnected. It recommended that early childhood education settings work to authentically integrate such Indigenous knowledge(s) and perspectives alongside continued use of traditional Western botanical practices when teaching young children about plants and the natural world.