Integrating Local Ethnobiological Knowledge of Invertebrates into a Conceptual Framework: A Theoretical Foundation for Enhancing Science Process Skills

Abstract

The disconnect between formal science education and students' socio-cultural realities often leads to scientific alienation in developing regions. While ethnobiology offers a bridge to contextualize learning, existing literature is heavily skewed towards ethnobotany, neglecting the pedagogical potential of local fauna. This study aims to develop a novel conceptual model integrating the ethnobiology of local invertebrates from Bengkulu, Indonesia, into the junior high school science curriculum. Using a qualitative-theoretical synthesis approach, we reconstructed indigenous knowledge regarding three key taxa: Geloina erosa (Lokan), Telescopium telescopium (Cunying), and Meretrix sp. (Remis). The study mapped this "village science"—such as the use of Lokan as a river quality bio-indicator and the tidal migration behavior of Cunying—onto specific Science Process Skills (SPS) indicators. The result is the "Bio-Ethno-SPS" conceptual framework. This model provides a structured pedagogical pathway for teachers to transform local wisdom into rigorous scientific inquiry, fostering skills such as observation, inference, and prediction. We conclude that Bengkulu’s invertebrate ethnobiology is not merely cultural heritage but a sophisticated epistemological resource for Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT).