Meeting Places in the Garden: Meaning Making Around the Integration of Indigenous Perspectives in Secondary Science Teacher Education

• In Event: Roundtable Session 54
  In Roundtable Session: Queer and Indigenous Perspectives on Science Education

Abstract

This paper examines the challenges and possibilities of integrating Indigenous perspectives and pedagogy in a preservice secondary science teacher education program at a large Western Canadian university. It is based on an inquiry that examined secondary science teacher education (methods) classes as a complex location for such integration. Through an inquiry-based, community-involving project to develop an Indigenous teaching garden, preservice teachers were invited to participate in talking circles to discuss what integration of Indigenous perspectives might mean and look like in secondary science classes. Preservice teachers were able to articulate and build understandings around Indigenous pedagogy, but still expressed some apprehension about integration of Indigenous perspectives and the need for further learning opportunities.

Authors

• Dawn Wiseman, University of Alberta

• Florence A. Glanfield, University of Alberta

• Dwayne Donald, University of Alberta