The Reality of Settler Colonialism: A Quali-Quantitative Analysis of Alberta Education

• In Event: 67.068 - MTCC Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: 67.068-8 - Preparing Critical-Oriented Teachers

Abstract

In 2018, Alberta Education declared their commitment to reconciliation, yet settler teachers are uneasy with their understanding of Indigenous topics—as educational researchers have shown—since they often are dissuaded by limited available resources and given inadequate administrative support for teaching Indigenous content. This research considers how reconciliation can occur in this context. A settler colonial theoretical framework facilitated an analysis of responses from an anonymous, mixed-methods survey and semi-structured interviews within a quanti-qualitative research design. The research concludes that teacher-participants a) are certain education will eliminate settler intolerance for Indigenous peoples, b) believe in reverse racism, c) think they need to learn more about Indigenous issues and histories, and d) consider multicultural ideals will promote equality.

Author

• Danielle Lorenz, University of Alberta