Contending Against Colonial Legacies: Indigenous Teachers’ Interpretations of Indigenous Content in History Textbook

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 4:55 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Redefining Pedagogy and Knowledge Production for Justice (Table 25)

Abstract

Despite the progress in incorporating Indigenous content into Taiwan's History curriculum, the dominant Han Chinese continues to marginalize Indigenous perspectives. It is important to examine how the curriculum should position indigenous knowledge, histories, and cultures. Since teachers’ interpretation of Indigenous content in textbooks is crucial, this study, through interviews, investigates how Indigenous history teachers interpret such content and what approaches they apply in their teaching. Adopting a curriculum politics lens in analysis, the findings show that participant teachers actively engage with Indigenous content in textbooks, addressing inaccuracies and filling gaps in perspectives. They strive to foster reconciliation between different ethnic groups and empower Indigenous students through diverse teaching approaches, including using alternative texts and perspectives that challenge official narratives.

Authors

• Liang Yu Ong, National Taiwan Normal University

• Hsiao-Lan Chen, National Taiwan Normal University