Incorporating Indigenous Content in a High School: A Teacher-Led Self Study

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: The Telescopic Mirror: Teacher Research and Teacher Voice (Table 19)

Abstract

In our school, administration requires teachers to incorporate some Indigenous content in their planning in response to provincial Ministry of Education directives. To understand the current level of Indigenous curriculum occurring, evidence was collected from teacher planning and a staff questionnaire. Most teacher unit plans included Indigenous terminology, showing that staff were meeting the administrative mandate. However, fewer instances of integration were found, indicating that Indigenous content may be presented superficially. An implication of this study is that teachers need to be given clear expectations paired with support for authentic inclusion of Indigenous content. This project shows that the intention of the mandate and the inclusion of Indigenous content are not aligned in my school.

Authors

• Freya E. Vos, Gonzaga University

• Deborah O'Brien, Gonzaga University

• Elaine Radmer, Gonzaga University