This dissertation is an invitation into our beloved biology classroom. Weaving hermeneutic phenomenology and critical participatory teacher action research, this study investigated self as teacher and two cohorts of student participants in a high school biology experience utilizing an 'Aina Aloha praxis. Articulating my ongoing 'Aina Aloha praxis,…

Like many other culturally and linguistically diverse students, Native Hawaiians are over-represented among those in special education, score lower on standardized achievement tests, and are at greater risk for dropping-out. The Hawaiian Studies Program (HSP) was a culturally relevant academic program that incorporated learning about Hawaiian…