ERIC Number: EJ1309407
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jul
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1925-7147
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Centering Voices: Weaving Indigenous Perspectives in Teacher Education
Gorecki, Laryssa; Doyle-Jones, Carol
Canadian Journal of Action Research, v21 n3 p115-141 Jul 2021
The value of weaving Indigenous perspectives into the mainstream curricula of Ontario teacher education programs is gaining prominence (Bell & Brant, 2015; Nardozi, Restoule, Broad, Steele, & James, 2014; Tanaka, 2016). Since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action (2015), efforts are being made across Ontario to "educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms" (TRC #62, p. 7). Despite growing efforts within teacher preparation programs, many settler teacher candidates are still anxious (Kanu, 2011; Morcom & Freeman, 2019); they fear practicing inadvertent cultural appropriation, and/or offending or misinforming their students and colleagues. To address these concerns, we posed the research question: What impact would Indigenous guest speakers and workshop leaders have on helping Settler teacher candidates navigate Indigenous content in a culturally appropriate and respectful manner? Using an action research framework, we explored how Indigenous ways of knowing impacted the attitudes of teacher candidates in a Bachelor of Education program. The data we collected suggests that by listening to and learning from Indigenous teachings, teacher candidates can attain a deeper understanding of relationality (Wilson, 2008) as it applies to Indigenous ways of knowing. While certain questions remained, pre-service teachers had an increased knowledge of Indigenous content, and felt more comfortable integrating Indigenous perspectives into their classroom practice.
Descriptors: Indigenous Knowledge, Teaching Methods, Teacher Education Programs, Culturally Relevant Education, Student Attitudes, Preservice Teachers, Consciousness Raising, Foreign Countries, Teacher Educators, Interpersonal Relationship, Teacher Competencies, Story Telling, Workshops, Cultural Awareness, Program Effectiveness
Canadian Association for Action Research in Education. 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON KIN 7E4, Canada. Tel: 705-474-3450; Fax: 705-474-1947; e-mail: cjar@nipissingu.ca; Web site: http://journals.nipissingu.ca/index.php/cjar/issue/archive
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A