A Study Of Aboriginal Teachers' Professional Knowledge And Experience In Canadian Schools

Rationale
This qualitative study, initiated by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation and its Advisory Committee on Aboriginal Education, explored the professional knowledge and experiences of Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) teachers. The rationale for the study was to address the urgent need to improve and
promote Aboriginal education in public schools. This study asks the question: what can we learn from the professional knowledge and experiences of Aboriginal teachers who teach in public schools about how to better promote and support the success of Aboriginal education in public schools?

The continuing goal of this study is to promote on-going dialogue and learning about Aboriginal education within teacher organizations and the broader educational community.

Methodology

Employing a focused and critical ethnographic methodology, the study interviewed 59 Aboriginal teachers (49 female and 10 male) teaching in public schools across Canada. Participants were recruited through a process of “community nomination” (Ladson-Billing, 1994) involving the networks of the Advisory

Committee on Aboriginal Education, and the provincial and territorial teacher organizations; participation was always voluntary. More than one third of the participants had twenty and more years of teaching experience, and half were graduates of Aboriginal programs, including Aboriginal teacher education programs.

Overwhelmingly, the Aboriginal teachers who participated in this study valued the opportunity to be heard, to hear each other and to be part of an effort that hopes to promote change.

Nine different groups of Aboriginal teachers, each from different regions or provinces, were assembled in central locations across Canada where they participated in a full day of data collection. Data was collected through two methods: open-ended questionnaires that teachers responded to in writing, and focus group interviews that were audiotaped. Data collection focused on four areas of Aboriginal teachers’ professional knowledge and experience: philosophy of teaching; integrating Aboriginal content and perspectives into the curriculum; racism in education; and allies of Aboriginal education. Data analysis was performed using the “grounded theory method” (Miles & Huberman 1994; Charmaz, 2006).

Findings

In this study, the ethical and moral dimensions of teaching motivated Aboriginal teachers to become teachers and to remain in the teaching profession. These Aboriginal teachers became teachers because they were committed to and valued education. They believed that good teaching involves loving and caring for their students, communicating with the whole child, helping to find their students’ gifts, developing pride and selfworth in their students, and creating a safe learning environment. They emphasized the importance of all teachers working to establish respectful, positive and encouraging relationships with their students.

 The Aboriginal teachers in this study remained in the profession because they valued the opportunity to teach Aboriginal culture and history, to foster responsible citizens, to challenge negative stereotypes of Aboriginal people, to serve as role models, and because they believed they could have a positive impact on children.

Acknowledging the challenging circumstances that could surround their Aboriginal students and their families and communities, these teachers nonetheless they felt that there should be no “disposable” kids, and that they could not give up on their students. By positively acknowledging the lives of Aboriginal people, culture and history, the Aboriginal teachers in this study enabled Aboriginal students to become “bodies that matter” (Butler, 1993).