INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES INTO TEACHER EDUCATION IN ALBERTA

In 2018, the Alberta Government introduced a new teaching quality standard. The fifth competency requires that all Alberta teachers must possess a foundational knowledge of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples and they must apply that knowledge in the classroom. Two years after the introduction of the new TQS, Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers from eight Alberta teacher education programs came together to examine how kindergarten to grade twelve teachers were braiding and weaving Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into their teaching. Two hundred and forty-seven teachers responded to an anonymous survey and 27 participated in follow up interviews. Results point to the challenges and success teachers have experienced, the people that support their work and how the integration of Indigenous knowledges acts as a tool to combat racism towards Indigenous peoples. 

INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES INTO TEACHER EDUCATION IN ALBERTA

In 2018, the Alberta Government introduced a new teaching quality standard. The fifth competency requires that all Alberta teachers must possess a foundational knowledge of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples and they must apply that knowledge in the classroom. Two years after the introduction of the new TQS, Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers from eight Alberta teacher education programs came together to examine how kindergarten to grade twelve teachers were braiding and weaving Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into their teaching. Two hundred and forty-seven teachers responded to an anonymous survey and 27 participated in follow up interviews. Results point to the challenges and success teachers have experienced, the people that support their work and how the integration of Indigenous knowledges acts as a tool to combat racism towards Indigenous peoples. 

Three Ways Teacher Education Can Braid and Weave Indigenous Knowledge into Programs

THREE WAYS TEACHER EDUCATION CAN BRAID AND WEAVE INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE INTO PROGRAMS

Featured in the Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Winter 2024 issue, the article identifies three key characteristics essential for enhancing Indigenous knowledge within teacher education: the presence of a mandatory Indigenous education course, integration beyond content, and the inclusion of Indigenous faculty. Through a case study methodology and critical race theory perspective, the research explores how programs address integration challenges and successes. While successes include land-based learning activities, challenges such as funding constraints persist. Future endeavours involve collaboration with Alberta school districts to combat anti-Indigenous racism.

Featured in the Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Winter 2024 issue, the article identifies three key characteristics essential for enhancing Indigenous knowledge within teacher education: the presence of a mandatory Indigenous education course, integration beyond content, and the inclusion of Indigenous faculty. Through a case study methodology and critical race theory perspective, the research explores how programs address integration challenges and successes. While successes include land-based learning activities, challenges such as funding constraints persist. Future endeavours involve collaboration with Alberta school districts to combat anti-Indigenous racism.