Fickel Lh

Teachers, Tundra, and Talking Circles: Learning History and Culture in an Alaska Native Village

Abstract What teachers know about their subject–matter and how to teach it has become increasingly important as states continue to expect more rigorous learning outcomes for K–12 students—even more so when we consider that they must teach this content to an increasingly diverse student population. This article reports the findings from a four–year case study of a teacher professional development project that was designed to give simultaneous attention to enhancing teacher subject–matter knowledge in history/social studies and helping teachers develop culturally responsive pedagogical practices. The professional development took place in a rural Alaska Native village where participants worked with Native Elders and engaged in Native ways of learning and knowing. The findings from this study suggest that the learning opportunities provided to the teachers successfully increased their understanding of history and culture by using culturally based ways of knowing and learning. The study reveals the potential ...Abstract What teachers know about their subject–matter and how to teach it has become increasingly important as states continue to expect more rigorous learning outcomes for K–12 students—even more so when we consider that they must teach this content to an increasingly diverse student population. This article reports the findings from a four–year case study of a teacher professional development project that was designed to give simultaneous attention to enhancing teacher subject–matter knowledge in history/social studies and helping teachers develop culturally responsive pedagogical practices. The professional development took place in a rural Alaska Native village where participants worked with Native Elders and engaged in Native ways of learning and knowing. The findings from this study suggest that the learning opportunities provided to the teachers successfully increased their understanding of history and culture by using culturally based ways of knowing and learning. The study reveals the potential of this type of bifocal professional learning for supporting the development of culturally responsive social studies pedagogy.

Culturally Responsive Practice for Indigenous Contexts: Provenance to Potential

Across international contexts many young people from Indigenous cultural groups continue to experience a Western, conventional form of schooling as alienating, dispiriting, and inequitable. Culturally responsive practice by teachers and school leaders has been posited as a promising pedagogical framework for creating positive learning contexts to mitigate these challenges. In this chapter, the authors draw together sociocultural theory and Indigenous epistemological frameworks, as well as their own scholarly and personal experiences, in order to critically examine the conceptual and praxis landscape of culturally responsive teacher education within Indigenous contexts. It is argued that educators who choose to firmly encounter these initiatives will be motivated to revise old conclusions and reenvision an authentic, culturally inclusive future.

School leaders’ perceptions on reading, writing and mathematics in innovative learning environments

ABSTRACT In New Zealand, school buildings are being remodelled to accommodate several teachers and a large number of learners in one flexible learning space. School leaders’ perspectives were sought on what is happening in the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. Interviews of the principal and deputy principal at a case study were conducted, and an online survey was used to target views of school leaders across New Zealand: completed by 115 principals and 56 deputy principals. The research found positive responses to the implementation of flexible learning spaces and the impact on the teaching of these three core curriculum areas. The findings suggest that given appropriate experience of such spaces, New Zealand principals (school leaders) seem to have the attitudes and understanding to support adoption of Innovative Learning Environments and recognise their potential benefits. However, the quality of teaching was key no matter which learning space was considered. Although Innovative Learning Environments, along with the cooperation between teachers that such spaces require, were seen as beneficial to learning, successful implementation will also require those leading the changes to place the learner as the focus of change, particularly for the substantive percentage of students who are underachieving in reading, writing and mathematics.

Language, culture and identity at the nexus of professional learning

Abstract Background Given the persistent gap among majority and minority students in international measures of student outcomes, there is growing attention and research focused on teacher knowledge, learning and professional development. Culturally responsive practice has been posited as one way to ameliorate disparities in outcomes. Proponents of culturally responsive practice argue that there is a special knowledge base, skills, processes and experiences that teachers need to have that enable them to work successfully with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Purpose and methods This documentary account describes the understandings gained by a team of professional development facilitators as they reframed their work with schools and teachers to focus on developing culturally responsive practices by placing language, culture and identity at the centre of literacy-focused Professional Learning and Development (PLD). Using an appreciative inquiry framework, they sought to identify and increase the use of existing practices that supported a culturally responsive learning environment. Results A number of initial lessons were learnt, including the need for PLD facilitators to engage in ongoing and explicit critical reflection on themselves as socio-cultural beings and to become comfortable with leading and engaging in uncomfortable conversations. The co-construction and on-going revision of PLD materials and tools were instrumental in re-centring practice and assumptions about teaching, learning, literacy, as well as challenging existing PLD practices. Conclusions Although the appreciative inquiry framework was found to be critically important for prompting change, it was the interweaving of multiple frameworks that led to competencies that built capacity for continuous improvement and evidence-based practice. This focus on enhancing the practice of PLD facilitators has important implications for improving student achievement.