(2004). Australia's Indigenous Students in PISA 2000: Results from an International Study. ACER Research Monograph No. 59. Australian Council for Educational Research In 2000, Australia took part in the inaugural OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Approximately 500 Australian Indigenous students were assessed in PISA, providing a representative sample of the 15-year-old Indigenous population. This report presents the analysis of the results for the Australian Indigenous students in comparison with other Australian students and in relation to other countries' students. It also examines some of the characteristics of the Indigenous students. It was found that Australia's Indigenous students performed at a lower level than the non-Indigenous students in all three areas of assessment–reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. It is important that teachers recognise different approaches preferred by students in classroom situations. In the strategies that they use for learning, Indigenous students reported a preference for a cooperative, less competitive approach than… [Direct]
(2002). Indian Students and College Preparation. A study examined the extent to which high schools are preparing American Indian students for college. Counselors were surveyed at 47 on- and off-reservation high schools serving Indian students in 16 states. Only 17 percent of Indian students in the schools were enrolling in college. Under 10 percent of Indian students were taking 4 years of college prep math, and 30 percent were taking no math at all. Almost a third of Indian students were not enrolled in a science course. Over half the high schools did not have a science lab. Only 1 percent of Indian students were enrolled in advanced placement classes. Most Indian students were not applying for any scholarships for college study. Only 2.4 percent of Indian students had access to a full set of scholarship directories in their high schools. Anglo teachers dominated in 29 schools, Native teachers dominated in only 7. Fourteen schools had no Indian teachers. There were huge gaps in support services. Many opportunities for college… [PDF]
(2002). Utilizing Paraeducators as Liaisons to the Local Community. A study examined the role of paraeducators as liaisons to the local community. Phase 1 of the study involved interviews with four paraeducators and three teachers, each of whom was part of a rural teacher/paraeducator team that used the paraeducator's background in the community to enhance school activities. Phase 2 involved five group sessions with 135 paraeducators, teachers, administrators, and others from rural Montana schools and with 70 paraeducators, teachers, and administrators from Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) funded schools in four states. Findings indicate that paraeducators interacted with parents, suggested school activities based on their knowledge of the community, assisted with arranging school activities in the community, had other roles in the community that enhanced the school-community relationship, brought local culture to school activities, and modeled community attributes. Their acquaintance with local families contributed to school activities. Obstacles to… [PDF]
(1996). Advancing the Agenda of Inclusive Education. Proceedings of the CASWE Summer Institute (1st, St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada, June 7-9, 1996). The first Canadian Association for the Study of Women and Education (CASWE) Summer Institute convened to address issues resulting from exclusionary practices in education. The forum provided a venue for individuals and groups involved in a wide range of educational endeavors to share perspectives of inclusive education. Those facing exclusion in education include women, minorities, Aboriginals, and persons with disabilities. This proceedings include 535 papers divided among 4 sessions with additional sections on professional development and action strategies for change. Sessions include: (1) "Inclusionary Education"; (2) "Inclusion in Traditional School Subjects"; (3) Pedagogical Alternatives for Education"; and (4) Issues in Inclusivity." The papers encompass such topics as gender equity (especially in the subject areas of mathematics, science, and technology), stereotyping, diversities, meeting the needs of Aboriginal students, sexual harassment of… [PDF]
(1999). Te Timatanga Hou: The New Beginning. In 1989, the University of Waikato (New Zealand) established Te Timatanga Hou, a program of pre-university remedial study for disadvantaged Maori. Many targeted students come from rural schools that do not offer a seventh-form year nor a wide range of university entrance subjects. Students undertake 1 year of intensive pre-university training after which they attend the university. Language, writing, and communication; basic math; and Maori language are compulsory courses. Two electives are government and society, and natural science. Time management, study, computer, research, and thinking skills are taught to strengthen students' ability to cope with university studies. All teaching staff are Maori, and each of them is committed to the empowerment of Maori students. Whakawhanaungatanga (the nurturing and fostering environment of the family) is a key factor that helps staff and students create a culturally safe environment. There is a comprehensive Maori language program, and the… [PDF]
(1996). Honoring Native Cultures: Reflections and Responsibilities. Primary Voices K-6, v4 n3 p3-10 Aug. Discusses the problematic nature of teaching someone else's literature and culture. Discusses three questions for teachers to explore as they work to construct a coherent and just curriculum teaching and respecting native cultures. Addresses why non-Native teachers want to teach Native American literature, how to select appropriate literature, and what the teachers' responsibilities are when teaching Native American literature. (SR)…
(2001). Literacy Boxes in a Pre-Kindergarten Classroom: Exploring Parent-Child Involvement. Canadian Children, v26 n2 p30-33 Fall. A pre-kindergarten program serving poor urban Aboriginal families in Saskatchewan, Canada, used parent-created literacy boxes based on a topic of interest to their child and themselves. It was found that the literacy box experiment encouraged families to come into the classroom to read with their child, allowed the teacher to become more effective, and facilitated friendship and respect between the teacher and families. (KB)…
(1999). South Africa: A Place for English Teaching Pioneers. ESL Magazine, v2 n1 p26-28 Jan-Feb. Discusses the importance of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) education in the multicultural country of South Africa, where for the majority of residents, English is the second language. Examines the variety of languages of South Africa, the language-education crisis in South Africa, and the country's need for language teachers. (SM)…
(1999). Learning across Cultures: From New York City to Rotorua. Social Education, v63 n2 p75-79 Mar. Describes a project in which one school in New York and another in New Zealand corresponded through video, fax, and e-mail. Explains that the project's focus was on the students learning about the Maori culture in New Zealand and the subcultures of New York and promoting cultural pride in all of the students. (CMK)…
(1994). Indigenous Mexican Culture's Influence upon the Reading Preferences of Chicana and Chicano Middle-School Students. A study investigated the effects of instruction in indigenous Mexican culture on Chicana and Chicano adolescents' reading preferences. Subjects, 81 Mexican-American students in a Southwestern middle school, were administered a culture interest inventory as a pre- and post-test for identifying reading preferences. Students participated in 4 days of lectures and presentations on use of the Nahuatl language, Aztec dance, the Aztec calendar, and Mesoamerican pyramids by an authority on indigenous Mexican culture. Related information was also presented throughout the school year. Results indicate that student interest in and voluntary selection of texts on Mexican culture increased. Teachers who support and encourage this interest are seen as valuable agents of literacy for minority students who might otherwise not have access to these topics through literature. (Author/MSE)… [PDF]
(1994). Development of Basic Literacy Learning Materials for Minority Peoples in Asia and the Pacific. Final Report of the Second Sub-Regional Workshop (Chiang Rai, Thailand, February 22-March 5, 1994). A report of a regional workshop on development of instructional materials for basic literacy education of minority groups in Asia and the Pacific is presented. Countries represented include: China; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Mongolia; Myanmar (Burma); Philippines; Vietnam; and Thailand. The workshop's objectives were to discuss the need for effective literacy learning materials, develop guidelines for preparing effective basic literacy learning materials for minority language populations, and suggest methods for their use. The report begins with an overview of the proceedings and resulting recommendations. Subsequent chapters summarize: needs and problems in education of minority populations; guidelines for preparation of effective basic literacy learning materials; studies of specific language groups; resource papers on Thai hill tribes and development of basic literacy materials in minority languages; a report from UNESCO and its Asian/Pacific Cultural Center; nine country… [PDF]
(1965). Training Home Economics Program Assistants to Work with Low Income Families. These materials are designed to present ideas for developing a program for training nonprofessional workers to help low income families to raise their aspirations, develop pride in homemaking, improve homemaking skills, have a more satisfying home and family life, improve the health of family members, gain knowledge to help children develop, and increase understanding of the community and its resources. Guidelines are furnished on program planning and initiation, (including recruitment and staff relationships), the selection, training, and evaluation of program assistants, and teaching outlines and other teaching aids, together with a handbook for program assistants. An appendix is also included. (authors/ly)… [PDF]
(1988). Pulling Out of a Project: Twelve Tips for Project Planners. ELT Journal, v42 n3 p196-201 Jul. Project planners and coordinators should consider twelve tips to ensure that English language training projects in developing countries will continue after external funding and high-cost aid personnel are removed. Involving local participants at all stages of the project, assuring future maintenance, and providing adequate incentives are some necessary considerations. (Author/LMO)…
(2002). Community-Based Research and American Indians with Disabilities: Learning Together Methods that Work. Researchers working with the American Indian Rehabilitation Research and Training Center in Arizona have found that culture is important in social research, especially with indigenous people. Community-based participatory research is one approach that has yielded outcomes valuable to researchers and community members. However, ethical concerns must be kept in mind when conducting community-based research. Potentially negative impacts of the research process on indigenous communities must be considered. Researchers have to be aware of the problem of proselytizing Western-based individualism in their work. Researchers working without the input of key collaborators or community experts in Indian communities can be sure that their own cultural biases influence their framing of research questions, their choice of methods, their gathering and interpretation of data, their conclusions, and their recommendations. Researchers in the United States can learn from the experiences of the world's… [PDF]
(1999). Pathways Home: Te Hoe Nuku Roa (The Long Journey). New Zealand's 1989 Education Act has resulted in a range of educational reforms. These reforms have offered the Maori opportunities to bring about positive educational developments for their people. Devolution of educational responsibility from a regional to a local level provided some of the space quickly utilized by the Maori. The requirement that university charters address the educational aspirations of all the community resulted in Massey University developing a charter referring to the rights and obligations in the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. Subsequently, Maori participation in Massey University courses has increased. Changes on the research front have made it possible to engage in work that is valued equally by the researchers and the Maori participants who provide the necessary data. The research project Te Hoe Nuku Roa has developed an integrated framework that allows those factors impacting Maori to be given weighted representation. One factor is Maori cultural identity. Data… [PDF]