(2011). Your Basket and My Basket: Teaching and Learning about "Maori-Pakeha" Bicultural Organizing. Journal of Management Education, v35 n1 p84-101 Feb. A commitment to partnership between indigenous "Maori" and the nonindigenous "Pakeha" provides a process for bicultural organizing in Aotearoa New Zealand. The authors introduce this partnership process to provide perspectives for teaching and learning about "closer encounters" between indigenous and nonindigenous people. The bicultural model the authors present derives from a specific response to a history of colonization, in which the Treaty of Waitangi (1840) is central. Forms of biculturalism derived from this treaty seek to share governance and to include both indigenous and nonindigenous cultural practices and knowledges. It is shown how material about indigenous peoples and their relationships with others can be written into the management curriculum by presenting examples of bicultural organizing. A theoretical framework is proposed, which analyses organizations in terms of "race relations played out in power struggles" and which uses… [Direct]
(2017). Tribal Education Status Report for School Year 2016-2017. New Mexico Public Education Department In compliance with the Indian Education Act (NMSA1976 Section 22), the purpose of the Tribal Education Status Report (TESR) is to inform stakeholders of the New Mexico Public Education Department's (PED) current initiatives specific to American Indian students and their educational progress. This report examines both the current conditions and recent trends in the education of New Mexico's American Indian students and provides action steps to strengthen existing programs or propose new activities to yield a positive outcome for American Indian students. Data for the 12 reporting areas for 2016-2017 was gathered from the 23 school districts and 6 charters that serve a significant population of American Indian students or have tribal lands located within their school boundaries. The numbers for Native American students are generally improved. Data indicates that New Mexico's American Indian students made slight gains in their proficiencies for math, a slight decrease in reading and… [PDF]
(2011). Rekindling Warm Embers: Teaching Aboriginal Languages in the Tertiary Sector. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, v34 n3 p280-296. This paper reviews the teaching of Aboriginal languages in the tertiary sector of Australia, looking at the stronger languages taught in the university sector versus those languages under revival that tend to be taught in the TAFE sector. The paper summarises the status of courses offered state by state, and sets the scene with some historical background. The metaphor of "rekindling warm embers" is used to describe revival programs, with a focus on the Ngarrindjeri experience in South Australia. The point is made that language teaching programs require the involvement and support of Elders, whether taught in the TAFE or university sector. (Contains 22 endnotes.)… [Direct]
(2011). Politics in an Indian Canyon? Some Thoughts on the Implications of Ethnomathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, v78 n2 p261-273 Nov. Working with Navajo Indian informants in Arizona, USA we became aware of the capabilities of children and adults to find their way in vast and clearly "chaotic" canyons. One thing we did was describe what people actually did and said about their ways to find the way back home in such contexts. A second one was to use these data in order to build a curriculum book for a bicultural school on the Navajo reservation. We start from this example to ask what the political choices are, which we confront when working with such material: how much mathematics (or is it Mathematics) is needed in daily life? And what mathematics should we promote or develop, without becoming colonialist again? In Section 2, we discuss the meaning and the status of ethnomathematics, proposing that it would be the generic category which allows for a more systematic and comparative study of the whole domain of mathematical practices. In Section 3, we introduce the concept of multimathemacy (after… [Direct]
(2008). Three Sisters: Lessons of Traditional Story Honored in Assessment and Accreditation. Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, v19 n4 p14-16 Sum. The three sisters story is shared across many tribes. It explains the practice of planting corn, beans, and squash together. The corn stalks provide support for the bean vines; the beans provide nitrogen for the corn; and the squash prevents weed growth between the mounds. Such stories explain not only the science of agricultural methods in tribal peoples' planting practices; they provide lessons about sacrifices made to meet the people's needs, the importance of reciprocal relationships, and the values that nurture the growth of products. This article describes the relevance of such teachings to the work of assessment, accreditation, and service without suggesting that assessment, accreditation, and service rise to the level of origin or creation stories. Instead this analogy implies that activities related to assessment, accreditation, and service are not new, but are concepts are well understood by tribal peoples. Assessment enables them to determine whether the seeds they plant… [Direct]
(2013). They Throw Spears: Reconciliation through Music. International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, v12 n1 p146-160. "They throw Spears" was written as part of the research for my PhD at the University of Sydney. The study was conducted in two primary schools: one in a remote area in the Northern Territory (NT) and one in an urban setting in Tasmania. It was conducted in 2009 and investigated Indigenous and non-Indigenous student, non-Indigenous teacher, non- Indigenous principal and Indigenous Teaching Assistant attitudes towards Reconciliation. The theories of Lev Vygotsky and Kieren Egan and the writing of Karen Martin informed the study. The article focuses on the importance of the contribution of the two Indigenous Teaching Assistants involved in the research and explores their role in its success. It concentrates on Marlene Primary School in Katherine in the Northern Territory. At the time that the research was conducted, the school population was over 90% students Indigenous. I used an arts-informed research methodology and the writing includes narratives written in the first… [PDF]
(2010). Maths in the Kimberley Project: Evaluating the Pedagogical Model. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (33rd, Freemantle, Western Australia, Jul 3-7, 2010). The Mathematics in the Kimberley Project is a three-year research and development project that focuses on mathematical pedagogy in remote Aboriginal community schools. The research team has regularly reported on the project at MERGA (Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia) conferences, and in this symposium the participants evaluate the pedagogical model that underpins the project. After two years of the project, the data indicate that some aspects of the pedagogical model have been successful, but other aspects have not been particularly fruitful and still require greater thought, research and development. The papers included in this symposium are: (1) The Maths in the Kimberley Project: An Overview (Richard Niesche, Peter Grootenboer, Robyn Jorgensen and Peter Sullivan); (2) Effective Features of the Maths in the Kimberley Inclusive Pedagogy Model (Peter Grootenboer); and (3) Group Work, Language and Interaction: Challenges of Implementation in Aboriginal Contexts… [PDF]
(2010). University Capital, Community Engagement, and Continuing Education: Blending Professional Development and Social Change. Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, v36 n2 Fall. Extending the dialogue on community engagement, this article examines the potential of a new programming area for university continuing education (UCE) that blends professional development and social change: the investment of university capital in community projects. Increasing interest in applying social and environmental, as well as financial, criteria to the investment of university capital assets has been paralleled by the growth and diversity of community-university engagement across Canada. New social-finance instruments can be used to expand affordable housing, social infrastructure, renewable energy, and Aboriginal economic development. This article suggests that UCE units consider combining professional development programs with research and incubation partnerships in this emerging area. Participants in such activities could include university administrators, fund trustees, investment professionals, union leaders, civic leaders, and community activists. (Contains 1 table.)… [Direct]
(2010). Analyzing Traditional Medical Practitioners' Information-Seeking Behaviour Using Taylor's Information-Use Environment Model. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, v42 n2 p122-135. This survey-based study examined the information-seeking behaviour of traditional medical practitioners using Taylor's information use model. Respondents comprised all 160 traditional medical practitioners that treat sickle cell anaemia. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire. Frequency and percentage distributions were employed for data analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Analysis revealed that traditional medical practice in the study area was male dominated and the majority of the traditional medical practitioners seek information primarily from informal sources, particularly from colleagues within the same professional association. Knowledge of traditional medical practice was revealed to be orally preserved. The low level of education of the traditional medical practitioners denied them access to knowledge that could improve and make their services in the treatment/management of sickle cell… [Direct]
(2009). Developing an Early Childhood Teacher Workforce Development Strategy for Rural and Remote Communities. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, v34 n6 p41-51 Dec. The North West Early Childhood and Primary Teacher Workforce Development Strategy offers students in the Pilbara and Kimberley the opportunity to enrol in a Western Australian University's fully accredited Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) part time and externally–so they can continue to live and work in their communities. The Western Australian Department of Education and Training (WA DET) and the Commonwealth Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) have funded the project, enabling the University to provide mentoring support and provision for Recognition of Prior Learning, on a case-by-case basis, depending on their individual experience and levels of skill. On completion of the course students will be fully qualified to teach from Kindergarten to Year 7. Added to this they will be able to bring their own knowledge of their unique communities, languages and cultures to their teaching…. [PDF]
(2012). Professional Development, Changes in Teacher Practice and Improvements in Indigenous Students' Educational Performance: A Case Study from New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, v28 n5 p694-705 Jul. This paper considers the relationship between a professional development programme designed to bring about changes in teacher practice through iterative cycles of implementation and evaluation and associated changes in Indigenous students' educational performance. The paper does this by documenting the outcomes of the implementation of the Te Kotahitanga research and development project between 2007 and 2009 in schools in the third and fourth phases of the project. Evidence shows that the professional development programme of Te Kotahitanga has been implemented consistently in Phase 3 schools since 2004 and in Phase 4 schools since 2007. Changes in teacher practice and associated improvements in Maori student outcomes were seen in Phase 3 schools between 2004 and 2006. The first question is, therefore, have these changes been maintained during the period 2007-9, that is, during the fourth to seventh years of the project's implementation in these schools. If so, then what implications… [Direct]
(2011). Attracting, Preparing, and Retaining Under-Represented Populations in Rural and Remote Alberta-North Communities. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, v12 n4 p35-53 May. For several years, the government of the western Canadian province of Alberta has drafted policies and conducted research on the problem of populations under-represented in adult education. This Alberta-North and Athabasca University study, funded by the Alberta government's Innovation Fund, uses the advice and educational experiences of northern former and present students, and of other community members, to identify ways of better attracting, preparing, and retaining under-represented populations in northern Alberta communities through provision and training in the use of distance delivery methods. The research reported here commences with a review of the literature to investigate the following: 1) the contribution distance education makes globally to learning access in remote areas (and resulting economic growth for under-served populations); 2) how support is provided to retain isolated students; and 3) the help needed to assist remote students to complete distance programs…. [PDF] [Direct]
(2013). Perceived Cultural Responsiveness and Effectiveness of a Speech and Language Program for Indigenous Preschool Students. Multicultural Learning and Teaching, v8 n1 p47-64 Jun. Despite an increasing need for culturally relevant curricula, what is considered culturally responsive and how it is assessed is under-researched. The present study examined the perceived cultural responsiveness and effectiveness of an early intervention program designed to teach early language skills and expose students to Indigenous culture, the Moe the Mouse Æ Speech, and Language Development Program. Educator's perceptions of the program were assessed through a Likert-type survey provided to implementers across British Columbia. The survey was completed by 58 respondents using the program. Results indicated that the respondents perceived the program to be culturally responsive, and their perceptions of cultural responsiveness were significantly related to ratings of effectiveness, use, and social validity. Responsiveness was not rated as highly by respondents in a different geographic region than where the program was developed. Finally, effectiveness in improving speech and… [Direct]
(2010). The Pacific Way: Sustainability in Higher Education in the South Pacific Island Nations. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v11 n2 p130-140. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to create an area profile of significant activity and possibility in higher education for sustainable development (ESD) in the island nations of the South Pacific Ocean. Design/methodology/approach: This is a descriptive research paper on philosophy, policy, and practice according to a methodology of categorical analysis by developments, challenges, and prospects. The focus is on higher education institutions, particularly the University of the South Pacific, the regional university of 12 Island nations in Oceania. The developments and prospects are contextualized, however, in the larger regional Pacific Education for Sustainable Development Framework and the Action Plan for Sustainable Development in the Pacific Islands 2008-2014. Academic programs, policy statements, and education projects are analyzed. Findings: South Pacific universities possess rich missions that valorize traditional knowledge and culture. The region also has a sophisticated… [Direct]
(2010). Openings for Researching Environment and Place in Children's Literature: Ecologies, Potentials, Realities and Challenges. Environmental Education Research, v16 n3-4 p429-461. This not quite "final" ending of this special issue of "Environmental Education Research" traces a series of hopeful, if somewhat difficult and at times challenging, openings for researching experiences of environment and place through children's literature. In the first instance, we draw inspiration from the contributors who have authored, often autoethnographically, some of the art and craft of their respective ecopedagogies and research efforts. We then proceed with a reminder of the lurking presence of fear found in some of the articles published here and elsewhere, opening up the fear factor at large in broader everyday, social, political and global discourses to further scrutiny and a more optimistic quest when engaging children's literature, its risks and its hopes. Our aim here, as noted in the Editorial, is to develop the discourse and practice of environmental education research in this area. Thus, we also explore how children's literature has a… [Direct]