Aboriginal/Indigenous Learners: History, Culture, and Ways of Knowing

3 credits · Graduate

This course explores the difficult history Aboriginal/Indigenous people have had with Western education. It also explores Indigenous ways of knowing, contemporary educational theory, and instructional practices in relation to the needs and resources of Aboriginal/Indigenous students in rural and urban northern communities. Students are encouraged to examine achievement data and to explore cultural assumptions around definitions of Aboriginal/Indigenous student success. Students consider the cultural relevance of teaching resources, assessment tools, and school improvement interventions. Issues of Aboriginal/Indigenous access, retention, and participation in education systems are emphasized, along with the need for rebuilding trust among educational institutions and Aboriginal/Indigenous communities. Preclusion(s): EDUC 646-3 EDUC 610-(3, 4) Qualitative Analysis in Education This course provides an introduction to the conceptual underpinnings of qualitative research and to qualitative data analysis methods, including case study, discourse analysis, grounded theory, action research, phenomenology, narrative inquiry and ethnography. Students have the opportunity to learn hand coding and analysis. Pre- or Corequisite(s): EDUC 601-3