Promoting Educational Success of Aboriginal

Learners: Views of Educational Leaders

in Two Canadian ProvincesBy: Jane P. Preston1, Tim R. Claypool2, Jill

A. Martin1, William Rowluck2, & Brenda Green3

(1University of Prince Edward Island, 2University of Saskatchewan, 3Saskatoon Public School Division)

Introduction to Canada Purpose of Research Literature Review Methodology & Research

Design Thematic Findings Discussion

Overview of Presentation

To describe the leadership perceptions

and practices of principals who promote

positive school experiences for

Aboriginal students

Purpose of Research

Infuse Aboriginal language and culture (Kanu, 2011; Paul-Gould, 2012; Preston, 2008, 2014; Sock, 2012)

Decolonize curriculum (Battiste, 2013)

Promoting learning where student is an active learner (Aikenhead & Mitchell, 2011; Archibald, 1995)

Transition programs for high school and postsecondary situations (Bruce & Marlin, 2012; Canadian School Boards Association, 2011)

Elder presence in schools (Canadian School Boards Association, 2011)

Literature Review: Supporting Education for Aboriginal

Students

Interaction with the land, promotion of language and culture, promotion of family, and community service (Leon, 2012)

Rooted in collective values and co-determined outcomes aimed at social equality and social change (Benham & Murakami, 2013; Gutiérrez, 2012; Leon, 2012; Ottmann, 2005)

Attending to the community’s needs, above individual needs (Julien, Wright, & Zinni, 2010)

Making decision via consensus (Bennet & Rowley, 2004)

Incorporating spirituality into one’s beliefs and actions (Felicity, 1999)

Relevancy, responsibility, respect, and reciprocity (Gardner, 2012; Pidgeon, 2012)

Literature Review: Aboriginal Leadership

Methodology & Research

Design

• Qualitative Study: Researcher emphasize the ontological belief that reality is the co-creation of interactions between people.

• Multi-Case Design: Used to acquire a better understanding of the perceptions and practices of principals in the contexts of Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island.

Pseudonym Locatio

nGende

r#

Interviews

Approx # Ab St. Enrol in

ScHolds-Ropes Sask M 1 10-30%Strong-Wrestler

Sask M 1 10-30%

Their-Soil Sask M 1 10-30%Two-Paths Sask M 2 80-98%With-People Sask F 1 80-98%Alan PEI M 2 5-10%Becky PEI F 2 5-10%Isabel PEI F 2 5-10%Jenny PEI F 2 5-10%

Participant Description

Students can and will learn

“All kids can learn . . . They learn differently. They learn at different speeds. They learn in different ways, but all can learn” (Becky).

Their-Soil stated, “It comes down to us being responsive to the learner, relative to who they are as a person but also relative to who they are as a learner.”

F I

N D

I N

G S

Philosophy of Education

High Expectations for Aboriginal Students

“They [Aboriginal students] can achieve just like everyone else.”(Isabel).

“Number one, first and foremost when it comes to educating children is we have to have high expectations and high expectations academically and behaviourally” (Their-Soil).

F I

N D

I N

G S

Philosophy of Education

Physical Safety

“The number one thing is to make school a safe place. Make the children know that, when they walk through the door, they are safe whether it is in the classroom, hallways, bathroom, or wherever they are in the school. That means there are anti-bullying campaigns, lots of supervision, and providing a quality curriculum all the time” (Jenny)

F I

N D

I N

G S

Physical and Psychological

Wellness

Sense of Belonging

“When students develop that sense of identity, that sense of belonging, they’re going to be much more engaged in the school generally, and much more committed to being here” (Two-Paths).

“When I see a kid from [name of First Nation community], one of the first things I do is introduce him to the soccer coach and track coach, because soccer and track are huge [in that community]” (Holds-Ropes).

F I

N D

I N

G S

Physical and Psychological

Wellness

With Students

“I know every kid’s name in this school” (Many-Ropes).

“We have almost every teacher in this school doing extracurricular, and that’s how you build relationships.” (Holds-Ropes).

F I

N D

I N

G S

Relationships, Relationships,

Relationships

With Parents

“I make time to meet with parents. I just texted some parents to arrange a time for them to come. Parents are always surprised that I get to see them in 10 to 15 minutes or even in the same day” (Holds-Ropes).

“Parents are quite happy if you ask them to come in and do beadwork with the kids. We have more success in doing that than say, having them come out for a meeting” (With-People).

F I

N D

I N

G S

Relationships, Relationships,

Relationships

With Aboriginal Communities

“If you asked any of our Aboriginal students how they feel about the school, they would have a positive outlook on it, because of my relationship with their community is strong” (Alan)

“Me showing up once a month [for an education meeting], going to a Christmas concert or a language festival, or being called out to help in an interview process at the band office…” directly and indirectly shows the Aboriginal student that the principal cares. (Their-Soil)F I

N D

I N

G S

Relationships, Relationships,

Relationships

Indigenized teaching

“If you want to talk about Aboriginal pedagogies and ways of knowing, … it’s about working together and collaborating, observing, communicating with each other, supporting each other. That’s sort of the context in which curriculum is tackled, and, when you do that, it kind of opens the door for power sharing in the classroom … When you do that, you’re sharing the power of learning with your students, and they become more authors of their learning. It becomes more relevant, because they can take an outcome and they can connect it with who they are in their world and where they want to take it” (Two-Paths).

F I

N D

I N

G S

School Curriculum

Many perceptions and practices directly aligned with

an Aboriginal worldview relevant, hands-on, and experiential student learning. involvement in apprenticeship or mentorship programs.

the concept of interconnectedness and relationships

between educators, students, parents, and community members.

the concept reciprocity when learning from First Nations communities, in turn, these leaders could use and give their knowledge to better meet the needs of Aboriginal students in their school

Discussion

Principals whose leadership style embodies

relationships, reciprocity, responsibility, and relevancy

(trait valued via Aboriginal leadership) are individuals

who work toward improving the educational

experience for all students, regardless of ethnicity.

Concluding Remark

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(Eds.), First Nations education in Canada: The circle unfolds (pp. 288–312). Vancouver, BC: UBC Press. Battiste, M. (2013). Decolonizing education: Nourishing the learning spirit. Saskatoon, SK: Purich. Benham, M., & Murakami, E. T. (2013). Engaging in educational leadership: The generosity of spirit. In M. Grogan (Ed.), The Jossey-

Bass reader on educational leadership (3rd ed., pp. 148–165). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. Bennett, J., & Rowley, S. (Eds.). (2004). Uqalurait: An oral history of Nunavut. Kingston, ON:McGill-Queen’s University Press. Bruce, D., & Marlin, A. (2012). Literature review on factors affecting the transition of Aboriginal youth from school to work. Toronto,

ON: Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Canadian School Boards Association. (2011, December 6). Best practices in public education across Canada: The Urban Aboriginal

Education Project—Lakehead District School Board. Retrieved from http://cdnsba.org/all/education-in-canada/best-practices-in-public-education-across-canada-the-urban-aboriginal-education-project-lakehead-district-school-board

Gardner, S. E. B. (2012). The four Rs of leadership in Indigenous language revitalization. In C. Kenny & T. N. Fraser (Eds.), Living Indigenous leadership: Native narratives on building strong communities (pp. 125–135). Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.

Gutiérrez, R. D. (2012). Indigenous grandmas and the social justice movement. In C. Kenny & T. N. Fraser (Eds.), Living Indigenous leadership: Native narratives on building strong communities (pp. 97–133). Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.

Felicity, J. (1999). Native Indian leadership. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 23(1), 40–57. Julien, M., Wright, B., & Zinni, D. M. (2010). Stories from the circle: Leadership lessons learned from Aboriginal leaders. The

Leadership Quarterly, 21(1), 114–126. Kanu, Y. (2011). Integrating Aboriginal perspectives into the school curriculum: Purposes, possibilities, and challenges. Toronto, ON:

University of Toronto Press. Lear, G. (2012). Leadership lesson from the Medicine Wheel: The seven elements of high performance. Charleston, SC: Advantage. Leon, A. Y. (2012). Elder’s teaching on leadership as a gift. In C. Kenny & T. N. Fraser (Eds.), Living Indigenous leadership: Native

narratives on building strong communities (pp. 48–63). Vancouver, BC: UBC Press. Ottmann, J. (2005). Aboriginal leadership and management: First Nations leadership development. Banff, AB: The Banff Centre. Paul-Gould, S. (2012). Student achievement, fluency, an identity: An in-depth study of the Mi’kmaq Immersion Program in one

community. (Unpublished master’s thesis). St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS. Pidgeon, M. (2012). Transformation and Indigenous interconnections: Indigeneity, leadership, and higher education. In C. Kenny & T.

N. Fraser (Eds.), Living Indigenous leadership: Native narratives on building strong communities (pp. 136–149). Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.

Preston, J. P. (2008). Overcoming the obstacles: Postsecondary education for Aboriginal peoples. Brock Education: A Journal for Educational Research and Practice, 18(1), 57–63.

Preston, J. P. (2014, November). Early childhood education and care for Aboriginal children in Canada. Toronto, ON. Moving Childcare Forward Project. Preston, J. P., & Claypool, T. R. (2013). Motivators of educational success: Perceptions of Grade 12 Aboriginal students. Canadian Journal of Education, 36(4), 257–279.

Sock, S. (2012). An inquiry into the Mi’kmaq immersion program in one community: Student identity, fluency, and achievement. (Unpublished master’s thesis). St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS.

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