A cultural shift: being a non-Aboriginal teacher in a northern Aboriginal school
Date
2010-04-30T22:08:00Z
Authors
Sargeant, Jodean Marion Hazel
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Abstract
The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to examine three questions: (a) how did my view of myself as a non-Aboriginal educator change as a result of teaching in an Aboriginal cultural context, (b) how did my teaching philosophy and pedagogical approach change as a result of teaching in an Aboriginal cultural context, and (c) how did my sense of community and relatedness to the people I interacted with change due to increased cultural awareness and exposure to Aboriginal cultures? Data from my time in my teacher education program and teaching in Klemtu, BC was collected, and Mezirow’s (1997) transformative learning theory was used to analyze the shift that I made in these three areas. Finally, recommendations were made to teacher education programs and future non-Aboriginal educators who choose to teach in Aboriginal-run schools.
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Keywords
Aboriginal education, reflection on teaching practice, transformative learning theory, autoethnography, Klemtu, BC