Emotional experiences of non-Indigenous educators teaching Indigenous curricula: Reconciliation through narrative inquiry
Date
2023-08
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Abstract
Non-Indigenous educators are required to teach Indigenous curricula according to Alberta Education (2018b) Teaching Quality Standards (TQS). This requirement hopes to contribute to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015) (TRCC) calls to action regarding education in Canada. My research focuses on the calls to action which ask educators to teach Indigenous curricula with “intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect” (TRCC, 2015). By asking the research question, what are the emotional experiences of non-Indigenous educators in Alberta who are teaching Indigenous curriculum, my purpose was to examine the emotional experiences as we work individually and collectively towards reconciliation in education. In this emotional journey that you are joining me on, the reader will encounter writing surrounding the Papal apology, situating myself in the research, situating the research in governing literature, approach to research and design, findings and discussion of the data. This thesis includes my design of Research in a Medicine Wheel which provides a conceptual and theoretical framework. In addition, the reader will encounter a Findings in a Medicine Wheel Word Cloud, and sweetgrass braid drawings which I created to show how my research is woven with research partners and the seven sacred teachings.
Through a Narrative Inquiry approach, the findings present the stories of my three research partners and myself. In conducting an emotive analysis of these stories as data gathering, I created categories which represent themes found in each of the research partner’s stories. Susie presents the role of empathy in teaching Indigenous curricula; Elsi presents a story of growth, authenticity, and humility; and Quinn presents the perspective of moving past shock: a journey towards understanding. Each of the research partner’s stories are followed by my reaction and reflection which created the opportunity for me to become the fourth researcher in this research. This emotional journey includes a research process which became one of creating new relationships, the renewal of existing friendships, and changing relationships,. The research and writing which follows are centered on concepts found in the ever-changing processes of reconciliation.
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Reconciliation, Narrative Inquiry, Indigenous Curricula, Non-Indigenous Educators
Citation
Miles, T. M. (2023). Emotional experiences of non-Indigenous educators teaching Indigenous curricula: reconciliation through narrative inquiry (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.