ERIC Number: EJ1238330
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1207-7798
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools: A Multi-Site Study and Implications for Education Policy
Bentham, Davida; Wilson, Alex; McKenzie, Marcia; Bradford, Lori
Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, n191 p22-42 2019
This paper explores the form and extent of sustainability uptake in education policy in First Nations-managed K-12 schools, and discusses strategies First Nations' educational communities use to overcome barriers encountered in sustainability education practice. Interviews were conducted with educators across four different Canadian schools and content analysis was used to draw out key themes of analysis. These include educators' articulations of relationships to land, including a relational legacy of living in an implicitly sustainable and respectful way. Participants also described how culturally and geographically relevant pedagogical approaches to sustainability are challenged by systemic and localized barriers. Participants perceived that under-resourcing and administrative challenges limit the integration of sustainability across curricular areas, hindering educators' abilities to develop appropriate innovative programming and resources for First Nations' students. They have been able to overcome these obstacles, to some extent, by harnessing community resources to indirectly include sustainability in the curriculum. Implications for educators, policy makers, and agencies are discussed.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Canada Natives, American Indian Education, Sustainability, Educational Policy, Elementary Secondary Education, Tribally Controlled Education, Teaching Methods, Barriers, Culturally Relevant Education
Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration. Available from: College of Education, University of Saskatchewan. Tel: 306-966-7619; Web site: https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjeap/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A