ERIC Number: EJ1263358
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 19
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1927-6117
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Disrupting Colonial Mindsets: The Power of Learning Networks
McGregor, Catherine
in education, v19 n3 p89-107 Spr 2014
If changes that make a difference to Aboriginal learners are to be effected in public schools, then transformational change is required (Menzies, Archibald, & Smith, 2004). How is transformational change best achieved? In this article, I argue, based on a recently completed study (McGregor, 2013) that teacher learning--particularly among non-Aboriginal teachers--is critical to effecting transformation in how teachers think about Aboriginal learners as well as how they plan and deliver fully inclusive learning opportunities. After outlining a theoretical framework for transformation focused on networked, inquiry-based learning and culturally inclusive practices, I explore how one particular teacher-learning network--the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network (AESN) in British Columbia, Canada, offers a powerful example of how teacher learning networks can enable deep and transformational change among participating teachers and leaders. I provide exemplary stories of transformation to illustrate the power of this model to effect changes in teacher beliefs and mindsets about Aboriginal learners and culturally inclusive practices. Following this, I identify several key enabling features of the AESN, including socially just, distributed forms of leadership, relational accountability (Wilson, 2008), and affiliative, catalytic models of implementation, a focus on "new, strong and wise ways" (Halbert & Kaser, 2012, p.11) of learning, and provincial and district resources that support network learning activity. The conclusion highlights implications of this study for school jurisdictions and policy makers.
Descriptors: Indigenous Populations, Canada Natives, Transformative Learning, Teacher Attitudes, Attitude Change, Foreign Countries, Social Justice, Public Schools, Faculty Development, Culturally Relevant Education, Inquiry, Networks, Leadership Styles
University of Regina, Faculty of Education. Education Building, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2. e-mail: editor@ineducation.ca; Web site: https://ineducation.ca/ineducation
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
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