Teachers’ Perceptions of Indigenizing Learning at A Canadian Offshore School

Indigenizing Learning at A Canadian Offshore School

Abstract

In 2015, British Columbia (BC) released a redesigned curriculum that mandated the authentic and meaningful Indigenization of all aspects of learning. The mandate applied to schools within the province of BC and to the international schools that make up the BC Offshore School Program. BC offshore teachers are often uncertain on how to meaningfully Indigenize learning within an international educational context. There is little research regarding the implementation of Indigenized curricula within transnational contexts. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of Indigenized learning at a BC offshore school in Egypt. A critical sociocultural framework was used in exploring teachers’ perceptions of Indigenizing learning. The focus of this research included determining how teachers perceive Indigenized teaching and learning at a BC offshore school and the perceived factors that influence Indigenization. Semi-structured interview and focus group data of 16 elementary and secondary teachers were collected and analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. A theory emerged that teachers’ prior knowledge of Indigenous culture shapes perceptions and practices of Indigenized learning, which are then mediated by unique external factors that emerge in international schools (Adams, 2024). Based on these findings, recommendations were formulated to assist teachers in implementing meaningful Indigenized learning internationally.