Culturally Responsive Teaching of Indigenous Students in Canada's Northwest Territories Francis Amprako Walden University
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2017 Culturally Responsive Teaching of Indigenous Students in Canada's Northwest Territories Francis Amprako Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Education This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Francis Amprako has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Felicia Blacher-Wilson, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Gary Lacy, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Andrew Thomas, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2017 Abstract Culturally Responsive Teaching of Indigenous Students in Canada’s Northwest Territories by Francis Amprako MS, Walden University, 2010 BSc, University of Cape Coast, 1988 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University May 2017 Abstract The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to describe the teachers’ perceptions of pedagogy and examine their cross-cultural strategies regarding culturally responsive teaching of K-12 students. Indigenous students of the Northwest Territories (NWT) face academic challenges in a Eurocentric educational system. Tribal critical race theory and Eurocentric diffusionism provided the conceptual framework in this study. Six participants were interviewed and their narratives were triangulated by a 5-member focus group. The research questions focused on the teachers’ strategies for building bridges between the Eurocentric and Native ways. Participants were interviewed and their responses created individual stories, which added to the meaning making. Fifteen themes were identified using open and axial coding. The findings showed a teacher proclivity for pedagogy infused with Indigenous thought, and an understanding that residential schooling was intrusive to Indigenous life. Participants presented an anti-Eurocentric diffusionist stance, advocating for schooling that matches Indigenous life and is devoted to a dynamic home-school culture directed at closing the achievement gap with the rest of Canada. This study contributes to social change by providing supporting evidence for the need to involve Indigenous students in the development of their education. Culturally Responsive Teaching of Indigenous Students in Canada’s Northwest Territories by Francis Amprako MS, Walden University, 2010 BSc, University of Cape Coast, 1988 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University May 2017 Dedication To the two most important women in my life, my late mother, Emelia Ewuraekua Lucy, the wife of my father and mother of my beloved brothers and sisters; and my dear wife, Angela, the mother of my children who has been so supportive throughout this journey. Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. Felicia Blacher-Wilson, Dr. Gary Lacy, and Dr. Cheryl Keen for their guidance and support throughout my studies at Walden University and during the research phase. Thank you to Dr. Halkias and Dr. Jayasena who introduced me to qualitative thought. I would also like to acknowledge the sacrifices of my family through my doctoral journey, F-Louis, Emily-D, and Angela. When these great people read or hear of the completion of this work, the very first morning when they hear the rooster crow they will remember it is me saying thank you. Table of Contents List of Tables.…………………………………………………………………………….v List of Figures………………………………………………………………………….…vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study………………………...…………………………….1 Background of the Study ...............................................................................................3 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................12 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................12 Research Questions ......................................................................................................15 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................16 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................17 Operational Definitions ................................................................................................19 Assumptions .................................................................................................................22 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................22 Limitations ...................................................................................................................23 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................23 Summary and Transition ..............................................................................................24 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................26 Literature Search Strategy ............................................................................................30 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................31 Summary and Conclusions ..........................................................................................65 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................68 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................69 i Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................74 Methodology ................................................................................................................76 Participant Selection Logic ................................................................................... 77 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection .......................... 79 Instrumentation ..................................................................................................... 80 Data Analysis Plan ................................................................................................ 83 Issues of Trustworthiness .............................................................................................86 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................... 88 Subjectivity Statement ………………………………………………………..…89 Agreements and Consent………………………...………………………………90 Summary ......................................................................................................................90 Chapter 4: Presentation of Results .....................................................................................94 Setting .........................................................................................................................96 Demographics ..............................................................................................................97 Data Collection ............................................................................................................99 Data Organization ......................................................................................................103 Part I: Restorying the Lived Experiences of Participants……………….……….…104 Integration of Focus Group and Individual Interviews ..................................204 Part II: How The Findings Were Analyzed……….……………….………………….244 Analysis Source: Participants…………………………………………………..248 Analysis Source: Focus Groups………………………….……………………..277 Evidence of Trustworthiness ................................................................................294 ii Summary…………………………………………………………………..........295 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations ..........................................296 Themes Derived …………………………………………………………….….297 Interpretation of the Findings…..………………………………………………298 Narrative from the Responses –A Restorying Process……………........301 More Narrative from the Responses –A Restorying Process……..……308 Further Piecing Together Their Words: A Restorying Process…...……313 Limitations of the Study………………………………………………………..318 Recommendations for Action…………………………………………………..320 Recommendations for Further Studies…………………...……………………..321 Implications for Social Change……………………………..…………………..322 Conclusions and Reflections ……………………………………………...……323 References ........................................................................................................................327