NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, teachers, Inuit, educational evaluation, student success

Objective(s): To map the current and past state of Inuit teacher education across Inuit Nunangat- specifically Inuvialuit Settlement Region; to identify factors contributing to Inuit teacher resilience and retention; to articulate ways in which concerns related to preparation and resilience might be addressed in and by communities; to identify sustainable pathways for Inuit educators into leadership positions in schools and regions; to support community driven knowledge generation and mobilization with regard to educator resilience, training and professional development; and to develop policy implications based on findings which will be of use to schools, education councils and ministries of education.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.5226. The objectives of this project are to: 1. Map the current and past state of Inuit teacher education across Inuit Nunangat- specifically Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR). 2. Identify factors contributing to Inuit teacher resilience and retention- based on school records and conversations with Inuit educators. 3. Articulate ways in which concerns related to preparation and resilience might be addressed in and by communities 4. Identify sustainable pathways for Inuit educators into leadership positions in schools and regions 5. Support community driven knowledge generation and mobilization with regard to educator resilience, training and professional development 6. Develop policy implications based on findings which will be of use to schools, education councils and ministries of education. The methodology to be adopted in this phase of the research is interview. Teachers within the ISR family of schools will be invited to participate in semi-structured interviews, taking approximately 1 hour. These interviews will be conducted outside of school hours. The interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed. The data will be taken back to participants for their input before the research is finalized. Interviews will be conducted by phone or using virtual platforms such as zoom or MS Teams based on participants preferences. Interviews will take place either in English or Inuinnaqtun. Some interviews may be conducted in person, by an educator/team member located in Tuktoyaktuk if possible. Recruitment of Inuit teachers and long term northerners will occur through school email accounts, sent out from Beaufort Delta Education Council (BDEC), so potential participants emails are not known to the researchers. Additionally the researchers will share open calls for recruitment on social media (Facebook) and the research website http://akuttujuuk.ca/ The research uses a collaborative approach that is anchored in Indigenous methodologies prioritizing relationship, dialogue, and respect. These choices are informed by, and respect, Inuit statements of appropriate and desirable researcher conduct in Inuit Nunangat. The research team adopt an assets-based approach, respectful of different forms of knowledge and existing expertise in Inuit Nunangat. As such, Inuit teachers and community members themselves are critical informants and it is essential that the work foreground their views. The researchers will investigate what brings Inuit into the education profession, how Inuit teachers are trained and what supports and professional learning are in existence, or need to be accessible, to ensure resiliency, retention and the progression of Inuit teachers into educational leadership. The interview process is a portion of a larger study, a subsequent ethics application will be submitted in 6 months addressing focus group participation. The focus groups will become both dissemination meetings for the information collected during interviews as well as knowledge generation events. However, prior to this, regular updates and information will occur through both formal and informal processes. Regular communication both with the BDEC through the Superintendent of Schools, to guide and inform the work will occur. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from January 20, 2023 to December 31, 2023.