ERIC ED436317: Teaching in an Isolated Northern Native Manitoba Community: A Teacher's Perspective.

238 Pages·1997·2.6 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
RC 021 568
ED 436 317
Terry, William M.
AUTHOR
Teaching in an Isolated Northern Native Manitoba Community:
TITLE
A Teacher's Perspective.
1997-00-00
PUB DATE
242p.; Master's Research Project, Brandon University.
NOTE
Tests/Questionnaires (160)
Dissertations/Theses (040)
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC10 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*American Indian Education; American Indians; *Canada
DESCRIPTORS
Natives; Culture Conflict; Discipline Problems; Dropouts;
*Educational Practices; Elementary Secondary Education;
Foreign Countries; Questionnaires; *Student Alienation;
Student Attitudes; *Teacher Attitudes; *Teacher Student
Relationship
Manitoba (North)
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This master's research project investigated teaching
practices in a Native community school in Manitoba in relation to the
school's high dropout rate. The school was located on an isolated Native
reserve in northern Manitoba, providing education through grades 9-10. In
contrast to successful Native education programs elsewhere that are based in
Native language and culture, the school delivered the standard Manitoba
provincial education program. In the higher grades, student attendance was
very sporadic, and almost all students failed to graduate. Student behavior
problems were widespread, and teacher turnover was high. Surveys were
constructed with teacher and student input and completed by most teachers and
by all students in grades 5 and higher. Several factors emerged as
contributing to teenagers' decision to abandon school. Teachers were fully
qualified to teach in urban mainstream schools but were poorly prepared for
rural northern Native schools. No teacher had taken a university course in
actually teaching Native children, and only Native teachers and local aides
could speak Cree or relate to community cultural norms. Most staff were new
teachers and had little knowledge of alternatives to teacher-directed
lectures. As students grew into teenagers, their dissatisfaction with school
developed into overt rejection, characterized by nonparticipation and
misbehavior. Teachers' disciplinary efforts were unsuccessful. (Contains 58
references. Appendices include teacher and student survey questionnaires,
survey results, a map of Manitoba reserves, a community description, and
Native cultural materials.)
(SV)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
TEACHING IN AN ISOLATED
NORTHERN NATIVE MANITOBA COMMUNITY:
A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE
A Research Project
Submitted to the Faculty of Education
of Brandon University
in Partial Fulfilment of
the Degree of Master of Education
BY WILLIAM M. TERRY
BRANDON, MANITOBA
1997
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
THIS
CENTER (ERIC)
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED
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document has been reproduced as
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received from the person or organization
originating it.
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reproduction quality.
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Points of view or opinions stated in this docu-
ment do not necessarily represent official
OERI position or policy.
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
ST COPY AVAILABLE
2
BRANDON UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
The undersigned certify that they have read, and recommend to the Senate for
acceptance, a Master's Project entitled--
TEACHING IN AN ISOLATED
NORTHERN NATIVE MANITOBA COMMUNITY:
A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE
--submitted by William M. Terry in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the
degree of Master of Education.
Adviser
Date
3
TEACHING IN AN ISOLATED
NORTHERN NATIVE MANITOBA COMMUNITY:
A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE
A project submitted to the Senate of Brandon University in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF EDUCATION
1997
Permission has been granted to the Library of Brandon University to lend or sell
copies of this project to the National Library of Canada, to microfilm this project, and
to lend or sell copies of the microfilm, and to University Microfilms to publish an
abstract.
The author reserves other publication rights and neither the project nor extensive
extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's
permission.
4
Teaching in an Isolated
i
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to investigate the teaching practices of the
teachers in one northern Native Manitoba reserve community school over a two-year
time frame, and to consider the impact of their teaching practices on the high rate of
Native student rejection of school-based education. The opinions stated by the
teaching staff were compared with opinions of their own students, and also with other
studies related to the issue of using mainstream Euro-Canadian education formats
within the Native education environment.
Teaching in an Isolated
ii
Acknowledgments
I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Education Authority, staff, and
students of my study's community for contributing so much effort to help me conduct
I wish to thank Dr. Breckman for allowing me to use his data and for
my research.
giving me hours of advice while my project's thesis was being developed.
I was very fortunate to have had many professors take an interest in my
education. These professors showed me that learning is a worthwhile and noble
endeavour, and I am proud to be a teacher because of the qualities I found in them.
Especially, I want to thank Dr. Neil McQuarrie for teaching me how to think, Dr.
Robin Enns for teaching me to look at life in new ways, Dr. James Kepron for
keeping me on track in the initial stages of my project, and Dr. Lorraine Frost and
Dr. Murray Smith for helping me bring my project to completion.
I would also like to thank two friends and colleagues: Elaine Funk for teaching
me that working hard every day leads to success, and Garfield Rose for being the best
teacher I have ever had the honour of observing, and for his decency, personal
integrity, and friendship.
Most importantly, I want to thank my mother for a lifetime of support through
I want to thank my wife for helping me to be better in life than I
many challenges.
could be alone, and my daughter Sara for making it all worthwhile.
6
Teaching in an Isolated
iii
Table of Contents
Page
Abstract
i
ii
Acknowledgments
iii
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:
Introduction
1
Review of the Literature
Chapter 2:
3
Past Native Education Practices
3
Present Native Education Practices
5
Prospective Native Education Practices
7
Lost or Irrelevant Identity
9
Differences Between Native and Euro-Canadian
Learning Styles
11
Other Factors Affecting Learning
14
Cree Elder Teaching Methods
15
Native Learning Styles in School
17
Review of the Teacher Survey
21
Chapter 3:
Method
21
22
Overview of Results
22
teacher training and experience
personal teaching style
31
40
teaching methods
7
Teaching in an Isolated
iv
Table of Contents (continued)'
Page
50
personal strategies
68
classroom management
Summary of Teaching Issues that May Have Affected
Student Retention
81
84
Review of the Student Survey
Chapter 4:
84
Method
85
Overview of Results
Summary of Student Issues that May Have Affected
97
Student Retention
100
Chapter 5:
Discussion
104
References
Teacher survey
111
Appendices:
A.
1.
120
Student survey
2.
Teacher survey results
123
3.
Student survey results
141
4.
Permission by the education authority
5.
to conduct the survey 146
8
Teaching in an Isolated
v
Table of Contents (continued)
Page
Map of Manitoba showing locations of
B.
1.
148
northern Indian reserves
Government description of the targeted
2.
150
community
Description of spiritual nature in building
3.
153
housing
Examples of "Circle of Life" or circular
4.
manner of thinking that Native people
call "Holistic Thinking"
156
List of problems Native northern Manitoba
5.
students have in English language arts,
according to a teacher survey
167
a
Teaching in an Isolated
1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this project was to investigate the teaching practices of the
teachers in one northern Native Manitoba reserve community school over a two-year
time frame, and to consider the impact of their teaching practices on the high rate of
Native student rejection of school-based education. The opinions of the teaching staff
were compared with opinions of their own students, and also with other studies
related to the issue of mainstream Euro-Canadian education formats versus Native-
based, Native-directed forms of school education. Even though this report focuses on
the teachers' methods or strategies, the reasons that may affect their students'
rejection of school are examined holistically in this project, because many educational
and lifestyle factors are interrelated.
The targeted community typifies isolated Native Canadian reserves that are
connected to the rest of the country only by temporary winter roads and airplanes.
(See Appendices B.1 and B.2) Such isolation means there is no industry: local
employment consists of positions in two stores and provincial government services.
During the time of this study, fifty-six of the community's (approximately) seven
hundred residents worked full-time; thus most of the people in this community subsist
on welfare. Most of the houses rely on forty-five gallon tubs, not taps, for water
which comes directly (untreated) from the river. The ground water which supplies
10