Source: Assembly of First Nations Education, Jurisdiction and Governance
Summary: The discussion paper was commissioned by the Education, Jurisdiction and Governance Department of the Assembly of First Nations to inform its action agenda in education for 2012 and going forward.
The search explored the importance and impact of culturally competent teachers utilizing First Nations cultural knowledge in the elementary and secondary school experience for creating optimal learning environments so that students can maximize their learning potential and move successfully through a lifelong learning curve.
The review of hundreds of documents evolved into a fact-finding mission, delving deeper than a literature review, culminating in the discussion paper specifically intended to answer these questions:
Do culturally and linguistically appropriate teaching and learning environments, created by culturally competent teachers, impact academic achievement levels of Indigenous students?
Do culturally responsive and competent teachers, students, counselors, administrators and policy makers create optimal learning conditions for achievement for Indigenous learners in the school setting and at a systems and governance level?
