Disrupting the Colonial Agenda within Graduate Teacher Education

Authors

  • Ingrid Mara Robinson St. Francis Xavier University
  • Joanne Marie Tompkins St. Francis Xavier University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v65i2.56500

Keywords:

anti-racist education, decolonizing graduate education, teacher education pedagogy, Settler consciousness, social justice teacher education

Abstract

The Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action (2015a) highlight education as a means of reconciliation. The purpose of our study was to understand if and how the content and pedagogy within a graduate Foundations of Education course using an anti-racist education framework enabled in-service teachers to challenge the colonial narrative and integrate Indigenous knowledges and perspectives into their classrooms. We interviewed six graduate students and identified key themes related to experiencing and enacting anti-racist education. The results suggest the necessity of identifying one’s positionality, using relational pedagogy, and employing critical self-reflection to interrupt the colonial story and promote Indigeneity within the Canadian context.

Les appels à l’action de la Commission de vérité et de réconciliation soulignent l’importance de l’éducation comme moyen de réconciliation. L’objectif de cette étude était de comprendre dans quelle mesure le contenu et la pédagogie d’un cours supérieur portant sur les fondements de l’éducation et reposant sur un cadre antiraciste a permis aux enseignants en service de contester le récit colonial et d’intégrer des connaissances et des perspectives autochtones dans leur enseignement. Nous avons interviewé six étudiants aux cycles supérieurs et identifié des thèmes clés portant sur l’expérience et la mise en œuvre de l’éducation antiraciste. Les résultats semblent révéler un besoin d’identifier soi-même son positionnement, d’employer une pédagogie relationnelle et de s’engager dans une autoréflexion critique pour interrompre le récit colonial et promouvoir l’indigénéité dans le contexte canadien.

Mots clés: éducation antiraciste; décolonisation des études supérieures; pédagogie de la formation des enseignants; conscience coloniale; formation des enseignants à la justice sociale


 

Author Biographies

Ingrid Mara Robinson, St. Francis Xavier University

Ingrid Mara Robinson is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Francis Xavier University. Her research interests include Aboriginal educational leadership, women and educational leadership, culturally relevant pedagogy, and Social Studies education.

Joanne Marie Tompkins, St. Francis Xavier University

Dr. Joanne Tompkins is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Her research interests include inclusion, decolonizing teaching practices and school leadership, and studying how pre-service and in-service educators engage with LGBTQ+ students, students living in poverty, and Aboriginal learners.

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Published

2019-05-28

How to Cite

Robinson, I. M., & Tompkins, J. M. (2019). Disrupting the Colonial Agenda within Graduate Teacher Education. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 65(2). https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v65i2.56500

Issue

Vol. 65 No. 2 (2019): Summer

Section

ARTICLES

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