Defining "success" in Indigenous education: exploring the perspectives of Indigenous educators in a Canadian city

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to frame success for Indigenous students in public boards in the experience, knowledge and beliefs of practicing Indigenous educators. Seven Indigenous public school educators in teaching and leadership roles were asked to discuss what success for Indigenous students meant to them. Through a relational, narrative interview process, a cohesive focus emerged on holistic views of education and success, the importance of non-Indigenous teachers' engagement with multiple Indigenous perspectives, particularly those of their own students and their families, and the centrality of trusting, interconnected relationships between teachers, students, and families. The findings are practical and directly applicable due to the educator-to-educator design of the study, and are also contextualized within Indigenous models of success (Canadian Council on Learning, 2007, 2009; Toulouse, 2013). It is noteworthy that Indigenous educators focused on designing public education through Indigenous worldviews and pedagogies to benefit all students. This study is significant in its ability to illuminate a broader view of success in public education as well as to provide specific examples to build this holistic success.