Narratives of Learning at the Cultural Interface: The Influence of Indigenous Studies on Becoming a Teacher

Abstract

This research explores the ways in which three non-Indigenous preservice teachers’ life experiences prior to entering university and subsequent engagement in Indigenous Studies curriculum and pedagogy at university influenced their professional identity development. Drawing on the narrative inquiry methodology of Connelly and Clandinin, this study positions personal and professional experience as key to understanding teacher professional identity formation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted over one year with nine preservice teachers. Three participant stories were selected from the nine participants who volunteered. These narratives emerged as those ‘needing to be told’ because of the depth of insight they brought to the complex pedagogical space of the Cultural Interface. Nakata’s Cultural Interface was used as a theoretical framework to illuminate the influence of biography on the ‘locale’ of each learner as well as the agency and tensions they experienced over time in a range of social and educational contexts. The Cultural Interface provided nuanced insights to the experiences that supported or inhibited preservice teacher learning and development of a personal and professional commitment to Indigenous education. In the process of ‘storying’ their experiences, forward thinking aspirations and imaginings about the Indigenous Studies teacher they hoped to become also emerged. While each narrative is unique, common experiences were shared. Emotional labour was required to manage the tensions of being with university peers who were resistant or indifferent to Indigenous Studies. They experienced curriculum content and pedagogical approaches that were either tokenistic or misrepresented Indigenous knowledges. Professional Experience challenged preservice teacher confidence to teach Indigenous students or embed Indigenous perspectives. Sachs’ work on teacher activist identity formation guided findings that participants had developed an Indigenous education activist identity. This research has implications for teacher educators to build ‘communities of practice’ that nurture preservice teachers who are developing this activist identity. Authentic ways to embed Indigenous perspectives in university curriculum was also identified as requiring attention.