Teacher Recruitment, Retention and Pedagogical Issues Confronting Indigenous Students and Communities in Northern Saskatchewan Schools
Year: 2020
Type: other
Abstract: This chapter describes the objectives, methodology and findings of a research project completed for the Northern Lights School Division (NLSD) of northern Saskatchewan in 2009-2013.The research team utilized an Indigenous research model that incorporated qualitative practices, including open conversations and sharing circles.Accordingly, they engaged with teachers, school administrators and other individuals with substantial experience and knowledge regarding the needs of rural northern schools, Indigenous Saskatchewan communities and Indigenous students.More specifically, the project investigated challenges and opportunities regarding NLSD teacher recruitment and retention.In the process, we found ourselves addressing questions relating to culturally relevant pedagogies that honor students' Indigenous heritages.This Chapter provides an overview of research related to teacher recruitment and retention issues facing the Northern Lights School Division (NLSD), which serves northern and Indigenous/First Nations Saskatchewan communities and students.It also considers questions that arose during the research related to the utilization of culturally responsive pedagogies.We begin with a description of the issues that led to the study, which we situate within the current literature around teacher recruitment and retention in rural schools.We then outline the research objectives before describing the methodology that underpinned this study.Next, there is a discussion of the key findings to emerge from the data analysis.The chapter concludes by proposing that it would be helpful to view current northern and First Nations community conditions as providing opportunities for improvement rather than dwell on deficit theorizing surrounding Indigenous student achievement levels.By focusing on what works well in these contexts, NLSD schools may be better prepared to resolve their current teacher retention, recruitment and pedagogical challenges to meet the needs of their Indigenous students. Literature ReviewThis section begins with a discussion of literature relevant to the interrelated issues of rural schools, poverty, student achievement and teacher effectiveness (globally and in NLSD settings).It then explores the literature on teacher recruitment and retention in both the larger world and in northern Saskatchewan
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3158018398