Strengthening Indigenous Education in Ontario: A Study of the Grade 9 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies Curriculum Implementation
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This study researches the implementation of the 2019 Ontario First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Studies curriculum. Indigenous Studies courses are increasingly present in Ontario high school classrooms, rising from 40% to 72% from 2013 to 2022 (Hodgson-Bautista & Liu Hopson, 2023). However, since the release of the 2019 FNMI Studies curriculum, the Ontario Ministry of Education has failed to provide adequate training on how to implement these courses (Auditor General, 2020). Thus, many teachers are left to draw on their existing experiences and knowledge (or lack thereof) to deliver Indigenous-focused content (Dion, 2009; Kanu, 2005; Ross, 2015), leading to inconsistencies in how the 2019 FNMI Studies curriculum is implemented and experienced by students across the province. Despite known challenges with the previous 1999 Native Studies curriculum (Chaput, 2012; Labaree, 2010; Milne, 2017), the implementation of the 2019 FNMI Studies curriculum has yet to be formally researched. Following qualitative Indigenous research methodologies (Barlett et al., 2012; Brayboy, 2005; Smith, 2021; SSHRC, 2021; Tuck, 2009), this study investigated the implementation experiences of educators in relation to the grade 9 FNMI Studies integrated arts course, NAC1O. Data was collected through Talking Circles and an online survey, thematically analyzed, and translated into a piece of artwork as a form of knowledge mobilization. A desire-based framework (Tuck, 2009), which emphasizes cultural resources rather than trauma, led to the development of recommendations to guide teachers’ future practice, understand Indigenous students' particular learning needs, inform post-secondary education programs, and document other insights relevant to NAC1O.
Author: Boytchuk-Hale, Niki
Institution: Queen's University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7208553482