Faculty of Education collaborates with OISE-UT professor on SSHRC-funded research project
The project is supported by an Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The SSHRC was awarded to Dr. Jennifer Brant as lead of the project and Dr. Frank Deer, Associate Dean Indigenous Education as co-lead. The research study is a collaboration between researchers from University of Toronto, University of Manitoba, Lakehead University, and the Simon Fraser University.
The study, entitled “Indigenous Student Experiences Post TRC: Indigenous Requirement Courses in Teacher Education” examines the experiences of Indigenous students enrolled in Indigenous Requirement Courses (IRCs) with an emphasis on fostering cultural safety. Students were invited to share their experiences through a series of Sharing Circles over the last two years. The research also included interviews with Indigenous instructors to investigate the pedagogical implications and possibilities of IRCs as an effective response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Calls to Action and the host institution’s commitment to Indigenization.
Meeting in Indigenous Community Space: Gaa-maamawabing.
“This study will fill the gap by gathering educational narratives of Indigenous students in mandatory Indigenous content courses in three Canadian university teacher education programs in Manitoba and northern Ontario. This study involved interviews with course instructors to gather insights about pedagogical strategies within these courses”, explains Dr. Jennifer Brant Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
Now that data collection is complete the research team met in Winnipeg last month to prepare their knowledge dissemination strategy. This will include a hybrid webinar at the UM next Spring along with several articles published under a Creative Commons license.