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Indigenous Education Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Indigenous Education

Breaking The Mold: An Examination Of Student Perceptions With Faculty-Led Native American Student Research Experiences, Caitlin A. Johnson Jul 2026

Breaking The Mold: An Examination Of Student Perceptions With Faculty-Led Native American Student Research Experiences, Caitlin A. Johnson

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

In recent years, Native American students in Minnesota have experienced the state’s widest equity gap. In response, a faculty advisor guided students through an immersive Indigenous research experience using the medicine wheel as a learning model focused on culturally relevant topics. Culturally relevant teaching uses methods and techniques that are building from a student’s interests, values, and strengths helps them to have a more meaningful educational experience by connecting home with school (Gay, 2000). Grounded in culturally relevant teaching theory, this approach connects students’ lived experiences to academic learning, making the exploration of equity gaps particularly meaningful for Indigenous students …


Wild Rice Life Cycle: An Integrated Science, Social Studies, And Ela Lesson, Rhett Zima, Lily Deming Jan 2026

Wild Rice Life Cycle: An Integrated Science, Social Studies, And Ela Lesson, Rhett Zima, Lily Deming

OER Materials

This lesson is designed to deepen students’ understanding of wild rice, a plant native to Minnesota, by integrating life science concepts such as structure, function, life cycles, and seed dispersal with prior knowledge from English Language Arts and Social Studies. Using the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), students participate in a structured, inquiry-based learning experience. They begin by connecting to prior knowledge and generating questions, then investigating the life cycle and growth patterns of wild rice through hands-on exploration. As students build their understanding, they analyze how the plant’s seed dispersal supports its survival and reproduction. …


Advancing Literacy Instruction: Bridging Evidence-Based And Culturally Responsive Practices To Serve All Learners, Jamie L. Nord Aug 2025

Advancing Literacy Instruction: Bridging Evidence-Based And Culturally Responsive Practices To Serve All Learners, Jamie L. Nord

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

As Minnesota's student population becomes increasingly diverse, persistent literacy achievement gaps among students of color, multilingual learners, and students from low-income backgrounds demand urgent attention. While the state's READ Act mandates structured, evidence-based literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading, its successful implementation must not overshadow the equally vital need for culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy. This white paper argues for a comprehensive, dual-framework approach that integrates both evidence-based literacy practices and culturally affirming instructional strategies


Narrative Inquiry In Practice: A Study Identifying Themes Of Persistence And Barriers In The Educational Journeys Of American Indian Students In Higher Education, Kristina Cirks Dec 2023

Narrative Inquiry In Practice: A Study Identifying Themes Of Persistence And Barriers In The Educational Journeys Of American Indian Students In Higher Education, Kristina Cirks

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning Infographics

Increasing in popularity, the use of narrative inquiry in qualitative research study offers a unique perspective and context in sharing lived experiences. This article utilizes a narrative inquiry study to improve the knowledge of why American Indian students have the lowest college graduation rates in the United States. These narratives helped define the barriers that have discouraged American Indian students from persisting in higher education. Predominantly, participants identified the lack of financial support, lack of cultural competency, emotional distress, time poverty, afraid to ask for help, afraid to succeed, and navigating through the college processes as barriers to their educational …


The Impact Of Trauma-Informed Professional Development On Classroom Climate, Amber Lenz Dec 2022

The Impact Of Trauma-Informed Professional Development On Classroom Climate, Amber Lenz

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

When students experience trauma or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the home, such as substance abuse, mental illness, neglect, or violence, schools become an important place in which support, kindness, and understanding are needed the most. School can, for some students, be a place of physical safety and emotional stability. Oftentimes, the weight of what is going on at home or in the community is being miscategorized and is seen as misbehavior or laziness in a student. If teachers do not learn how to deal with the trauma in a supportive and validating way, students will stay distracted and disengaged …


Narrative Inquiry In Practice: A Study Identifying Themes Of Persistence And Barriers In The Educational Journeys Of American Indian Students In Higher Education, Kristina Cirks Jun 2021

Narrative Inquiry In Practice: A Study Identifying Themes Of Persistence And Barriers In The Educational Journeys Of American Indian Students In Higher Education, Kristina Cirks

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Increasing in popularity, the use of narrative inquiry in qualitative research study offers a unique perspective and context in sharing lived experiences. This article utilizes a narrative inquiry study to improve the knowledge of why American Indian students have the lowest college graduation rates in the United States. These narratives helped define the barriers that have discouraged American Indian students from persisting in higher education. Predominantly, participants identified the lack of financial support, lack of cultural competency, emotional distress, time poverty, afraid to ask for help, afraid to succeed, and navigating through the college processes as barriers to their educational …


The Road Less Traveled: An Insight To The Educational Journeys Of American Indian Students In Higher Education, Kristina Cirks May 2021

The Road Less Traveled: An Insight To The Educational Journeys Of American Indian Students In Higher Education, Kristina Cirks

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

American Indian students have the lowest college retention and graduation rates in the United States, facing a variety of barriers to completing their education. Studies have identified factors impacting the lower persistence of American Indian students; however, the achievement gap is not decreasing. To improve the knowledge of why American Indian students have the lowest percentage of advanced degree completion, an intimate examination of seven American Indian students’ educational experiences was completed. This phenomenological qualitative study examined the events that impacted American Indian students’ non-persistence and persistence in pursuing advanced degrees. By delving into the personal educational journeys of seven …