Dustin Louie

This study utilizes a CHamoru epistemological perspective to understand secondary teacherpreparation for courses satisfying the Indigenous Focused Graduation Requirement (IFGR) inBritish Columbia. The three participants in this study were identified as exemplary in teachingIndigenous-focused course content by administrators in their district. Each of the educators inthis study live and teach in three distinct regions throughout the province, Vancouver Island,Northern BC, and the Lower Mainland. The data on each participant’s preparedness for the IFGRwere gathered using a combination of: 1) qualitative interviews and 2) reflective letter writing.Guided by a theory of interdependence, the Fo’na Framework, a CHamoru decolonial educationframework created by CHamoru scholar Dr. Kisha Borja-Quichocho-Calvo, was used to interpretand analyze the data from the interviews and letters gathered. The resulting findings elucidatedwise practice recommendations for ongoing teacher preparation for the IFGR in BritishColumbia. The research question for this study is: How are high school educators in BritishColumbia who have been identified as exemplary in teaching Indigenous-focused contentpreparing themselves personally and professionally to teach courses which satisfy the newIndigenous-Focused Graduation Requirement (IFGR)? The sub-questions are: 1) What resourcesand materials are teachers who have been identified as exemplary in teachingIndigenous-focused content using to prepare themselves for their IFGR courses? 2) Whatobstacles, if any, are teachers who have been identified as exemplary in teachingIndigenous-focused content facing when preparing to teach IFGR courses? and 3) What supportdo teachers who have been identified as exemplary in teaching Indigenous-focused content needfrom their administrators and school districts in order to better prepare for their IFGR teachingpractice.

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