Ka moʻohelu o ke alana : the accounting of a culture-based education professional development course

Abstract

Students of Hawaiian ancestry continue to struggle in Hawaiʻi schools. Overall, their scores are still lower than their classmates of other ethnic groups. Kanaʻiaupuni and team recorded promising results for students of Hawaiian ancestry in regards to positive self-concept, school engagement and cultural knowledge and practice when they have teachers who use culture-based education practices in their classroom. This dissertation looks at a professional development course where teachers use culturebased education practices (CBE) to connect their standards-based curriculum to their students. In order to study this CBE course, a Hawaiian culture-based methodology, moʻo waiwai, was used. Moʻo waiwai uses the valued practices of the Hawaiians, gathered from their 'ōlelo noʻeau, proverbs and wise sayings, to choose methodological approaches. The six teachers were selected based on their content knowledge, leadership potential as seen by their administrators, and desire to take the course. During the two-week summer course teachers were observed, a web-based classroom space was created to house their reflections and further dialogue, and they completed a reflection at the end of the course. In the fall semester, teachers implemented their CBE units and participated in an exit interview. All of the data, both during and after the course were analyzed to address two major wonderings 1) How effective is this form of professional development in its ability to empower teachers to transform their own standards-based curriculum and practices through a Hawaiian world-view? 2) What impact does this course make on students' connections and relationships with the content from the perspective of these veteran teachers? The data suggested three themes that have implications for this type of professional development. First, modeling CBE practices and immersing teachers in these practices during the course helped teachers to get accustomed to, or familiar with CBE practices through experience, practice and repetition. Second, the intentional focus on the importance of relationship building during the course translated into a focus on relationship building within the classrooms. Finally, the teachers clearly stated that this initial course is not long enough to change practice, but that more continuity efforts and courses are needed to change practice.