Background: This literature review explores empirical studies of Culturally Responsive Education Outside the Classroom (CREOtC). It informs future K-12 education research and development in Greenland. CREOtC encompasses outdoor place-based and land-based education and aims to provide quality educati…
Background: This literature review explores empirical studies of Culturally Responsive Education Outside the Classroom (CREOtC). It informs future K-12 education research and development in Greenland. CREOtC encompasses outdoor place-based and land-based education and aims to provide quality education for Indigenous and rural students.
Methods: The review covers research published between 2000 and 2024 of empirical studies of K-12 school-based outdoor education in Indigenous and arctic communities.
Results: It identifies 29 studies demonstrating that CREOtC fosters authenticity and connection between school and place, thus making education relevant for students. Valuing culture and local knowledge made students feel competent and empowered, thereby strengthening their Indigenous identity and fulfilling students’ basic needs according to Self-Determination Theory. This promotes motivation and learning.
Conclusion: Critical Pedagogy of Place is a prevalent framework for CREOtC in Indigenous education, and when addressing issues connected to the More Than Human World, it aligns with Systemic Sustainability Education, offering a path for Indigenous communities to enhance educational levels and support a sustainable future. Most studies were qualitative, single cases that lacked evidence of lasting improvements, highlighting the need for quantitative and long-term studies. Strict national curricula and insufficient resources to support teachers were (in some cases) a hindrance to the implementation of CREOtC, as implementation calls for more flexibility and teacher support.
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Årstal:
2025
Emner:
Culturally responsive; Land-based; Place-based; Self-determination theory; Arctic pedagogy
Titel på tidsskrift:
Journal of Curriculum Studies
Udgiver:
Taylor & Francis
DOI nummer:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2025.2531376
Innovating educational design for the Arctic: Hunting and dogsledding in school, Culturally Responsive Teaching in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) that motivates
Introduction
This is a presentation of a case study conducted in a school class for children with special needs in a Greenlandic elementary school, when Culturally Responsive Education Outside the Classroom (CREOtC) was practised, leveraging hunting, dogsledding and other traditional uses of Greenla…
Introduction
This is a presentation of a case study conducted in a school class for children with special needs in a Greenlandic elementary school, when Culturally Responsive Education Outside the Classroom (CREOtC) was practised, leveraging hunting, dogsledding and other traditional uses of Greenlandic nature as a foundation for interdisciplinary teaching. The students have earlier in their childhood been exposed to neglect and traumatic events at home, resulting in psychosocial challenges and academic setbacks.
Methods
The study investigates how the students respond, when hunting, Greenlandic dog sled culture, and traditional use of Greenlandic plants become the basis for academic as well as practical learning within the school curriculum.
Results
Observations and interviews demonstrate that this approach motivates students and has at positive impact on their wellbeing, academic performance, and social and personal development. Mastery experiences, authenticity, a smooth room, and positive teacher-student and peer relationships are important elements in this positive experience of school.
Conclusions
This case study serves as inspiration for the development of a holistic and culturally responsive pedagogy in the Arctic. The educational design has shown to foster motivation and interest for school and improved wellbeing and the overall learning outcome for students.
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“It suits Greenland really well to learn that way” - Indigenous teachers’ perspectives on Education Outside the Classroom in Greenlandic Elementary schools
This is a presentation of teachers’ perspective on Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC) in Greenlandic Elementary school. I have worked collaborative with three different schools in South, West, and North Greenland to develop, test and evaluate educational designs in EOtC. The study was conducted…
This is a presentation of teachers’ perspective on Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC) in Greenlandic Elementary school. I have worked collaborative with three different schools in South, West, and North Greenland to develop, test and evaluate educational designs in EOtC. The study was conducted Participatory Action Research, and the school were visited and revisited between two and four times, were I collaborated with the same teachers. After the interventions, I interviewed six of the teachers that participated. This is the presentation of preliminary findings from the interviews, all with indigenous Greenlandic teachers, and my preliminary analysis of working Participatory Action Research -based developing educational design in EOtC. The overall preliminary conclusion is that the teachers like using EOtC pedagogy in their teaching, and they see potential in that way of teaching when it comes to learning outcome, motivation and wellbeing among students. They all think it suits very well with the Greenlandic culture to learn outside and use nature and local places in teaching. They also see it as a way to practice a more culturally responsive teaching. They also emphasize that EOtC needs more planning time, especially when that kind of educational design are new to them. They think it would be beneficial, if teaching materials in EOtC in Greenlandic made for the Greenlandic context are developed. While most of the teachers liked the Participatory Action Research approach to develop EOtC, one asked in the interview for at more Design Based Research way of working, where she could have tested EOtC designs, I should have planned.
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