Teachers’ Perceptions of the Integration of Indigenous Culture Into the Curriculum at a Canadian Offshore School in Egypt: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Abstract

British Columbia’s (BC) redesigned curriculum includes clear requirements for greater integration of Indigenous worldviews and perspectives across all facets of learning with the requirement not only applying to schools located within BC but also the 45 international schools comprising the BC Offshore Schools Program. The problem is that BC offshore teachers may not know how to integrate Indigenous culture effectively and meaningfully into the curriculum within international teaching and learning in Egypt. There is a gap in the literature addressing the function of Indigenized curricula transplanted into the transnational learning space. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of educators on integrating Indigenous culture into the curriculum at a BC offshore school in Egypt. A critical sociocultural framework was employed to explore teachers’ perceptions of Indigenizing learning. The research questions that guide this exploratory study included determining how teachers perceive the integration of Indigenous culture into the curriculum at a BC offshore school in Egypt and the facets that influence integration. Semi-structured interviews and focus group data of 15-18 primary and secondary teachers were collected and analyzed for emergent themes using a method of constant comparison and reflexive thematic analysis. A theory emerged that teachers’ prior knowledge of Indigenous culture shapes perceptions and practices of Indigenized learning, which are then mediated by unique external factors that emerge in international schools. Recommendations were formulated to assist teachers in implementing meaningful multicultural and multi-perspective learning in global contexts.