Teachers, Tundra, and Talking Circles: Learning History and Culture in an Alaska Native Village

What teachers know about their subject–matter and how to teach it has become increasingly important as states continue to expect more rigorous learning outcomes for K–12 students—even more so when we consider that they must teach this content to an increasingly diverse student population. This article reports the findings from a four–year case study of a teacher professional development project that was designed to give simultaneous attention to enhancing teacher subject–matter knowledge in history/social studies and helping teachers develop culturally responsive pedagogical practices. The professional development took place in a rural Alaska Native village where participants worked with Native Elders and engaged in Native ways of learning and knowing. The findings from this study suggest that the learning opportunities provided to the teachers successfully increased their understanding of history and culture by using culturally based ways of knowing and learning. The study reveals the potential of this type of bifocal professional learning for supporting the development of culturally responsive social studies pedagogy.