The Importance of Building
Research Capacity
at Tribal Colleges:
What Does Research Mean at a
Tribal College?
TCUP Leaders Forum – January 2014
Purpose
What Does Research Mean at a Tribal College?
Continuing the Development of TCUs
Through the years, TCUs have
• continuously worked to provide quality education,
• focused on perpetuating Native American cultures
• offered an ever widening array of degree options,
• realized high graduation rates for Native students
compared to mainstream IHEs,
• played important roles in strengthening our
community,
• built infrastructure and developed human resources,
• slowly increased our role in conducting research
beneficial to our communities and beyond.
Continuing the Development of TCU’s
In the Beginning
• Seven years as a research scientist in
psychophysics
• Studied to become a secondary science
teacher specializing in American Indian
education
• Read many scholarly writings on the benefits
of culturally congruent instruction, but little
empirical evidence presented
High School Teacher Phase
• Noticed the disconnect and lack of self efficacy of
Native students for science.
• Wrote and was awarded my first grant to
enhance my science instruction.
• Initiated culturally congruent science courses
• Worked extensively with elders, SKC faculty, and
tribal STEM professionals
• Science test scores rose.
• Student science attitudes improved.
• Science enrollment rose.
Indigenous Math & Science Institute
• Worked with IMSI on several STEM ed projects while
on extended maternity leave from teaching
• Awarded first NSF grant (LDMTP) to develop science
teacher leaders
• Designed prototype teacher self report survey to
assess frequency of culturally congruent instruction
based on literature and conversations with elders.
• Found substantive increases in CCI in project
teachers but the mystery remained:
**Does increased CCI correlate with increased science
achievement for American Indian students?**
Doctorate Begins
• Awarded NSF - CLT Fellowship to pursue
doctorate in science education research
• Worked with faculty and grad students from
five western IHEs on research and evaluation
projects focusing equity in education
• Joined professional groups that were focusing
on Indigenous Education issues like CCI
NSF-MSP
• Collaborated with CLT faculty to write NSFMSP proposal for Big Sky Science Partnership
• Awarded grant to research efficacy of science
teacher leadership in improving American
Indian students’ science achievement
• Non hierarchical partnership between science
faculty, tribal elders and professionals and
elementary teachers, enabling relationship
building and symbiotic growth
NSF-MSP Continued
• Conducted extensive project evaluation and
research – mixed methods, rigorous design
• Utilized CBPR methods with elders, teachers,
faculty – identifying research priorities, designing
research, etc.
• Validated the Culturally Congruent Instruction
Survey (dissertation project)
• Developed instruments, PD model, built theory,
gathered empirical evidence of efficacy of CCI
• Disseminated results widely
NSF – Geoscience
• Awarded grant to develop culturally congruent
geoscience curriculum materials – Flathead
Geoscience Education Project
• Worked with MSP teachers to conduct small
research study on efficacy of CCI in improving
geoscience achievement
• Found significantly larger gains in achievement in
treatment versus comparison group classrooms
• MSP-Noyce fellow developed FGEP supplement
TCUP - STEEP
• Grant to develop a secondary science teacher ed
program at SKC
• Based on theoretical framework developed in
previous research projects
• Faculty PD on learning theory and research based
science pedagogy
• Faculty funding for course development
• Project evaluation will result in model of teacher
preparation for American Indian science teachers
• Plan to study impacts of American Indian science
teachers on American Indian students’ science
achievement
TCUP-BPR
• Collaboratively written TCUP-BPR proposal
with science faculty members
• Feedback on proposal at QEM workshop
• Continues study of efficacy of CCI, this time at
the college level
• Partnered with SKC faculty, elders, and tribal
STEM professionals in designed based, mixed
methods research project
• Collaborative planning, faculty PD, course
development, data collection and analyses
In the Beginning
• Graduated from SKC in 2000 (BS Enviro. Sci. &
BA Native American Human Services).
– Funding Strand
• EPA Cooperative education grant
• SKC Scholarships
– Cultural/Community Strand
• Chose to attend SKC because the schools cultural
ideology and community based nature.
In the Beginning
• Graduated from UM in 2006 (MS Geology)
– Funding/Research Strand
•
•
•
•
•
EPA STAR program (Fellowship)
DOE – INRA Subsurface Science Research Institute (SSRI) (Stipends)
NSF funded EPSCOR – LRE (Research Funding)
American Geological Institute (Scholarship)
NSF funded SAPAI program (Fellowship)
– Cultural/ Community Strand
•
•
•
•
Fill a role in community
Fill the lack of support to native students to enter graduate school
Personal and family goal – pave the way for my children
Making historical cultural activities culturally relevant today
Doctorate Education
• Completed all course requirements for Ph.D in
GeoScience at UM in 2008.
– Funding/Research Strand
•
•
•
•
DOE – INRA Subsurface Science Research Institute (SSRI) (Stipends)
NSF funded EPSCOR – LRE (Faculty/Student Research Funding)
American Geological Institute (Scholarship)
NSF funded SAPAI program (Fellowship)
– Cultural/ Community Strand
• Gain more experience and credentials – Cultural anthropologist
• Provide SKC with additional Western Science certified instructors
• Increase chances of getting hired at SKC
Doctorate Education
• Currently Ed.D Candidate UM Curriculum and
Instruction.
– Funding/Research Strand
•
•
•
•
NSF funded SAPAI program (Fellowship)
NSF Funded National PETE (Faculty Research)
AICF – Faculty Research Fellowship
NSF – SKC RAISE
– Cultural/ Community Strand
• Making historical cultural activities culturally relevant today
• Increased skill in effective teaching methods at SKC to meet
mission/vision
• Service to students
• Personal research agenda (Native science and learning)
Addressing Community/Tribal Needs
Informal
Informal
Education
Informal
Education
Education
Formal
Formal
Education
Education
Tribal
Teaching
Communit
y
Learning
Communit
y
Tribal
Teaching
Communit
y
Learning
Communit
y
Indian
Laws
System of Informal
Tribal Education –
Dictated by practical
needs (Tribe)
$$
Indian
Laws &
Religion
1864 - First formal
education. Largely for
agricultural and
industrialization
(Jesuits)
Tribal
Teaching
Learning
Community
Community
?
Tribal-StateFederal
Government
1900’s- Formal
government
education takes a
foot hold. (US Govt)
Informal
Education
Formal
Education
Tribal
Teaching
Community
Learning Community
?
Tribal-StateFederal
Government
“The college curriculum should be culturally-derived and appropriate for the Indian
population being served; and the learning methods and experiences should be informed by
Indian culture.” American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC, 1972)
Addressing Community/Tribal Needs
• Engaging all stakeholders in research
• Identifying issues important to the community
• Designing and conducting culturally congruent
research
• Using findings to benefit the community
As a Learning/Teaching Tool
As a Learning/Teaching Tool
• Cross disciplinary courses & research projects
• Culture and community based research
• Faculty and professionals mentoring students
in conducting research
• Student led research as a degree requirement
• Funding for faculty course development & PD
• Research as part of program assessment
• Using results to improve programs
• Collaboration with expert others
To Pursue Research Funding Sources
To Pursue Research Funding Sources
HONESTY
DEVOTION
TO
FAMILY
To Pursue Research Funding Sources
• Identifying questions/designing studies that
are fundable
• Building theory within the prioritized
discipline
• Disseminating results
• Identifying questions for expanding theory
through future research