COMBINING THE VIEWS OF “BOTH WORLDS”: SCIENCE EDUCATION IN NUNAVUT PIQUSIIT TAMAINIK KATISUGIT

Abstract

This paper reports on several phases of a five-year science education development project in Nunavut, Canada. The project, in its entirety, was established as a Pilot Program for Nunavut schools in effort to understand school community aspirations for science education and potential contributors and impediments to fostering the realization of identified goals. This paper focuses on the cases of three Inuit school communities in identifying and achieving their aspirations for science education. This paper describes the goals collaboratively identified and the processes utilized to work towards the realizations of such goals. Of importance is the identification by the school communities to offer an educational experience that combines the knowledge, processes and values of ―both worlds‖ (western science and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit) and to employ both traditional and contemporary methods for implementing and evaluating the success of the project. Finally, based upon the outcomes of this project, suggestions are provided for supporting developments in other jurisdictions aspiring to see the realization of local and Indigenous aspirations for science education. Of critical importance to seeing such efforts realized are the policy and leadership conditions manifest at the school-community, divisional and territorial level for fostering culture-based education programs.