Closing the Aboriginal Education Gap: A Systematic Review of Indigenous Educational Experiences in Canada

• Main Authors: Deonandan, Raywat, Janoudi, Ghayath, Uzun, Mara
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Digital Commons@Lindenwood University 2019
• Subjects: Indigenous; Aboriginal; Native; First Nations; Metis; Inuit; Canada; Education; Curriculum and Instruction; Educational Administration and Supervision; Educational Assessment; Evaluation; and Research; inuit
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/ela/vol6/iss1/5; https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=ela

Indigenous learners represent a pool of untapped talents for positively influencing Canada’s economy. But there is a policy need to better enable indigenous learners’ access to higher education. This study presents a synthesis of views and perspectives extracted from eight published studies concerning Aboriginal educational experiences. Canadian indigenous learners were found to have the following views regarding their experiences with post-secondary education: anxiety about moving away from home, trepidation about transitioning from rural to urban spaces, uncertainty about social acceptance and long-term prospects; fear of racism and racial exclusion; and worry that their traditions will not be acknowledged or respected.