A part of 2.3: Inquiry on Teaching and Learning Poster + Talk session.

Attitudes and Approaches toward Indigenization in Psychology: A National Survey of Faculty
Ashley Waggoner Denton, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Psychology, FAS
Anuki Amarakoon, Undergraduate Student, Psychology, FAS

For generations, post-secondary institutions have been a part of a dominant settler culture whose actions contributed to the continued marginalization of Indigenous people. As a step towards recognition and reconciliation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission published 94 “Calls to Action”, which included direction to post-secondary institutions “to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms” (TRC, 2015, p. 7). As a result, many post-secondary institutions have committed to improving the educational experiences of Indigenous students, which begins with welcoming and integrating their knowledge and perspectives. However, little is known about the capability, confidence, or willingness of academic staff to teach Indigenous content. In psychology, institutional and cultural barriers remain prevalent as evidenced by the low rates of achievement and completion of post-secondary education by Indigenous students (Louie et al., 2017). As of 2018, there was estimated to be less than twelve Indigenous practicing and/or teaching psychologists in Canada. The complex university environment poses a multitude of challenges to the ambiguous process of “indigenization”. However, if we are to improve the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives and issues in psychology courses, we must first gain insight into the current attitudes, perceptions, and practices of psychology instructors when it comes to such matters. This national survey of psychology faculty provides insight into the attitudes of undergraduate psychology instructors towards teaching Indigenous content, whether and how they include Indigenous content in their courses, and the challenges and needs they identify in regard to Indigenous content inclusion.