Combining the views of both worlds : Combining the views of both worlds in Inuktitut: place-based science education in Qikiqtani

With the establishment of Nunavut and, ultimately, the Education Act, the territory faces the challenge of reversing assimilation and regaining a sense of identity especially within the processes that influence the education of their children. [...] Inuuqatigiit focuses on the enhancement and enrichment of the language and culture of Inuit students by promoting the integration of the Inuit perspective with the school curriculum. [...] The developmental processes that occur within the microsystem are in good part defined and limited by the beliefs and practices of the mesosystem, the second of the four nested structures. [...] Within the context of the goals of this study, the differences among the communities included the following: (1) the degree to which the school community is presently supporting the inclusion of Inuit perspectives within the school curriculum; (2) the Combining the Views of Both Worlds    Page 22  mechanisms that are currently being used to incorporate Inuit perspectives within the school curricul [...] The third method involved the use of a focus group to verify the outcomes of the initial two stages of the study and to further elucidate factors influencing the science education aspirations of the school communities.