Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation—Continuing the Learning Journey

Overview

The Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation project was created in 2016.
Its goal is to help Alberta’s teachers develop and apply essential information about First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. This knowledge is also a fundamental skill outlined in Alberta’s Teaching Quality Standard.

This study sought to evaluate the project’s impact. Teachers and school leaders provided input.

Research methods

Data was collected from teachers and school leaders to provide an update on the implementation of the Indigenous‑focused competencies and indicators in Alberta’s Teaching Quality Standard and Leadership Quality Standard, as supported by the Walking Together project. 

This study used a mixed methods research approach to capture the experiences of Alberta teachers: 

• In May 2019, participants from the 2019 Walking Together gatherings were invited to complete an online survey. The gatherings were held in Edmonton (138 participants), Calgary (52 participants) and Grande Prairie (27 participants). In total, 130 people completed the survey. The survey comprised a number of scale questions, as well as several qualitative questions intended to elicit in‑depth comments.
• In spring 2019, the researchers conducted four in‑person focus groups. Each focus group included ATA members from across the province and was semi‑structured. The primary purpose of the focus groups was to discuss the Walking Together project. Specifically, the researchers were interested in gathering information about the participants’ general perceptions of the workshops and resources and their feedback about the impact of those supports. Participation in the survey was voluntary, and respondents could skip questions or withdraw at any time before clicking the submit button. 

Participation in the focus groups was also voluntary. The survey and focus group questions have been included in the appendix to this report.  The researchers collected and analyzed the data, computed descriptive statistics for all scale questions, and performed a thematic qualitative analysis on the open‑ended responses.
 

Collaborators

• Melissa Bird (formerly Melissa Purcell), former executive staff officer, Indigenous Education, Professional Development
• Community–University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families at the University of Alberta
• Walking together consultants
• First Nations, Métis and Inuit Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Cultural Advisors