Decolonizing STEM Learning through Land-Based Education in Ontario: The Generation of Guiding Principles and Discovery of Unanticipated Outcomes

Abstract

In Canada Indigenous learners are underrepresented in STEM-related subjects and fields. This is problematic since because Western science, by design, prides itself on being value-free, it struggles to address moral questions regarding how nature should be treated. Combining Indigenous knowledge with the tools of Western science, however, has the potential to enable Western science to be applied in a manner that helps to both generate and maintain reciprocal relationships with the natural world. This dissertation reflects on the process through which diverse stakeholders worked together to produce decolonized grades 7-10 STEM resources intended to engage Indigenous learners in STEM subjects and reconnect Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners to the land. Results shared consider the role that land-based learning and land education play in the decolonization of STEM education. The research study also reflects on the effects of producing decolonized STEM learning materials on the community and institutional stakeholders involved in the process. Findings indicate that the process of working together to produce decolonized STEM learning materials, in addition to the product itself, can spark both personal and institutional shifts towards decolonization.