Polygon Created with Sketch. Home | Research

STEM for Indigenous Learners

Indigenous people continue to be underrepresented in STEM occupations, which carry political as well as economic weight in our society.

Indigenous communities want to see increased representation of their members in these important positions and see Indigenous ways of knowing incorporated into STEM curricula and professional practices.

Youth working together to plant a tree.

Cross-cultural approaches may help improve educational outcomes for Indigenous learners in STEM fields. They may also help educators and STEM professionals better understand and appreciate Indigenous values, learning styles, and traditional ways of knowing. Educators want to know which approaches work in cross-cultural STEM education, but the evidence base is currently limited. Similarly, public policy officials need to know which approaches to STEM education are worth funding, and which have the best return on investment.

This project will identify innovative examples of Indigenous STEM initiatives across Canada that are making a difference to learners, and will explore how and why they are effective.

View Related Research

Mining worker directing a large haul truck in an open-pit mine.
Research

Mining Skills Innovation Research

Regional assessments in the Cariboo and Northcoast/Nechako regions have identified logistical barriers to training, including housing shortages, childcare gaps, and geographic isolation. To address these issues, the research proposes a Workforce Development Accelerator Framework.
Designers team working meeting in a modern office
Research

The Skills Map: Canada’s Skills Development Ecosystemexternal link icon

The Skills Map brings together data on thousands of organizations to create a comprehensive view of skills training and employment services across the country.
Research

Workers Perspectives on Alberta’s Coal Workers Transition Program

This project examined how effectively Alberta’s Coal Workforce Transition Program supported workers affected by the province’s coal phase-out and what lessons it offers for future transition efforts in Canada.
View all Research