Comparative Indigenous education research (CIER): Indigenous epistemologies and comparative education methodologies

Abstract

This article considers the contributions of Indigenous knowledges to educational research. It proposes the term comparative Indigenous education research (CIER) in an effort to promote Indigenous-centred research approaches in comparative and international Indigenous education studies. Through CIER, Indigenous peoples and communities articulate research priorities, locate sites of research that raise issues of universal and local concern, and engage community-based responses that are locally and globally relevant beyond nation-state borders. The article draws on the evolution of comparative education and proposals for research approaches that utilise underrepresented lenses, as well as manifestations of endogenous philosophies, specifically Indigenous research methodologies. Conceptual frames for considering CIER through practice are also offered, based on comparative research that crosses disciplines and borders, as well as research with Indigenous communities and researcher observations that reflect epistemological commitment to Indigenous peoples.