Abstract
<p>The phenomenological study investigated the perceptions of teachers who implemented a culture-based curriculum at an elementary school on Oahu. Aloha ‘Āina is a culture-based curriculum with instruction and student learning grounded in the values, norms, knowledge, beliefs, practices, experiences, and language that are the foundation of the Hawaiian culture. Eight teachers were interviewed after they used the culture-based curriculum in their classrooms during one semester. Data analysis revealed four categories: teachers’ initial experiences, student engagement, challenges and opportunities, and meaningful experiences. Teachers were challenged by the culture-based education program and teachers’ perceptions of the Aloha ‘Āina curriculum were positive, most agreeing that it helped students to learn and improve student engagement through hands-on learning in and outside of the classroom.</p><p><em>Keywords:</em> Aloha ‘Aina, culture-based curricula, place-based education,</p>
Highlights
The phenomenological study was designed to develop an understanding of the experiences and perceptions of Hawaii elementary school teachers who used the Aloha ‘Āina culture-based curriculum in their classrooms
All of the teachers enjoyed having the curricula as a supplement to their current social studies and science curricula
With curricular demands that are placed on teachers in the State of Hawaii, the Aloha ‘Āina curriculum does not fully encompass a stand-alone curriculum that suits the needs of the school that they originally expected
Summary
The phenomenological study was designed to develop an understanding of the experiences and perceptions of Hawaii elementary school teachers who used the Aloha ‘Āina culture-based curriculum in their classrooms. As educators across the nation prioritize resolutions due to NCLB, they resort to using basic texts and have followed scripted programs that allow for minimal hands-on student-centred activities (Smyth, 2008) Because these programs do not consider the needs of every learner, classroom teachers try to find ways to fill. A small number of schools in Hawaii have created new curricula for students and have reached state benchmarks and good standing, schools with higher Native Hawaiian populations have not met the state benchmarks As a result, these schools have resorted to extending math, reading and writing sessions, leaving little time for anything else, including the use of creative teaching strategies. These units were aligned to the state content and performance standards that were addressed in the units of the study
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