ACT 31 AND COMPLIANCE

THEORY

Dan Timm, Ed.D.Department of Kinesiology

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Background Teach in the physical education teacher

education (PETE) program at the University of Wisconsin

The “Act 31 person” Apply Act 31 to physical education What can I do to make the Act 31

training better?Helpful to know what other PETE programs

were doing

Literature Review Maurer (1994) found no positive results of

including Act 31 into a high school curriculum

Johnson (1996) and Smith (1997) found a lack of compliance and understanding on the part of school district administrators

Literature Review WIEA/WTEDA/UW-Extension (2000)

indicated 2/3 of colleges of education reported being in compliance with Act 31Data from all teacher education programs

were grouped togetherNot known if any PETE programs

responded to the survey

So… If I wanted to know what other PETE

programs were doing, I would have to find out myself

Initial thought was to examine all the PETE programs in the stateAdvisor quickly changed that idea to

something more manageableCase study of one program

Research Question How does a Wisconsin university

include Act 31 in the PETE teacher-training curriculum to attain transformative learning regarding values and social justice for American Indian people in Wisconsin?

Purposeful Sampling Wanted the participant PETE program to

be doing a “good” job Informally contacted UW institutions that

offered a major in PETE

Purposeful Sampling Eight universities were contacted; how

many responded?

Of the universities that responded, how did they indicate they were including Act 31 in PETE curriculum?

Purposeful Sampling Five universities responded Received a variety of responses

“Dance class but that instructor is now gone”“I know we’re not doing a good job”“I think that’s covered in Education but I’m

not sure”

Purposeful Sampling One university responded in the

affirmative The participating university for the study

had been identified

Methods Qualitative grounded theory design

Grounded theory would help explain the practice of how a Wisconsin university included Act 31 in its PETE teacher-training curriculum

ParticipantsFour instructors of the “human relations”

courseFive PETE preservice teachers

Data Collection Artifacts

Course syllabus, assignments, and readings Interviews using open-ended guiding

questionsInstructorsPETE preservice teachers

Data Analysis Artifacts

Coded to discover the underlying meaning Interviews

Transcribed and coded to discover the underlying meaning

Data Analysis Draft Summary

Themes were identified Story Draft

Pulled together themes and detailed information from artifacts, instructor interviews, and PETE preservice teacher interviews

Critical Pedagogy Analysis Findings of the study were examined

from a critical pedagogy perspective (Freire, 1970/1970)Identified themes as a schooling or education

approach to teaching Act 31 (Kanpol, 1998; McLaren, 2003)

Schooling is similar to a technical/managerial approach to teaching Act 31 (Leary, 2007)

Education is similar to a historically situated approach to teaching Act 31 (Leary, 2007)

Findings – Five Themes Factors affecting the teaching of Act 31 Instructors’ teaching of Act 31 Instructors’ thoughts on the teaching of

Act 31 Act 31 and PETE courses PETE preservice teachers and Act 31

Findings – Five Themes What are some “sub-themes” that were

revealed under each of the five themes?

Factors Affecting the Teaching of Act 31 Overall course content was extensive

Act 31 was one of 12 topical areas in a 15-week course

Time spent teaching Act 31 was smallThree instructors spent one weekOne instructor spent two weeksBasic information; could not go into detail

Factors Affecting the Teaching of Act 31 Preservice teachers’ prior knowledge of

Act 31Most preservice teachers knew nothing

about Act 31 prior to the human relations course

Instructors no longer expect preservice teachers to know anything about Act 31

Service learning project○ Director of curriculum, principals, and

teachers did not know anything about Act 31

Factors Affecting the Teaching of Act 31 Preservice teachers’ perceptions of

American IndiansTreated poorly in the past but now things are

OKVery separate from the lives of preservice

teachersEither “a deficit model” or “they have unfair

rights model”

Factors Affecting the Teaching of Act 31 Addressing methods in the human

relations courseInstructors of methods courses were

resistant to include anything about race or culture

Resulted in a big split between methods and content

Many preservice teachers did not know how to apply Act 31 to their content area

Factors Affecting the Teaching of Act 31 Critical pedagogy perspective

Schooling approach to training preservice teachers so they will have met requirements to become licensed teachers

Technical/managerial approach to teaching Act 31○ Instructors were limited to be solely in

compliance with Act 31 and satisfy a curriculum requirement

Instructors’ Teaching of Act 31 Instructors’ approach to teaching Act 31

Attempted to have preservice teachers attain transformative learning regarding values and social justice for American Indian people in Wisconsin○ Develop greater awareness, examine own

value systems, think critically

Instructors’ Teaching of Act 31 Instructors’ approach to teaching Act 31

Three instructors took a gradual, cumulative approach (O’Hara, 2006);

One instructor took a direct, in-your-face approach

Instructors’ Teaching of Act 31 Learning activities used to teach Act 31

Minimal lectureDiscussionLarge and small group workQuestion and answer sessionsPreservice teacher presentationsGuest speaker presentationsReadings, videos

Instructors’ Teaching of Act 31 Perspectives from which Act 31 was

taughtHistoricalPoliticalSocialContemporaryEducationalSocial justice

Instructors’ Teaching of Act 31 What preservice teachers are expected

to learn and achieve from their Act 31 trainingBe better prepared as teachers

○ Content knowledge○ Able to integrate Act 31 into their teaching and

curriculum; not in a superficial manner

Instructors’ Teaching of Act 31 How instructors know if preservice

teachers have successfully completed their Act 31 trainingNo formal assessmentEvaluation of in-class activitiesNo indication if preservice teachers “could

really do it” or were just in compliance with a state requirement

Instructors’ Teaching of Act 31 Critical pedagogy perspective

Instructors took an education approach to teaching Act 31○ Attempted to go beyond a superficial level and

attain depth of understanding and transformation

Historically situated approach to teaching Act 31○ Taught from various perspectives○ Attempted to foster development of values and

social justice

Instructors’ Thoughts on the Teaching of Act 31 Being in compliance with Act 31

Instructors questioned the validity of being in compliance with the Act 31 requirement○ One instructor felt she was just checking

checkboxes when teaching the human relations course

○ “I just think it’s really a joke that this class can count as covering…even if we do it great, it’s still not OK” (Instructor Helen)

Instructors’ Thoughts on the Teaching of Act 31 Building partnerships

As a group, the instructors had not built partnerships with American Indian entities on-campus or off-campus

Preservice teachers were told to build partnerships

One instructor had individually built partnerships

Instructors’ Thoughts on the Teaching of Act 31 Critical pedagogy perspective

Instructors thought they were schooling preservice teachers on Act 31

Factors affecting the teaching of Act 31 limited instructors to a technical/managerial approach to teaching Act 31

Act 31 and PETE Courses How Act 31 was currently included in

PETE coursesWas not includedPossibly included as an underlying tone in a

methods class discussing culturally relevant pedagogy

“I don’t know if I’m that comfortable even including it in my classes” (PETE preservice teacher Colleen)

Act 31 and PETE Courses Suggestions for including Act 31 in

future PETE coursesIntroduced in humans relations course and

reinforced in PETE coursesPETE courses needed to address more

diversity issuesOpportunities for professional development

for PETE instructors are limited because of teaching loads

Act 31 and PETE Courses Critical pedagogy perspective

Act 31 not being included in any PETE courses represented a schooling or technical/managerial approach to teaching Act 31

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 PETE preservice teachers’ prior

knowledge of Act 31All grew up in WisconsinNone recalled Act 31 being included in

elementary or secondary education○ Taught whatever textbooks stated

Realized textbooks were wrong after taking human relations course

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 PETE preservice teachers’ retention of

Act 31Minimal retention of Act 31 from human

relations courseRemembered only bits and pieces of

information; no connected thoughts“Can you review what Act 31 is?” (PETE

preservice teacher Mike)No preservice teacher mentioned Act 31 in

any of three portfolios

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 Difference in self before and after being

taught about Act 31Greater awareness and sensitively toward

American IndiansOne thought he grew as a teacher; another

felt more mature

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 Views on social justice for American

Indians in WisconsinPublic needed to be educated more

○ Act 31 not being taught enough or stressed enough

American Indians sometimes misunderstood; shed in a negative light

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 Thoughts by PETE preservice teachers

regarding the Act 31 instruction they receivedExcellent course but difficult to apply the Act

31 materialCould have been better

○ Stressed more○ More time given it in the human relations

course

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 Including Act 31 in future teaching

Readiness: talk about history if play a Native game

Told to be creative and make content relevant to students○ Not sure how to do that with Act 31

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 Including Act 31 in future teaching

“I would say very poorly. I don’t think I’ve been prepared to any extent to include it in my teaching. The instructors had really no idea how to include it in as a phy ed teacher” (PETE preservice teacher Colleen)

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 Recommendations for future teaching of

Act 31 to PETE preservice teachersMore direct, more emphasisShould be its own classIncorporated into PETE curriculum

PETE Preservice Teachers and Act 31 Critical pedagogy perspective

Thoughts represented a schooling or technical/managerial approach to teaching Act 31○ Lack of retention of Act 31○ Few differences in selves after Act 31 training

Grounded Theory Compliance Theory

Administrators at a Wisconsin university did what was needed to be in compliance with the Act 31 requirement○ PETE preservice teachers did receive

instruction in the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the federally-recognized tribes and bands in the states

Grounded Theory Compliance Theory

Administrators at a Wisconsin university placed secondary importance on the quality of Act 31 training provided to preservice teachers○ Act 31 was included in only one course

One of 12 topical areas○ Act 31 was not included in methods courses○ Act 31 was not included in PETE courses

Recommendations A Wisconsin university

Reevaluate how it addresses the Act 31 requirement

Act 31 needs to be included in methods courses

Remove some of the content from the human relations course

Recommendations Instructors of human relations course

Move some content to a history, philosophy, and law of education course

Build partnerships with campus and community groups

Develop a way to assess preservice teachers’ knowledge of Act 31

Recommendations PETE Program

Incorporate Act 31 into its courses○ Reinforce what is taught in the human

relations course○ PETE preservice teachers have opportunity to

apply Act 31 content to physical education

Recommendations Wisconsin Department of Public

InstructionReconsider the concept of compliance

Thank You Dan Timm, Ed.D. Faculty Associate Department of Kinesiology 2000 Observatory Drive University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin 53706 608-262-7714 dtimm@education.wisc.edu

Full Text of Study… Timm, D. J. (2012). Raising awareness

regarding American Indian issues in physical education preservice teacher training. (Walden University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 302.