The Power of Relationship Building for Indigenous Student Success
By Darja Barr, University of Manitoba
Darja.Barr@umanitoba.ca
Context
At post secondary institutions across Canada, the recruitment and retention of Indigenous and First Nations students is receiving ever more attention and resources (4–12). At the University of Manitoba, one of the Five Strategic Priorities that are laid out in our strategic plan is Creating Pathways for Indigenous Achievement. In this section, the University outlines its commitment to “building a culturally rich, safe and supportive learning and work environment in which an increasing number of Indigenous students, faculty and staff succeed” through increasing Indigenous student enrolment and increasing Indigenous student retention and graduation rates. However, in Manitoba, as of 2011, those identifying as Indigenous or Aboriginal peoples made up around 17% of the population, and census data predicts that this number will increase to 19% by 2026 (1). On the other hand, at the University of Manitoba, our student body in 2016 was made up of only 8% Indigenous or Aboriginal identifying peoples (2,3). Clearly, this group is underrepresented at our University—and continues to be—despite significant efforts to increase numbers and graduation rates. This reflects a broader trend where Indigenous students and other minorities are underrepresented and have lower retention rates in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs across North America (4).
There are many complex issues associated with the underrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in post-secondary education. In fact, the transition from high school to university is difficult for many students because of the differences in expectations, environment, teaching style, and a variety of other factors. These challenges are only enhanced for students who come from First Nations communities, where the culture and environment may be very different than that experienced on a university campus. Thus, faculty members across a variety of Departments are being encouraged to explore different ways to attract and retain Indigenous students, as well as support them towards achieving success.
In the Department of Mathematics, we have a somewhat unique challenge in that not only are Indigenous students highly underrepresented in our field and in our courses (4), but that the incoming mathematical knowledge of our students from First Nations communities is highly varied. These students may not have had access to high school mathematics courses or teachers with strong mathematical backgrounds. This in turn can lead to difficulty completing first year mathematics requirements, leading to withdrawal from courses, programs of choice, and the university in general. This reality motivated us to seek opportunities to link with other Faculties whose Indigenous students were taking first year mathematics courses as a gateway into their field of choice. One of these was the College of Nursing. Through partnership and a joint sense of purpose we were able to collaboratively develop a program which addressed Indigenous Nursing hopefuls’ struggles with university mathematics within the orientation program that they were already offering. The hope was that this joint effort would result in increased success in both their coursework and retention in the Nursing program.
The Aboriginal Nursing Cohort Initiative
At the University of Manitoba, the Aboriginal Nursing Cohort Initiative (ANCI), the College of Nursing and the Department of Mathematics came together to develope a program that aimed to increase student success overall, and more specifically in Applied Finite Mathematics (MATH 1010). This mathematics course has long been a significant barrier to the ability of students in this cohort to successfully be accepted into the Nursing Program. In the summer of 2015, the Faculty of Nursing approached the Department of Mathematics and the Dean’s office of the Faculty of Science to begin a strategic partnership that would address the cohort’s struggles with mathematics.
Rather than attempting to remove or bypass the mathematics requirement for their students, the ANCI team was dedicated to supporting students in mathematics and to cooperating with our Department in any way necessary to achieve success. In the fall of 2015, the first attempt to improve ANCI student performance in MATH 1010 consisted of creating a special section of the course, reserved for the ANCI students only. The thought was that these students would feel more comfortable in a small classroom environment, surrounded by their peers, rather than in the typical, large (100+) classes. Though there was no significant change in student outcomes from the previous class format to the small class format, the students expressed their preference for the small classes.
After the term, we again came together to reflect and rethink our approach. This time, we wanted to align with research that has identified various factors that can enhance the experiences (and thus retention and persistence) of Indigenous students at university, and specifically in STEM disciplines. Some of these factors include:
1. Building strategic partnerships (6),
2. Reinforcing cultural identity (7,8),
3. Creating opportunities to connect with other Indigenous students (8),
4. Building relationships between faculty and Indigenous students (8).
ANCI Orientation
At the time, the MATH 1010 course was also undergoing an overhaul, with the format changing to a two-track system meant to provide early alerts and support to struggling students, while allowing for a parallel environment that would challenge students who could advance quickly through the material (13). Through discussions and research, the ANCI program coordinators decided to implement a significant Math Academy as a required part of their orientation program in August 2016. This orientation was geared specifically to their incoming ANCI cohort — a cohort of First Nations students who were completing the first year prerequisite coursework to apply to the Nursing program. It aimed to bring these students together in a peer group where they could meet other students with similar backgrounds and ambitions.
The orientation was mandatory for these students, and was designed to address several key goals: prepare the ANCI students for university through identification of resources and support centers on campus; focus on cultural identity through the inclusion of Elders as speakers and identity-focused activities; and build foundational mathematics skills.
The timing during the last week in August, facilitated participation of students from towns or First Nations communities outside of Winnipeg who would be coming to campus to begin the school term. The program was funded jointly by the Faculty of Nursing and the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS).
Each morning was devoted to mathematics in a PIMS Math Academy led by myself and a mathematics graduate student (Lindsay Wessel in the first year, Jane Breen in the second). The first day of orientation began with Introductions of the ANCI team, and a prayer and short talk about Indigenous history and the importance of giving back to the community by the Elder-in-residence. Following that, each student came up in turn and shared information about their First Nation community, their ancestry, and the types of traditions and ceremonies that they participated in. Students represented Metis, Cree, Dene, and Ojibwe backgrounds from a variety of communities — from right outside of Winnipeg all the way to the Northwest Territories. They shared information about powwows, sweat lodges, and traditional dances that they enjoyed participating in, and the activity showcased the uniqueness and variety of the participants, while giving them the opportunity to find common ground with one another.
We began the Math Academy on the second day of the week. First, we gave the students a short (15 question) multiple choice diagnostic test to identify levels of students’ incoming mathematical background so that we could plan for activities and content that would best suit the group’s needs. For the rest of the Academy we partnered with JUMP Math to provide a PIMS-funded resource designed especially for this group. The resource consisted of a workbook that covered the number line, fraction arithmetic, linear equations, graphing and word problems. Our mornings were spent doing mini-lectures, following which the ANCI students worked on materials in groups throughout the mornings. We found that the groups naturally formed themselves with peers of similar mathematical background and abilities, and this allowed us to differentiate and target instruction in a streamlined way. We were able to speed the faster groups through the material independently, while taking the time to provide the other groups with additional attention and guidance.
Afternoons were spent exploring the campus, learning about services on campus, effective tools for success, tutorials and tutors, reading high volumes, note taking, and creating a student survival kit. Overall, the goal of the week was to familiarize the participants with campus and the resources available to them, while targeting mathematics enrichment or remediation as needed on an individual basis.
An ANCI student from the first year of the program wrote the following:
“Before the Math Academy took place, I had not been enrolled in a math course for quite some time. The academy refreshed my mind and gave me a head start as to what to expect in a university math course. It set the ground work for my mind to become in tune with understanding problems, setting up equations and properly utilizing formulas. This all was an effective lead into Math 1010. If any student was to ask me, “Was the Math Academy time worth spent” my answer would be it was absolutely time worth spent with an amazing professor who was as excited to see me learn as I was myself.”
— Lisa Schick
Results
All of the PIMS Math Academy students were registered to take the MATH 1010 Applied Finite Mathematics course in the Fall 2016 term, directly following the Academy. The following table summarizes the Fall 2016 post-Academy results in comparison to Fall 2015’s small class size format results (which mirrored the usual results for this cohort before ANCI and the Department of Mathematics began working together):
The most significant quantitative result was the distribution of grades. The Track A/B system identified the students who were in need of significant remediation early on in the term. This allowed them to withdraw from the course without spending the rest of the term struggling, while supporting those who needed some remediation (Track B) or no remediation (Track A) to achieve their full potential. This can be seen in the average GPA results of those completing the course. Students either withdrew from the course, or ended with a grade of C or better (none finished with an F or D).
Overall, more (both in number and proportionally) students completed the course successfully this year as compared to the past year, and those who did complete the course did so with significantly higher grades. With this system in place, we were able to close the gap between average GPA for the ANCI students and the average GPA of the class overall (which was around 3.6, or B+). Of the 9 students who withdrew from the course, they re-registered for the course in the Winter 2017 or Fall 2017 term, and all have completed the course successfully since.
Empowerment Through Volunteer Experiences
Another notable result of the PIMS Math Academy is that several of the ANCI students have become a valuable addition to our Math Mania team (see Math Mania Reaches First Nations Communities in Manitoba). Though the CMS notes have highlighted Math Mania activities before (https://cms.math.ca/notes/v45/n5/Notesv45n5.pdf and https://cms.math.ca/notes/v46/n3/Notesv46n3.pdf), it has not been explored from the perspective of the impact of, and on, the volunteers.
The ANCI volunteer group has travelled to numerous communities around the province, including Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Sagkeeng, Lake St. Martin, Pinaymootang, Little Saskatchewan, Crane River, Jackhead, and Peguis First Nations. This group of students went from a space of general anxiety and apprehension about mathematics, to being key members in the provision of mathematics games and activities to young Indigenous students. They have found a new sense of empowerment with mathematics, now passing along a confidence and enthusiasm for mathematics to other Indigenous students.
An ANCI student had the following to say about her experiences with Math Mania:
“I really liked seeing the children’s faces light up when they understood how each of the math games worked. I was working the ‘pathways to the star’ game and it was amazing to see how each child quickly understood what they were doing. Once they figured out one puzzle, the expression on their face was priceless; they felt confident in what they were doing and continued on. I’ve never seen children so excited about doing anything science or math related. It’s really amazing to bring activities like these to different schools and get the children to enjoy these subjects and continue on with their academic journey. I was never really confident with math or science as a kid and I really wish there was a program like Math Mania to get me more excited about science and math. The program that Darja and Kristie [another volunteer] do is truly amazing and I cannot wait to help and participate in the next Math Mania we do!”
— Linda Maclean
Closing Comments
In reflecting on the experiences with this cohort of students, I believe that the relationship building that occurred throughout the week of Academy had the biggest impact. We were able to get to know each other outside of the traditional classroom environment, and built personalized, authentic relationships that all students, especially First Nations students, are most likely to respond to (7,8). The students felt comfortable approaching me, their instructor, during the MATH 1010 course in the term following the Academy, both over email and in person. Not only were they able to succeed in their own coursework, but went further to participate in activities that brought the joy of mathematics to young First Nations students all around the Province. It was the openness to learning from and about each other that, I feel, was truly the factor that led to these students’ success in the mathematics course and beyond.
Summer bridge programs such as the PIMS Math Academy at the University of Manitoba have been shown to have success with underrepresented minority populations, specifically in STEM fields (5–7). However, it is much more than the content delivered during these bridge programs that leads to Indigenous students’ success at university. It is the dedication that these programs show to relationship building — between peers, between students and faculty, and between faculty members who are committed to Indigenous student success — that contains the potential to change the story of First Nations students in University STEM programs. Because of the success of the program in its initial year, the ANCI orientation and PIMS Math Academy ran again in the summer of 2017, and will run for the third time in the summer of 2018.
In the next run of the orientation, we will be modifying our approach once again. This time, we will be combining the Track A/B format with the small class format by creating a separate Track B class, specifically reserved for the ANCI students who are struggling in the course. In this way, we hope to see both the achievement benefits from the altered course delivery format, as well as the student engagement and comfort benefits of the small class size.
Many of the students from the initial Academy have now competed their prerequisite course work and have gone on to be accepted into the Nursing program. If we continue to build such programs that value cultural identity and encourage Indigenous students to see themselves as a part of the post-secondary experience, we can continue to foster success for all of our students.
References
1. M. Zerbe. (Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives, 2016 ), vol. 2018.
2. E. Allegroet al., “Office of Institutional Analysis: 2014–2015 IS BOOK “ (University of Manitoba, Office of Institutional Analysis, 2015). https://umanitoba.ca/admin/oia/media/2014-2015_IS_BOOK_Final_Mar_30_2016.pdf.
3. University of Manitoba Office of Institutional Analysis, “Canadian Indigenous Students by Faculty/College/School Compared to Overall Student Population” (University of Manitoba, 2016). https://umanitoba.ca/admin/oia/media/Indigenous_Students_Faculty_College_School_overall_population_16.pdf.
4. National Science Foundation National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, “Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering” (National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA, 2017). www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/.
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10. R. M. Guillory, M. Wolverton, It’s About Family: Native American Student Persistence in Higher Education. The Journal of Higher Education 79, 58–87 (2008).
11. D. E. Martin, A. Kipling, Factors shaping Aboriginal nursing students’ experiences. Nurse Education in Practice 6, 380–388.
12. L. Finkel, Walking the Path Together from High School to STEM Majors and Careers: Utilizing Community Engagement and a Focus on Teaching to Increase Opportunities for URM Students. Journal of Science Education and Technology 26, 116–126 (2017).
13. D. Barr, L. Wessel, Rethinking course structure: increased participation and persistence in introductory post-secondary mathematics courses. Fields Journal of Mathematics Education 3, 1–13 (2018)
