Indigenous teacher education : research-based model

![CDATA[Increasing the number of Native teachers who are properly trained to meet the needs of Native students is a widely accepted strategy for improving American Indian student learning outcomes. The Native Educators Research Project investigated the programmatic elements of existing US teacher preparation programs that influence Native pre-service teachers' attitudes toward the integration of Native language and culture in the learning environment and prepare them to effectively situate their teaching within the cultural context of their students' lives. Data collection and analyses proceeded in two phases focusing first on surveying the pre-service teachers within the context of the professional developments programs in which they were enrolled and subsequently on case studies that focused on the experiences of eight of the new teachers within the context of their classroom and school. This investigation enriched our understanding of the synergistic effect of combining the visions and hopes of aspiring Native educators with the promise and possibilities of responsive professional development programs. Findings indicate that the ideal program would be tailored to the specific context of the communities in which they would teach. Such specificity can seldom be accommodated at the institutional level, however there was broad agreement about many of the features of a "model" program.]]