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From cultural roots to worldview: Cultural connectedness of teachers for native Hawaiian students

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From cultural roots to worldview: Cultural connectedness of teachers for native Hawaiian students

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FROM CULTURAL ROOTS TO WORLDVIEW:
CULTURAL CONNECTEDNESS OF TEACHERS
FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN STUDENTS

by

Sandra Iwalani Tuitele

__________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2010

Copyright 2010 Sandra Iwalani Tuitele

ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A beautiful haku lei is the result of braiding different ferns, flowers and
foliage combined with a generous portion of aloha (love). Like the haku lei, this
dissertation is the result of braiding a variety of elements. Preparing the parts of this
“lei,” learning the art of braiding it, and pursuing this ambitious work involved the
leadership of many.
First I’d like to thank my colleagues at Kamehameha Elementary School for
graciously allowing me to explore and participate in their world. To the
administrators, teachers, office personnel, educational assistants and everyone at
KES, mahalo (thank you) from the bottom of my heart. All of you helped complete
this study so it can benefit Native Hawaiian students and their teachers for years to
come. Mahalo also to Brandon Ledward, KS researcher, for your expert guidance.
I’d also like to thank my colleagues in the 2007 USC-Hawai‘i cohort for your
tremendous example of fortitude and for your enduring support, which encouraged
me to reach this goal. We shared so much together over the past three years and the
bond we developed will remain pa‘a (steadfast).
Special thanks to my committee chair, Dr. Melora Sundt, who provided me
with complete support. Thank you also to Dr. Darnell Cole and Dr. Kathryn Au who
were members of the final committee. Together, this awesome trio inspired me to
reach beyond my limitations. Thank you for your unwavering faith and confidence in
me.

iii
I’d also like to thank all of the kumu (teachers) who have influenced any part
of my life: from my kindergarten teachers to my college professors, my Primary and
Seminary teachers to my church leaders, and my piano teachers to my kumu hula
(dance). All have contributed to my intellectual, emotional, moral, social, spiritual,
cultural and professional development. Part of who I am is a result of the effect you
had in my life.
I am blessed to have so many friends who trusted my decision to pursue
another degree more than twenty and thirty years after receiving my master’s and
bachelor’s degrees respectively. I sincerely appreciate your inquiries about my
progress, your words of assurance, and at times, your help “picking up the pieces”
when I was too overwhelmed. You know who you are, mahalo nui loa (thank you
very much).
To all of my ‘ohana (family), I express my sincerest gratitude. You are the
most precious thing in my life and you have “taken a back seat” to my doctoral work.
Thank you to my husband Tim, my sons Clarke, Chris and Cameron, my daughters-
in-law, grandchildren, parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-
laws and all of my ancestors. Mahalo for giving me so many reasons to persevere.
There are other important expressions of appreciation I must extend. I wish to
thank the many organizations that awarded me scholarships. Since it was so many
years since I accomplished my last degree, I agonized over the burden of cost this
educational endeavor would cause. Luckily, I was able to concentrate on my studies
and not worry about my financial obligations because of the generosity of Delta

iv
Kappa Gamma Society International, Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, Department
of Hawaiian Home Lands, Liko A‘e, Kamehameha Schools, Unity House, and
Zimmerman Foundation.
Finally, I express my humble gratitude to my Savior Jesus Christ. Through
Him all things are possible. Mahalo for the miracle of my haku lei, this dissertation!

Sandra (Sandi) Iwalani Tuitele

v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ii
List of Tables vii
List of Figures ix
Abstract x
Chapter One: Introduction 1
Background of the Problem 8
Statement of the Problem 18
Purpose of the Study 20
Research Questions 21
Definitions 22
Organization of the Study 24
Chapter Two: Review of Literature 25
Challenges Facing Native Hawaiians 26
Teacher Influence 44
Conceptual Frameworks 51
Conclusion 68
Chapter Three: Methodology 70
Methods 72
Research Design 76
Instrumentation 79
Data Collection 89
Ethical Considerations 98
Conclusion 102
Chapter Four: The Findings 104
Demographics 105
General Findings 106
Construct of Academic Content 110
Construct of Context or Cultural Competence 122
Construct of Consciousness or Social Consciousness 132
Construct of Perspective or Teachers Perception 141
Teacher Connectedness 149
Additional Questions 154
Conclusion 156

vi
Chapter Five: Conclusion 161
Summary of Results 164
Discussion of Findings 174
Limitations 186
Practical Implications 187
Anatomy of a Culturally Connected Teacher 191
Anatomy of a Culturally Connected Teacher For Native Hawaiian 194
Students
References 195
Appendices 206
Appendix A: Interview Guide Questions For Teachers at KES 206
Appendix B: Culture Based Education Teacher Tool (CBETT) 209
Appendix C: Hawaiian Indigenous Education Rubric (HIER) 217
Appendix D: Informed Consent For Survey 222
Appendix E: Informed Consent For Interview and Survey 225
Appendix F: Letter For Permission To Conduct Survey and Interview 229

vii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Education and Well-being of Hawaiians Compared to Other 4
Groups or General Population

Table 2. Comparison of Epistemologies Based on Literature Reviewed 11
Table 3. CREDE’s Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning 39
Table 4. Teachers’ Conceptions of Self and Others 45
Table 5. Teachers’ Structuring of Social Relations 46
Table 6. Synthesis of Models 59
Table 7. Survey Items Aligned with Content Construct 80
Table 8. Survey Items Aligned with Context Construct 81
Table 9. Survey Items Aligned with Consciousness Construct 83
Table 10. Survey Items Aligned with Perspective Construct 84
Table 11. Interview Questions Linked to Content Construct 87
Table 12. Interview Questions Linked to Context Construct 87
Table 13. Interview Questions Linked to Consciousness Construct 88
Table 14. Interview Questions Linked to Perspective Construct 88
Table 15. Adapted Rubric for CBETT as it Relates to Content Construct 94
Table 16. Adapted Rubric for CBETT as it Relates to Context Construct 95
Table 17. Adapted Rubric for CBETT as it Relates to Consciousness 96
Construct

Table 18. Adapted Rubric for CBETT as it Relates to Perspective 97
Construct

Table 19. Mean Scores as Weighted for Rubric Levels with Mean 110
Scores Per Construct and Strand

viii
Table 20. Mode (number of teachers) Selecting Rating at Each Rubric 113
Level for Content Construct

Table 21. Mode (number of teachers) Selecting Rating at Each Rubric 124
Level for Context Construct

Table 22. Mode (number of teachers) Selecting Rating at Each Rubric 135
Level for Consciousness Construct

Table 23. Mode (number of teachers) Selecting Rating at Each Rubric 144
Level for Perspective Construct

Table 24. Mean Score for Each Construct 145
Table 25. Mean Scores for Each Teacher Displayed by Constructs of 151
the Study

Table 26. Summative Scores for Different Teacher Groups by Construct 154
Table 27. Overall Mean Scores by Construct Based on Weighted Scores 164
from Adapted Rubric

Table 28. Comparison of Themes from Ladson-Billings, This Study, 185
Castagno & Brayboy

ix
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Theoretical Model for Hawaiian Cultural Influences in 54
Education (HCIE)

Figure 2. Rubric Level with the Highest Mode (for each strand of each 108
construct)

Figure 3. Questions and Survey Items for Content Construct 111
Figure 4. Questions and Survey Items for Context Construct 123
Figure 5. Questions and Survey Items for Consciousness Construct 133
Figure 6. Questions and Survey Items for Perspective Construct 142
Figure 7. Overall Level of CRP/CBE Usage among KES Teachers 153

x
ABSTRACT
Native Hawaiian students encounter numerous challenges due to differences
between Western and Hawaiian philosophies and values (Dela Cruz, Salsman,
Brislin, & Losch, 2005, p. 121). Research suggests it is a result of the incongruence
between Indigenous students’ formal education and their heritage culture (Hinkley &
McInerney, 1998; Ogbu, 1995; Kawagley & Barnhardt, 1998; Lipka & McCarty,
1994; Howard, 2003) generating discussion about reform in the dominant Western
educational structure, its curriculum and the preparation of prospective teachers
(Ladson-Billings, 1995b; Banks, 1993; Bennett, 2001; Castagno & Brayboy, 2008).
This study examines ten fourth and fifth grade teachers at Kamehameha Elementary
School where all of the students selected for admission to the K-12 private school
have Native Hawaiian heritage.
Ladson-Billings’ (1984) culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) helps structure
this study of teachers’ cultural connectedness with their students’ culture. Various
factors linked to cultural connectedness from CRP’s three principles and Hawaiian
Cultural Influences in Education (HCIE) are explored emphasizing 1) teachers’
practices in the classroom related to content, context, and consciousness and 2)
teachers’ perceptions or perspective about their cultural connectedness. It is this
“connectedness” which is the focus of the present study as it relates to teachers’ use
of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) or culture based education (CBE) in their
instruction and perceptions of teaching. Both quantitative and qualitative methods

xi
were employed in this study which utilizes a teacher survey (CBETT-Culture Based
Education Teacher Tool) and a teacher interview.

1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
If we have learned anything from our relationship with the American
Indian, it is that people cannot be torn from their cultural roots
without harm. To the extent that we fail to assist Native Americans
through their own institutions, to reclaim their past and secure their
future, we are compounding the costly errors of the past.

- Paul Boyer (Boyer’s writing as cited by Skinner, 1999)

Indigenous students around the world experience failure in the modern,
Western educational structures utilized by their countries (Kawagley & Barnhardt,
1998; Battiste, 2002; Lipka & McCarty, 1994). In New Zealand where more than
20% of students are Maori, an education gap with non-Maori exists resulting in
consequences of fewer years in secondary schools and unemployment for Maoris
(Titus, 2001, p. 5). Aboriginal students in Australia, who continue to be the most
disadvantaged student group in Australia, are troubled by high rates of absenteeism,
suspensions from schools, and low academic achievement (Review of Aboriginal
Education 2003-2004, p. 2). Across the United States, challenges facing Native
American Indians and Alaska Native Indians were reported in Indian Nations at Risk
(1991) which included high student dropout rates and negative attitudes about school
(p. 1).
Many of the educational challenges of Indigenous peoples described above
are analogous to those of Native Hawaiians who find limited success in conventional
schools across the state of Hawai‘i. Statistics show that Native Hawaiians comprise

2
25.9 percent of the total student enrollment in Hawai‘i’s public schools
(Kana‘iaupuni & Ishibashi, 2003). A 2005 report (Kana‘iaupuni, et al.) claimed
Native Hawaiian students were “far from parity” with their non-Hawaiian
counterparts and below state norms when considering factors such as standardized
test measures, enrollment in special education classes, high school graduation rates
and completion of college (p. 3). This same report also noted some significant gains,
although small, were made in recent years in the areas of 1) early childhood
development opportunities where attendance in preschools had increased and 2)
Hawaiian-focused charter schools which showed early signs of progress through
student engagement and the level of achievement for Native Hawaiian students when
compared to their non-Hawaiian peers in conventional schools (p. 2).
An assessment of Native Hawaiians’ education and other related areas
(physical, material or economic, social or cultural and emotional) analyzed the well-
being of this ethnic group in comparison to other groups (Kana‘iaupuni, et al., 2005,
p. 3). The outcomes revealed some gains (as previously noted) and “warning signs:
areas of continued need to redirect” (p. 3). Topping the list of concerns for Native
Hawaiians’ well being were 1) education and 2) welfare or poverty. Kana‘iaupuni
and Ishibashi (2003) point to high unemployment rates, poverty, disease and health
risks among the measures of well-being where Native Hawaiians fare poorly as
opposed to other ethnic groups in Hawai‘i. In addition, child abuse and neglect,
behaviors of risk among adolescents, arrests and incarceration are among other
alarming indicators (p. 5). Alcohol, tobacco and drug usage lead to increased rates

3
of delinquency and criminal justice experiences at an early age (p. 28). Such social
and economic disadvantages facing Native Hawaiians contribute to the inadequate
outcomes of their education. These educational outcomes, as stated earlier, include
poor achievement on standardized test measures, high enrollment in special
education, low high school graduation rates, and limited college completion.
Table 1 shares data from different studies about the education and health or
well-being of Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians are compared with Non-Native
Hawaiians which include such groups as Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and Non-
Hispanic White. Some of the information was taken from the 2000 U.S. Census and
when possible dates for the data collected are noted. The studies from which data
are cited have been coded differently and are referenced at the bottom of the table.
Findings from a 2003 study (Kana‘iaupuni and Ishibashi) show “Schools in
areas with high concentrations of Hawaiian students tend to be of poorer quality than
other DOE schools” (p. 7). Kana‘iaupuni and Ishibashi (2003) note that schools with
large populations of Hawaiians have teachers who are less qualified, less
experienced and a faculty which is less stable (p. 14). Furthermore, the authors note
that Hawaiian students are overrepresented in Special Education classes (p. 22).
Many of these schools with Native Hawaiians have difficulty meeting federal
guidelines for “No Child Left Behind.” After three years of failure to attain adequate
yearly progress (AYP), “a measure based primarily on the school’s academic
standards and academic achievement” (p. 7), schools are classified as needing

4
Table 1. Education and Well-being of Hawaiians Compared to Other Groups or
General Population

Indicators of Well-being or Education
Native
Hawaiians
Non-Native
Hawaiians
Student Population in Public Schools – Hawai‘i State
Department of Education (DOE)
25.9%
1
74.1%
1

Standardized test measures for reading
Grade 4 scores at or above proficiency in 2007
NHOPI=Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander
NHOPI
19%
3

Non-NHOPI
33%
3

Standardized test measures for mathematics
Grade 4 scores at or above proficiency in 2007
NHOPI
26%
3

Non-NHOPI
40%
3

Increased enrollment in Special Education classes between
1996-2001 (p. 21)
42.6%
1
27.8%
1

Excessive absentee rates of 20+ days per semester in school
year 1999-2000 (p. 23)
9.7%
1
6.3%
1

Graduation: meets requirements for class of 2001 (p. 31) 63%
1
ALL 66.9%
1

College completion: within 6 years at UH-Mānoa (p.122) 41.3%
2
ALL 54.4%
2

Unemployment rates: highest of ethnic groups (p. 83) 9.8%
2
STATE 6.3%
2

Poverty rate: mean income for families with children $55,865
vs statewide average $66,413 (p.6)
18.3%
2
11.3%
2

Child abuse and neglect: more than 2 times, but in 2002 it is 3
to 4 times more than other major groups (p. 63)
63.9%
2
STATE 12.8%
2

Behaviors of risk among adolescents: alcohol, tobacco, and
drug use among 6
th
graders (p. 27)
12.6%
1
8.3%
1

Emotional well-being: can count on family;
finds comfort in prayer or meditation;
suffers depression - could lead to suicide (p. 10)
77.2%
48.8%
34.5%
2

70.7%
35.9%
27.9%
2

Arrests: for violent crimes per 10,000 in 2002 (p. 77) 73%
2
STATE 52.8%
2

Incarceration: Hawaiians make up largest group (p. 80) 39.5%
2
WHITE 23.2%
2

Note. ALL=all groups including Native Hawaiians; STATE=total state statistics; WHITE=white
group
1
Kana‘iaupuni & Ishibashi, 2003
2
Kana‘iaupuni, Malone, & Ishibashi, 2005
3
Chaparro & Tibbetts, 2008

5
“corrective action.” A comprehensive study by Kana‘iaupuni and Ishibashi (2003)
revealed that 42.9 percent of students in corrective action schools were Native
Hawaiian (p. 8) placing almost double the statewide average of Native Hawaiian
students in schools which provide a sub-standard education. Evidenced by low
school performance, the risk of a widening gap between these student groups looms
(Kana‘iaupuni & Ishibashi, 2003; Benham, 2006).
The academic well-being of Native Hawaiians has been affected by many of
the factors cited here. But the overall well-being of Native Hawaiians is endangered
in several other ways. “The stresses of poverty, socioeconomic disadvantage, and
cultural loss that Hawaiian children face threaten their emotional well-being and
their chance at achieving positive social outcomes at school and at home”
(Kana‘iaupuni & Ishibashi, 2003, p. 26). A comparison of the academic
performance of Indigenous youth with white or Asian students reveals a disparity
(Au, 2007; Ledward, et al., 2008; Castagno & Brayboy, 2008) not only in
performance, but also between the Western values emphasized in standard
formalized schooling (Hinckley & McInerney, 1998) and the home culture of
Indigenous students.
Improving the education and increasing the academic achievement of
Indigenous students has scholars and Indigenous educators searching for answers as
U.S. classrooms show increasing numbers of minority students (Saifer & Barton,
2007). Statistics from 2004-2005 reveal 42 percent of public school students were
from an ethnic minority group and more than 10 percent of all students spoke a

6
language other than English in their homes (Saifer & Barton, p. 24). Research
suggests the academic failure is a result of the incongruence between Indigenous
students’ formal education and their heritage culture (Hinkley & McInerney, 1998;
Ogbu, 1995; Kawagley & Barnhardt, 1998; Lipka & McCarty, 1994; Howard, 2003)
generating discussion about reform in the dominant Western educational structure,
its curriculum and the preparation of prospective teachers (Ladson-Billings, 1995b;
Banks, 1993; Bennett, 2001; Castagno & Brayboy, 2008). Culture is a “society’s
shared beliefs, social values, worldviews, and preferred standards of behaving”
(Bennett, 2001, p. 173).
Studies by Au and Jordan (1997), Lipman (1995), and Lipka (1991) reveal
that student learning is positively affected when teachers align their instructional
practices with their students’ culture. Au and Jordan (1997) examined the KEEP
(Kamehameha Elementary Education Program) “Demonstration Classroom Project”
with thirteen teachers from seven schools whose student population was
predominantly Native Hawaiian. This project used a constructivist approach to
teaching a whole-literacy curriculum. Two important tools were the classroom
implementation checklists with benchmarks for a portfolio assessment on reading
and/or writing. Student achievement was determined by using these instruments to
measure the degree of program implementation. After one year nine teachers
continued in the project and twenty additional teachers joined them in the second
year of the project. Results showed “full implementation of the whole-literacy
curriculum was related to substantial improvement in students’ writing achievement

7
(ownership of writing and writing process), with project classes achieving higher
than teachers’ previous classes” (p. 203).
Lipman (1995) studied three teachers in two schools who worked with
alienated African-American students “in challenging learning experiences” (p. 203).
Lipman discovered “successful teachers insisted on high academic and behavior
standards and worked to help children achieve them. Their practice contrasted with
the watered-down drill in basic skills so prevalent in classes of lower track students”
(p. 206). Lipka (1991) worked collaboratively with Yup’ik teachers in southwest
Alaska to examine how these Native teachers helped students learn cultural lessons
about subsistence through an art lesson (p. 203). Bennett (2001) explains, “when
teachers become conscious of their own culture and understand how it shapes their
attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors, they will become more effective teachers”
(p. 198).
Native Hawaiians face similar challenges of discrepancies between societal
success at school with their community’s culture and social development
(Kana‘iaupuni & Ishibashi,, 2003, p. 4). The cultural difference between school and
home, for Indigenous youth, according to Benham (2006), is a major cause of their
academic underachievement. Benham (2006) argues that, “schooling has been a
culturally alienating experience for most native peoples” (p. 29). Creating learning
environments for Indigenous youth involves a cultural context (Demmert & Towner,
2003, p. 9) which supports meaningful experiences, encourages intellectual
engagement and promotes social growth (Kana‘iaupuni & Ishibashi, 2003, p. 4).

8
Helping students achieve success by developing effective learning environments is
an important role of the teacher, a vital contributor to a student’s educational
experience. The teacher’s influence is an important factor on the social and academic
development of Native Hawaiian students. Literature related to teachers as a
significant variable to student success reveals that teachers and “curriculum and
pedagogical practices” (Castagno & Brayboy, 2008) are influential predictors of
student development. Hence, this study examines teachers’ cultural connections to
their students’ culture and the extent those connections influence classroom practice
and student achievement through an examination of teachers’ responses to questions.
Ten teachers of Native Hawaiian students are interviewed and surveyed. An
investigation of their classroom instructional practices (content) and the environment
of the classroom (context) are conducted through a survey. Both the interview and
survey address what teachers do that is developmentally appropriate to help students
critique social inequity (consciousness). The context of culture in the classroom, the
content that is utilized by teachers, and the consciousness teachers develop with their
students is examined through a sociocultural lens. An exploration of teachers’
perspectives relating to their cultural connectedness is another focus of the study.

Background of the Problem
Cultural continuity is essential to Indigenous, Native people (Skinner, 1999).
For Native Hawaiians, the significance of one’s heritage is valuable (Linnekin, 1983)
as this native identity or cultural identity (Benham, 2006; Hinkley & McInerney,

9
1998) ultimately affects cultural continuity. A fundamental practice among
Indigenous people is the transmission of Native values and other skills that have
been traditionally passed down by elders or kūpuna (Hawaiian term). Preserving
Indigenous teaching is necessary for continuing the “vitality of Indigenous
knowledge” (Battiste & Henderson, 2000, p. 149). But there is a distinct difference
between the cultural or traditional epistemology or ways of knowing and modern,
Western ways of knowing. Understanding the mismatch between the
epistemological traditions of Indigenous students and the educational practices
utilized in modern schools helps illuminate the challenges facing educators of Native
Hawaiian students (Benham, 2006).

Epistemologies
Modern, scientific, or what Dods (2004) often refers to as Western
epistemology is distinguished as being analytic, cognitive (van Manen, 1977) and
“based on a print culture” (St. Clair, 2000). Dods describes Western learning as “set
out in denotative statements” and requiring two conditions: 1) possible re-testability
and 2) observed findings must be presented in relevant language acceptable by
experts” (p. 548). Harold Shapiro (2005) explains the significance of the scientific
way of knowing as altering the kind of society we live in and deepening our “belief
in humankind’s capacity to control nature” (p. 122-123). The scientific
epistemology places humans at the top, as the most important factor along the quest
for knowledge with knowledge as the goal and power from using that knowledge to

10
alter one’s environment as the outcome. Learning by this standard involves a
separation of one’s virtues and feelings (Palmer, 1993).
Traditional (Capp and Jorgensen, 1977; Dods, 2004) epistemology or
spiritual epistemology is also identified as cultural, Indigenous (Meyer, 1998), or
Aboriginal (Ermine, 1995) epistemology (ways of knowing). In Kenya, Indigenous
knowledge is passed on from one generation to another through oral narratives, art,
proverbs, symbols and performances such as storytelling, dances, and songs (Owuor,
2007, p. 24). Semchison (2001) explained Australia’s Aboriginal perspective as a
“Circle of Life encompassing the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional” (p. 10).
Native Hawaiian, Manu Meyer (2003), explored seven themes in her study of
Hawaiian epistemology. Meyer (2003) noted the largest of all seven dimensions was
spirituality (p. 127). Knowledge and knowing in traditional or spiritual ways is more
subjective as feelings are valued. Traditional Hawaiian cultural epistemology values
spiritual, cultural modes of learning and honors a student’s heritage while aiming to
help students find meaning in life (Skinner, 1999, p. 122).
The table below illustrates some of the conflicts between these major
epistemologies or ways of knowing. It must be noted that some of the characteristics
of one epistemology are in direct contrast to the other. However, the opposite of one
epistemology cannot be assumed to define the other epistemology.

11
Table 2. Comparison of Epistemologies Based on Literature Reviewed

Mode
Modern, Western, Scientific
Knowledge Systems
Traditional, Cultural, Indigenous
Knowledge Systems
References
Literacy
Literate, print culture;
technology; abstract
Oral tradition, holistic; the Arts;
active, embedded
St. Clair, 2000; Battiste,
2000
Ethos
Manipulate the world; we and
our world are objects to be
lined up, counted, organized,
owned; reaction
Harmony with the world, Mother
earth and web of life; with the
local ecosystems; nature
centered; interaction
Capp & Jorgensen,
1997; Palmer, 1993;
Hart, 2007; Semchison,
2001
Intellect
Inner realities factored out of
the knowledge equation;
rational, logical-positivistic
Spirituality, spiritual learning;
virtues and feelings valued;
ritual, myth; affective, emotive
St. Clair, 2000; Palmer,
1993; Masemann, 1990
Methodology
Quantitative, analytical,
objective
Qualitative, intuitive, subjective
Capp & Jorgensen,
1997; Palmer, 1993
Cognition
Isolate interacting parts to
understand systems; divide
classify world; individuation
Understand systems as whole;
holistic, context dependent,
integrative
Capp & Jorgensen,
1997; Masemann, 1990
Goldman,1993
Processing
Linear; taught in abstracted
context; decontextualized,
compartmentalized;
mechanistic processes;
sequential
Non-linear; transmitted orally;
learned thru hands-on
experience; constructive
processes; within context;
simultaneous
Capp &,Jorgensen,
1997; Barhardt &
Kawagley, 2005;
Agrawal, 1995; St .
Clair, 2000; Battiste,
2002
Natural
Philosophy
Ownership of land; disrespect
for natural resources,
environment
Conscious relationship with
earth (land ethic); demonstrates
respect for resources, ecology
Meyer, 2000; Capp &
Jorgensen, 1997
Setting
Taught in detached setting of
a classroom or laboratory
Learn from elders through direct
experience in the natural world
Barhardt & Kawagley,
2005
Proclivity
Mastery over the world;
outcome: gain knowledge and
use it to alter the environment
(power)
Imperative for a mutual,
interactive quest to know and be
known; learning the art of
relationship; mutual
vulnerability; community of
selves, spirits related to each
other in complex web
Palmer, 1993; St. Clair,
2000; Capp &
Jorgensen, 1997;
Shapiro, 2005
Sagacity
Scientific; relies on explicit
hypotheses, theories, and
laws
Form of “science;” annual cycle
of subsistence activities (obtain
sustenance from plants and
animals); relies on cumulative,
collective, spiritual knowledge
Capp & Jorgensen,
1997; Barhardt &
Kawagley, 2005; Dods,
2004
Competency
Assessment based on
predetermined ideas of what
should be known; measured
indirectly with objective tests
Puts knowledge into practice;
unequivocal relationship to
survival or extinction; culturally
purposeful, useful projects and
performances
Barhardt & Kawagley,
2005; Ledward &
Takayama, 2008

12
A comparison of these epistemologies illustrates the conflict between the
schooling experience of Indigenous learners such as Native Hawaiians and the
cultural practices of their home. Over the past two decades, scholars from the Pacific
Islands have researched ways of learning, thinking, and organizing knowledge across
Oceania with the goal to “affirm not only that Indigenous epistemologies are alive
and well, but also that they are relevant and useful to the societies and peoples to
whom they belong” (Huffer & Qalo, 2004, p. 88). As an Indigenous people, Native
Hawaiians utilize aspects of traditional epistemology in their cultural practices
(Kawakami, et al., 1999). According to Kawakami, et al. (1999), “Contrary to
western culture, the identity of a kanaka maoli, or Native Hawaiian, stems from the
generations that have preceded…and guide them throughout their lives. The
Hawaiian value of ho‘omana (spirituality) stems from the connection with these
ancestors” (p. 19). Kawakami, et al. (1999) claim “Identity is critical to the
Hawaiian student” (p. 18). Native Hawaiians’ academic failure is due largely to this
disconnect which Saifer and Barton (2007) defines from their examination of various
studies as “a lack of congruence between the culture of the students’ families and
communities and the cultural norms embedded in the expectations, policies,
procedures, and practices of schools” (p. 24). Traditional or Indigenous
epistemology is highly affected by culture. It is this distinction that necessitates a
judicious examination of culture’s role in educating Native Hawaiian youth.

13
Culture and Learning
In her research on the role of culture in learning, Lee (2008) studied the field
of Black psychology and confirmed the importance of “cultural, racial, or ethnic
socialization” (p. 268). She argues that culture is central to learning and
development and discusses her own work in Cultural Modeling and its implications
for historically underachieving students (p. 275). Her work provides “conceptual
implications of a cultural lens on learning and development” (p. 269). Gay (2002)
affirms “Because culture strongly influences the attitudes, values, and behaviors that
students and teachers bring to the instructional process, it has to likewise be a major
determinant of how the problems of underachievement are solved” (p. 114). Given
the significant role of culture to this study it is necessary to operationalize the
construct of culture.
Smith-Maddox (1998) sought to define culture as a dimension of academic
achievement. Accordingly, Smith-Maddox (1998) asserts culture as “involving not
only everyday practices (patterns of discrete behaviors, traditions, habits, or customs)
but also the way that people understand ideas and ascribe meaning to everyday life.
These meanings serve as a foundation for learning, instruction, and assessment” (p.
304). Kana‘iaupuni (2007) defines culture simply as “shared ways of being,
knowing, and doing” (p. 1). The complexity of culture is distinguished by Au (2007)
through two contrasting dimensions. The first dimension is stability such as
maintaining cultural values and traditions across generations. The second dimension
is centered in dynamism, or the changes that occur when cultures move into new

14
settings and are faced with new circumstances. Au declares “Culture is
simultaneously both stable and dynamic” (p. 9). Adding instruction with culture
further increases the complexity of learning.
Culture plays a vital role in teaching and learning (Smith-Maddox, 1998)
evidenced in studies and research by Castagno and Brayboy (2008), Demmert and
Towner (2003), Omizo, et al. (1998), Yamauchi and Greene (1997), and Lipman,
1995. Lee (2008) offers the following as some core propositions involving culture
with learning and development:
1. Cultural membership is based on shared routine practices and beliefs that
are transmitted through generations, across time and space.
2. People can and do live in multiple cultural communities of practice, but
the meanings and functions of these different cultural communities differ.
3. Cultural communities are communities precisely because of what they
share, but at the same time there is always significant variation within
communities.
4. The processes through which human beings learn in and from their
environments and adapt to them always entail risks. (p. 273)
Among Lee’s (2008) implications for the future is that educators and policymakers
better understand the “cognitive, social, and emotional dimensions of learning” (p.
276). Smith-Maddox endorses strategies for teaching African American students
which Ladson-Billings (1994) promotes. These include developing skills and
attitudes to intellectually, socially, emotionally and politically empower students.

15
Models of Cultural Learning
According to Jordan (1995) providing a culturally compatible education is
not replicating the students’ home culture in the classroom, “but rather using
knowledge of students’ culture to inform the selection and adaptation of educational
practices that are likely to elicit behavioral and cognitive skills appropriate to school
goals and avoid eliciting those that are not” (p. 88). Establishing such a balance of
cultures in the classroom is the responsibility of the teacher. Several qualities, skills
and characteristics of effective teachers are noteworthy as reported by Demmert
(2001). These include “solid content knowledge, sound pedagogy, an understanding
of cognitive development and the different learning stages of children, cultural
knowledge and an understanding of the students served, and outstanding
interpersonal skills” (p. 18).
Cultural compatibility or CC (Jordan, 1995), culturally relevant pedagogy or
CRP (Ladson-Billings, 1994; Bennett, 2001), culturally responsive schooling or CRS
(Au, 2007; Castagno & Brayboy, 2008) and culture-based education or CBE
(Demmert & Towner, 2003; Ledward, et al., 2008) are strategies and theories that are
grounded in the usage of culture as an important factor in the classroom which
promotes academic success for minority or native and Indigenous students. When
teachers who seek instructional practices which compliment students’ cultures use
any one of these, research shows that students are influenced positively (Ladson-
Billings, 1994; Jordan, 1995; Au, 2007; Demmert & Towner, 2003) because they
“feel engaged and connected to what they are learning” (Ledward, et al., 2008).

16
The Research and Evaluation Division of the Kamehameha Schools, a private
school for Native Hawaiian youth, has conducted research to examine ways to help
Native Hawaiians find academic success. An ongoing research project called the
Hawaiian Cultural Influences in Education (HCIE) is a joint venture with Na Lei
Na‘auao, an alliance of Hawaiian-focused public charter schools, and the Hawai‘i
Department of Education (HIDOE). The study looks at Hawai‘i classrooms to
understand best practices of culturally relevant education including “differentiation
by developing curricular content, instructional strategies, and assessment approaches
through an Indigenous Hawaiian lens” (Ledward, et al., 2008). HCIE designed a
theoretical model that focused on student learning and the instructional practices of
teachers which include 1) Hawaiian Language (usage and philosophy); 2) ‘Ohana
and community involvement; 3) Content (such as culturally-based curriculum and
content); 4) Context (such as culturally-grounded context); and 5) Indigenous
Assessment. HCIE and other similar studies affirm that Hawaiian culture is a
valuable element of the educational experience for Native Hawaiian students.

Teacher Connectedness
Benham (2006) declares “the area we should spend the most time thinking
about is focused on culturally relevant teaching and learning policies and practices”
(p. 38). The teacher’s influence on the academic development of students has been
the focus of studies by Lipman, 1995, Osborne, 1996; McInerney, Roche, et al.,
1997; Bond, 1998; Skinner,1999; Doherty, et al., 2003; and Adams, et al., 2006. The

17
Kamehameha Schools initiated a seminal study called KEEP in 1970. The
Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) sought greater effectiveness in the
education of Native Hawaiian students, specifically those attending public schools
(Jordan, 1995). KEEP’s efforts proceeded with “the mission of discovering,
developing and disseminating ways of more effectively educating Native Hawaiian
children” (p. 84). In 1982, KEEP’s research found that practices and strategies for
language arts teachers used in the classroom were making a difference for this
student population as they had evolved into practices and strategies which exhibited
cultural compatibility (p.88).
Jordan (1995), Lipman (1995), Bennett (2001), Demmert (2001), Au (2007),
Ledward, et al, (2008), Castagno and Brayboy (2008) indicate that teachers need to
understand the culture of the students they serve, or in other words, teachers need to
have “cultural connectedness.” Teachers of Indigenous youth play a significant role
in shaping the education of their students. “They build upon students’ cultural and
experiential strengths to help them acquire new knowledge. They demonstrate
connectedness” (Lipman, 1995, p. 203). As such, teachers can build the bridge
which spans the gap between the epistemology of students’ home/community culture
and their formalized school experience by developing a connection with the culture
of their students. Bridging the cultural gap for Native Indigenous students who have
previously experienced limited success in schools can lead to academic success.

18
Statement of the Problem
According to Dela Cruz, Salzman, Brislin & Losch (2005), Hawaiians
encounter numerous academic challenges due to differences between Western and
Hawaiian education philosophies and values (p. 121). Examples of these differences
from Benham and Heck (1998) and from Locke and Parker (1994) were cited by
Dela Cruz, Salzman, Brislin & Losch (2005). They include “adhering to rigid time
schedules, types of learning or reasoning, teacher-to-student interactions, value of
written language over oral language, emphasis on individualism and competition and
role of the family” (p. 121). Butterfield (1983) cites challenges between the values
of a “standard dominant societal curriculum” and the values of an Indian community
because the conventional schools emphasize “individualism, acquisitiveness, and
mercantilism” (p. 52). These differences produce a mismatch between the home
culture of Indigenous students and their schooling experience, or school culture as it
pertains to conflicting epistemologies. In the United States, Indigenous students are
Native American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiian
students are failing in the current Western dominated school system which is
incongruent with students’ home culture and school expectations. This gap or
mismatch contributes to education disparities between Indigenous students and peers
resulting in negative impacts for Native Hawaiian youth.
Kamehameha Schools, a private K-12 school, is dedicated to educating
Native Hawaiian youth. The Kamehameha Elementary School (KES), located in
Honolulu, educates 752 Native Hawaiian students from Kindergarten to grade six.

19
The buildings and classrooms, curriculum or classes (such as P.E., computers, music,
etc.) and the daily schedule follow a modern, Western academic philosophy. Report
cards, student council, and other daily operations resemble the conventional
schooling most American children receive. While there are some practices which are
culturally influenced such as certain protocols for welcoming special guests, an
annual Ho‘olōkahi assembly (a multicultural May Day celebration) and the singing
of Hawaiian songs (Kamehameha Elementary Schools Website, 2009), the general
education reflects a highly Western influence.
All of the students at KES are Indigenous which necessitates teaching
practices that reflect cultural sensitivity. The educational experience at KES may or
may not be culturally congruent with students’ Native Hawaiian cultural practices of
their home and community. The role of teachers in helping students succeed at
school by using culturally sensitive methods is not clear and no evidence, if any,
exists which shows what teachers at KES are doing. The “connection” teachers make
with their students’ culture so culturally sensitive teaching practices are employed in
the classroom can close the divide in the mismatch between the home culture of
Indigenous students and their school culture. As KES teachers utilize practices
linking the students’ heritage culture and school standards, the gap can be bridged. It
is the cultural connectedness of teachers at this school which is the focus of this
study.
In order to determine what teachers at KES are doing to bridge the gap
between the epistemology of students’ culture and the formalized culture of the

20
school, the following questions have been explored. First, how are teachers at
Kamehameha Elementary School (KES), a private school for Native Hawaiians,
using the students’ Hawaiian culture to influence their education and promote
learning? Second, what elements or principles from culturally relevant pedagogy or
culture based education are teachers utilizing in the KES classroom? Third, what are
teachers’ perceptions of their Native Hawaiian cultural connectedness and its impact
on students?

Purpose of the Study
It is essential for teachers to develop congruence between the student’s home
culture and school expectations by utilizing culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) or
culture based education (CBE). This study explores the ways teachers’ classroom
practices are influenced by their students’ culture. This validation of praxis is an
essential characteristic of the study. Teachers for Native Hawaiian students at
Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) are interviewed to determine how Native
Hawaiian culture influences classroom instruction and how CBE or CRP is utilized
in the classroom to affect students’ academic development. Various factors linked to
cultural connectedness from CBE’s six elements, CRP’s three principles and HCIE
are explored emphasizing 1) teachers’ practices in the classroom related to content,
context, and consciousness and 2) teachers’ perceptions about their cultural
connectedness.

21
The “connection” teachers make with their students’ culture and the methods
they use in the classroom can aid the facilitation of learning and consequently bridge
the gap between the educational outcomes of Native Hawaiian students and their
mainstream peers. It is necessary to limit the study to teachers although the
academic development of students is the goal of teachers, students are not questioned
or included in this study. In order to determine the impact of teachers’ cultural
sensitivity as well as their own perceptions of their cultural connectedness, a number
of questions are explored.

Research Questions
The following research questions are examined in this study:
1. To what extent are teachers’ practices aligned with literature on culture-
based education or culturally relevant pedagogy? (ACADEMIC
CONTENT)
2. How are teachers incorporating Native Hawaiian culture in their
instructional practices? (CULTURAL CONTEXT)
3. How do teachers help students understand Native Hawaiian culture in
relation to their community, country, world? (CRITICAL
CONSCIOUSNESS)
4. What do teachers at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) think
cultural connectedness means and looks like? (TEACHER
PERSPECTIVE)

22
This study investigates the cultural connectedness of teachers for Native
Hawaiian students as evidenced through the utilization of culturally based education
(CBE) or culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP). A qualitative and quantitative study
was conducted using two instruments. First, a survey was given to teachers to
complete prior to their interview. The survey is the CBETT or Culture-Based
Education Teacher Tool developed by the Hawaiian Cultural Influences in Education
(HCIE). Second, a standardized open-ended interview was conducted to learn about
teachers’ cultural connectedness. Finding the relationship of the students’ culture
and its effects on teachers’ perceptions and practices as used to promote academic
development of Native Hawaiian youth at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES)
was the goal of this study.

Definitions
The following are definitions of terms and acronymns that are frequently
used in this study.
CBE or Culture based education: “grounding of instruction and student
learning in the values, norms, knowledge, beliefs, practices, experience and language
that are the foundation of a(n Indigenous) culture” (Ledward, et al., 2008, p. 1)
CC or Cultural compatibility: “a version of school culture, shaped to be
compatible with the students’ home and peer cultures in ways that have desired
educational effects” (Jordan, 1995, p. 88)

23
CRP or Culturally relevant pedagogy: using instructional practices to help
students “be academically successful, culturally competent, and sociopolitically
critical” (Ladson-Billings, 1995b, p. 477-478)
CRS or Culturally responsive schooling: “instruction or ways of teaching and
learning consistent with the values of their heritage cultures” (Au, 2007, p. 6)
CRSB or Culturally responsive, standards-based: teaching practice which
“draws on the experiences, understanding, views, concepts, and ways of knowing of
the students who are in a particular class or school” (Saifer & Barton, 2007, p. 26)
CBETT or Culture Based Education Teacher Tool: teacher survey from HCIE
(Ledward, et al., 2008, p. 4)
CREDE or Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence:
research center of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California
Berkeley whose work aims at “improving the education of students whose ability to
reach their potential is challenged by language or cultural barriers, race, geographic
location or poverty…and provide educators with a range of tools to help them
implement best practices in the classroom” (CREDE website)
HCIE or Hawaiian Cultural Influences in Education: “joint research project
of Kamehameha Schools, the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HiDOE), and Na
Lei Na‘auao, an alliance of Hawaiian-focused public charter schools” (Ledward, et
al., 2008, p. 4)
HIER or Hawaiian Indigenous Education Rubric: heuristic tool
(Kana‘iaupuni and Kawai‘ae‘a, 2008)

24
KS or Kamehameha Schools
KES or Kamehameha Elementary School
KEEP or Kamehameha Elementary Education Program also known as
Kamehameha Early Education Program and Kamehameha Early Education Project:
“a multidisciplinary language arts program for Native Hawaiian children” which
emphasized “the students’ Indigenous language and culture” (Benham, 2006, p. 39)
Sociocultural: “Theoretical perspective emphasizing the importance of
society and culture in promoting cognitive development” (Ormrod, 2008, p. 39)

Organization of the Study
Chapter two is a review of related literature. The chapter is divided into three
major sections. The first section further explains the need for this study by revealing
findings about the academic challenges facing Native Hawaiians and the mission of
Kamehameha Schools to educate Native Hawaiian youth. The second section
highlights research about the theoretical frameworks of culturally relevant pedagogy
(CRP) and culturally based education (CBE) with other related strategies of cultural
congruence such as culturally responsive schooling (CRS). The third section
explores the findings in the literature about teacher influence on the academic
development of students.
Chapter three describes the design, methodology, and analysis for the
proposed study. The results of the study are divided into phases, discussed in
Chapters four and five.

25
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Indigenous education in Hawaii is of interest in view of modern
educational philosophy. Perhaps the most significant contribution in
this frame of reference is the theory that education consists in a
process of reconstruction of experience. The school, as such, may
therefore be more or less incidental in the education of an individual,
its effectiveness depending on the degree of success in establishing
situations which are provocative of growth and thinking.

- Benjamin O. Wist, 1940 (as cited by Meyer, 2003, p. 91)

The incongruence between home and school culture as examined in Chapter
One presents problems for Indigenous people. The Eurocentric, modern, or Western
models of schooling differ greatly from the cultural ways of learning which are natal
for all Indigenous youth. The use of the term natal is deliberate so as to distinguish
the term cultural as an ethnic or racial distinction in comparison to a cultural
influence acquired through casual contact with others. These problems are analogous
to those of Native Hawaiians (Vogt, Jordan & Tharp, 1987) who face additional
challenges in their schools. Native Hawaiian students in public schools across the
state of Hawai‘i are a minority (Dela Cruz, Salzlman, Brislin & Losch, 2005). In
2007, the National Center for Education Statistics showed forty-one percent of the
student population in Hawaii was classified as Asian or Native Hawaiian and eight
percent as Other Pacific Islander. A mismatch exists between the ethnic/cultural
diversity of students and the ethnic/cultural diversity of public school teachers
because faculty and administration in most public schools is largely composed of

26
people of Japanese ancestry (Vogt, Jordan & Tharp, 1987). In their homeland,
Native Hawaiian students are a minority and like so many other Indigenous students
Native Hawaiian youth find limited success in American schools and few role
models (teachers, administrators, etc.) from their own ethnic background. Critical to
Indigenous, Native students’ successful learning in school is the congruence between
their home or community culture and the environment of their formal school.
This chapter reviews the literature pertinent to the rationale for the present
study about the cultural connectedness of teachers at Kamehameha Elementary
School (KES). The first section considers the student outcomes of Native Hawaiian
youth including findings of empirical studies. The second section discusses
conceptual frameworks explaining culturally relevant pedagogy and other related
strategies. The third section is a review of literature about teacher influence on
social and academic development of students.

Challenges Facing Native Hawaiians
A conscious effort to reform the American model of education for Native
Hawaiian youth is taking place across the state of Hawai‘i. Charter Schools have
been created in communities where parents desire a more cultural experience for
their children. In 1998 Kamehameha Schools (KS), a one-hundred-year-old
educational institution, embarked on an elaborate effort to design a ten-year strategic
plan with goals that reflected its culturally sensitive mission aimed at extending its
reach to affect more Native Hawaiian children. KS sought input through national

27
and statewide print ads and television broadcasts via public access television,
conducted 20 outreach meetings across the state of Hawai‘i and 2 on the continental
U.S., distributed surveys at community meetings, and interviewed 29 community
leaders. About 1,200 people responded and offered 3,000 suggestions to address
“pressing educational needs of the Hawaiian people, strengths of the Hawaiian
community, and the role KS should play in addressing those educational needs” (KS
Strategic Plan 2000-2015). More recently, Kana‘iaupuni, director of public education
support at Kamehameha Schools and Kawai‘ae‘a, director of Kahuawaiola
Indigenous Teacher Education Program at the University of Hawai‘i-Hilo, note the
devout efforts of local educators who are advancing the goal to improve “educational
delivery and outcomes” with “culture-based education as a foundation for
community-driven, place-based, relevant educational approaches that more
effectively engage children and their families in lifelong learning and leadership”
(Kana‘iaupuni & Kawai‘ae‘a, 2008, p. 67).

Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools is a large private K-12 school serving 3,200 students at
the Kapālama campus on the island of ‘Oahu. The school was established to educate
Native Hawaiian children more than a hundred years ago using profits from land
holdings of a royal Hawaiian benefactor Princess Bernice Pauahi, who became
Bernice Pauahi Bishop after her marriage to Charles Reed Bishop (Williams, 1992).
These profits combined with more recent investments help subsidize a major portion

28
of costs to educate the more than 5,400 students at its three campuses located on
three islands. In 2007, Kamehameha Schools reported it used profits to reach more
than 35,000 learners through their three campuses and numerous other community
programs including post-high scholarships (Ahana, 2007).
Selection for admissions to this school is highly prized with nearly 1,200
applications for 80 Kindergarten positions and almost 1,000 applications for only 64
new fourth grade positions yearly at the Kapālama campus (KS Admissions Web
Page, 2009). All students receive a generous subsidy that lowers the cost of tuition
(plus other fees) to less than $2,500 per year while other large private schools in
Hawaii charge approximately $18,000 per year for tuition. Furthermore, Hawaiian
students who are admitted to this large private school are believed to have better
access and opportunities to excel academically than public school students because
the school has a viable college-bound program and offers financial aid for college to
their graduates and Native Hawaiian students from other schools.

Academic Achievement of Native Hawaiians
While most of the students from Kamehameha Schools (KS) graduate and go
on to college, many KS students, like other Native Hawaiian students in Hawai‘i
struggle academically. For many years, data from achievement tests given to
students across the state of Hawai’i show that Native Hawaiian students find limited
success in school. In 2007, the National Center for Education Statistics reported,
reading and mathematics achievement scores on the 2005 National Assessment of

29
Education Progress (NAEP) for different ethnic groups. Native Hawaiian was
combined with Asian and Other Pacific Islander into one group (NHOIP). Average
scores were based on three achievement levels: Basic, partial mastery of skills and
knowledge necessary for proficient work; Proficient, “solid academic performance;”
and Advanced, “superior performance.” The fourth grade reading achievement for
this group of Native Hawaiian students in the public schools showed fifty-nine
percent scoring at or below Basic and forty-five percent with similar rankings in
mathematics.
In 2006, College Board SAT scores for Hawaii students in the state’s public
schools dropped even lower than the national average when compared to the
previous year. The average reading score was 482, twenty-one points lower than the
National average of 503. The average math score was 509, down nine points from
the National average of 518. While these scores show the downward trend for most
of Hawai‘i’s students, Native Hawaiian students continue to fare poorly in
standardized tests paralleling their performance in the classroom.
The research and evaluation division of Kamehameha Schools developed
Aloha Counts to address concerns about U.S. Census data that “lumped” together
Hawaiians, Asians and Pacific Islanders (Malone, 2003). One of the major concerns
about interpreting statistics such as those reported in the census is detailed race
categories (p. 3). Profound differences exist between Asians and Pacific Islanders
which are hidden when their data is combined. Compounding the practice of
“lumping” together Asians and Pacific Islanders with Hawaiians was the common

30
practice of not including individuals who reported multiple races, especially because
“only one-third of all Hawaiians are of a singe race” (p. 3). Aloha Counts presents
alternative measures that help interpret and better understand the educational state of
Native Hawaiians. In 2000, the educational attainment of Native Hawaiians ages 25
and older in the state of Hawai‘i showed that 12.6 percent of Native Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islanders (alone) earned a Bachelor’s degree (p. 4). The Program
Evaluation and Planning department of Kamehameha Schools studied high school
graduation rates for public school students graduating in 2000 (Kamehameha
Schools, PEP Report 2000-01:6). The data included those students who were in
Grade 9 (in 1996) or who were born in 1982. Results showed that 69 percent of all
students graduated from high school in 2000. Similar results were found to be true
for Native Hawaiians with 67 percent receiving a diploma. This similarity may be
“masked by the unique statistics of Caucasians” many of who are military
dependents who leave public schools in Hawai‘i for another state or country. There
are other factors that influence the well-being of Native Hawaiian students and
subsequently impacts their academic achievement. These include high rates of
absenteeism, high rates of retention in grade, and high rates of special education
placement (Malone, 2003, p. 3). Another important factor is the economic strength
of Native Hawaiians. Following the Census 2000 definition for poverty,
Kana‘iaupuni and Ishibashi (2003) examined the data and found Native Hawaiians
had the highest percentage of individuals living below the threshold for poverty (p.

31
6). In 1999 one of every six Native Hawaiians belonged to households with incomes
below the poverty line.

The KEEP Effort
These findings paint a dismal picture of future academic success for Native
Hawaiians but for more than forty years (Weisner, Gallimore, & Jordan, 1988, p.
330), researchers have worked to find ways to help Native Hawaiian children
succeed. An earlier work of the Hawaiian Community Research Project provided the
“ethnographic base for KEEP”, (Jordan, 1995, p. 84) the Kamehameha Early
Education Program. Cultural considerations guided many of the features of the
KEEP program such that it has been called culturally responsive (Tharp, 1982, p.
523), culturally compatible (Jordan, 1995, p. 88), and CBE, culturally based
education (Demmert & Towner, 2003, p. 24). The following offers a detailed
description of KEEP and the seminal study it initiated as it has become highly
recognized by many studying cultural needs of Indigenous, Native people. Demmert
and Towner (2003) identified its distinction: “The KEEP program is among the best-
described educational programs in history, having generated hundreds of published
articles and discussions. It is also probably the strongest evidence available for the
efficacy of the culturally based education hypothesis” (p. 24).
Established in 1970 as applied research and development, the Kamehameha
Early Education Program (KEEP) embarked on a mission to develop ways to
effectively meet the academic needs of Native Hawaiian children in public schools

32
(Jordan, 1995, p. 83). In addition, influencing Hawai‘i’s public schools and
dissemination of KEEP to help Hawaiian students at-risk of failing was another goal
(Tharp, 1982, p. 505). A sociocultural perspective of teaching and learning is
essential to this program which was designed, modified and adapted to meet cultural
needs and abilities of young Native Hawaiians in reading comprehension (Demmert
& Towner, 2003).
When the program designers were confident that the best elements
had been assembled, and that fidelity of implementation would be
possible for the culture-based elements, the program was switched
from its original decoding “best practices” emphasis to the new
comprehension/culture-based emphasis (Demmert & Towner, 2003,
p. 20).

KEEP operated a laboratory school, research and demonstration site,
consisting of one class each of kindergarten, first, second and third grades. Students
were diverse in ethnic background with three-fourths of the population Hawaiian or
part-Hawaiian and the remaining one-fourth of “other” ethnic backgrounds such as
Samoan, Portuguese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Caucasian ((Tharp, 1982). Most of
the students were from low socio-economic status (SES) with three-fourths of the
students belonging to families receiving public assistance and one-fourth of them
from middle class. Their intelligence level was normal, although children entered
kindergarten with scores on tests of ability about ten points lower than average.
While students spoke English, another dialect or Hawaiian Creole English referred to
as “pidgin,” was the prevalent form of language used daily. These students
resembled other “poor, divergent-dialect speaking, urban ghetto, minority

33
populations whose academic achievement – particularly in reading – is extremely
low” (p. 506).

Three Experiments
Between 1974 and 1979 three experiments were conducted by KEEP. The
first experiment analyzed differences between two programs in six classes (cohorts)
at KEEP’s laboratory school. During the time the experiment was conducted,
KEEP’s reading emphasis changed so one program emphasized decoding objectives
and the other emphasized comprehension objectives (Tharp, 1982).
The second experiment followed an experimental versus control analysis
method between KEEP cohorts and urban public school students who were high-risk
(receiving public assistance or welfare). Classes used a standard basal series for
reading during a daily small group instruction period. The control group spent
approximately 30% of instructional time on comprehension compared to 66% of
KEEP cohorts’ instructional time (Tharp, 1982).
The third experiment was carried out at two public school sites, one on the
island of Oahu and the other on the island of Hawai‘i where the KEEP program was
exported. Students were randomly assigned to a KEEP class or a control class after
families elected to participate in this experimental versus control method of research
on reading comprehension (Tharp, 1982).
A statistical analysis was performed on each experiment revealing similar
results. Data describing features of the old and new KEEP programs in Experiment

34
Two strengthened the differences noted in Experiment One. KEEP teachers in
Experiments One and Two were experienced compared with temporary, briefly
trained, voluntary teachers involving half of the teachers in Experiment Three.
Experimental classes at both sites in Experiment Three outperformed their
counterparts in the control classes although the effect sizes were lower than
Experiment Two (Demmert & Towner, 2003, p. 23). Northwest Regional Education
Laboratory and Ford Foundation conducted external evaluations of the Kamehameha
Early Education Program (KEEP) including examining data and visiting sites where
experiments were completed.

Elements of Effective Instruction
The data measured total program effects probably because it was nearly
impossible to evaluate individual elements of the program. In general, significant
differences were demonstrated between KEEP classes and public school control
classes. Characteristics of instruction which are generally considered to be effective
were compared with features of the KEEP program resulting in the following list of
“elements of effective instruction which may be considered as virtually consensual
results of empirical studies:
1. Classroom activities are controlled by the teacher from a structured
curriculum.
2. Instruction on academic, teacher-chosen goals is rapid-paced in small
steps.

35
3. Classroom organization produces maximal time spent on productive
activities in a positive atmosphere.
4. Reading instruction is conducted in small groups.
5. Teacher questions should range through the “lower” and “higher” order
of cognitive operations, with some substantial – and perhaps predominant
– proportion of higher order.
6. Instructional practices are compatible with the culture of the students.
(Tharp, 1982, p. 523-524)
Item 5 was added following more research during the experimental process and 6
was inferred.

Outcomes of KEEP’s Early Efforts
Early efforts of KEEP aimed at remedying the academic underachievement
of Native Hawaiian youth and “to improve students’ reading achievement by
developing the instructional expertise of classroom teachers” (Au & Carroll, 1997, p.
204). Several outcomes resulted in the quest for providing culturally compatible
education. Classroom practices were adapted and the delivery of instruction evolved
(Vogt, Jordan & Tharp, 1987). A center system was developed through which two to
six children rotated to teacher-independent centers. This rotation included one
center, usually Center #1, where the children met the teacher who led the reading
lesson. The teacher’s goal: “spend as much time as possible interacting with
members of the reading group she is currently instructing” (Jordan, 1984, p. 63).

36
Another important outcome was the endorsement of peer teaching or a peer-oriented
setting which was adapted from sibling caretaking that children were accustomed to
in their home cultures (Weisner, Gallimore & Jordan, 1988, p. 330). A study by
Jordan in 1984 and Weisner, et al. in 1988 produced mixed results: children were not
readily directed or monitored by adults, children were expected to adapt to a
situation by observing, children were not regularly treated as co-equal with parents
(Weisner, et al., 1988). Nonetheless, it was concluded “that peer assistance was
important in these children’s daily activities, and that teaching and learning
activities occurred most often in child-constructed contexts” (p. 341).
Following “promising results” in the laboratory setting, KEEP was
disseminated in 1978 to public school classrooms. Au and Carroll (1997) notes that
the previously “comprehension-oriented KEEP curriculum” changed its approach to
a “mastery learning approach to skills” (p. 204). But over time, it was determined
that results from standardized test scores in KEEP’s early years were not maintained
so the KEEP staff decided to change the curriculum and examine their
“dissemination model” (p. 204). A whole-literacy curriculum (somewhat similar to
whole language, “in the assumption that instruction should proceed from whole to
part” (p. 204), was introduced in the fall of 1989. This required a change in
philosophy “from a behaviorist, mastery learning curriculum to a constructivist,
holistic one” (p. 206). KEEP staff members and teachers worked to implement a
reader’s and writer’s workshop, manage student portfolios, engage students in
authentic activities focused on literacy, and “collect benchmark data in classrooms”

37
(p. 206-207). Although classrooms showed signs of change, results from
achievement tests in the spring of 1991 and 1992 were disappointing and it became
obvious that improvement would occur only if dramatic changes happened.

Demonstration Classroom Project
The Demonstration Classroom Project was instituted “to show that the
whole-literacy curriculum, when fully implemented, could improve students’ literacy
achievement as measured by portfolio assessment” (Au & Carroll, 1997, p. 208)
which were attached to standards referred to as benchmarks (p. 205). Over the next
two years, positive results were obtained after analyzing data from the classroom
implementation checklist featuring important aspects of the program. The four
categories of program features were 1) classroom organization, 2) student
opportunities for learning, 3) instructional practices, and 4) assessment (p. 211). The
change to this Demonstration Classroom Project brought marked improvement with
68% of students ranking at or above grade level compared to earlier results of 40% at
grade level (and none above). There were 32% rated below grade level compared to
earlier results of 60% below (p. 217). The tools which contributed greatly to this
success were the classroom implementation checklist and the benchmarks.

Research Contribution
Since its inception, hundreds of articles about KEEP have been published
(Demmert & Towner, 2003, p. 24), numerous studies have been completed (several

38
of which have been referenced here), and researchers of Indigenous (or cultural),
minority, or at-risk student achievement continue to cite findings from KEEP’s work.
After many years, and following KEEP’s exportation to “fifteen multicultural public
schools in Hawaii, evaluation results remained above non-KEEP programs’
academic achievement and these effects continued until the program was formally
terminated in 1997 after expansion pressures and reduction of resources eroded
fidelity to the initial model” (Doherty, Hilberg, & Tharp, 2003, p. 2).
Aside from its cultural contributions, three decades of research which began
with KEEP contributed to the Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy (Doherty,
Hilberg, Pinal, &Tharp, 2003). Tharp (2008) led efforts for continued research to
find agreements through a process of consensus among different types of educational
groups including teachers, administrators, parents, researchers, and policy makers.
These focus groups met in conferences, workshops, professional meetings, and
community meetings. After five years consensus was reached and now the Center
for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence (CREDE) has issued these
consensus statements as standards or ideals which reflect best teaching practices.
These standards are expressed through a sociocultural perspective in a theoretical
language. Each of the Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning listed
here are followed by a brief explanation. Tharp (2008) explained that two other
possible additions to the standards are currently under study. Yamauchi and Lipka
shared the seven standards and a handout of the “Rubric for Observing Classroom

39
Enactments of CREDE’s Standards for Effective Pedagogy” in a 2009 presentation
at the University of Hawai‘i.

Table 3. CREDE’s Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning *

Standard Definition
Enacting (highest level on CREDE’s Rubric)
The teacher designs, enacts, and assists in activities
that demonstrate a complete enactment of the
standard
1 Joint Productive
Activity
Teacher and
Students Producing
Together
The teacher and a small group of students
collaborate on a joint product.
2 Language and
Literacy
Development
Developing
Language and
Literacy Across the
Curriculum
The teacher designs and enacts instructional
activities that generate language expressions and
development of content vocabulary, AND assists
student language use or literacy development
through questioning, rephrasing, or modeling.
3 Contextualization Making Meaning:
Connecting School
to Students' Lives
The teacher integrates the new activity/information
with what students already know from home,
school, or community.
4 Complex
Thinking
Cognitively
Complex Activities
The teacher designs and enacts challenging activities
with clear standards and performance feedback,
AND assists the development of more complex
thinking.
5 Instructional
Conversation
Teaching Through
Conversation
The teacher designs and enacts an instructional
conversation with a clear academic goal; listens
carefully to assess and assist student understanding;
AND questions students on their views, judgments,
or rationales.
6 Modeling Learning Through
Observation
a) The teacher provides a model of a finished
product that students will make or b) the teacher or
student, explicitly models behaviors, thinking
processes, or procedures which students then
practice. The teachers assist students while they
practice.
7 Student Directed
Activity
Encourage Student
Decision Making
Students participate in the generation of learning
topics or activities.
Note. * Standards 1-5 are the original Five Standards; #6 & #7 are additional standards being studied

40
Studies of Native Hawaiians
In 1997, Yamauchi and Greene conducted a study relating students’ self-
efficacy and their attitudes about learning. These students were young adolescents
who were predominantly from Native Hawaiian rural communities (p. 7-8). There
were 202 students from grades 7 and 10 who voluntarily completed two scales, Self-
efficacy for Self Regulated Learning and Self-efficacy for Academic Achievement.
Results were compared with student responses from another study conducted on the
U.S. mainland. Native Hawaiian youth ranked lower on all of the academic domains
except one, biology. Yamauchi and Greene speculated that the island lifestyle of
Native Hawaiians might contribute to their greater comfort level with animals and
plants from the land and sea. They noted that these results corresponded to the
overall low ranking of test scores Hawai‘i public school students receive on
standardized tests.
Another study by Omizo, Omizo and Kitaoka (1998) utilized an experimental
design to investigate the effects of “guided affective and cognitive imagery.” This
study and the previous study by Yamauchi and Greene examined concepts of self,
self-efficacy and self-esteem of Native Hawaiians. Omizo, Omizo and Kitaoka
(1998) discovered a positive impact for some areas of self-esteem among Native
Hawaiian children who participated in groups using guided affective and cognitive
imagery. This study did not consider the effects of culture.
Two other studies looked carefully at cultural effects in the classroom. Julie
Kaomea (2005) looked at the teacher’s role in using the Hawaiian Studies instruction

41
mandated by the state for fourth grade classrooms. Kaomea’s observations and
interviews resulted in her recommendation that non-Hawaiian teachers implementing
the Hawaiian Studies program should “take a backseat to Hawaiian elders and
cultural experts, and assume a supportive role that allows Hawaiian experts to take
the lead” (p. 40). DelaCruz, et al. (2005) measured cultural identity and used the
Intercultural sensitizer, a tool used for attribute training. This tool was designed to
ease the negative effects of counseling and teaching methods among university staff
that might appear to be culturally inappropriate (p. 119). In addition, Benham (2006)
completed a literature review which revealed what she discovered conceptually,
empirically and through applied research about educating Native Hawaiians and
Pacific Islanders. Cultural identity was also important to Benham. In summary, she
endorsed the use of teaching theories and practices which reflect cultural relevance
and sound learning and which promote the social development and academic
achievement for children, youth and families of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific
Islanders. Benham also recommended the inclusion of “sociopolitical history,
spiritual and/or religious values, mother-tongue language, cultural traditions as well
as contemporary traditions, subculture issues within the larger cultural context, and
the implications of each unique group’s worldview” (p. 45).
KEEP exported its three main features of the structure in its program to
Rough Rock, a demonstration school, which was run by the community on a Navajo
reservation located in northeastern Arizona. The three features were

42
1. a small-group classroom organization, utilizing a system of learning
centers
2. comprehension-oriented, direct instruction reading lessons using
particular sociolinguistic and cognitive patterns
3. a system for managing child behavior which built on standard
contingency management to assist the teacher in presenting herself as a
person who was both “tough and nice,” these being key attributes of
adults that Hawaiian children like and respect (Jordan, 1995, p. 91).
Jordan (1995) shared two important findings as lessons learned about the
KEEP/Rough Rock collaboration. The first finding acknowledged the need to adapt
to the culture of the children being taught in order to deliver a “good education.”
The second finding was the discovery that “localized” educational development was
most important. This was learned when it was found that Navajo children were
uncomfortable in the center organization where four to five children of mixed gender
and ability worked together. Although this system worked well for Native Hawaiian
children, Navajo children were more likely to help one another if they were in groups
of two or three children of the same gender. This led to the perceptive finding that
assumptions cannot be made about transferring educational practices and programs
intact with expectations that they will function the same ways for different student
groups or populations (p. 97-98). The problem is often the focus in educational
research. In this instance, by finding the same problem of a cultural mismatch
between the home and school culture combined with low academic achievement for

43
Navajos as it was for Hawaiians, the assumption was made that the same solution
would work. Another lesson was learned here, “the nature of the solutions to the
‘same’ problem may not be the same - because it is in the children and their cultures
that answers to many educational questions can be found” (Jordan, 1995, p. 98).
Although KEEP was terminated in 1997, today Kamehameha Schools
continue to design studies, gather data and conduct research for the greater Hawaiian
community. Kamehameha Schools is assisting the State of Hawai‘i Department of
Education Charter Schools financially where enrollment of Hawaiian students is high
and has created the “Native Hawaiian Charter Schools Resource Teacher Initiative.”
This initiative allows veteran KS teachers who qualify to be supported while
working at Native Hawaiian Charter Schools during a year. Several different entities
of the Kamehameha Schools Research and Evaluation Division have evolved over
the years including Program Evaluation and Planning, Policy Analysis and System
Evaluation, and Strategic Planning and Implementation. Longitudinal data collection
and review of such aspects as statewide public school standardized test scores and
U.S. census data affecting Native Hawaiians are evaluated. Findings for studies
involving public schools and charter schools such as “Hawaiian Cultural Influences
in Education,” “Culture Based Education in Hawai‘i’s Schools,” and “Successful
Schools for Hawaiians Study” have been shared with plans for continued research in
these and other areas. One need only search through the school’s website to
download reports and publications which are readily shared for all who are
interested. This dedicated effort to reach out and help Native Hawaiian youth

44
beyond their three campuses is evident in the scope and depth of this research work
creating a hopeful picture for the future academic success of Native Hawaiians.

Teacher Influence
From a student’s perspective, teachers are significant people within the
school. We have come to know in education and in psychology that people learn
from models (Ormrod, 2008). Thus, teachers can make a difference in the lives of
their students and affect their learning. Teachers can help students learn how to
handle errors when in their “good nature” they admit their error and may even thank
the student for pointing out the error (Pajares, 2002, p. 122). Through this type of
modeling students learn that even authority figures are human and make mistakes.
The affect of teachers’ belief systems on classroom practices is increasing (Rueda &
Garcia, 1996, p. 212). Teachers’ self-efficacy, beliefs about oneself, can affect their
teaching in the form of instructional activities or educational processes. This can
lead to the creation of mastery experiences for students.

Teachers’ Conceptions of Self and Others
In her book The Dreamkeepers, Gloria Ladson-Billings (1994) notes
differences between culturally relevant and assimilationist perspectives (p. 34).
According to Ladson-Billings (1994), culturally relevant teaching is the “antithesis
of the assimilationist teaching” (p. 23). In addition, assimilationist teachers are

45
“those who seem satisfied with the status quo” (p. 44). Ladson-Billings (1994)
explains the dimension of self-perception with the following details.

Table 4. Teachers’ Conceptions of Self and Others

Culturally Relevant Assimilationist
Teacher sees herself as an artist. Teacher sees herself as technician, teaching as
a technical task.
Teacher sees herself as part of the
community and teaching as giving
something back to the community,
encourages students to do the same.
Teacher sees herself as an individual who may
or may not be a part of the community; she
encourages achievement as a means to escape
community.
Teacher believes all students can succeed. Teacher believes failure is inevitable for
some.
Teacher helps students make connections
between their community, national and
global identities.
Teacher homogenizes students into on
“American” identity.
Teacher sees teaching as “pulling
knowledge out” – like “mining.”
Teacher sees teaching as “putting knowledge
into” – like “banking
Note. Ladson-Billings, 1994, p. 34

This comparison helps clarify the importance of the teacher’s role and the
impact teachers can have on their students. The above table also provides
meaningful details about what teachers think of themselves. These details are useful
for the perspective construct of this study.

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Teachers’ Structuring of Social Relations
Ladson-Billings (1994) made another useful comparison. This comparison
illustrates how the relationship between a teacher and student can be helpful or also
interfere with the student’s ability to succeed. This second comparison examines
how social relations are structured in the classroom and beyond.

Table 5. Teachers’ Structuring of Social Relations

Culturally Relevant Assimilationist
Teacher-student relationship is fluid, humanely
equitable, extends to interactions beyond the
classroom and into the community.
Teacher-student relationship is fixed,
tends to be hierarchical and limited to
formal classroom roles.
Teacher demonstrates a connectedness with all
students.
Teacher demonstrates connections with
individual students.
Teacher encourages a “community of learners.” Teacher encourages competitive
achievement.
Teacher encourages students to learn
collaboratively. Students are expected to teach
each other and be responsible for each other.
Teacher encourages students to learn
individually, in isolation.
Note. Ladson-Billings, 1994, p. 55

Teachers are an extremely important influence on students so the social
relations they present in their classrooms and the perceptions they have about their
role as teachers directly affect their students. For Indigenous students, teachers who
understand these dynamics can use them to make a difference in students’ learning.
When teachers “exhibit an acceptance and valuing of Indigenous people and their

47
culture” (Purdie, et al., 2000, p. 11) students will develop a positive self-identity or
sense of self as a Native, Indigenous person even in the context of school.
In their review of eighty research studies and literature reviews, Henderson
and Mapp (2002) noted important collaborations between home and school as
positive family involvement. Findings in one study by Epstein and Saunders (2000)
revealed that ratings for parents by teachers were more positive when parents were
involved in their student’s education. Furthermore, these teachers tended to
stereotype families less (p. 107). Another study by Gutman and Midgley (2000)
which examined factors that support the academic achievement of African
Americans from low-income families, found some factors were protective of
students and negative outcomes. Among those factors which make a difference for
students is “feeling supported by teachers (taking time to work with students, not
criticizing them)” (p. 116).

Role of Teachers for Indigenous Students
When working with Native, Indigenous students, Castagno and Brayboy
(2008) declared, “Teachers must possess a particular set of dispositions, attitudes,
values, and knowledges to be successful with Indigenous students” (p. 969).
McInerney, Roche, McInerney and Marsh (1997) added, “It is essential for teachers
to have knowledge of, recognize, come to understand, and accommodate within the
regular school programs those attributes of culture that characterize students” (p.

48
210). Following an analysis of their study, McInerney, et al. proclaimed the
following:
…Western-style schools, which emphasize individual mastery and
performance goals (reflected in competitiveness and individualism), are
poorly suited to children from Indigenous societies who, because of
economic disadvantage and poor academic achievement, are likely to have
poorer self-esteem within the school context, poorer school confidence, and
see little purpose in completing school (p. 222).

Teachers are challenged continuously with decisions about the specific
knowledge they should employ in their curriculum, why they should use that
knowledge, how they should teach it, and who should receive it (Van Manen, 1977,
p. 206). Charged with the responsibility to craft an education through the exchange
between student and teacher by engaging students and tapping into their curiosity
(Castagno & Brayboy, 2008, p. 965), teachers must skillfully master content
knowledge and pedagogical skills (Gay, 2002, p. 106). Expectations teachers have on
student achievement can be very influential (Ladson-Billings, 1994; Benham, 2006;
Castagno & Brayboy, 2008). Ladson-Billings (1995) observed teachers who did not
permit students to choose failure in the classroom. These teachers set high
expectations and motivated students who performed well because they “cajoled,
nagged, pestered, and bribed the students to work at high intellectual levels” (p. 479).
Teachers also shared their own shortcomings or limitations and their classrooms
exhibited energy and risk-taking. The teachers’ attitudes, values, and ideologies can
make the difference in student motivation toward school, especially when students,
their Indigenous cultures and communities are treated with respect (Castagno &

49
Brayboy, 2008, p. 969). Yagi (1985) elaborates “teacher attitudes about students,
knowledge of the subject matter, and understanding and knowledge about the culture
of students are all shown to promote improved academic performance and student
behavior” (p. 18). According to Pajares (2002) teachers’ positive self-efficacy is
contagious and can lead to increased self-confidence among their students and affect
student academic outcomes (p. 125). Thus, teachers’ perceptions about themselves
as well as their attitudes about their students are important variables in helping
students achieve academically. For that reason, this study included the construct of
perception or teacher’s perspective as a viable indicator of teacher cultural
connectedness.

Connectedness
Many scholars have pointed to the cultural mismatch or lack of congruence
between students’ home and community culture with their mainstream institutional
goals, processes, or culture as a major hurdle of academic success (Cummins, 1986;
Ladson-Billings, 1995b; Smith-Maddox, 1998; Demmert, 2001; Benham, 2006;
Saifer & Baron, 2007). Hinkley and McInerney (1998) clarify “for some minority
communities discrepancies between school and societal success, and the
community’s culture and socialization processes may not always be conducive to
students’ motivation to engage in schooling” (p. 3). Yamauchi and Greene (1997)
suggest adapting school structures to students’ cultural preferences (p. 14). Barhardt
and Kawagley (2005) warn this mismatch or incongruency will not be easily

50
reconciled. Castagno and Brayboy (2008) propose the gap be bridged by infusing
the curriculum with “rich connections to students’ cultural and linguistic
backgrounds within family and community contexts” (p. 947).
Castagno and Brayboy (2008) examined numerous studies and determined
that educators of Indigenous students should use their students’ heritage culture to
teach effectively. There is a “connection between employing students’ cultural
background, effective teaching and improved learning” (p. 956). Demmert (2001)
noted that a substantial number of studies showed student improvement in measures
of performance and achievement when local knowledge (combined with Native
language) played a dominant role in instruction (p. 11). Forging such bonds and
relationships is an important role of teachers for Indigenous students. Palmer (2007)
wrote The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life
which is based on the premise “good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good
teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher” (p. 10). After years of
listening to students’ stories and studying their responses to questions about their
good teachers, Palmer (2007) found students reported good teachers do not use
similar techniques but share a similar trait, their work is infused with a strong sense
of personal identity. Palmer (2007) explains “Good teachers possess a capacity for
connectedness. They are able to weave a complex web of connections among
themselves, their subjects, and their students so that students can learn to weave a
world for themselves” (p. 11). It is that connectedness which is explored through
this study of teachers for Native Hawaiian students.

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Conceptual Frameworks
A few theoretical perspectives were briefly mentioned in the preceding
section. In this section on Conceptual Frameworks, a discussion about important
theories that impact this study is discussed. The incongruence between home and
school culture is also examined in relation to sociocultural variables such as cultural
norms and values and its impact on student achievement. Theories about culturally
appropriate teaching methods are also reviewed and compared. A synthesis of these
important cultural theories helps reinforce the basic premise while reinforcing the
aim of this study. The following conceptual frameworks are important to this study.

Sociocultural Approach
A sociocultural approach provides the lens through which this study is
explored. According to Renchler, (1992) the definition of sociocultural “involves the
degree to which an individual’s social or cultural group supports a particular task or
goal” (p. 14). Ormrod (2008) defines sociocultural as a “theoretical perspective
emphasizing the importance of society and culture in promoting cognitive
development” (p. 39). Lev Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development is often
referred to as sociocultural approach (p. 39). It was necessary to examine
sociocultural variables because as Butterfield (1983) explains Indigenous students,
such as Indian children, have performed poorly in school (p. 52). The group context
of sociocultural approach was evident in Yamauchi’s and Greene’s (1997) study
which revealed Native Hawaiian boys performed differently from girls. Whereas

52
Native Hawaiian girls completed tasks and worked together with adults through
methods that promoted cohesion among the group, Native Hawaiian boys tended to
oppose authority and strengthen group unity (p. 14). Doherty, Hilberg, Pinal and
Tharp (2003) conducted two studies for the purpose of finding relationships between
classroom organization, pedagogy and student achievement. They utilized the Five
Standards for Effective Pedagogy (listed in a subsequent section) with results of
compatible explanations for sociocultural and cognitive theories.
Vygotsky’s theory places importance on social activities which evolve into
mental activities or internalization. One example of this transformation is as self-talk
evolving into inner speech (Ormrod, 2008, p. 40). An important part of his theory is
that tasks should be challenging so as to promote cognitive growth. Vygotsky’s
“zone of proximal development” where children learn through stretching their
development by taking tasks that can be accomplished without assistance and
requiring the child perform tasks that can only be accomplished with some support
(p. 42). In early Hawai‘i, children were not classified by age but rather by their
physical abilities and capability to perform certain tasks (Williams, 1997). Vygotsky
also valued the culture of society as ensuring “each new generation benefits from the
wisdom that preceding generations have accumulated” (Ormrod, 2008, p. 43). This
fits perfectly with cultural, traditional ways of knowing, discussed in Chapter One,
which places great importance on learning from and valuing the wisdom of elders or
kūpuna (Williams, J., 1997, p. 74). Ormrod also includes current perspectives of

53
Vygotsky’s Theory by pointing out how his theory notes many ways that show
culture affects the development of cognition (p. 41).
The sociocultural approach provides the broader view for examining the
incongruence of school culture with home or community culture. Addressing the
cultural mismatch between home and school for Native, Indigenous and other
minority groups has resulted in labels or terms that have similarities. Culturally
compatible (Vogt, Jordan & Tharp, 1987, p. 281) and culturally responsive (Au,
2007; Gay, 2001) are some of the terms that are utilized. Other labels include
cultural congruence and culturally appropriate. Gloria Ladson-Billings (1995)
distinguishes culturally relevant pedagogy as referring “to a more dynamic or
synergistic relationship between home/community culture and school culture” (p.
467) as opposed to the aforementioned terms which seem to endorse a strategy where
the student learns all that is needed to succeed in mainstream society by “fitting in”
(p. 467).

Culture Based Education
Demmert and Towner (2003) uses culture based education (CBE) with three
major theories accompanying this intervention which are Cultural Compatibility
Theory, Cognitive Theory, and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT).
Cultural compatibility has been used for years, even from the earlier studies of
KEEP. It has evolved over the years so that it looks like CHAT. According to
Demmert and Towner (2003) CHAT is a theory of development.

54
Cultural activities among members, primarily through semiotic processes,
create in learners internalizations of knowledge, values, and cognitive
routines…CHAT places more emphasis on community-level elements for
connectivity, thereby multiplying the richness of potential associations
between student experience and the academic curriculum. (p. 16).

The following explanations provide a comparison between some of the
strategies or theories listed above. Ledward, Takayama, and Kahumoku (2008)
presented a theoretical model for Hawaiian Cultural Influences in Education (HCIE)
which focused on student learning and teachers’ instructional practices as grounded
in culture-based education. Their model of culture based education (CBE) featuring
three prominent parts of the study is depicted in this graphic.

Figure 1. Theoretical Model for Hawaiian Cultural Influences in Education (HCIE)

55
In her work toward developing a Hawaiian Indigenous Education framework,
Kana‘iaupuni and Kawai‘ae‘a (2008) offer a clear definition for culture-based
education:
Our use of the term culture-based education is consistent with more in-depth
treatments referring to the grounding of instruction and student learning in
the values, norms, knowledge, beliefs, practices, experiences, places, and
language that are the foundation of a culture, in this case Hawaiian
Indigenous culture. Culture-based education may include teaching the
traditions and practices of a particular culture, but it is not restricted to these
skills and knowledge. More important, culture-based education refers to
teaching and learning that is grounded in a cultural worldview, from whose
lens are taught the skills, knowledge, content, and values that students need in
our modern, global society. (p. 71)

Demmert and Towner (2003) uses six “critical elements” to define culture-
based education (CBE). They are :
1. Recognition and use of Native American (American Indian, Alaska
Native, Native Hawaiian) languages.
2. Pedagogy that stresses traditional cultural characteristics and adult-child
interactions.
3. Pedagogy in which teaching strategies are congruent with the traditional
culture and ways of knowing and learning.
4. Curriculum that is based on traditional culture and that recognizes the
importance of Native spirituality.
5. Strong Native community participation (including parents, elders, other
community resources) in educating children and in the planning and
operation of school activities.

56
6. Knowledge and use of the social and political mores of the community.
(Demmert & Towner, 2003, p. 8-9)
The definition of CBE used by Ledward, Takayama and Kahumoku (2008) is
“grounding of instruction in student learning in the values, norms, knowledge,
beliefs, practices, experiences and language that are the foundation of a(n
Indigenous) culture” (p. 1). Culture-based education is the preferred framework of
many scholars for examining Indigenous education. Ledward, Takayama and
Kahumoku (2008), Kana‘iaupuni & Kawai‘ae‘a, (2008) and Demmert and Towner
(2003) offer similar perspectives on culture-based education. The influence CBE
provides for Native Hawaiian youth is also affected by another framework known as
CRP or culturally relevant pedagogy.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
The complexity of multicultural education has been researched by Bennett
(2001) and developed into a conceptual framework of genres. In her work, Bennett
(2001) defines three principles of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) as:
First, students must experience high levels of academic success, including
literacy, numeracy, and the technological, social, and political skills they
need to be active participants in a democratic society. Second, students must
develop and maintain cultural consciousness and competence, and the
students’ home culture becomes a knowledge source for teaching and
learning. Finally, students must develop a critical consciousness through
which they may challenge social injustice (p. 187).

Ladson-Billings, (1995) widely recognized for her work on culturally
relevant pedagogy, studied Black American students. In Ladson-Billing’s 1995

57
research three broad propositions about teachers emerged (p. 478). These
propositions were used to help synthesize the results of this study:
1. The conceptions of self and others held by culturally relevant teachers
2. The manner in which social relations are structured by culturally relevant
teachers
3. The conceptions of knowledge held by culturally relevant teachers
In addition, Ladson-Billings (1994) further defines what teachers who utilize
culturally relevant pedagogy do. Accordingly, Ladson-Billings (1994) explains,
culturally relevant teaching:
• views knowledge as something that is continuously re-created, recycled,
and shared;
• views knowledge critically;
• is passionate about knowledge;
• helps students develop necessary skills;
• sees excellence as a complex standard that takes student diversity and
individual differences into account (p. 81-98).
Ladson-Billings also distinguishes three principles as criteria for her work.
The three important principles that emerged from her work are:
1. Teachers help students excel academically;
2. Teachers develop cultural competence of students;
3. Teachers develop students’ ability to critique social inequities (p. 476).

58
These principles have been simply referred to as “academic success, cultural
competence, and critical consciousness” respectively (p. 480).

Similarities
There are similarities between the principles of CRP and the “critical
elements” of CBE. Although CRP designates three principles, three of CBE’s six
elements (numbers 1, 4, 5) could be classified under one of CRP’s principle of
cultural consciousness, two elements (numbers 2 and 3) under academic success, and
one element (number 6) under critical consciousness. The aforementioned models
on Hawaiian Cultural Influences in Education (Ledward, Takayama, & Kahumoku,
2008), culture based education (Demmert &Towner, 2003), and culturally relevant
pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1994) are used prominently in this study. The following
table combines essential aspects of these models. Although the synthesis appears to
clearly divide and combine the varying parts of all three models under different
criteria, the distinction is not always exact so overlap may occur in some places. The
three criteria, 1) academic success or content, 2) cultural competence or context, and
3) critical consciousness or consciousness, which correlates across the models will
provide the conceptual framework for this study.

59
Table 6. Synthesis of Models

Academic Success
(content)
Cultural Competence
(context)
Critical
Consciousness
(consciousness)
Culturally
Relevant
Pedagogy
(Ladson-Billings,
1995b)
- Teachers help
students excel
academically
- The conceptions of
knowledge held by
culturally relevant
teachers
- Teachers develop
cultural
competence of
students
- The conceptions of
self and others held
by culturally
relevant teachers
- Teachers develop
students’ ability to
critique social
inequities
- The manner in
which social
relations are
structured by
culturally relevant
teachers
Culture Based
Education
(Demmert &
Towner, 2003)
- Pedagogy that
stresses traditional
cultural
characteristics and
adult-child
interaction
- Pedagogy in which
teaching strategies
are congruent with
the traditional
culture and ways of
knowing and
learning
- Recognition and
use of Native
Language
- Curriculum that is
based on
traditional culture
and recognizes the
importance of
Native spirituality
- Strong Native
community
participation in
educating children
and in the planning
and operation of
school activities
- Knowledge and use
of the social and
political mores of
the community
Hawaiian
Cultural
Influences in
Education
(Ledward,
Takayama, &
Kahumoku,
2008)
Educational Outcomes
- Student engagement
- Student behavior
- Student achievement
and growth
Culture-Based
Education
- Language
- Cultural content
- Cultural context
- ‘Ohana (family)
and community
- Assessment
Socioemotional
Development
- Self-worth
- Cultural identity
- Relationships with
‘ohana and
community

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This study focuses on the elements common to the theories of Culture Based
Education (CBE), Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) and the theoretical model
used in the Hawaiian Cultural Influence in Education (HCIE) as shown above. The
elements are 1) academic success, 2) cultural competence and 3) critical
consciousness hereafter labeled as 1) content, 2) context, and 3) consciousness and
referred to as constructs.

Content Element
The construct of content is directly linked to academic success. Conceptions
of knowledge (Ladson-Billings, 1995b), teaching strategies and pedagogy (Demmert
& Towner, 2003) and educational outcomes for student achievement (Ledward,
Takayama & Kahumoku, 2008) are essential elements of academic success. All
students use learning strategies or methods to acquire information (Dembo and
Eaton, 2000, p. 477). Teachers’ appraisals about their students’ abilities have
significant implications for curriculum and instruction (Alvidrez & Weinstein, 1999,
p. 731). Castagno and Brayboy (2008) specify that teachers of Indigenous students
should be trained in pedagogical knowledge, cultural knowledge as well as
information about how their students’ culture affect their schooling responses (p.
971). They recommend teachers of Indigenous students acquire pedagogical
knowledge about how
Native children learn to learn at home, theories and practices of first and
second language acquisition, characteristics of exemplary Indigenous
educational programs, developing culturally specific curricular materials,

61
acquiring Indigenous literature suitable for the classroom, and how to
effectively share Native histories in the classroom. (p. 973)

Butterfield (1983) reports the importance of using culturally appropriate
curriculum as critical because it will a) strengthen the self-identity of Indigenous
students as classroom activities reflect the value of their culture, b) Native students
remain in school rather than dropping out because they are motivated to succeed, and
c) teachers and all students, both Native and non-Native increase their knowledge,
respect, appreciation and empathy for cultural diversity (p. 52). Numerous scholars
posit an extant of curricular tension in conventional schools because a typical
schooling experience is centered on curriculum whose content is mainstream or
Western oriented (Osborne, 1996; Omizo, Omizo, & Kitaoka, 1998; Skinner, 1999;
Kaomea, 2000; Kana‘iaupuni, 2004; Benham, 2006; Dela Cruz, Salzman, Brislin, &
Losh, 2006). Au (2007) cites an example of this bias:
In Hawai‘i for example, it is only in recent years that students have been
taught about the Polynesian migration and the skills of the navigators who
brought the ancestors of modern-day Native Hawaiians to the islands around
500 to 700 A.D. Previously, students in Hawai‘i’s schools were taught that
the Hawaiian Islands were “discovered” by the British explorer, James Cook,
in 1783. (p. 7)

Castagno and Brayboy (2008) recommend teachers earnestly review
curricular material and texts they receive for “accuracy, inclusivity, bias,
stereotyping, and omission and then used in critical and limited ways” (p. 968). In
addition, Butterfield (1983) endorses using material that portray a culture in a neutral
way as well as being compatible and complete. Benham (2006) emphasizes the need
for measuring student achievement in ways that are sound academically as well as

62
exhibiting relevance culturally. Lee (1998) reviewed the importance of responsive
testing through performance based assessment. Castagno and Brayboy (2008)
confirmed a need for “more authentic indicators of learning” (p. 978) advocating
what Natives voiced in a regional hearing sponsored by the National Indian
Education Association. Curriculum, assessment practices, and pedagogical
knowledge are significant aspects of content. The academic success of students is an
aspect of Indigenous education which is examined in this study through the construct
of content.

Context Element
The second construct of context is about culture. This construct is also
referred to as cultural competence which Ladson-Billings (1995) explains as students
developing and/or maintaining cultural integrity (p. 160). Cultural competence is
further defined by Ladson-Billings (1995) as teachers who use their students’
heritage culture “as a vehicle for learning” (p. 161). Battiste (2002) notes that
Indigenous education is centered in a learning process that rouses students’ innate
abilities or talents (p. 30) and which bears direct reference to students’ cultural roots.
The relationships teachers establish with Indigenous students can demonstrate
respect for students’ culture (Castagno & Brayboy, 2008, p. 970) and motivate
students to develop their abilities and achieve success. Teacher relationships include
connections they make with family and community. Castagno and Brayboy (2008)
suggest

63
Teachers must know the community in which the school is situated, interact
with community members, and support community agendas. On the other
hand, members of the community must also be invited and welcomed into the
school and be given plenty of authentic opportunities to connect with the
school and the work of educators in the school. (p. 971)

Although Castagno and Brayboy (2008) note that some research shows non-
Indigenous teachers serving Indigenous students are “ignorant” of the local
community’s cultural practices and that community members believe it is important
for these teachers to understand their culture (p.972), it is not necessary for teachers
to be Indigenous, or from the same ethnic group, or from the community in order to
be effective in the classroom (Osborne, 1996, p. 289). Kaomea (2005) recommends
“in order for Hawaiian/non-Hawaiian classroom team-teaching alliances to be
effective, non-Hawaiian classroom teachers will need to take a back seat to Hawaiian
elders and cultural experts, and assume a supportive role that allows Hawaiian
experts to take the lead” (p. 40). Honoring students’ native language is another way
teachers can demonstrate respect for students’ heritage culture. One of five domains
Ledward and Takayama (2008) listed under Culture-Based Education is the use of
students’ heritage language. Benham (2006) linked the need for students and
teachers to have intergenerational cultural exchanges with an increasing focus on
“mother-tongue instruction” (p. 40).
Although distinguishing the practices teachers employ as academic or
cultural may be challenging, the materials, methods of instruction, and techniques
teachers use in the classroom can and should be culturally appropriate and
academically sound (Benham, 2006, p. 30). Au (2007) cautions that culturally

64
responsive instruction and lessons should promote academic excellence and not just
aim at making students feel comfortable in the classroom (p. 12). Talk-story like
reading lessons studied by Au produced a significant number of incidences of “text
ideas” discussed. Kawakami, Anton, Glendon, and Stewart (1999) recommend
providing instructional activities that are experience-based because it allows students
to actively engage their senses (p. 14). In addition, the KEEP program utilized a
small group instruction design (Tharp, 1982) and peer teaching (Weisner, Gallimore
& Jordan, 1988) which continue to be endorsed in CREDE’s Standards of Effective
Pedagogy (Doherty, Hilberg, Pinal & Tharp, 2003) and by other scholars (Au, 2007;
Kana‘iaupuni & Kawai‘ae‘a, 2008; Ledward & Takayama, 2008).
The context domain of the Hawaiian Indigenous Education Rubric examines
school and classroom structures for their cultural appropriateness. This also includes
integration of Hawaiian protocols, rituals and other cultural practices (Ledward &
Takayama, 2008). Traditionally, the Hawaiian culture emphasizes a collaborative,
group oriented working structure rather than an emphasis on individual effort
(Omizo, Omizo & Kitaoka, 1998). The effectiveness of a lesson is dependent on its
delivery which Gay (2002) suggests operationalizing by teaching in the manner
which matches instructional techniques with Native students’ learning styles (p.
112). This would require the careful consideration of Indigenous learner
characteristics and values that often conflict with the dominant society (Butterfield,
1983, p. 52).

65
According to Dela Cruz, et. al (2006) many of the academic challenges
Native Hawaiians encounter are due to the differences between the educational
philosophies and values that exist with the dominant views of Western society (p.
121). A Native Hawaiian program for gifted underachieving high school students
developed through collaborative efforts between the Center for Gifted and Talented
Native Hawaiian Children from Hilo’s University of Hawai‘i campus and select high
schools uses Hawaiian values at the core of its curriculum (Kawakami, et. al, 1999,
p. 17). The importance of context or cultural competence as a construct is evident as
it represents several significant aspects of education for Indigenous learners
including building relationships (of teachers, students, family, community),
practicing cultural rituals and protocols, utilizing experiential and values based
instruction, accommodating cultural structures (small group, talk-story like) and
respecting Native language.

Consciousness Element
Consciousness is the third construct that is associated with critical
consciousness or social inequities and injustices. This third construct is essential to
this study as it helps students apply their self-identity (and/or cultural identity) in
meaningful ways to affect their community and global society by using their own set
of values, ideologies, priorities and worldview which may be completely different
from what outsiders might have chosen for them (Kawagley & Barnhardt, 1998, p.
14). Ladson-Billings (1995) explains that teachers are presumed to recognize the

66
social inequities and its causes because they must help their students to “recognize,
understand and critique current social inequities” (p. 476-477). Castagno and
Brayboy (2008) also warn that if teachers want to be successful with their Indigenous
students, they should have a knowledge of local cultural issues (p. 972). Gay (2002)
advises that teachers who are culturally responsive emphasize “holistic or integrated
learning” by teaching simultaneously “personal, moral, social, political, cultural, and
academic knowledge and skills” (p. 110).
For example, students are taught their cultural heritages and positive ethnic
identity development along with math, science, reading, critical thinking, and
social activism. Culturally responsive teachers help students to understand
that knowledge has moral and political elements and consequences, which
obligate them to take social action to promote freedom, equality, and justice
for everyone. (p. 110)

Indigenous educational approaches as well as views of the world are at
danger by “the spread of western social structures and institutionalized forms of
cultural transmission” (Kawagley & Barnhardt, 1998, p. 3). Teachers are responsible
for helping students appreciate diverse worldviews by understanding that “everyone
views the world through a cultural lens” (Saifer & Barton, 2007, p. 27). Developing
a critical yet sensitive worldview with students requires that teachers understand
historical, cultural and local issues (Kawagley & Barnhardt, 1998, p. 15). Barnhardt
and Kawagley (2005) explain the significance of worldviews and critical
consciousness:
Indigenous peoples throughout the world have sustained their unique
worldviews and associated knowledge systems for millennia, even while
undergoing major social upheavals as a result of transformative forces
beyond their control. Many of the core values, beliefs and practices

67
associated with those worldviews have survived and are beginning to be
recognized as having an adaptive integrity that is as valid for today’s
generations as it was for generations past. (p. 5)

Kana‘iaupuni (2004) proclaims the unique contributions Hawaiians offer that
researchers should consider because Hawaiians have a special sensitivity and
perspective of the world. This special worldview centers on relationships including
connections with their land and genealogy (p. 30). Like other Indigenous people, the
Hawaiian worldview is relational, based on a harmonic integrity of people and nature
(Kawagley & Barnhardt, 1998, p. 7). Thus, developing consciousness around issues
of social inequities becomes a natural extension of learning.

Perspective Element
The final construct of this study is perspective which is directly linked to the
teacher’s perception. Teachers make decisions everyday regarding their classroom
practices. Their self-efficacy beliefs “affect their instructional activities and their
orientation toward the educational process...teachers with high self-efficacy create
mastery experiences for their students…Teacher self-efficacy also predicts student
achievement” (Alvidrez & Weinstein, 1999, p. 125). All of the research questions for
this study seek to learn what teachers do to help their students and what they believe
is their own cultural connectedness. A discussion of the teacher’s perspective can be
found in a previous section on “Teacher Influence.”
Explanations for the elements of content, context, consciousness and
perspective provide important and substantive research supporting the need for

68
conducting this study. The preceding descriptions of this study’s four constructs are
not definitive but indicative, not fixed traits but rather tendencies so caution must be
exercised so as not to overgeneralize.

Conclusion
Castagno and Brayboy (2008) emphasized repeatedly the need for teachers to
help students make connections. “Language arts curriculum also needs to be
connected to students’ worlds and everyday experiences” (p. 968). “…Schooling
must be designed and practiced in ways that more closely match the cultures students
bring with them from home” (p. 946). Gay (2001) bases culturally responsive
teaching on the assumption that “when academic knowledge and skills are situated
within the lived experiences and frames of reference of students, they are more
personally meaningful, have higher interest appeal, and are learned more easily and
thoroughly” (p. 106). Teachers play a significant role in helping students learn by
using students’ heritage culture to impact instruction or in other words, by being
“culturally connected.”
There is a need to learn more about if and how teachers at Kamehameha
Elementary School are “culturally connected” given that the entire student
population is Native Hawaiian. This study explores the role teachers play in helping
students succeed while using culturally based education (CBE) or culturally relevant
pedagogy (CRP) in the classroom. The findings of this study establish a baseline for
understanding the effects of teachers’ cultural connectedness at Kamehameha

69
Elementary School (KES). While parallels have already been mentioned and
numerous similarities have been delineated between Native Hawaiians and other
Indigenous peoples, this study is limited to teachers of Native Hawaiian students at
KES. There are elementary teachers at other Kamehameha Schools campuses but
results from this study cannot be applied to them. Although this study is not intended
to compare Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers, this information can be helpful.
A review of the literature highlighting Native Hawaiians’ academic
challenges as well as the sociocultural variables which impact their learning was
shared. Research employed and related literature was also reviewed. Included in this
review are theories and conceptual frameworks that apply to the study, specifically,
the significant role teachers play in helping students develop academic success, the
benefits of culturally based education (CBE) and culturally relevant pedagogy
(CRP), and how they relate to the effects of teachers’ cultural connectedness. This
study of teachers for Native Hawaiian students reveals the extent to which the
cultural connectedness of teachers impacts instructional practices, student
engagement, and congruency between students’ home and school culture.

70
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Conducting research in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island
communities whether using qualitative or quantitative methods will
help us to better understand what really makes a difference in meeting
the educational needs of students; in particular, how to meet both
home-culture and Western education needs. This is important work
that must not only meet rigorous scientific standards but also honor
the wisdom of native/local traditional knowledge.

- Maenette K. P. Benham (2006, p. 35)

Education disparities between Indigenous students and their mainstream
peers exist due to a mismatch, gap, or incongruence between their home, community
culture and their formal, conventional schooling because “Western schools are
structured in a way that conflicts with Hawaiian holistic learning styles” (Dela Cruz,
Salzman, Brislin & Losch, 2005, p. 121). Native Hawaiian youth struggle with
academic challenges due to differences between modern, Western values and
educational philosophies and their own traditional, cultural values and philosophies
(Dela Cruz, Salzman, Brislin & Losch, 2005). Some examples of these differences
are greater value on written language rather than oral language, rigid time schedules,
teacher-to-student interactions, kinds of learning or reasoning, emphasis on
“individualism and competition” and devaluation of the role of the family (Benham
& Heck, 1998). Teachers are agents who are responsible for student learning, so
they can help decrease the disparity between students’ home culture and the modern

71
schooling they receive by redefining “education through strategies building upon a
cultural framework for education” (Kana‘iaupuni & Kawai‘ae‘a, 2008).
The goal of this study was to examine how teachers match their students’
home and community cultures (Ladson-Billings, 1995b, p. 466) through their
instructional practices in order to better understand the “cultural connectedness” of
teachers. Ten elementary teachers of Native Hawaiian children participated in
interviews and shared their perceptions on how their students’ Native Hawaiian
culture influenced their classroom practices. Various factors linked to cultural
connectedness from CRP’s three principles and HCIE were explored emphasizing 1)
teachers’ practices in the classroom related to content, context, and consciousness
and 2) teachers’ perceptions about their cultural connectedness. This
“connectedness,” was the focus of the study as it related to teachers’ use of culturally
relevant pedagogy (CRP) or culturally based education (CBE) in their instruction.
The method employed is a case study approach with purposeful sampling because
the researcher has access to the site and respondents, both of which would otherwise
not be so easily accessible. The findings of this study bear significance for both the
researcher and the respondents who work closely with Native Hawaiian youth as it
may inform practice at this site. The following research questions guided this study:
1. To what extent are teachers’ practices aligned with literature on culture-
based education or culturally relevant pedagogy? (ACADEMIC
CONTENT)

72
2. How are teachers incorporating Native Hawaiian culture in their
instructional practices? (CULTURAL CONTEXT)
3. How do teachers help students understand Native Hawaiian culture in
relation to their community, country, world? (CRITICAL
CONSCIOUSNESS)
4. What do teachers at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) think
cultural connectedness means and looks like? (TEACHER
PERCEPTION)
In the first two chapters the purpose for this study was established and
literature pertinent to teachers and culture were reviewed. Background information
relevant to educating Indigenous and native youth was provided. Findings from
previous studies and literature on culturally relevant pedagogy and culture based
education were presented to establish the basis for this study. In this chapter the 1)
method – qualitative and quantitative, mixed; 2) research design – site and sampling,
teacher selection; 3) instrumentation – interview protocol and questions; 4) data
collection and analysis; 5) ethical considerations are described. These components
of the research design for this study are used to respond to the four research
questions above.

Methods
Merriam (1998) suggests three important considerations for selecting a
design: 1) understanding the philosophical foundations underlying the type of

73
research; 2) taking stock of whether there is a good match between the type of
research and your personality, attributes, and skills; and 3) becoming informed as to
the design choices available to you within the paradigm (p. 1). Patton (2002) reports
that different methodological approaches are necessary for the varying needs of
regularly conducted studies. The real challenge is selecting the appropriate match for
the study (p. xxii).

Quantitative and Qualitative
Qualitative measures allow for issues to be studied in greater depth and
detail. Whereas quantitative inquiry involves many participants, qualitative methods
use a much smaller sample size but usually produce rich, detailed information.
Patton (2002) explains that qualitative reports can be powerful because they offer
greater depth of perspective (p. 8) by reducing generalizability (p. 14).
The three reasons listed below fit into this discussion as reasons for selecting
a qualitative approach. First, the review of literature conducted in Chapter Two
revealed limited information and data about teacher’s cultural connectedness and
teachers utilizing culturally relevant teaching practices for Native Hawaiian students.
Currently, only one study from 2008 has been completed (Ledward, et al.). Data
from a survey of 600 secondary school teachers was gathered, including teachers
from the middle and high school campuses of Kamehameha Schools, a private
school where all students have Native Hawaiian heritage. This study focused on
elementary teachers at Kamehameha School’s elementary division on the island of

74
‘Oahu. Findings from this study will help deepen understanding for providing an
education to Native Hawaiian youth that matches the culture of their home and
community. The second reason for selecting a qualitative research design is to
provide qualitative data from interviews with teachers because these measures allow
for issues to be studied in greater depth and detail versus gathering a quantity of
insights (Patton, 2002, p. 7). Ten teachers were interviewed at this site to yield
greater depth and perceptions about what teachers do and think. Interviews were
conducted in the teachers’ classrooms which allowed the researcher to spend time in
their setting and develop a better understanding of what teachers describe in the
interview. The third reason for conducting a qualitative inquiry is because the role of
the researcher is important to the work. The qualitative method allows the researcher
to be a participant observer (p. 4). As an administrator at Kamehameha Elementary
School, there are activities, events, and opportunities to which I have access and
“insider information” and which may provide greater depth to this study.
The survey used in this study allowed teachers’ responses to specific items to
be measured through its placement on the Hawaiian Indigenous Education Rubric
(HIER) developed for the Culture Based Education Teacher Tool (CBETT). A
quantitative method was used to analyze data from the survey that teachers
completed prior to their interviews. Merriam (1998) contrasts quantitative inquiry as
taking apart a phenomenon to study its parts as compared to qualitative research that
can reveal how all the parts fit together into a whole (p. 6). Although quantitative
and qualitative are contrasting approaches, the differences offer alternative, not

75
exclusive, strategies for inquiry. Quantitative measures produce results that are
“succinct, parsimonious, and easily aggregated for analysis; quantitative data are
systematic, standardized, and easily presented in a short space” (Patton, 2002, p. 20).
While the information gleaned from the quantitative analysis for this study cannot
offer generalizability to the greater teacher population at KES, it does provide
additional information to support and/or refute findings from the qualitative analysis.

Mixed Methods
Patton (2002) claims both qualitative and quantitative methods are accepted
as credible approaches with mixed methods as a viable choice. The CBETT or
Teacher Survey used in this study provides quantitative data that can be used to
corroborate or refute findings from the qualitative method employed through teacher
interviews. Determining the “cultural connectedness” of teachers is reasonable
through the survey instrument that grew out of the teacher rubric discussed by
Kana‘iaupuni and Kawai‘ae‘a (2008) described and used by Ledward, et al. in their
2008 study. Information from teacher interviews was used to deepen the
understanding while providing evidence for claims made in the survey. Mixed
methods was used for this study because, based on Patton’s (2002) explanation,
“quantitative methods and qualitative methods are used in a complementary fashion
to answer different questions that do not easily come together to provide a single,
well-integrated picture of the situation” (p. 557). The correlation between the data
from both methods helped strengthen the assumption that teachers who are

76
“connected” with their students’ culture provide instruction that positively impacts
student success because its culturally sensitivity makes learning meaningful.

Research Design
An important structure of this research design is the single case study. A
single case study design was chosen for this research because it provides an
appropriate plan for addressing the problem. Merriam (1998) explains the advantage
of using a case study as offering “a means of investigating complex social units
consisting of multiple variables of potential importance in understanding the
phenomenon” (p. 41). This study focused on the culturally relevant practices of
teachers and their perceptions about how they are connected with their students’
Native Hawaiian culture.

Site and Sampling
The site selected for this study is Kamehameha Elementary School. All of
the students at this private school have Native Hawaiian heritage. Kamehameha
Schools is a large K-12 private school on the island of ‘Oahu. Two other K-12
campuses have been built, one on the big island of Hawai‘i and one on Maui. The
proposed study at the elementary school on ‘Oahu may lead to opportunities for
more research at this site and at the other campuses on Maui and Hawai‘i.
Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) at the ‘Oahu campus serves 752
students in grades K-6. The students travel from all parts of the island to the

77
campus. Limited bussing is available for students who may spend upwards of two or
three hours total for their daily commute. All of the students at all campuses of
Kamehameha Schools have Native Hawaiian ethnicity.
Patton (2002) warns about the importance of sampling because “The sample
determines what the evaluator will have something to say about” (p. 240). He adds,
“Information-rich cases are those from which one can learn a great deal about issues
of central importance to the purpose of the inquiry, thus the term purposeful
sampling” (p. 230). This study utilizes purposeful sampling. The site selection for
this applied research study was made because all of the students are Native
Hawaiian. In addition, the teachers at this site, regardless of whether they are Native
Hawaiian or not, have the responsibility to work with Indigenous, Native students.
Thus, Kamehameha Schools provides a very good match for the purpose of this
study.

Teacher Selection
The sampling population was selected with the intent that much can be
learned from them because the purpose of applied research is “to illuminate societal
concern” (Patton, 2002, p. 213). There are four classes at each grade from
Kindergarten to grade 3 with six classes each for grades 4-6 at Kamehameha
Elementary School (KES). Thirty-four teachers are in these “homeroom” classrooms
with an additional fifteen teachers who conduct “special Encore classes” such as
science lab, music, band, art, P.E., Hawaiian language and culture, Christian

78
education, computers, library and media resources. Another five teachers provide
resource help in reading and mathematics for selected students. Additional services
including guidance classes are provided through five counselors. There are an ample
number of teachers at KES who could participate in this study. The most important
factor for selecting teachers for this study is “to get the most information of greatest
utility from the limited number of cases to be sampled. Purposeful, strategic
sampling can yield crucial information about critical cases” (Patton, 2002, p. 242).
Although the researcher is also an administrator at this school, convenience was not
the reason for selecting the site or sample population for this study.
This study focused on teachers’ connections with their students’ culture and
matching their instruction or teaching practices to that culture. It was essential to
this study that the appropriate teachers be selected for obtaining high quality
responses to the questions, however, the researcher will have to rely on teachers’
willingness to participate because researcher bias is probable due to this researcher’s
role as a supervisor for these teachers. The teachers selected from the more than
fifty teachers at KES represent diverse backgrounds. The criteria for selecting a
diverse sample of teachers is based on 1) total number of years in teaching (at any
school, at KES, with Native Hawaiian students-if applicable); 2) grade teaching
(current ages of students, experience with different ages of students); 3) personal
ethnicity (Native Hawaiian, no Native Hawaiian or Polynesian ethnicity, other
ethnicities such as Asian, American Indian, etc.); 4) motivation (accessible and
available for lengthy interview, willingness to participate).

79
As the researcher or investigator I am also an insider because I am the vice
principal at this site. There is much that I already know about the faculty at KES
because I was also a teacher at this site for the previous fifteen years. I designed the
criteria above for selecting teachers so the process will be fair. Interested participants
(teachers) who range in years of experience, grade and age of students, and ethnicity
were sought with ten teachers agreeing to participate.

Instrumentation
The instruments required for this study are nominal, a written survey (filled
out by the teacher) and a tape recorder. The survey used is the Culture Based
Education Teacher Tool (CBETT) developed through and used by Hawaiian Cultural
Influences in Education (HCIE), “a joint research project of Kamehameha Schools,
the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HiDOE), and Na Lei Na‘auao, an alliance of
Hawaiian-focused public charter schools” (Ledward, 2008, p. 4). The Teacher Tool
was used in 62 schools across the state of Hawai‘i with a total of 600 teacher
participants. The CBETT has not been used at KES. Other tools needed such as a
tape recorder are for the researcher’s use. It is the responsibility of the interviewer to
record participant’s responses to questions and no other instruments are needed for
the participants.
Items from the CBETT survey are linked to the research questions and the
study’s constructs. It is important to note that some survey items are linked to more
than one research question or construct. Because native language is not a primary

80
focus of this study but it was an integral part of the CBETT, items relating to Native
Language are distinguished under the heading within the construct of Context. Upon
review of the survey items, the following items have been determined to align with
the research questions and related constructs of this study. They are presented here
in separate tables according to this study’s constructs. Survey items are also
identified as survey question or statement.

Table 7. Survey Items Aligned with Content Construct

Construct: Academic Success or CONTENT
RESEARCH QUESTION: To what extent are teachers’ practices aligned with literature on culture-based
education or culturally relevant pedagogy?
Survey
Item Survey Question or Statement
6 I lead class discussions that give individual students a chance to be heard when called on.
12 I use small-group activities to enhance student learning.
13 I develop homework assignments and activities that require the active participation of family
members.
16 I use readily available curricula and materials and try to interject Hawaiian or “local” examples
where relevant.
17 I use textbook-based lectures and discussions in my class.
29 I develop students’ literacy and language skills by using writing activities in my class (regardless of
subject).
31 I use vendor-developed textbooks and materials for my class to ensure that the content and quality
meet state standards or other benchmarks and guidelines.
36 I define and direct my students’ roles and responsibilities.
37 My primary goal in teaching is to improve students’ academic achievement.
38 I use multiple-choice and other paper-and-pencil tests to assess students.
46 I use portfolios of students’ accomplishments to assess and grade students.
50 I assess my students by having them engage in projects or performances that demonstrate a
meaningful understanding of the material, including the ability to problem-solve and creatively
adapt knowledge to different situations.
53 I assess my students by having them engage in projects or performances that require a range of
knowledge and skills.
54 Most of my contact with students’ families occurs through Open Houses and school events.
56 I teach my students to recognize their responsibilities and the importance of their academic
achievement.
59 I assess my students by having them engage in projects or performances that are culturally
purposeful and useful (i.e. have real value to the community and to Hawaiian culture).

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Table 8. Survey Items Aligned with Context Construct

Construct: Cultural Competence or CONTEXT
RESEARCH QUESTION: How are teachers incorporating Native Hawaiian culture in their
instructional practices?
Survey
Item Survey Question or Statement
5 In addition to my students, I also talk to family and community members to better
understand the values, norms, knowledge, and experiences that make this community
special.
7 I embed Hawaiian knowledge, practices, values, behaviors, language, and spirituality into
the content and materials of my class.
8 I talk with my students about their home lives.
9 I invite students’ family members into the learning environment to create a sense of
‘ohana (family).
11 I use the community as a setting for student learning that is responsive to community
needs and grounded in the Hawaiian knowledge, practices, and history associated with a
place.
12 I use small-group activities to enhance student learning.
13 I develop homework assignments and activities that require the active participation of
family members.
14 I encourage students to teach and learn from each other.
16 I use readily available curricula and materials and try to interject Hawaiian or “local”
examples where relevant.
18 I use hands-on learning activities outside the classroom.
20 I get to know my students, their families, and their community through interactions
outside of school.
21 I facilitate student discussions and group interactions using a free-flowing, “talk story”
structure that is collaborative in nature.
22 I create opportunities for intergenerational learning, where students learn from each other,
from teachers, and from kūpuna (elders).
24 I use culturally appropriate curricula and materials that include some Hawaiian cultural
context.
28 I provide students’ family members with information about ways they can support their
child’s learning at home.
33 I integrate ‘ohana (family), community members, and kūpuna (elders) into the learning
experience.
40 I contact family members (e.g. by phone, in person, by email) when their children are
having problems in my class.

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Table 8, Continued

41 I work closely with ‘ohana (families) to support their children’s growth and success in and
out of school.
44 I frequently contact family members about a variety of student matters, both good and
bad.
45 I design my class to support the diverse cultural backgrounds of my students.
47 In my teaching, I incorporate universal values, using Hawaiian terms such as ‘ohana
(family) and lōkahi (unity, harmony).
48 I am responsible for ensuring that my students have a strong cultural identity.
50 I assess my students by having them engage in projects or performances that demonstrate
a meaningful understanding of the material, including the ability to problem-solve and
creatively adapt knowledge to different situations.
51 The learning environment and daily practices of my class grow from my fundamental
Hawaiian beliefs and native spirituality.
52 I try to keep my class neutral and free of cultural references so that no students feel left
out.
59 I assess my students by having them engage in projects or performances that are culturally
purposeful and useful (i.e. have real value to the community and to Hawaiian culture).
Hawaiian Language Items
1 I encourage students to use vocabulary from the content of the class to express their
understanding of the course material.
2 I speak and display Hawaiian language in the learning environment, using phrases and
limited language exchanges.
3 I use my verbal exchanges with students to support their language development by
listening respectfully, asking questions, modeling appropriate language, and restating their
points.
15 I teach and communicate with my students in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language)
26 I use Hawaiian language materials in my teaching.
27 I use simple Hawaiian words and/or songs to expose my students to Hawaiian language.
42 My teaching is grounded in the belief that all students should have a basic level of
competency in the Hawaiian language.
47 In my teaching, I incorporate universal values, using Hawaiian terms such as ‘ohana
(family) and lōkahi (unity, harmony).
57 My teaching is grounded in the belief that all students should be proficient in the
Hawaiian language to achieve our vision for a Hawaiian-speaking community.

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Table 9. Survey Items Aligned with Consciousness Construct

Construct: Critical Consciousness or CONSCIOUSNESS
RESEARCH QUESTION: How do teachers help students understand Native Hawaiian
culture in relation to their community, country, world?
Survey
Item Survey Question or Statement
4 I have students help plan community-based activities for my class.
5 In addition to my students, I also talk to family and community members to
better understand the values, norms, knowledge, and experiences that make this
community special.
10 I create opportunities for students to engage in community service and/or service
learning beyond the activities already organized by the school.
11 I use the community as a setting for student learning that is responsive to
community needs and grounded in the Hawaiian knowledge, practices, and
history associated with a place.
19 I have students engage in community service and/or service learning as part of
their required coursework.
22 I create opportunities for intergenerational learning, where students learn from
each other, from teachers, and from kūpuna (elders).
23 I relate my coursework and content to the local (but not necessarily Hawaiian)
community.
25 I integrate Hawaiian practices, rituals, and protocol as part of the learning
experience for my students.
30 I help students connect what they learn in my class to their experiences at home
and in the community.
32 I create opportunities for my students to apply what they have learned to
community settings.
35 My ultimate goal in working with students is to preserve and perpetuate
Hawaiian culture for generations to come.
43 I encourage my students to initiate and lead community projects to promote
greater community well-being.
56 I teach my students to recognize their responsibilities and the importance of their
academic achievement.

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Table 10. Survey Items Aligned with Perspective Construct

Construct: Teacher Perception or PERSPECTIVE
RESEARCH QUESTION: What do teachers at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) think
cultural connectedness means and looks like?
Survey
Item Survey Question or Statement
5 In addition to my students, I also talk to family and community members to better
understand the values, norms, knowledge, and experiences that make this community
special.
6 I lead class discussions that give individual students a chance to be heard when called on.
8 I talk with my students about their home lives.
11 I use the community as a setting for student learning that is responsive to community
needs and grounded in the Hawaiian knowledge, practices, and history associated with a
place.
20 I get to know my students, their families, and their community through interactions
outside of school.
22 I create opportunities for intergenerational learning, where students learn from each other,
from teachers, and from kūpuna (elders).
23 I relate my coursework and content to the local (but not necessarily Hawaiian)
community.
37 My primary goal in teaching is to improve students’ academic achievement.
39 I incorporate Hawaiian culture in my teaching to better engage students.
45 I design my class to support the diverse cultural backgrounds of my students.
48 I am responsible for ensuring that my students have a strong cultural identity.
49 I expect my students to recognize and carry out their roles and responsibilities on their
own.
51 The learning environment and daily practices of my class grow from my fundamental
Hawaiian beliefs and native spirituality.
52 I try to keep my class neutral and free of cultural references so that no students feel left
out.
55 I am just as responsible for my students’ social and emotional growth as I am for their
academic achievement.
56 I teach my students to recognize their responsibilities and the importance of their
academic achievement.
58 My teaching methods and delivery have little to do with Hawaiian culture, practices,
values, or beliefs.

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Interviews
The qualitative interview was selected for use with this study because it is the
appropriate way to gather information about what cannot be observed directly.
According to Patton (2002) “The purpose of qualitative interviewing is to capture
how those being interviewed view their world, to learn their terminology and
judgments, and to capture the complexities of their individual perceptions and
experiences” (p. 348). Personal interviews were utilized for this study. Interviews
were chosen “to allow us to enter into the other person’s perspective” (Patton, 2002,
p. 341). This is necessary because much of the information gathered during the
interview is not observable. Discovering what the teacher is thinking can only be
learned through the interview as stories are told and thoughts are shared (p. 341).
The standardized open-ended interview will be utilized for the reasons Patton (2002)
lists:
1. The exact instrument used in the evaluation is available for inspection by
those who will use the findings of the study.
2. Variation among interviewers can be minimized where a number of
different interviewers must be used.
3. The interview is highly focused so the interviewee time is used
efficiently.
4. Analysis is facilitated by making responses easy to find and compare
(p. 346).

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Follow-up to this interview was scheduled only for those teachers who had
insufficient time to complete the interview or survey at the initial meeting.

Interview Protocol
Appropriate questioning techniques were important to the standardized open-
ended interview conducted. Wording for the questions were carefully crafted to
assure clarity and standardization and according to Patton (2008) “to be sure each
interviewee gets asked the same questions – the same stimuli – in the same way and
the same order” (p. 344). The questions used in the interview are influenced by
items from the Hawaiian cultural influences in educations’ CBETT (culture-based
education teacher tool). This survey has not been used at KES but was used with
600 secondary school teachers in 2008. This survey sought to examine the cultural
connectedness of teachers. The results were quantified and shared through a report
entitled “Kikī Nā Wai: Swiftly Flowing Streams” (Ledward, Takayama, Kahumoku,
2008). This study seeks to garner greater understanding of elementary teachers’
cultural approaches for teaching Native Hawaiian teachers at KES through the
constructs of 1) academic success or content, 2) cultural competence or context, 3)
critical consciousness or consciousness, and 4) teacher’s perception or perspective .
(See Appendix B for the list of questions for the sequence in which it was asked).
The following items are specific questions that were asked of KES teachers in
the interview. The Interview Protocol is separated here according to how each aligns
with the research question and its construct.

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Table 11. Interview Questions Linked to Content Construct

Construct
and
RESEARCH
QUESTION
Academic Success or CONTENT
To what extent are teachers’ practices and their definitions aligned with
literature on culture-based education or culturally relevant pedagogy?
Interview
Question 12
What kinds of things have you done in the classroom that have facilitated
the academic success of your Native Hawaiian students? What are the most
important strategies, skills, content knowledge for facilitating learning?
Interview
Question 13
From your experience, what kinds of supports for students (i.e. materials,
structures, resources, etc.) make a difference in their ability to learn the
curricula in 4
th
/5
th
grade?
Interview
Question 16
What are your standards for excellence? How do you assess the extent of
the success of your lessons?

Table 12. Interview Questions Linked to Context Construct

Construct
and
RESEARCH
QUESTION
Cultural Competence or CONTEXT
How are teachers incorporating Native Hawaiian culture in their
instructional practices?
Interview
Question 8
What kind of role do you believe parents/family play in the success of
Native Hawaiian students? How would you describe the kinds of
relationships you’ve had with parents of students you’ve taught? In what
ways do you involve the community/family in your curriculum?
Interview
Question 9
What relationships do you see, if any between using Hawaiian language
and culture and learning/teaching?
Interview
Question 14
a) In what way do you incorporate Hawaiian language and culture into the
classroom? Do you feel that you have opportunities to integrate Hawaiian
language and culture into your classroom?
b) Does this hinder or help you in your teaching of Indigenous students?
c) How does Hawaiian language and culture affect your curriculum and
instruction?

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Table 13. Interview Questions Linked to Consciousness Construct

Construct
and
RESEARCH
QUESTION
Critical Consciousness or CONSCIOUSNESS
How do teachers help students understand Native Hawaiian culture in
relation to their community, country, world?
Interview
Question 15
How have your Native Hawaiian students dealt with current issues that face
their community? (i.e. issues about natural resources: loss of habitat for
native animals, devastation of reefs, extinction of native birds or plants;
legal issues: diversion of water, leasehold conversion, restriction of access
to the shore; etc.)
Interview
Question 18
How do you help students to understand diversity? Give an example of
what has happened in your classroom when students recognized such
differences.
Interview
Question 19
What have you done to help your students see themselves as part of a
global community?

Table 14. Interview Questions Linked to Perspective Construct

Construct
and
RESEARCH
QUESTION
Teacher Perception or PERSPECTIVE
What do teachers at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) think cultural
connectedness means and looks like?
Interview
Question 10
Can you think of any characteristics that Native Hawaiian students as a
group bring to the classroom? Explain what they are and how they affect
your teaching.
Interview
Question 11
Based on your experience in education, what kinds of strategies would you
recommend to other teachers to engage Native Hawaiians?
Interview
Question 17
It has been reported that culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) helps Native
Hawaiian students learn better. Do you agree with this statement? Why or
why not? In what ways do you utilize this concept in your curriculum?
Interview
Question 20
As a teacher, how connected are you to your students’ Native Hawaiian
culture? Rate yourself from 1-5 (five being the highest). Explain why you
rated yourself that way.

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An attempt was made to use three questions pertaining directly to each of this
study’s four constructs. However, the construct of perspective has four questions
because the final question asks teachers to rate their own connectedness. The
response from this question is used quantitatively and provides additional data to the
qualitative data retrieved through the teacher interview.

Data Collection
Procedures for handling data include the methods for collecting data and the
analysis of data. Protocol for an appropriate interview was also determined. It is
important to consider what process to follow so the respondent or teacher feels
comfortable and confident about participating in the study.
As previously discussed, the interview is the instrument which was used to
gather information. This instrument was selected because comments, thoughts,
answers to questions and stories shared in an interview discloses greater detail and
depth than a survey or questionnaire (Patton, 2002, p. 341) thus permitting
exploration of the phenomenon being studied (p. 255) which is teachers’ cultural
connectedness. Interviews were also audio-recorded to allow the interviewer greater
freedom for listening intently, interacting if necessary, and noticing any other
nuances during the teacher’s dialogue.
Managing the data requires a system for organization (Merriam, 1998, p.
164). Transcribing the recordings was also necessary. Protecting the confidentiality

90
of the data is of utmost importance. Data from the interview as well as the CBETT
was kept under lock and key.
The collection of data requires some protocols. First there are requirements
which protect the data and the “human subject” or respondent. Strict adherence to
these requirements is essential to assure quality and to protect the data. See
Appendix A for specific Interview Protocol.
Upon approval of the participant, an audio-recorder was used during the
interview. Patton (2002) lists several steps to follow when recording the interview
(p. 382). He titles his list “Tips for Tape-Recording Interviews: How to Keep
Transcribers Sane.” His tips include 1) how to use the equipment, 2) what
precautions to follow before the interview, 3) during the interview, and 4) after the
interview. Following protocols guarantees that routines are followed to establish a
sense of standardization and following protocols honors the time and effort the
respondent devotes to this study. Paper and pencil for note-taking was also used.

Analysis
According to Patton (2002), the time following an interview is extremely
important because that is the time for guaranteeing the quality of the data (p. 383).
This is when the “rigor and validity of qualitative inquiry” (p. 383) is critical. The
time immediately after a recorded interview is when the researcher should 1) review
the tape to see if it functioned properly, 2) make written notes of everything that can
be remembered, 3) check the written interview notes (even if the tape recorder

91
worked properly) to make sure they make sense and to see if there is ambiguity or
uncertainty. When something was missing, the researcher immediately clarified the
information via telephone or face to face dialogue. The respondent appreciated the
follow-up because it was a signal of the researcher’s sincerity and seriousness about
the interview. It is better to eliminate the incomplete data than report vagueness (p.
384).
Data collected from the interview was organized by questions, themes, or
patterns. Because qualitative inquiry is not a linear process, analyzing the data
presented some challenges. Merriam (1998) suggests coding “various aspects of
your data so that you can easily retrieve specific pieces of the data” (p. 164). This
was very complex as Patton (2002, p. 407) warns
Because qualitative methods are highly personal and interpersonal, because
naturalistic inquiry takes the researcher into the real world where people live
and work, and because in-depth interviewing opens up what is inside people
– qualitative inquiry may be more intrusive and involve greater reactivity
than surveys, tests, and other quantitative approaches.

The researcher was cognizant of the nuances that separate or combine
varying responses. Answers to questions about motivation, self-esteem, and other
more personal items directed at the teacher were easier to categorize. However,
answers pertaining to culturally relevant pedagogy and culture based education
varied greatly, especially because activities and instructional practices differed based
on the grade level or ages of the students being taught as well as the subject matter.
Conducting interviews for this study was a choice the researcher made fully aware of
the challenges presented by the varying responses and the analysis of them.

92
Triangulation
Patton (2002) suggests that data collected through qualitative methods can be
compared and integrated with data collected through quantitative methods to provide
methods triangulation. Triangulation allows data from the qualitative and
quantitative methods to be used “in a complementary fashion to answer different
questions that do not easily come together to provide a single, well-integrated picture
of the situation” (p. 557). Data collected from different methods (quantitative and
qualitative) that can be shown to correspond is valuable as well as reliable. For this
particular study, data that correlates between the quantitative and qualitative methods
carries greater significance. Triangulation is possible for this study because of the
mixed methods employed.
The data from KES teachers’ responses to HCIE’s CBETT were analyzed for
findings across the constructs of this study. The ratings for selected teacher
behaviors about instructional practices and teaching philosophies using the Hawaii
Indigenous Teaching Rubric was determined for the answers to the CBETT survey.
This finding is reported in a table and arranged by constructs in Chapter 4. The
different scales used in the CBETT survey necessitates separating out items as they
correlate with HCIE’s rubric so comparisons can be accomplished.
Through a community partnership which included University of Hawai‘i
professors (from Hilo and Mānoa), an advisory group of researchers, members of the
Research and Evaluation Division at Kamehameha Schools, a curriculum
coordinator (from a private school), and the state offices of the Department of

93
Education for testing and evaluation, a framework for utilizing culture based
education in the classroom was developed. This produced the CBETT which led to
the development of the Hawaiian Indigenous Teaching Rubric. The rubric employs
critical indicators with its scale of None, Emerging, Developing, and Enacting. For
this study two strands, which HIER refers to as descriptors, were purposefully
chosen. Both strands were selected for its correspondence to the study constructs.
These strands examine teacher behaviors, practices and/or philosophies through the
use of a rubric. The following tables exhibit the survey items, its correspondence to
the Hawaiian Indigenous Teaching Rubric and this study’s constructs. The numbers
indicate the survey item. The words appearing in italics following the symbol *
refers to the actual wording used in the original rubric. These words differ somewhat
from the survey item’s wording. Hereafter, the following rubric is referred to as the
adapted rubric
The strands from the CBETT reported above align with the constructs of the
study. Data from the survey results are compared to interview responses from
teachers for the same construct to substantiate the findings. Linking this quantitative
data with the qualitative data requires a keen sense of knowledge and understanding
about the constructs of the study combined with good judgment or prudence as well
as insight for what teachers expressed. These findings are shared in the next chapter.

94
Table 15. Adapted Rubric for CBETT as it Relates to Content Construct

None Emerging Developing Enacting
31 I use vendor-
developed
textbooks and
materials for my
class to ensure that
the content and
quality meet state
standards or other
benchmarks and
guidelines.
16 I use readily
available curricula
and materials and
try to interject
Hawaiian or
“local” examples
where relevant.
24 I use culturally
appropriate curricula
and materials that
include some
Hawaiian cultural
context.
7 I embed Hawaiian
knowledge,
practices, values,
behaviors, language,
and spirituality into
the content and
materials of my
class.
38 I use multiple-
choice and other
paper-and-pencil
tests to assess
students.
53 I assess my
students by having
them engage in
projects or
performances that:
• require a range of
knowledge and
skills.
53 I assess my students
by having them
engage in projects or
performances that:

• require a range of
knowledge and skills.
53 I assess my students
by having them
engage in projects or
performances that:

• require a range of
knowledge and
skills.
50 (I assess my students
by having them
engage in projects or
performances that)
• demonstrate a
meaningful
understanding of the
material, including
the ability to
problem-solve and
creatively adapt
knowledge to
different situations.
50 (I assess my students
by having them
engage in projects or
performances that)
• demonstrate a
meaningful
understanding of the
material, including
the ability to
problem-solve and
creatively adapt
knowledge to
different situations.
59 (I assess my students
by having them
engage in projects or
performances that)
• are culturally
purposeful and
useful (i.e. have real
value to the
community and to
Hawaiian culture).

95

Table 16. Adapted Rubric for CBETT as it Relates to Context Construct

None Emerging Developing Enacting
58 My teaching
methods and
delivery have
little to do with
Hawaiian
culture,
practices,
values, or
beliefs.
47 In my teaching,
I incorporate
universal
values, using
Hawaiian terms
such as ‘ohana
(family) and
lōkahi (unity,
harmony).
25 I integrate
Hawaiian
practices,
rituals, and
protocol as part
of the learning
experience for
my students.
51 The learning
environment and
daily practices of
my class grow
from my
fundamental
Hawaiian beliefs
and native
spirituality.
6 I lead class
discussions that
give individual
students a
chance to be
heard when
called on.
21 I facilitate
student
discussions and
group
interactions
using a free-
flowing, “talk
story” structure
that is
collaborative in
nature.
14 I encourage
students to
teach and learn
from each other.
22 I create
opportunities for
intergenerational
learning, where
students learn
from each other,
from teachers,
and from kūpuna
(elders).

96

Table 17. Adapted Rubric for CBETT as it Relates to Consciousness Construct

None Emerging Developing Enacting
17 I use textbook-
based lectures
and discussions
in my class.
18 I use hands-on
learning
activities
outside the
classroom.
* I relate my course-
work and content to
the local (but not
necessarily
Hawaiian community
and my students
apply what they have
learned to
community settings.
23 I relate my
coursework and
content to the
local (but not
necessarily
Hawaiian)
community.
32 I create
opportunities for
my students to
apply what they
have learned to
community
settings.
11 I use the
community as a
setting for
student learning
that is
responsive to
community
needs and
grounded in the
Hawaiian
knowledge,
practices, and
history
associated with
a place.
36 I define and
direct my
students’ roles
and
responsibilities.
56 I teach my
students to
recognize their
responsibilities
and the
importance of
their academic
achievement.
49 I expect my
students to
recognize and
carry out their
roles and
responsibilities
on their own.
43 I encourage my
students to
initiate and lead
community
projects to
promote greater
community
well-being.

97

Table 18. Adapted Rubric for CBETT as it Relates to Perspective Construct

None Emerging Developing Enacting
52 I try to keep my
class neutral
and free of
cultural
references so
that no students
feel left out.
45 I design my
class to support
the diverse
cultural
backgrounds of
my students.
39 I incorporate
Hawaiian culture
in my teaching
to better engage
students.
35 My ultimate goal
in working with
students is to
preserve and
perpetuate
Hawaiian culture
for generations
to come.
37 My primary
goal in teaching
is to improve
students’
academic
achievement.
55 I am just as
responsible for
my students’
social and
emotional
growth as I am
for their
academic
achievement.
*As a teacher,
building cultural
identity and self-
worth in my students
is as important to me
as increasing their
academic
achievement.
48 I am responsible
for ensuring that
my students
have a strong
cultural identity
and value of
place.
55 I am just as
responsible for
my students’
social and
emotional
growth as I am
for their
academic
achievement.
* I am responsible
for ensuring that my
students have a
strong cultural
identity, sense of
place and academic
achievement.

48 I am responsible
for ensuring that
my students
have a strong
cultural identity
and value of
place.
55 I am just as
responsible for
my students’
social and
emotional
growth as I am
for their
academic
achievement.
Note: Words which have been struck-through appear in the survey item but not in the rubric.

98
Ethical Considerations
There are various ethical considerations which were considered during the
process for setting up this study. Reliability and validity of the information gathered
is an important ethical consideration. Researcher bias and other ethical concerns
were also regarded.

Reliability and Validity
Merriam (1998) warns “Choosing a qualitative research design presupposes a
certain view of the world that in turn defines how a researcher selects a sample,
collects data, analysis data, and approaches issues of validity, reliability and ethics”
(p. 151). She also advises that educational inquiry, by nature, requires that all those
involved in the study have confidence in how the investigation was conducted and
the results from that study (p. 199).
The extent to which replication of the research findings can occur refers to
reliability (Merriam, 1998, p. 205). This presents a challenge because human
behavior is never static (p. 205). Merriam explains that reliability in a qualitative
inquiry is difficult to measure based on replication therefore it is a misfit (p. 206).
She argues about what is most important here: “The question then is not whether
findings will be found again but whether the results are consistent with the data
collected” (p. 206). In other words given the data collected, the results of the study
make sense.

99
While reliability refers to replication, validity refers to generalization.
Validity involves whether results from the study can be generalized to another study
even if the other study is a quantitative study. Some researchers regard this task as
impossible because in traditional research, generalizability is usually assumed to be
unachievable (Merriam, 1998, p. 208).
The survey which teachers completed for this study prior to the interview is
the CBETT (Culture Based Education Teacher Tool). This instrument has already
been used with 600 teachers from 62 schools across the state of Hawai‘i (Ledward, et
al., 2008 p. 1). Kana‘iaupuni and Kawai‘ae‘a (2009) explain
the rubric underwent an intensive process of validating, piloting, and revising
with input from various community participants, including private school
teachers at two private school campuses, teachers in several different
Hawaiian medium school settings, teachers in conventional public school
settings, and the Na Lei Na‘auao Native Hawaiian Charter School Alliance
leadership group. (p. 76)

The rubric has five continua 1) language, 2) ‘ohana and community, 3) content, 4)
context, 5) assessment and accountability. All five continua have been evaluated for
internal reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. The relationship between items exhibited
high value and proved that the survey items were asking similar things (Ledward,
Takayama, & Elia, 2009, p. 4). Furthermore, CREDE’s Standards for Effective
Teaching was used as “an external benchmark” to help establish validity
(Kana‘iaupuni & Kawai‘ae‘a, 2008, p. 84).
Each teacher completed the CBETT or Culture Based Education Teacher
Tool as survey items were rated. There are two scales employed in HCIE’s CBETT.

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The first scale is used to distinguish the frequency with which teachers use various
instructional approaches. Teachers are asked to rate how often they utilize a
described instructional approach: 1) almost daily, 2) weekly, 3) monthly, 4) two to
three times a semester, 5) one to two times a year, or 6) rarely or never. The second
scale is based on how teachers view their teaching or how their philosophies govern
their teaching. Teachers rate how well the survey statement describes their teaching
and/or philosophies based on a four point scale: 1) very well, 2) somewhat well, 3)
not very well, or 4) not at all. A total value of twelve-points was assigned to each
scale for the purpose of this analysis. This step allowed calculations across both
scales to be compared. In addition, the critical indicators of the rubric were weighted
and percentages calculated from the mean scores for each strand or descriptor under
each indicator following the process used by KS Research and Evaluation Division
for their HCIE study on culture-based education among Hawai‘i’s teachers. Lastly, a
column for the rating teachers gave of their own connectedness (during the
interview) was added to the four constructs providing a total of five ratings, similar
to HIER’s five domains and allowing comparison of data.
The questions used in the interview required piloting to determine whether
the researcher’s newly written questions were valid. The piloting process involved
two teachers at the site who were not being sought for the study. These teachers
taught students from grade levels other than the teachers from the study. The
interview questions were patterned after the same constructs of the study but allowed
the interviewee to provide much greater detail about their instructional approaches

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and reasons for such practices. Both teachers who participated in the study remarked
about how the questions compelled them to review the effectiveness of their
practices along with intellectual as well as moral reasons for such practices. This
greatly influenced the “depth” of their responses which was evident by the length of
their answers. One teacher even suggested that some of these questions be used to
interview applicants for teaching positions at KES.

Researcher Bias and Ethical Concerns
Merriam (1998) warns that when the researcher is the primary instrument for
collecting data, concerns about ethics are real (p. 212). This researcher (or
investigator) is an administrator at this site which according to Merriam (1998)
makes the researcher an insider. Merriam also refers to the insider as emic, in
contrast to etic which means outsider (p. 6-7). As an insider or emic, the researcher
could unconsciously transfer his/her own values when interpreting what the
respondent (teacher) said in the interview.
Disclosure that the researcher was part of the faculty at KES could raise
questions from outsiders about the researcher’s ethics. It was imperative the
researcher, carefully analyze the data with caution to eliminate possible bias or
prejudice. Merriam suggests the investigator seek clarification of his/her own
“assumptions, worldview, and theoretical orientation at the outset of the study” (p.
205). These assumptions, worldview, etc. was explained in greater detail as part of
Chapter Four.

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Confidentiality was an important issue. Because the researcher knows all of
the faculty and staff at KES, effort must be taken to not disclose information from
the study. According to the wishes of teachers who participated in the study, names
of participating teachers and any information which they shared was held in
confidence.
Reliability, validity and researcher bias were major limitations to this study
because the researcher was located at this site. Merriam (1998) cautions “The key
concern is understanding the phenomenon of interest from the participants’
perspectives, not the researcher’s” (p. 6). As this purpose was held in focus, the
researcher was able to analyze the data with greater ethics, regardless of researcher
bias.

Conclusion
This chapter described the 1) methods, 2) research design, 3) instrumentation,
4) data procedure and analysis, and 5) ethical considerations for the mixed methods
study proposed here. Implementation of this single case study will be affected by
time constraints, researcher bias, willing participation of respondents (teachers) and
both breadth and depth of responses to questions aimed at learning about teachers’
efforts to match instruction to students’ Native Hawaiian culture. The aim of the
study is to learn how teachers utilize the students’ culture (if they do in fact use the
culture) within the classroom. If possible, feelings about teachers’ own perceptions
about their cultural sensitivity or cultural connectedness will also be revealed.

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In Chapter Four, I will reveal the results of the data collection and an analysis
of that data. Correlation between the purpose of this study and goals set forth in
Chapters 2 & 3 will also be presented. Chapter Five will discuss implications from
the results of the study and any suggestions for the next steps which might follow.

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CHAPTER FOUR
THE FINDINGS
An important consideration in multiethnic classrooms is how teachers
can incorporate both worldviews, the mainstream and diverse,
especially to promote higher level thinking with text…the starting
point for incorporating both worldviews in the classroom is for the
teacher to vary the form of grouping used during the school day…to
create a classroom in which every student can participate…

- Kathryn H. Au (2007, p. 14)

It was argued in the first chapter that a cultural mismatch existed between the
school culture and the home culture of Native Hawaiian students. This cultural
context is significant in developing academic success for Native Indigenous people.
“There is a firm belief within many Native tribal communities and professional
Native educators that this cultural context is absolutely essential if one is to succeed
academically and to build a meaningful life as adults” (Demmert & Towner, 2003, p.
9). Thus, culture must be considered as fundamental to this study.
The incongruence between home and school culture was studied in relation to
sociocultural variables such as cultural norms and values and its impact on teachers
endeavors for student learning. This study of teachers for Native Hawaiian students
helped determine the extent to which teachers utilize their students’ heritage culture
and how they believe that practice promotes student learning. The role teachers play
in helping students learn was also analyzed to discover how culturally relevant

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pedagogy (CRP) and culture based education (CBE) relates to the effects of teachers’
cultural connectedness.
This chapter reports the findings from the mixed methods employed in this
study on the cultural connectedness of teachers at Kamehameha Elementary School
(KES). A section on demographics provides a description of the site and sampling of
teachers from the study. General information and statistics derived from the data
collected through the CBETT or teacher survey is presented as background
information for the ensuing results. Then findings are reported by the constructs of
each research question: content, context, consciousness, perspective. Throughout the
report, quantitative data for each construct precedes qualitative findings from teacher
interviews. Finally, other information and results are shared at the end of this
chapter.

Demographics
Ten teachers from Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) participated in
this study. Kamehameha Schools is a Kindergarten to Grade 12 school founded in
1887 by the will of a Hawaiian princess for the purpose of educating Native
Hawaiian children. There are three K-12 campuses of the Kamehameha Schools
located on different islands. KES is the elementary school which is found at the
Kapālama campus located on the island of ‘Oahu. This elementary school serves a
total of 752 students in grades Kindergarten to Grade 6.

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There are a total of twelve teachers in grades four and five but only ten
teachers agreed to participate in the study. Nine of the teachers are female and one
teacher is male. For the purposes of reporting the findings, each teacher was
assigned a pseudonym with names beginning with the letter A through J. The names
used for the pseudonyms are androgynous or unisex so as not to reveal which of the
teachers is the male teacher. Hawaiian names were also used although only four of
the letters between A and J are letters found in the Hawaiian alphabet (A, E, H, I).
The ten teachers in this study service 240 students in grades four and five. All
of the students at KES are Native Hawaiian and seven of the ten teachers in the study
are also Native Hawaiian. The mean age for all ten teachers is 45 years old. The
mean for years of teaching experience (including experience at schools other than
Kamehameha Schools) is 19 years with the range being 4 years and 39 years. There
are three teachers who are not Native Hawaiian and three teachers who have taught
for five or less years at KES. These two groups are not identical in make-up
although there is overlap.

General Findings
The Culture Based Education Teacher Tool (CBETT), previously completed
by 600 teachers, was used to survey teachers at KES about how students’ Native
Hawaiian culture influences their practices. Teachers rated survey items on the
frequency of their instructional approaches. A six-point scale was used for this
rating. Another four-point scale was used for teachers to rate the philosophies,

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which govern their teaching. Data from the survey of the ten teachers in this study
was measured against an adaptation of the same rubric developed for CBETT. This
adapted rubric was comprised of two strands that were selected because they
correlated with aspects of the study’s constructs.
The following table shows the overall results for the rubric’s levels which
exhibited the highest mode (most often rated among ten teachers) in the highest or
next to highest frequency of use. For example, for the construct content, seven of ten
teachers rated the indicators of curriculum and content (which is the A strand) with
the highest frequency in the “enacting” category (or the highest level of the rubric).
For the next strand or Strand B which has indicators about 1) demonstrating
knowledge and skills, 2) application and 3) value to community or culture, the
highest mode was found under the level of “developing” where eight teachers
selected the highest frequency (almost daily) and two teachers selected the next
highest frequency (weekly). If there was a tie between the mode on one rubric level
and another rubric level, the higher level was selected the “winner.” The following
graph shows the highest mode in the higher ratings per strand for each construct.
Indicators or descriptors for each strand of the construct are detailed below the graph
and different symbols distinguish each construct.

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Figure 2. Rubric Level with the Highest Mode (for each strand of each construct)

CONTENT = 
A: Curriculum and content
B: Demonstrate knowledge and skills, application, value to community, culture

CONTEXT = 
A: Culturally grounded context
B: Culturally relevant community of learners

CONSCIOUSNESS = 
A: Experiential, community-based, and place-based
B: Community well-being (kuleana)

PERSPECTIVE = 
A: Philosophy on culture in class
B: Philosophy on the role of teacher

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Notice that both strands of each construct did not receive ratings which
placed them at the same level on the rubric. The figure clearly shows three of the
four constructs were rated one level apart. Only the perspective construct had a large
difference between the two strands. The construct receiving the lowest rating for
both strands was context. The following table exhibits means for the ratings of the
survey items in the rubric adapted for this study. Procedures used for scoring the
ratings were patterned after the process used by KS Research and Evaluation when
600 teachers were surveyed. Rubric levels were weighted so “None” received the
least value (.83) and “Enacting” received the highest value (3.33) with “Developing”
(2.5) and “Emerging” (1.66) receiving appropriate values between. The means
reported in the table are separated by strands and construct. A mean score was
determined for each strand of the four constructs.
The scores indicate that both strands of the constructs content and context
were fairly similar. There are a little more than two percentage points separating the
strands for content. Less than one percentage point separates the two strands for
content. The scores for consciousness and perspective are very different with twenty
percentage points and nine percentage points separating strands of the respective
constructs. This data along with other data from the survey were combined with
information from teacher interviews to provide further findings.

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Table 19. Mean Scores as Weighted for Rubric Levels with Mean Scores Per
Construct and Strand

Strand None Emerging Developing Enacting Sum/12
Mean as
%
A 8.134 18.26 26.5 37.962 7.571 75.7%
Content
B 6.972 17.92 28 35.298 7.349 73.4%
A 3.486 19.422 26 31.968 6.739 67.3%
Context
B 9.96 18.924 29.5 23.31 6.80 68%
A 6.474 14.608 22 19.98 5.255 52.5%
Consciousness
B 9.213 19.422 28.5 29.97 7.258 72.5%
A 6.225 17.43 26.25 34.965 7.072 70.7%
Perspective
B 8.964 19.92 28.75 38.295 7.994 79.9%

Construct of Academic Content
The following are questions and survey items related to the research question
for this construct. Survey items are listed in descending order according to the rating
from the adapted rubric and noted by its strand. Numbers in parentheses label where
the item or question can be found in the survey or interview protocol. This figure is
placed here to provide an easy reference for all of the questions and statements from
the survey while exhibiting their alignment. Each subsequent construct will begin
with a similar figure.

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Figure 3. Questions and Survey Items for Content Construct

Content Construct
RESEARCH QUESTION: To what extent are teachers’ practices aligned with literature on
culture-based education or culturally relevant pedagogy?
Survey Items Interview Questions
Enacting
Strand A I embed Hawaiian knowledge, practices, values, behaviors,
language, and spirituality into the content and materials of
my class. (7)
I assess my students by having them engage in projects or
performances that require a range of knowledge and skills.
(53)
I assess my students by having them engage in projects or
performances that demonstrate a meaningful understanding
of the material, including the ability to problem-solve and
creatively adapt knowledge to different situations. (50)
Strand B
I assess my students by having them engage in projects or
performances that are culturally purposeful and useful (i.e.
have real value to the community and to Hawaiian culture).
(59)
Developing
Strand A I use culturally appropriate curricula and materials that
include some Hawaiian cultural context. (24)
I assess my students by having them engage in projects or
performances that require a range of knowledge and skills.
(53)
Strand B
I assess my students by having them engage in projects or
performances that demonstrate a meaningful understanding
of the material, including the ability to problem-solve and
creatively adapt knowledge to different situations. (50)
Emerging
Strand A I use readily available curricula and materials and try to
interject Hawaiian or “local” examples where relevant. (16)
Strand B I assess my students by having them engage in projects or
performances that require a range of knowledge and skills.
(53)
None
Strand A I use vendor-developed textbooks and materials for my class
to ensure that the content and quality meet state standards or
other benchmarks and guidelines. (31)
Strand B I use multiple-choice and other paper- and-pencil tests to
assess students. (38)
What kinds of things have
you done in the classroom
that have facilitated the
academic success of your
Native Hawaiian students?
What are the most important
strategies, skills, content
knowledge for facilitating
learning? (12)

From your experience, what
kinds of supports for
students (i.e. materials,
structures, resources, etc.)
make a difference in their
ability to learn the curricula
in 4
th
/5
th
grade? (13)

What are your standards for
excellence? How do you
assess the extent of the
success of your lessons? (16)

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It is important to note the critical indicators for both strands because its
variables provided the focus for this study. The critical indicator for Strand A was
curriculum and content. Strand B’s critical indicator and descriptor was about the
demonstration of knowledge and skills, application, value to community and culture.
The breadth of this construct was evident as the scope of both strands included an
extant of variables.
The first research question of this study is: To what extent are teachers’
practices aligned with literature on culture-based education or culturally relevant
pedagogy? (See Figure 3.) This question is focused on academic content meaning
the content used in instruction. This content also includes classroom practices and
curriculum as explained by Osborne (1996). “Curriculum comprises the content, the
classroom processes involved in engaging that content, the assessment and wider
social practices in which they are daily worked out” (p. 287). Butterfield (1983)
defines curriculum as having “three instructional elements: the materials, the
instructional techniques, and the learner characteristics” (p. 50). The rubric adapted
for this study utilized CBETT survey items which examined the practices teachers
employed in their classroom and which were aligned with literature on culture-based
education or culturally relevant pedagogy. There were two strands for the content
section of this study’s rubric. Each strand was explored separately for this construct
because of the quantity and significance of its variables.

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Quantitative Findings for Strand A
Table 20 displays the frequency of responses by teachers for survey items of
the corresponding rubric level. Teachers rated each survey item so the sum is ten for
each rubric level. Similar tables are displayed for each construct.

Table 20. Mode (number of teachers) Selecting Rating at Each Rubric Level for
Content Construct

Rating Value Strand A Strand B
None
12 6 2
10 1 4
8 1 4
6 1
4
2 1
Emerging
12 5 6
10 5 4
8
6
4
2
Developing
12 4 7.5
10 5 2.5
8 1
6
4
2
Enacting
12 7 6.6
10 3 2.6
8 .6
6
4
2

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The first strand has critical indicators on curriculum and content. “Enacting”
is the highest rating of the rubric and its correlating survey item (#7) asked teachers
to rate how often they “embed Hawaiian knowledge, practices, values, behaviors,
language, and spirituality into the content and materials” of their class. Seven out
of ten teachers selected “almost daily” for the frequency of this teaching approach.
Three teachers selected the next rating which was “weekly.”

Qualitative Findings for Strand A
Responses from the Interview Protocol reveal valuable information about
teachers’ practices and their thought processes. It is impossible to share all of the
responses here but where appropriate, excerpts have been provided. Responses were
also paraphrased allowing more responses to be shared.

Teaching Strategies and Approaches
The following excerpts were taken from responses received to Interview
Question #12: What kinds of things have you done in the classroom that have
facilitated the academic success of your Native Hawaiian students? What are the
most important strategies, skills, content knowledge for facilitating learning?
Teachers emphasized the importance of having high expectations for students,
telling students what they are, and expressing confidence that students can meet
those expectations. All ten teachers discussed their expectations and the high
standards they hold. Teacher Anela referred to the teacher’s expectations of students

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in this response. “Just telling the kids that they are capable and just telling them this
is what we’re going to do.” Teacher Darcy adds:
I have a joke about where my bar is. I keep telling them that my bar is going
to remain high and they need to come up and meet it…if they expect [me] to
get tired and halfway through the year…drop the bar a little bit, it’s never
going to happen.

Teacher Jamie shared:
I do have high standards in the classroom because I believe that all students
can learn…they may be at different levels of thinking, [that takes]
differentiation, with all that stuff, but I think they all can do their very best…

Teacher Frankie commented about the strategies employed in the classroom.
“Making a curricula, or topic or anything come alive versus just being sterile,
connecting rather than coverage. It’s not about the book, it’s about what’s important
in that book.” Teacher Jamie shared the significance of
Really being the facilitator and having these important discussions and
making the students really think about things and think about issues. Like I
said, integrated learning. I think pulling the different content areas together
and using the ‘system learning’ really helps the students in the classroom
come up with [developing] higher levels of thinking.

Two teachers specifically addressed best practices as being important,
regardless of ethnicity. Teacher Frankie said, “I think for strategies, I’m not so sure
it’s any different whether I’m with Native Hawaiians or just with [other] students,
that they need to be supported, respected, organized, and given those strategies so
they can succeed.” Teacher Anela commented, “…the children here at Kamehameha
benefit by the teachers using things like Bloom’s Taxonomy, by using differentiated
instruction, using Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences.”

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Values and Spirituality
During the interviews teachers revealed how values, including spirituality,
and other practices are used in the classroom. Teacher Georgie revealed how
students who have gone on to the upper grades return many years later and tell her
“please don’t ever change… that ‘ohana (family) feeling in the classroom, the words
of wisdom (proverbs and wise sayings) and talking about it, and the value and the
character kind of stuff.” This teacher also talked about the importance of prayer in
that classroom. “Prayer is not scheduled in here, it just happens whenever it’s
needed,..” Teacher Anela acknowledged, “We also incorporate the Christian
values…” The use of values by KES teachers is discussed with greater detail in the
Context Construct.
Teacher Casey also mentioned prayer: “…we always start the day off with a
pule (prayer) and we’re very thankful for all that we have because we do have a lot.”
Although prayer is part of the morning routine in Teacher Casey’s classroom, this
practice is not a requirement of all teachers. On the other hand, all students are
required to attend Christian Education classes as part of their educational experience
at Kamehameha Schools.

Curriculum
Interview Question #13 addressed curriculum and content: From your
experience, what kinds of supports for students (i.e. materials, structures, resources,
etc.) make a difference in their ability to learn the curricula in 4
th
/5
th
grade? The

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following findings reflect what teachers believe is important about their curriculum,
how curriculum is utilized, and what teachers do to assert their beliefs with that
curriculum. Only a few of the many responses are shared in this report of findings.
An examination of the interview responses showed eight of ten teachers
mentioned the use of Hawaiian cultural material or concepts within their curriculum.
During the interview Teacher Bobbie responded about the use of commercially
produced curricular materials:
I really don’t like us using material that is generated for the mainstream. I
think for example if we’re going to teach them about let’s say American
History and we don’t incorporate the Hawaiianess into the American History
what happens is it’s like, why are we learning someone else’s history…our
history is not as valid [as theirs]?

Teacher Frankie shared:
I think it’s really important that you use multiple resources… so when they
do Ka‘Ikena (a culminating year-end program celebrating students’ learning),
which is them writing the [dramatic] play and them telling [what] concepts
they want to teach the parents about each of the [Five King] Kamehamehas,
…that all comes from having the different resources, videos and all that kind
of stuff.

Teacher Bobbie added:
A lot of times there isn’t that material so what ends up happening is I need to
create it. A lot of times…I have to create it alongside with the children. They
are learning and then I have to learn, too, because it’s not there…so a lot of
this discovery type of stuff is…the structure is not me giving the knowledge to
the kids, it’s like I have to ‘learn with you guys’ kind of feeling.

Teacher Casey shared:
We do a fifth grade play…that’s our culminating activity in fifth grade. They
learn about their heritage. We teach different…for example, last year we did
the Pu‘uloa (former, ancient name for Pearl Harbor) Unit. The children

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learned mo‘olelo (stories or legends) from the different places of
Hawai‘i…we’re learning from the field trips we go on.

Quantitative Findings for Strand B
The second strand focused on Indigenous assessment through a)
demonstration of knowledge and skills, b) application, and c) value to community.
Three survey items correlated with the highest rating of “Enacting” on the rubric.
Each of the items started with “I assess my students by having them engage in
projects or performances.” Then each item added specific details; “that require a
range of knowledge and skills” (53), “that demonstrate a meaningful understanding
of the material, including the ability to problem-solve and creatively adapt
knowledge to different situations” (50), “that are culturally purposeful and useful
(i.e. have real value to the community and to Hawaiian culture” (59). The survey
results varied with teachers selecting one of three ratings: “Almost daily, weekly,
and monthly.” In each of the three survey items, “Almost daily” was usually
selected. For item 53, seven of ten teachers selected “Almost daily” and three
selected “weekly.” For item 50, eleven teachers selected “Almost daily” and one
teacher selected “weekly.” For item 59, five teachers selected “Almost daily,” three
teachers selected “weekly” and two teachers selected “monthly.” These ratings were
combined and averaged so one rating might be determined. The results were that
approximately seven of ten teachers rated “Almost daily” for this strand and nearly
three teachers rated “weekly” with less than one teacher selecting “monthly.”

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Qualitative Findings for Strand B
Strand B focused on ways teachers assessed student learning. The
expectations teachers set for their students were explored through Interview protocol
#16: What are your standards for excellence? How do you assess the extent of the
success of your lessons? The following excerpts from the interviews share teachers’
standards for excellence and various approaches used for assessing student learning.
These excerpts are about assessments shared by both experienced and less
experienced teachers as well as fourth and fifth grade teachers.

Assessments
Some teachers mentioned using traditional assessments. Teacher Frankie
explained:
I can say on this day either they were able to [reach the benchmark], not
necessarily always [with] paper and pencil, but they were able to show that
they have met that benchmark. In other things we have assessments, some
tests, some project-based. We have discussions. We have just general
understandings of things that are going on. So that’s how I assess it.

Other teachers use more innovative means of assessing their students’
learning. Teacher Casey said, “You know it because of their writing, what they write
on our blog, what they’re putting into their projects. It’s there. It’s evident in their
projects, their conversations.” Teacher Darcy shared that the assessment “doesn’t
always have to be in projects and papers and stuff. It can be in the [Fifth Grade’s
Musical Theatre] play and things we do right in the room, [like] discussions, too.”

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Other Practices
Then there are those teachers who utilize other practices endorsed by current
educational experts. Teacher Anela announced, “Everything starts now with the
essential questions and they need to be able to answer’ how did you answer that
essential question?’” Teacher Hōku shared:
I think the kids take hold of their own learning in many ways…they can
articulate and express themselves. For example when we use progress folios,
then I can see, ‘have they got it or not, and did they apply it in a different
content area?’ Then I know they got it for sure.

Teacher Jamie details:
I always emphasize to my students…I grade them on content and quality. We
[develop] a rubric with everything that we do. We start from the met…the
bare minimum to reach the grade…but we also want to push…to not just do
the bare minimum but the best we can do…I think they can do their very
best…”

Summary of Findings for Content Construct
Table 19 gives the Content Construct’s mean of ratings for the CBETT on the
adapted rubric as 75% and 73%. This was a fairly high score for content and when
compared with information from the teacher interviews, the high rating was
corroborated. It was evident that teachers were confident about what they taught,
how it was taught, and assessed. Teachers also shared their personal beliefs and
commitment to student learning.
Teaching strategies and approaches practiced by the ten teachers varied.
Some adopted methods endorsed by national experts while others utilized more non-
conventional ways to reach their students requiring the adaptation or creation of

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appropriate material (i.e. culturally relevant, current and updated, etc). Best
practices recognized by educators worldwide were also identified as valid methods
employed in the classroom. Setting high expectations for students was another
practice KES teachers recognized.
Almost every teacher spoke about the importance of values in their
classroom. These references ranged from using values directly in their classroom
rules to recognition of its application in specific situations both historical and
contemporary. Teachers also addressed their use of spiritual approaches such as
prayer in the classroom. This variable is explored with some difference in the
context construct.
All of the teachers acknowledged an earnest responsibility to help students
learn. As evidenced through some of the excerpts shared, some teachers accepted
this responsibility with a commitment to develop curriculum so they could teach
topics which were pertinent to the Indigenous community. Teachers also expressed a
willingness to research and learn if they did not possess the necessary expertise to
teach such topics.
Most teachers addressed their belief that students see beyond the lesson, to
think independently and to apply what they learned. They also mentioned different
assessment tools. Some assessment instruments were traditional paper and pencil
tests. Other assessments included projects, the use of rubrics, progress folios, and
blogs. Several fifth grade teachers even mentioned their fifth grade dramatic
production (play) as a means for assessing student learning.

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The statistics reported and excerpts from the interviews provided here
support the finding that teachers at KES were confident and purposefully shared their
ideas about teaching. They felt strongly about what they did and discussed their
practices with bold resolve. Teachers also readily explained strategies, disclosed
ideas, and described practices employed which confirmed Ladson-Billings’ (1994)
proposition about teachers’ structuring of social relations because the “teacher
believes all students can succeed” (p. 34). The pedagogical practices of these
teachers appeared sound but it must be noted that their students’ culture influenced
teachers’ practices. The construct of content was an area which exhibited strength
through the findings of both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Construct of Context or Cultural Competence
This study’s second research question is: How are teachers incorporating
Native Hawaiian culture in their instructional practices? The construct associated
with this question is context. Ladson-Billings (1995) explains context as cultural
competence which “requires that students maintain some cultural integrity as well as
academic excellence” (p. 160). “Culturally relevant teachers utilize students’ culture
as a vehicle for learning” (p. 161). Maintaining cultural competence is the aim of the
construct of context. The following figure displays all of the questions and survey
items for the context construct and is placed here as an easy reference.
The findings for this construct are presented in three parts. Findings from the
quantitative data is reported first, followed by an explanation about questions

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employed in the interview. Lastly, general comments about the results for this
construct are shared.

Figure 4. Questions and Survey Items for Context Construct

Context Construct
RESEARCH QUESTION: How are teachers incorporating Native
Hawaiian culture in their instructional practices?
Survey Items Interview Questions
Enacting
Strand A The learning environment and daily practices
of my class grow from my fundamental
Hawaiian beliefs and native spirituality. (51)
Strand B I create opportunities for intergenerational
learning, where students learn from each
other, from teachers, and from kūpuna
(elders). (22)
Developing
Strand A I integrate Hawaiian practices, rituals, and
protocol as part of the learning experience for
my students. (25)
Strand B I encourage students to teach and learn from
each other. (14)
Emerging
Strand A I use readily available curricula and materials
and try to interject Hawaiian or “local”
examples where relevant. (16)
Strand B I assess my students by having them engage
in projects or performances that require a
range of knowledge and skills. (53)
None
Strand A My teaching methods and delivery have little
to do with Hawaiian culture, practices,
values, or beliefs. (58)
Strand B I lead class discussions that give individual
students a chance to be heard when called on.
(6)
What kind of role do you
believe parents/family play in
the success of Native Hawaiian
students? How would you
describe the kinds of
relationships you’ve had with
parents of students you’ve
taught? In what ways do you
involve the community/family
in your curriculum? (8)

What relationships do you see,
if any between using Hawaiian
language and culture and
learning/teaching? (9)

a) In what way do you
incorporate Hawaiian language
and culture into the classroom?
Do you feel that you have
opportunities to integrate
Hawaiian language and culture
into your classroom?
b) Does this hinder or help you
in your teaching of indigenous
students?
c) How does Hawaiian
language and culture affect
your curriculum and
instruction? (14)

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Quantitative Findings for Context Construct

Table 21. Mode (number of teachers) Selecting Rating at Each Rubric Level for
Context Construct

Rating Value Strand A Strand B
None
12 10

9 2
6

3 8
Emerging
12 9 7
10 3
9 1
6

3
Developing
12 4 9
10 4 1
8 2
6
4
2
Enacting
12 4
10 2
9 5 4
6 1
4 3
3 1

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The adapted rubric used to analyze teachers’ answers to context or cultural
items on the CBETT has two strands. The first strand’s critical indicators focus on
“culturally grounded content” which, for the purposes of this study, emphasize the
learning environment and daily practices within that environment. The descriptor for
the highest level, “Enacting,” is “the learning environment and daily practices of my
class grow from my fundamental Hawaiian beliefs and native spirituality” (survey
item #51). The data from CBETT shows that four teachers selected the highest
frequency on the enacting level for this first strand. However, nine out of ten
teachers selected the rubric’s descriptor for the “emerging” level which reads, “In my
teaching, I incorporate universal values, using Hawaiian terms such as ‘ohana
(family) and lōkahi (unity, harmony)” (survey item #47).
The second strand emphasizes a “culturally relevant community of learners.”
The descriptor at the highest level, “enacting,” is “I create opportunities for
intergenerational learning, where students learn from each other, from teachers, and
from kūpuna (elders).” Two teachers selected the second highest frequency for this
descriptor. But at the opposite end of the rubric (the lowest level or “none”) all ten
teachers selected the highest frequency for the descriptor “I lead class discussions
that give individual students a chance to be heard when called on.” Interestingly,
three of the four levels of the rubric, “none, emerging, developing” received ten of
ten, seven of ten and nine of ten ratings respectively for “almost daily.” None of the
teachers reported the descriptor or survey item of the “enacting” level as being

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practiced “almost daily.” Thus, the overall score for this construct is much lower
than the score for the content construct.

Qualitative Findings for Context Construct
The teacher interview employed three questions. Question # 8 is about
relationships with the family and/or community. Questions #9 and #14 ask about
culture and Hawaiian language. Although Hawaiian language was not a focus of this
study, it is a valuable part of the culture which could not be overlooked. All of these
interview questions pertaining to culture are listed in Figure 4.

Hawaiian Values
Teachers are more comfortable with Hawaiian values (from the rubric’s
“emerging” level) and Hawaiian practices, rituals or protocols (from the
“developing” level) rather than fundamental Hawaiian beliefs and spirituality
(“enacting” level). Seven of ten teachers spoke about the importance of values. This
was evident through experiences and examples teachers shared. Teacher Georgie
explained, “Hawaiian values are not just posted in the classroom. We really do talk
about them and we do talk about what they look like, and they’re very much woven
with Christian values because they really are the same.” Teacher Hōku said:
Even going on different kind of huaka‘i (outing, trip, excursion) of the island
[I’m] trying to show the kids that learning about our environment and
everything, it’s related to Hawaiian values, Hawaiian understanding, even
‘ōlelo no‘eau (wise sayings)…and this is how Hawaiian people behave and
act, and the whole idea of sustainability.

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Teacher Casey added:
We learn about Hawaiian values and we teach the children about Hawaiian
values…they come up with their own essential questions. The essential
questions were really good, like, how do different group of people view land
and how do their values shape their leadership and society.

Teacher Anela expressed how the values affect her teaching:
[Students] bring an appreciation of culture and even if they don’t identify it
as that, the behaviors show how much they appreciate their own family
backgrounds and their culture. They live the Hawaiian values. Sometimes
they get naughty and rascal, but…when you remind them of the values it
brings them right back to being grounded again. What they bring to the class
affects my teaching by making my own self aware of making connections to
what the values are, making connections to what it is I’m teaching.

Teacher Darcy expressed a duty to carry on the culture and honor the past:
“We have a responsibility to honor what our kūpuna did in the past, to keep our
culture alive…the values of what our kūpuna and how our kūpuna lived and survived
[are] remarkable.” Teacher Hōku also expounded:
…to me it’s the stories that the students get from home and their family that
gives them a strong sense of who they are. I really try to have the kids also
integrate what they know at home…like, say they live near the beach or in
town, and bring that to school because that is part of who you are, too. For
example, the kids can then share how they are alike with other people
from…I mean their classmates…and how the communities [from different
parts of the island] are alike and different. How are their needs similar? What
does it mean?

Teacher Anela simply recommended to teachers of Native Hawaiian children, “Use
the values as often as you can.”

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Hawaiian Language
Responses to these interview questions provide evidence that teachers’ efforts
are building a “culturally relevant community of learners.” Five of the ten teachers
are enrolled in weekly evening classes for Hawaiian Language. Another teacher
took Hawaiian Language classes in high school and can converse in Hawaiian.
In the teacher interview, Teacher Anela talked about attending a Hawaiian
language class weekly. “Now as a student of the Hawaiian language myself I see the
depth of the culture. So it’s really changed and it’s still changing my philosophy of
Hawaiian language and culture, and what I’m doing in the classroom.” Teacher
Hōku talked about the daily practice of oli kāhea and oli komo which is a chant
students perform to request permission for entering the classroom. Teacher Inoa
shared:
We have posters, and our daily jobs and our daily schedule is in Hawaiian.
The word for calendar and the word for lunch menu, and there are labels on
the computers and desks. What is a refrigerator and what is a drawer? So
that’s all in Hawaiian. And usually our morning activities are done in
Hawaiian. So they know how to say weather, and what today is, and what day
of the week it is and things like that.”

Teacher Inoa explained:
Well for them (the students), the culture is the foundation for everything and
I try to relate back to it as much as possible. The language is an important
part of that but because we are primarily an English school it’s not the focus,
but its part of everyday life and we try to use it as much as possible. For
Hawaiian kids it’s kind of essential.

Teacher Hōku added:
I feel like all of our kids are part Hawaiian, as far as I know, and me being a
part Hawaiian teacher, I feel like it is so very important to have a basic

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understanding of Hawaiian language because in language there is culture.
There are a lot of things you cannot say and translate from English to
Hawaiian or Hawaiian to English. It is a way of thinking and I feel it is
important for the kids to be able to see that in being Hawaiian, which is who
you are, you say things this way for a particular reason.

Working With Others
The following excerpts illustrate “culturally grounded context” from Strand
A. Included in this strand is survey item #14 I encourage students to teach and learn
from each other which is at the “developing” level. Teacher ‘Ehukai explains:
For me, the Hawaiian language and the culture itself was always about
helping each other…we’re learning or teaching…I’m a student as well as a
teacher, and I would say my students are teachers as well. So it’s an ongoing
relationship that we’re always going to be learning together and teaching
each other.

Teacher Hōku cited what students in this classroom do to help each other:
Different ways of partnering the kids so socially it’s not just one child
competing with another child. It’s really a social network of sorts, that the
kids are able to help one another if they need it. Small groups, large groups,
independent…they all come in as different learners.

Family and Community Relationships
The “enacting” level refers to “Creating opportunities for intergenerational
learning.” Fourth grade classes have an annual event where kūpuna (elders or
grandparents) are interviewed. Teacher Jamie shared:
We have our Kūpuna Day. It’s all integrated within the curriculum, but
you’re involving family…their kūpuna. They write a story about their
kūpuna, so they find out more about their [kūpuna’s] life…where they came
from, the struggles and the challenges that their ancestors had…and how they
used their struggles, their [own] kūpuna’s or their[own] parent’s struggles to
become a better person and to give back to their community.

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Six teachers clearly articulated their philosophies about the role of parents or
family in the success of Native Hawaiian students: “…very important” (Teacher
Anela), “important role” (Teacher Inoa), “huge role” (Teacher Georgie), “most
important role” (Teacher Inoa), “crucial key to success” (Teacher Darcy), and “vital
role in success” (Teacher ‘Ehukai). Teacher Casey proclaimed the teacher’s role in
relating with families: “I think that first of all you need to have respect for parents
and family, and for the students that you’re working with.” Teacher Anela added: “I
like to think that they’ve been good relationships. In other words, that there are
opportunities for communication both ways.”

Summary of Findings for Context Construct
Culture was revealed as an important aspect of teaching for these teachers at
KES. One teacher designated culture as the “foundation for everything.” Perhaps
the easiest way to summarize teacher responses is through the simple declaration
from another teacher: “I try to incorporate the culture everyday in our learning.”
Values, Hawaiian language and relationships were the most significant
findings for this construct. While class is conducted in the English language, teachers
acknowledged their use of the Hawaiian language through simple commands or
phrases as well as labels for items translated in Hawaiian. Some admitted their
hesitance with the language because they are not “Native speakers” but quite a lot of
them were comfortable with some form of the culture. This included protocols or

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rituals, singing or praying in Hawaiian and conducting class routines using some
Hawaiian language.
Although the importance of native language was an unintended finding,
comfortable relationships teachers have with family and students was an expected
finding. All of the teachers appeared very comfortable talking about their
relationship with parents especially parental involvement in school. Another
example of how teachers capitalized on the cultural aspect of relationships was
exhibited in the grouping of students in the classroom. Teachers’ sensitivity to how
Indigenous students help each other learn in small groups and large groups
demonstrated a sociocultural approach.
One of the most significant findings was teachers’ belief that Hawaiian
values are important for students to learn, apply and thus use in their teaching.
Seven of ten teachers mentioned their emphasis on values often during their
interviews. One teacher even recommended that teachers of Native Hawaiian
students “...use the values as often as you can.”
Data from CBETT present a picture of mixed results because the strand on
“culturally grounded content” rated nine points lower than the strand on a “culturally
relevant community of learners.” The overall mean for context is 67.79 which falls
in the moderate level for usage of this construct according to the standards applied to
the original study and rubric. In addition, responses from the teacher interview
produced results that appear contrary to the CBETT because responses from teachers
demonstrate a high level of comfort surrounding integrating aspects of culture in

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classroom practices. One interesting finding is the high rating for the frequency of
the descriptor for “none” which is part of the “culturally grounded content” strand.
This descriptor, “I lead class discussions that give individual students a chance to be
heard when called on” (survey item #6), received a unanimous high frequency rating
which can be interpreted to mean that teachers comfortably “switch” between
culturally responsive instruction and mainstream practices.

Construct of Consciousness or Social Consciousness
The following are questions and survey items related to the research question
for the consciousness construct and provided here as a convenient reference. Labels
and formatting are similar to Figure 3 and 4 found on previous pages.
The third research question examined in this study was How do teachers
help students understand Native Hawaiian culture in relation to their community,
country, world? This question is focused on critical consciousness or social
inequities. According to Ladson-Billings (1995), “Beyond those individual
characteristics of academic achievement and cultural competence, students must
develop a broader sociopolitical consciousness that allows them to critique the
cultural norms, values, mores, and institutions that produce and maintain social
inequities” (p. 162). Ladson-Billings queries, “If school is about preparing students
for active citizenship, what better citizenship tool than the ability to critically analyze
the society?” (p. 162).

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Figure 5. Questions and Survey Items for Consciousness Construct

Consciousness Construct
RESEARCH QUESTION: How do teachers help students understand Native Hawaiian
culture in relation to their community, country, world?
Survey Items Interview Questions
Enacting
Strand A I use the community as a setting for student learning
that is responsive to community needs and grounded
in the Hawaiian knowledge, practices, and history
associated with a place. (11)
Strand B I encourage my students to initiate and lead
community projects to promote greater community
well-being. (43)
Developing
I relate my coursework and content to the local (but
not necessarily Hawaiian) community and my
students apply what they have learned to community
settings. *
I relate my coursework and content to the local (but
not necessarily Hawaiian) community. (23)
Strand A
I create opportunities for my students to apply what
they have learned to community settings. (32)
Strand B I expect my students to recognize and carry out their
roles and responsibilities on their own. (49)
Emerging
Strand A I use hands-on learning activities outside the
classroom. (18)
Strand B I teach my students to recognize their responsibilities
and the importance of their academic achievement.
(56)
None
Strand A I use textbook-based lectures and discussions in my
class. (17)
Strand B I define and direct my students’ roles and
responsibilities. (36)
How have your Native Hawaiian
students dealt with current issues
that face their community? (i.e.
issues about natural resources: loss
of habitat for native animals,
devastation of reefs, extinction of
native birds or plants; legal issues:
diversion of water, leasehold
conversion, restriction of access to
the shore; etc.) (15)

How do you help students to
understand diversity? Give an
example of what has happened in
your classroom when students
recognized such differences. (18)

What have you done to help your
students see themselves as part of
a global community? (19)
* Words appearing in italics refer to the actual wording in the original rubric.

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Quantitative Findings for Consciousness Construct
The first strand for consciousness is about place-based content with three
critical indicators: a) experiential, b) community-based, and c) place-based. Ratings
on the teacher survey or CBETT for the first strand measured the lowest among all of
the strands for all of the constructs with a mean of 52% (see Table 19). The
“developing” level received two ratings of “almost daily” and for the level named
“none” there was one rating at that same frequency (see Table 22). All of the other
ratings ranged from “weekly” to “monthly” to “2 or 3 times a semester.” Such low
ratings for the frequent usage of content which is community or place-based,
contributed to this strand’s low overall average, or mean. This strand is also about
using the community as a setting for student learning (survey item #11), relating
coursework and content to local but not necessarily Hawaiian community (survey
item #23), using hands-on learning activities outside the classroom (#18) and using
textbook-based lectures and discussions (#17).

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Table 22. Mode (number of teachers) Selecting Rating at Each Rubric Level for
Consciousness Construct

Rating Value Strand A Strand B
None
12 1 7
10 3 3
8 3
6 1
4
2 2
Emerging
12 9
10 6 1
8 3
6
4 1
2
Developing
12 2 9
10 3 1
8 3
6 1
4 1
2
Enacting
12 2
10 1 6
8 5 2
6
4 1
2 3

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The critical indicator for the second strand of this construct is community
well-being and kuleana (responsibility). The survey items for this indicator are #36:
defining and directing student roles and responsibilities, #56: teaching students to
recognize their responsibilities and the importance of their academic achievement,
#49: expecting students to recognize and carry out their roles and responsibilities on
their own, and #43: encouraging students to initiate and lead community projects to
promote greater community well-being. All except item #43 received fairly high
ratings (see Table 22) for the highest frequency “almost daily” or the next highest
frequency “weekly.” Survey item #43 is also the descriptor for the “enacting” level
of the rubric. The high ratings in the other three rubric levels helped boost the
overall mean so the mean was twenty points higher than strand A (see Table 19).
The twenty-point differential between both strands was significant and required
further exploration. A discussion about this significant finding can be found in
Chapter Five.

Qualitative Findings for Consciousness Construct
The teacher interview employed three questions. All three questions asked
teachers to share how they addressed critical consciousness and social injustice in the
classroom through issues that may be important to the community, examining
cultural differences of diversity and what helps students understand the concept of
global community. The questions are: #15 How have your Native Hawaiian
students dealt with current issues that face their community? (i.e. issues about

137
natural resources: loss of habitat for native animals, devastation of reefs, extinction
of native birds or plants; legal issues: diversion of water, leasehold conversion,
restriction of access to the shore; etc.); #18 How do you help students to understand
diversity? Give an example of what has happened in your classroom when students
recognized such differences?; #19 What have you done to help your students see
themselves as part of a global community?
Although the mean scores from Table 19 and Table 26 indicate that the
construct of consciousness is probably the weakest, the following excerpts provide a
contrasting perspective. Conversations during the interview protocol produced some
very rich responses from teachers. Where possible, examples from lessons teachers
discussed were included to further illustrate the depth of student thinking teachers
promoted as well as the reasoning teachers shared for conducting these lessons.

Diversity
Teacher Jamie speaks about teaching diversity:
We all come from different places. We all come from different ethnic
backgrounds. So we’re learning about diversity now, just with the ethnicity
part of it, but also honoring who we are, not just the Hawaiian, but [other
ethnicities that make up] who we are, and honoring our ancestors.

Teacher Bobbie elaborates about similarities Hawaiians have with other people:
I think the multiple perspective is very important, to look at things from
different points of view…Of course your worldview is going to be different.
So I talk to them a lot about paradigms and how people look at things… And
just to see that what the Hawaiians are going through is similar to what other
people are going through. Today we talked… about Africa and what their
problems are, deforestation, their struggles with the environment and the

138
choices they make whether to divert water…and to see that [people in Africa]
have the same problems and maybe Hawaiians with their ahupua’a system
have a solution for sustainability because the [modern] way we’re practicing
these days, with the paradigm that we have, is basically consume, consume,
consume with no thought of sustainability.

Environmental Issues
Connecting the past and present was important for Teacher Jamie: “I think
right now what they are doing in the fourth grade is really learning about the issues.”
(Nani Ke Ao Nei is the name of a very large four-part mural, commissioned for the
school. This mural depicts the natural environment with plants and animals living
among four different climates and ecosystems of the island.)
With the Nani Ke Ao Nei Unit [students are] learning how Oahu looked a
very long time ago, before humans made contact with the land. Learning
about what it was like before and learning what our life is like now, and
making those comparisons…[what are] the differences that they see, but also
looking at that and saying okay what are my next steps? What can I do to
[help] get it back to how it was. It may not be as perfect as it was before but
how can we get there so the generations after us can enjoy what our ancestors
did. Hopefully they’ll be able to see that, but I think right now they’re just
questioning the issues or maybe just learning about the issues right now.

Teacher Darcy also connects the past and present:
There’s always two sides to every story… We have a whole lesson on
Pu‘uloa, [early, ancient name for Pearl Harbor] which includes all of that:
[from] the modernization, the loss of Pu‘uloa, all the way down to the
reciprocity treaty, the history of Pu‘uloa and the sugar industry in Hawaii, all
that. The history of military in Hawaii. …The kids they love that. They want
to know.

Teacher Darcy asks:
Could other cultures benefit from knowing how Hawaiians had an attitude
about land and resources, and not wasting, and recycling? Could you imagine
if more cultures practiced that? I think we wouldn’t be in… the binds that we

139
have today. So, when we’re comparing things today to how our kūpuna did
it, the kids can see that our kūpuna really did have a strong grasp of
sustainability, survival, things like that. Could other cultures learn from it?
Yes. Can they (students) connect to Native American cultures who had very
similar approaches to sustainability, the land, all that? Yes. It just seems like
[finally] now mainstream culture is all on the bandwagon, let’s recycle, etc.

Conflict in Practice
Teacher Casey adds an example of how studying Kamehameha Schools’
business ventures illustrated KS’ own lack of responsibility and cultural sensitivity:
Our students have really taken this to heart. We’ve been studying water
issues: why did they divert the water from the windward side to the leeward
side [of the island]. So now the Hawaiian farmers [don’t have water and]
can’t grow their [kalo for] poi. And it’s starting to affect the cycle of the
‘ōpae [fresh water shrimp], because the ‘ōpae can’t continue their [life] cycle
because of that [diverted water]. So a lot of these issues are very important to
our students and we have some really excellent discussions about this. It’s
really important for them to face the issues, to know what the community is
going through, to know where our school, [as a major landowner for a lot of
land on all of the islands,] stands on these issues… [because for] some of the
issues we studied, Kamehameha Schools was not on the positive side. But we
did invite Neal Hannahs [Head of KS Land Assets Division] to talk to our
children and he did say…’there was a time when Kamehameha Schools, [the
business part of the organization], was out there trying to make money for
you (students), but now it’s our kuleana (responsibility) to also look at the
community and to look at how it’s affecting everyone.’ The children have to
learn that. They’ve got to learn the good and the bad, and learn the issues,
which we do teach them.

Summary of Findings for Consciousness Construct
Teachers spoke candidly and with conviction about teaching students to
critically explore current issues affecting their community. The preceding examples
exhibit the extensive explorations teachers employed in the classroom to help
students critique social inequities and apply their self-identity or cultural identity

140
which Kawagley and Barnhardt (1998) describes as using their values, priorities,
ideologies and worldview which may be different from people on the outside. Seven
teachers shared their efforts to adapt curriculum and address important and/or current
issues. It is necessary to assume that these KES teachers were also learning the
issues and taking the time to research or find the information students needed
because lesson plans for these current issues were not necessarily found in textbooks.
Therefore, teachers who are committed to helping students develop social
consciousness recognize the value of helping students analyze community or social
issues and are willing to invest their time to develop these units of study. Teachers
were also willing to take the risk of using current material which was not “tried or
tested” as might be expected of commercially produced classroom curriculum.
It was interesting to note that a study of Kamehameha Schools’ own business
practices revealed a conflict with Native Hawaiian culture. Teachers did not conceal
this conflict but allowed students to critique the specific issue. A discussion with KS
experts working on the business and estate side of the larger Kamehameha Schools
organization, helped reassure students that practices of the business entity of KS
changed their practice. Teachers and students learned that KS decisions were more
aligned with practicing cultural values by considering the affects of decisions on the
greater community.

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Construct of Perspective or Teachers Perception
The following figure provides an easy reference for all of the questions and
statements from the survey while exhibiting their alignment. This figure pertains to
the perspective construct only. The format and labels are similar to Figures 3, 4, and
5.
The last research question of this study is: What do teachers at Kamehameha
Elementary School (KES) think cultural connectedness means and looks like? This
question is focused on teacher perception or perspective because teachers create
learning experiences of excellence. As Benham (2006) reported, “the quality of
teachers and their knowledge of culturally relevant learning experiences” promote
“optimum learning environments” (p, 40). Castagno and Brayboy (2008) named
three important themes that emerged from their extensive review of literature on
culturally responsive schooling. The first was “the importance of teachers’ values,
attitudes, and ideologies toward their students and toward Indigenous communities
and cultures” (p. 969). The second was “the importance of caring relationships,
mutual respect between students and teacher, and teachers being perceived as safe by
Indigenous students” (p. 970). The third theme about the teacher’s disposition “is an
attitude of respect, appreciation, and value for tribal communities and cultures” (p.
970).

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Figure 6. Questions and Survey Items for Perspective Construct

Perspective Construct
RESEARCH QUESTION: What do teachers at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES)
think cultural connectedness means and looks like?
Survey Items Interview Questions
Enacting
Strand A My ultimate goal in working with students is to
preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture for
generations to come.. (35)
I am responsible for ensuring that my students have
a strong cultural identity, sense of place and
academic achievement. *
I am responsible for ensuring that my students have
a strong cultural identity and value of place. (48)
Strand B
My primary goal in teaching is to improve students’
academic achievement. (37)
Developing
Strand A I incorporate Hawaiian culture in my teaching to
better engage students. (39)
As a teacher, building cultural identity and self-
worth in my students is as important to me as
increasing their academic achievement. *
I am responsible for ensuring that my students have
a strong cultural identity and value of place. (48)
Strand B
My primary goal in teaching is to improve students’
academic achievement. (37)
Emerging
Strand A I design my class to support the diverse cultural
backgrounds of my students. (45)
Strand B I am just as responsible for my students’ social and
emotional growth as I am for their academic
achievement.(55)
None
Strand A I try to keep my class neutral and free of cultural
references so that no students feel left out. (52)
Strand B My primary goal in teaching is to improve students’
academic achievement. (37)
Can you think of any
characteristics that Native
Hawaiian students as a group bring
to the classroom? Explain what
they are and how they affect your
teaching. (10)

Based on your experience in
education, what kinds of strategies
would you recommend to other
teachers to engage Native
Hawaiians? (11)

It has been reported that culturally
relevant pedagogy (CRP) helps
Native Hawaiian students learn
better. Do you agree with this
statement? Why or why not? In
what ways do you utilize this
concept in your curriculum? (17)

As a teacher, how connected are
you to your students’ Native
Hawaiian culture? Rate yourself
from 1-5 (five being the highest).
Explain why you rated yourself
that way. (20)
Note: Words which have been struck-through appear in the survey item but not in the rubric.
* Words appearing in italics refer to the actual wording in the original rubric.

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Quantitative Findings for Perspective Construct
Critical indicators for the first strand are about philosophy on culture in class.
The ratings for this strand followed the four-point scale, very well, somewhat well,
not very well, or not at all. Teachers used this four-point scale to rate how well the
survey item described their teaching or philosophies that govern their teaching. The
descriptor for “enacting,” the highest rubric level, asks teachers about their goal: My
ultimate goal in working with students is to preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian
culture for generations to come (#35). Each of the descriptors for other rubric levels
(in descending order) also address culture in the classroom: I incorporate Hawaiian
culture in my teaching to better engage students (#39); I design my class to support
the diverse cultural backgrounds of my students (#45); I try to keep my class neutral
and free of cultural references so that no students feel left out (#52).
The second strand’s critical indicator is philosophy on the role of teacher.
The “enacting” rubric level followed the descriptor I am responsible for ensuring
that my students have a strong cultural identity, sense of place and academic
achievement (survey items #48 and #37). Similarly, the descriptor for “developing”
reads: As a teacher, building cultural identity and self-worth in my students is as
important to me as increasing their academic achievement (survey item #48 and
#55). The correlating survey item for the “emerging” rubric level is #55: I am just as
responsible for my students’ social and emotional growth as I am for their academic
achievement. Survey item #37 is the descriptor for the rubric level “none”: My
primary goal in teaching is to improve students’ academic achievement.

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Table 23. Mode (number of teachers) Selecting Rating at Each Rubric Level for
Perspective Construct

Rating Value Strand A Strand B
None
12 2 6

9 4 4
6 1

3 3
Emerging
12 5 10

9 5
6

3
Developing
12 5 8.5

9 5 1.5
6

3
Enacting
12 5 8.5

9 5 1.5
6

3

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Table 23 shows that although most of the responses were split between two
ratings in that rubric level, almost always the highest two ratings received all of the
marks. One survey item #55 was unanimously selected for the highest rating and
only the level “none” had marks in four different ratings. It is clear that the
consistency of high markings indicate teachers are confident about their teaching
philosophy and their role as the teacher. Teacher responses to CBETT were
weighted and calculated for each teacher. A summary of the results for each teacher
appears in Table 25. The mean score for all teachers were also calculated and
reported in Table 24 according to the four constructs and with the additional rating
teachers gave themselves during the interview. Interestingly, the highest mean score
was for the perspective construct. Following behind in a close second was the
content construct. These scores were fairly close but if the mean for
“Connectedness” was also calculated with the perspective scores then the mean
would be 81.7 which gives the construct of perspective a significant edge over other
constructs. Responses from the interview confirm the aforementioned finding that
the construct of perspective exhibits the greatest strength.

Table 24. Mean Score for Each Construct

Content Context Consciousness Perpective
Connectedness rating
from Interview
Mean Score
for all teachers
74.89 67.79 62.65 75.41 88

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Qualitative Findings for Perspective Construct
Philosophy on Culture in Class
The following responses were given when teachers were asked Interview
Question #10: Can you think of any characteristic that Native Hawaiian students as
a group bring to the classroom? Explain what they are and how they affect your
teaching.
Responses from teachers verified their beliefs about culture in class.
Teacher Anela discussed culture and students, “They bring an appreciation of culture
and even if they don’t identify it as that, the behaviors show how much they
appreciate their own family backgrounds and their culture. They live the Hawaiian
values.” Teacher Bobbie’s insight was shared: “Hawaiians are very considerate of
their surroundings whether with the environment or with people around them.”
Teacher ‘Ehukai commented, “They love to share their talents in music, dance, arts.
I also notice they like to work together as groups.” Teacher Hōku added, “The kids
are engaged. They are energetic. They have a lot of positive attitude, especially
when they can use all of their senses, not just sitting down at a desk.”

Philosophy on the Role of Teacher
Responses from Interview Question #11 (Based on your experience in
education, what kinds of strategies would you recommend to other teachers to
engage Native Hawaiians?) reveal teachers’ views about their role with students.
Teacher Georgie used the strategy of close proximity with students by “…getting

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close with them, physically close with them…just to have that strategy: make it safe
and make it so they’ll take some risks…” Teacher Inoa believed teachers should
take advantage of what works for Native Hawaiian students: “Everybody likes hands
on [activities] and usually people are visual. Especially for Hawaiian children, they
should know about their culture and their language and that should be honored.”
Teacher Darcy disclosed a philosophy for working with Native Hawaiian students:
“You have to be able to relate it to who they are as Hawaiians…I think they produce
more when they take ownership.”

Teachers’ Beliefs About Student Learning
Interview Question #17 elicited similar responses. Interview Protocol #17
queried, It has been reported that culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) helps Native
Hawaiian students learn better. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
In what ways do you utilize this concept in your curriculum? All ten teachers
responded in the affirmative that they believe culturally relevant pedagogy helps
their Native Hawaiian students learn better. This unanimous result combined with
teacher responses provide a clear picture of what teachers believe about learning.
Teacher Casey proclaimed the importance of making learning relevant:
I think that if things are relevant to the students and they can understand it, I
think it is good for them. I think they do learn. If they can make connections
with their ‘ohana (family) or they can make connections with what they are
learning in their classroom, I think it matters more to them.

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Teacher Darcy believes students’ self-identity is essential:
Students learn better when they can say, ‘This is me. This is my family. This
is us.’…the ultimate goal is that they walk away from everything saying,
‘Now [that] I have this knowledge what can I do with it?’… I’m very excited
for these kids, how they’re learning today.

Teacher Georgie believes, “…whenever learning affirms who you are and what
you’re about, it’s a good thing.”

Summary of Findings for Perspective Construct
Teachers at KES declared strong beliefs about their role in the classroom.
Some believe students should be engaged in activities they value such as art and
music. Other teachers believe instruction should utilize modes (i.e. visual or spatial)
aligned to students’ multiple intelligences. Teachers’ positive beliefs and attitudes
about their students’ culture was evident in the ways they related with students such
as through using close proximity or by valuing students’ self-identity. Regardless of
whether they knew the definition of culturally relevant pedagogy or whether they
had heard of the concept, all ten teachers confirmed their strong belief that students
benefit most when they deliver instruction through culturally responsive methods. It
was evident that teachers’ were confident about their beliefs and philosophy on their
role in the classroom.

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Teacher Connectedness
Teacher connectedness was not a construct of this study but it is the primary
goal of this study. For that reason, teacher connectedness is addressed with the same
importance as this study’s constructs. Castagno and Brayboy (2008) clearly
explained the concept of teacher connectedness as “connection between employing
students’ cultural background, effective teaching and improved learning” (p. 956).
The CBETT was used to determine the cultural connectedness of teachers.
Interview Question #18 specifically addressed this concept: As a teacher, how
connected are you to your students’ Native Hawaiian culture? Rate yourself from 1-
5 (five being the highest). Explain why you rated yourself that way. Teachers self-
reported and rated their own cultural connectedness. Five teachers rated themselves
at level five (the highest level), four teachers rated themselves at level four and one
teacher selected the third level. Table 25 presents the ratings with scores of 99 for a
rating of five, 79 for a rating of four and 69 for a rating of three.

Qualitative Findings on Connectedness
Teachers’ responses to this question reveal their thoughts about
connectedness and the challenges they feel. Teacher Bobbie expressed frustration:
I think I’m about a three because …I believe I know about Hawaiian culture.
I don’t know Hawaiian culture. Do you know why? Because I didn’t grow up
where they are. I’m not [from] out in Wai‘anae. I don’t know what it’s like to
have a history of having your land taken away. I can know about it…

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Teacher Georgie explained:
I think I’m a five because of my respect. My respect, my interest in and my
wanting to understand how that [Native Hawaiian culture] relates… If you’re
going to teach in this school you need to have respect for that. It doesn’t
mean you’re Hawaiian in your blood but you better be in your heart…

Teacher Jamie justifies:
I try to make the connections with their Native Hawaiian culture. Being that
we’re at Kamehameha Schools I think it’s very important for us, as teachers,
to make these connections with the students… whatever I’m doing I’ll always
refer back to their culture. We refer back to who they are as Native Hawaiian
students, going back to the essential question, their sense of place. I would
like to say… I know that I need to continue learning to make these
connections with the students.

Quantitative Findings on Connectedness
The rating of connectedness teachers self-reported in the interview was
included in a table of scores for all of the constructs. The mean scores for each
construct were listed for each teacher. Three of the ten teachers had mean scores for
content which were almost equal or above their self-reported rating. None of the
mean scores for context, consciousness, or perspective were higher than their
connectedness score.
A glance across Table 25 reveals the four constructs of the study and an
overall connectedness rating. The criteria used by HCIE on the HIER (rubric) for
scores (in each construct) were followed in this analysis. Ledward, Takayama and
Elia (2009) explain that 75% of the total score in the HIER helped determine the
successful usage of CBE. “Teachers who scored above 75 percent of the total
possible points in at least 4 of 5 domains were labeled “High CBE Teachers.” Those

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that scored the same in 1-3 domains were categorized as ‘Moderate CBE Teachers’ ”
(p.2). This same criteria was used with the data for this study.

Table 25. Mean Scores for Each Teacher Displayed by Constructs of the Study

Teacher
(pseudonym) Content Context Consciousness Perspective
Connectedness
rating from
Interview
Anela 79.7 75.5 76.2 81.1 79
Bobbie 67.7 66.9 49.9 82.1 69
Casey 69.8 68.2 68.6 72.8 99
Darcy 82.1 74.5 60.6 82.1 79
‘Ehukai 79.7 73.1 67.9 71.2 79
Frankie 68.8 59.2 59.2 69.1 79
Georgie 71.9 62.7 51.6 71.2 99
Hōku 76.4 68.9 61.6 74.8 99
Inoa 80.7 71.7 70.3 76.9 99
Jamie 72.1 57.2 60.6 72.8 99

Using 75% as the standard measurement, the mean score for each teacher in
each construct can be readily compared for ratings higher or lower than the standard.
This provides a direct correlation to the areas of strength and weakness across each
of the constructs of the study. In the content column of Table 25, five teachers,
Anela, Darcy, ‘Ehukai, Hōku and Inoa, have scores at or above 75%. (For
determining the 75% threshold, scores with .5 or more are rounded up.) There are
only two teachers, Anela and Darcy, with scores at or above 75% in the context

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column. Anela is the only teacher with a score above 75% in the consciousness
column. Scores for perspective show five teachers, Anela, Bobbie, Darcy, Hōku and
Inoa, with scores at or above 75%. These scores suggest that half of the teachers at
KES who participated in this study have a fairly strong perspective of Hawaiian
Indigenous education. This data is easily supported by an even greater rate of 90%
or nine out of ten teachers who rated their own connectedness above 75% indicating
this is a strength at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES). It can also be surmised
that half of the teachers at KES who participated in this study demonstrated
culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in their classroom practices and were
comfortable in their role to help students achieve academic success (content). The
scores also indicated that cultural competence (context) as well as critical
consciousness (consciousness) were areas of weakness.

Overall Connectedness of Teachers
The following figure shows the overall cultural connectedness ranking for
teachers at KES. This ranking was determined by following the HCIE criteria of
four out of five domains scoring at or above 75% for high usage and one to three
domains for moderate usage. The self-reported connectedness rating was used as a
domain along with the four constructs so as to provide five ratings which mirrors
HCIE’s procedure.
Figure 7 is a graphic representation of the results from this study for the
overall cultural connectedness of KES teachers based on their CRP/CBE usage.

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Figure 7. Overall Level of CRP/CBE Usage among KES Teachers

The 20% of KES teachers demonstrating high usage is greater than the 14%
from HCIE’s study. Subsequently, the 80% of KES teachers exhibiting moderate
use of CRP/CBE is significantly higher than the 33% of teachers in HCIE’s study.
Results from HCIE showed 53% of the 600 teachers from the study were coded “low
CBE users” whereas none of the ten teachers in this study were determined to be low
users of CRP/CBE.

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Additional Questions
Although four research questions were the focus of this study, two additional
questions surfaced as the data was analyzed. The first question was in regards to the
cultural heritage of the teachers: Was there evidence that KES teachers who are
Native Hawaiian were higher users of CBE/CRP? The second question referred to
the experience of the teachers: Were more experienced teachers at KES higher users
of CBE/CRP? Mean scores (see Table 26) for teachers who declared their Native
Hawaiian ethnicity when answering Interview Question #5 (What is your ethnicity?
Do you speak another language? If so, what language?) were compared to teachers
who were not Native Hawaiian. Mean scores for teachers who had five years or less
experience at KES based on their answer to Interview Question #4 (How many years
have you been at Kamehameha Schools? What other school(s) have you worked at
and where are they located?) were compared to teachers with more experience.

Table 26. Summative Scores for Different Teacher Groups by Construct

Group Content Context Consciousness Perspective
Native Hawaiian Teachers 76.7 70.1 66.3 95.4
Non-Native Hawaiian Teachers 70.5 62.2 54.0 75.3
Experienced Teachers (taught at KES
more than 5 years)
75.9 68.5 63.8 95.1
Less Experienced Teachers 72.4 65.9 59.8 76.0

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Findings for Different Teacher Groups
A comparison of data for both groups in each construct show that teachers
who are Native Hawaiian and teachers who are more experienced use CBE/CRP
more than their counterparts. The most significant finding was in the perspective
construct where there is a difference of almost twenty points. It is possible that
teachers who are Native Hawaiian may have an affinity for their students at KES
because they have a direct relationship with them through their shared ethnicity.
However, comments from Non-Native Hawaiian teachers indicate their distinct
sensitivity to their students’ heritage culture.
One Non-Native Hawaiian teacher expressed a firm philosophy about
teaching: “I think what works is being real and wanting that connection to be made,
and having the heart for the child first as a person and then as a learner.” Another
Non-Native Hawaiian teacher expressed concern:
Hawaiians are people who adapt… That’s who Hawaiians are. Hawaiians can
adapt. You can adapt to other cultures and still be Hawaiian and that’s okay.
It’s not like I can’t do this because then it’s not Hawaiian. No, it’s okay...I
think we really have to be careful about how we infuse this culture. It has to
go deeper. Or else what I fear is that Hawaiian culture, by doing this and not
making it real and alive for the kids, is actually helping the Hawaiian culture
die a noble death…Like, oh yeah, we’re putting it in a capsule but we’re not
really living it so what happens is it’s just going to be there. We preserved it
but it’s not real to us and I think that’s the [real] part that I want to try to give
to the kids.

Furthermore, responses from Native Hawaiian teachers also indicate that they
did not feel more connected because of their heritage or that their practices were
different because the students were Native Hawaiian. Comments from one Native

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Hawaiian teacher confirm this: “I think for [teaching] strategies, I’m not so sure it’s
any different whether I’m with Native Hawaiians or just with [other] students, that
they need to be supported, respected, organized, and given those strategies so they
can succeed.” Recommendations from one Native Hawaiian teacher about how to
engage Native Hawaiian students echoed this, “I think you have to present the lesson
or the information in a way like, ‘How does this relate to me?’ This has to do with
any culture, [any] group of kids.” Another Native Hawaiian teacher commented
about teaching other students:
…it’s not necessarily the types of learning that is different in Native
Hawaiian Students or the strategies that we use to teach because they would
hopefully be the strategies we’d teach anyone with, but just to make sure that
whatever we do is as real as possible and as relevant to their community as
possible, and as important, too.

Conclusion
In summary, data from quantitative and qualitative measures show the extent
of cultural connectedness KES teachers demonstrate in their role as fourth and fifth
grade teachers. All ten participating teachers at KES exhibited cultural
connectedness with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture. Following standards of
measurement similar to HCIE’s study, quantitative data from KES teachers’ survey
revealed varied degrees of cultural connectedness among teachers.
When the data for individual teachers was analyzed across the constructs, the
overall results showed half of the teachers had stronger mean scores in the content
construct. The highest mean scores for the other half of the teachers were in the

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perspective construct (see Table 25). Similarly, the mean score for all teachers were
highest for these same constructs (see Table 24). The constructs of context and
consciousness exhibited more weakness with a seven to thirteen percentage point
difference.
Teacher responses to interview questions provided additional information
which confirmed strengths in the content and perspective constructs. It was easy for
teachers to answer questions related to the content construct because the questions
asked teachers to describe what they taught and how they did it. Teachers
consistently selected the higher ratings for “enacting” and “developing,” the two
highest levels of the rubric (see Table 20) for both strands of items in the teacher
survey (CBETT). This construct is about pedagogy and experienced teachers as well
as less experienced teachers earned similar mean scores on the CBETT. There was a
difference of only 3.5 percentage points which is not a significant difference (see
Table 26). This provides clear evidence that teachers were comfortable in their skills
and delivery of instruction.
It might be expected that the perspective construct would receive high ratings
because this construct is about teachers’ own perceptions and beliefs. Findings from
the teacher interview clearly showed that teachers were confident about their own
beliefs. Teachers’ responsibility for their students’ growth and their willingness to
share their convictions indicated a strong sense of confidence about teacher
perception, which is the focus of the perspective construct. Although the perspective
construct had the highest scores of the four constructs explored in this study, the

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difference between the scores for the content and perspective constructs was less
than one percentage point so both constructs received similar scores. It was
encouraging to know that although perspective was a construct which the researcher
added to the study (the other three constructs were patterned after culturally relevant
pedagogy or CRP), there were specific items on the CBETT which correlated with
this construct and were a significant part of the HIER. In general the perspective
construct displayed strength among all teachers. However, when the teachers were
separated by experience and Hawaiian ethnicity, there was a stark difference
between the scores for the different groups (see Table 26). Nearly twenty percentage
points distinguished the less experience and experienced teachers. This was also true
for the difference between the Native Hawaiian teachers and non-Native Hawaiian
teachers. This was a significant finding which will be discussed further in Chapter
Five.
The context and consciousness constructs earned mean scores that were lower
than the content and perspective constructs indicating areas of weakness. The
context construct had overall mean scores which were about seven to eight
percentage points lower than the content and perspective constructs. When
disaggregated, context scores for experienced and less experienced teachers were
similar with only three percentage points separating them. However, context scores
for Native and non-Native Hawaiian teachers had a differential of nearly eight
points. The difference between these two groups may well explain the comfort level
of teachers with the context construct.

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Comments shared by teachers revealed a concerted effort to help raise critical
consciousness among their students. The role of consciousness is to help develop
critical awareness for issues demonstrating social inequity. This is the focus of the
consciousness construct. Through the interview, it was discovered the KES teachers
aided the development of leadership skills among their students as they helped them
to understand both sides of issues. Students learned to critique social issues which
will help prepare them to lead their communities in the future. Teachers cited
examples of issues used in the classroom which exhibited passionate interest in some
communities. It was obvious to see the excitement in teachers’ eyes as they shared
what they and their students were learning in this particular construct because topics
ranged from historical battles to environmental sustainability to current economical
issues. Eight of ten teachers shared their efforts to research and understand these
issues which were time consuming because commercial products were not available.
In addition, one teacher shared what could have been professionally damaging when
conflicts with the school’s own business practices were exposed. The teacher could
have avoided the issue completely but forged ahead with students to later learn from
the school’s head of land and assets division that the practice of diverting water had
been discontinued because the school realized they had a responsibility to help the
community and not just earn profits for the school.
This study’s overall findings is that during this school year, ten teachers at
KES in grades four and five exhibited fairly strong connectedness with their
students’ Native Hawaiian culture. Teachers were also firm in their beliefs and

160
philosophies of teaching Native Hawaiian students as evidenced through both
quantitative and qualitative measures. Responses to interview questions revealed
greater depth in what teachers practiced and believed about their students’ learning
so although teachers had not heard of “cultural connectedness” before the study
began, by the end of the interview, teachers demonstrated ease talking about the parts
or constructs related to this concept.
The next chapter will discuss the findings presented in this chapter. Patterns
will be examined and implications for practice will be shared. Any limitations to this
study will also be discussed. Finally recommendations for the future will be
described.

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CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
Hawaiians share a special sensitivity to the world around them. The
Hawaiian worldview stresses relationships first. It is spiritual,
giving, and intimately bound to the land and genealogy. This
worldview is a source of resilience and strength.

- Shawn Kana‘iaupuni (2004, p. 30)

The goal of this study was to explore the connections teachers made with
their students’ culture and the methods they used in the classroom to aid the
facilitation of their students’ learning. This study examined the extent to which ten
fourth and fifth grade teachers at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) exhibited
cultural connectedness with their students’ heritage culture. To address the
exploration of cultural connectedness among these teachers at KES, the following
research questions were used:
1. To what extent are teachers’ practices aligned with literature on culture-
based education or culturally relevant pedagogy? (ACADEMIC
CONTENT)
2. How are teachers incorporating Native Hawaiian culture in their
instructional practices? (CULTURAL CONTEXT)
3. How do teachers help students understand Native Hawaiian culture in
relation to their community, country, world?(CRITICAL
CONSCIOUSNESS)

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4. What do teachers at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) think
cultural connectedness means and looks like? (TEACHER
PERCEPTION)
For the purposes of this study, research questions and interview questions
were linked to four constructs. Items from the Culture Based Education Teacher
Tool (CBETT) or teacher survey were also aligned to these four constructs. Three of
the four constructs are prominent in Ladson-Billings’ (1995) work on culturally
relevant pedagogy: academic success or content, cultural competence or context, and
critical consciousness or consciousness. The fourth construct was added by the
researcher so teachers’ insights and beliefs about their own connections to their
students’ culture could be examined in depth. This fourth construct, as it relates to
teacher perception, is called perspective. These four constructs were explored as this
study analyzed the cultural connectedness of fourth and fifth grade teachers at KES
through ratings of items from the teacher survey (CBETT) and responses to
questions during a teacher interview.
Mixed methods, both quantitative and qualitative methods, were employed in
this study. The Culture Based Education Teacher Tool (CBETT) utilized a scale
akin to the lickert scale. This enabled the results to be examined through quantitative
methods of calculation. The Teacher Interview, or Interview Protocol, used a
qualitative method of analysis. Responses to questions were analyzed and linked,
when and if appropriate, to qualitative data. Any inconsistencies were also noted.

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The cultural connectedness of teachers was measured utilizing an instrument
designed for the Hawaiian Cultural Influences in Education (HCIE) through a
collaborative effort with the Hawai‘i Department of Education, Kamehameha
Schools, and Na Lei Na‘auao (a Hawaiian-focused public charter school alliance).
The survey or CBETT was used across the state with 600 teachers from grades 6-12.
None of the teachers at KES were part of this initial HCIE study. The survey was
scored by using the HIER or Hawaiian Indigenous Education Rubric, a heuristic tool
designed for the original HCIE study. For the purposes of this study, the HIER was
adapted, utilizing only some of the strands from the original rubric (see Appendix C
for HIER). The adapted rubric utilized 34 of the 58 likert-type items which equates
to 58.6% of the total survey items. It was necessary to limit the items examined
from the actual total of 70 items on the CBETT to allow comparison with data from
interview questions. The strands selected for the adapted rubric utilized those survey
items which showed direct correlation with the constructs of this study.
In addition the Interview Protocol was crafted to provide teachers with the
opportunity to present additional information about cultural connectedness. Terms
from this study such as cultural connectedness, critical consciousness or culturally
relevant pedagogy were not defined for teachers, but through the interview process
teachers used context to craft meanings and comfortably answer questions. The
questions explored through the interview allowed for responses that revealed much
more about the beliefs teachers held and the daily practices teachers at KES
employed.

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Summary of Results
The CBETT produced data which allowed for quantitative analysis.
Following the standards used by HCIE, the cultural connectedness of teachers at
KES was determined. Through this measurement, it was discovered that teachers at
KES are well connected to their students’ culture. All ten teachers who participated
in the study were rated at the top two levels with three teachers ranked as “high” and
seven teachers ranked as “moderate” CBE/CRP users. No one received the bottom
rating or low CBE/CRP user. The overall mean for the constructs of content and
perspective were 75%. HCIE used the standard of 75% as indicating a high level of
CBE or CRP usage. The constructs of context and consciousness were lower at 68%
and 62% respectively.

Table 27. Overall Mean Scores by Construct Based on Weighted Scores from
Adapted Rubric (see Table 19)

Content Context Consciousness Perspective
Overall Mean Score 74.55 67.65 62.0 75.0

Content Construct
The first research question was linked to the content construct and addressed
teachers’ practices as they aligned with culture based education (CBE) or culturally
relevant pedagogy (CRP). The 75% mean score (as weighted for the adapted rubric
used with this study) meets the “high level” standard indicating this is an area of

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strength for KES teachers. According to Ladson-Billings (1994), within culturally
relevant pedagogy, content is principled on academic success. Academic content is
directly impacted by curriculum as Osborne (1996) details. “Curriculum comprises
the content, the classroom processes involved in engaging that content, the
assessment and wider social practices in which they are daily worked out” (p. 287).
Teaching strategies, approaches and classroom processes varied among the ten
teachers with some adopting the use of nationally recognized methods including
multiple intelligences and differentiated learning. Most of the ten KES teachers
described their efforts to use instructional material which required adaptation so it
was meaningful to students. Their efforts followed Butterfield’s (1983)
recommendation that material is “relevant, compatible, complete and neutral in
content. This means that the portrayal of a particular culture is accurate, fair, and
thorough” (p. 50). From their extensive review of research, Castagno and Brayboy
(2008) noted “…most texts in our schools are more closely related to a world White,
middle class students can recognize…” (p. 968). They recommended, “Texts should
be related to a world students can recognize…” (p. 968) which for most Indigenous
students is very different from the world depicted in commercial materials.
Teachers talked about their teaching techniques, methods of delivery and the
measurement of its effectiveness with assessment instruments. Butterfield (1983)
recommended “techniques and cultural appropriateness of the content differ for the
learner population to be served” (p. 51). Butterfield (1983) also explained the
importance of culturally orienting instructional techniques because “it requires that

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the learning environment be organized in a fashion most appropriate for the unique
characteristics of the students” (p. 51). Teacher Hōku described practices which
utilized “Small groups, large groups, independent. Different ways of partnering the
kids.” Au (2007) endorsed social processes emphasizing cultural sensitivity through
small group instruction as opposed to whole-class processes commonly used in
mainstream schooling.
Through responses during the interview teachers demonstrated certainty and
confidence about daily practices. Teachers responded to questions about standards of
excellence by sharing about their high expectations and the ways they assessed
student learning including projects, rubrics, progress folios, blogs, and traditional
paper and pencil tests. As a group, there was no lack of sharing about reading,
writing, math, social studies, science and instructional experiences in the classroom.
One important theme emerged about the findings in this construct. It became
apparent that teachers were comfortable and confident about their pedagogical
knowledge. The training they received through university teaching preparation
courses (five teachers hold Master’s degrees) or professional development
opportunities (attending conferences for Differentiated Learning, Singapore Math,
etc.) helped them feel secure in their teaching abilities. The advantage of this
comfort level was that teachers ably adapted curriculum and when necessary created
materials they felt were applicable to the topics of study, void of mainstream bias,
and culturally appropriate. This was also important because as Butterfield (1983)
explains, “the manner in which the cultural material is presented remains consistent

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with the overall instructional framework and relevant to the goals of instruction” (p.
50). Therefore, teachers felt they were still meeting Western standards while
adapting curriculum. For this construct, the confidence of teachers was evidenced in
their ratings on the CBETT that confirm with high scores the ease which teachers
understand and demonstrate academic excellence.

Context Construct
The second research question addressed cultural competence or context.
Quantitative data revealed this was an area of weakness as the construct of content
received a mean score of 68%. Careful examination of teachers’ responses shows a
high level of cultural sensitivity. Bennett (2001) defines culture as “assumptions,
goals, values, beliefs, and communicative modes” (p. 198). Additionally, Bennett
(2001) claims that “when teachers become conscious of their own culture and
understand how it shapes their attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors, they will
become more effective teachers” (p. 198). Purdie, et al. (2000) claimed teachers
have a positive effect on students when they “exhibit an acceptance and valuing of
Indigenous people and their culture” (p. 11). The importance of values is further
explained by Butterfield (1983): “This means that teachers understand the culture of
their students and their underlying value systems” (p. 51). Thus, an important aspect
of culture is its values and mores. When asked, “What kinds of strategies would you
recommend to other teachers to engage Native Hawaiians?” Teacher Anela
recommended, “Use the values as often as you can…not only in the classroom but

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everywhere…As far as culture, we try to live the values in class.” Other ways of
valuing, respecting and appreciating culture is exhibited through practicing cultural
rituals and protocols. Many teachers acknowledged this practice as routine. Related
to values is the spiritual aspect of culture that is recognized by Indigenous people
through their epistemology. Castagno and Brayboy (2008) emphasize, “It is
important to be aware of and treat appropriately the connections many Indigenous
peoples make between spirituality and science” (p. 967). For Hawaiians, Meyer
(2003) reveals findings about “the prevalence of spirituality and how Hawaiians
view ourselves as parts of an extended family. The linkages we feel with regard to
history and place were other facets of this idea” (p. 185).
Significant themes evolved from the examination of findings for this
construct. One of the most important themes involves relationships with family.
Castagno and Brayboy (2008) declared, “Teachers must not only be interested in and
value tribal communities, but they must also show similar interest in students’
personal lives and be responsive to their students” (p. 971). In response to interview
questions, all ten teachers expressed confidence about developing relationships with
their student’s family. They mentioned parent conferences (a bi-annual event
required of parents at KES) as well as class newsletters and phone calls they placed
as examples of types of interactions they encounter. All of the teachers appeared at
ease when talking about their relationship with parents. Six teachers clearly
articulated their philosophies about the role of parents or family in the success of
Native Hawaiian students: “very important;” “important role;” “huge role;” “most

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important role;” “crucial key to success;” and “vital role in success.” Through the
culminating event of a dramatic/musical play and other classroom activities, teachers
helped students learn about historical and/or current issues affecting their
communities. People from the community, including family members (when
appropriate), were invited to share their knowledge and wisdom about such issues.
These practices at KES provided evidence that teachers exhibit characteristics
Ladson-Billings (1995) endorses, “Teacher sees herself as part of the community and
teaching as giving something back to the community, encourages students to do the
same.”
Another theme, which became apparent, relates to Hawaiian language. As
explained earlier, Hawaiian language was not a focus of this study. However, when
teachers were asked what part Hawaiian language and culture played in their
classroom, it became apparent that language could not be overlooked. All ten
teachers revealed their use of language in the class. Some of them were limited in
their fluency but comfortable using some words or phrases. Five teachers divulged
their efforts to learn the language led them to enroll in a University language course.
The role of Native language in culturally responsive teaching promoted discussion
among scholars. Benham (2006) suggested: “With more focus on mother-tongue
instruction, there is an emerging need for cultural exchange across generations
(intergenerational learning) and with culture and language experts to define
pedagogical practices that bring together the native/local as well as the
contemporary” (p. 40).

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Although the overall mean score for the content construct is 68%, which is a
moderate level, the depth at which teachers exhibited their beliefs and practices
about culture refutes that rating. The finding that teachers demonstrated greater ease
with their ability to understand the construct of context is reasonable. The
appreciation, respect, and use of culture in this context construct was prevalent
among the ten KES teachers.

Consciousness Construct
The third research question investigated critical consciousness which
includes multiple perspectives. The construct of consciousness was about diversity
and social inequities. Butterfield (1983) discussed the importance of culturally
appropriate curriculum for teachers and students, regardless of their ethnicity by
claiming that it will help them “acquire knowledge of human and cultural diversity,
develop respect and appreciation for human and cultural diversity, and identify
empathetically with people from other groups and cultures” (p. 52). Analyzing data
from the CBETT for this construct provided some stimulating challenges because of
the varying results. Mean scores for each consciousness strand were twenty
percentage points apart. At first this discrepancy was alarming, however, upon
careful examination of the indicators of the strands, a reasonable explanation was
inferred.
The first strand focused on experiential, community-based, and place-based
content. The mean score for this strand was 52.5% which was the lowest rating

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among all of the eight strands in the study. During the teacher interview, only two
teachers mentioned sense of place or sense of belonging. The second strand is about
community well-being (kuleana). Because the original CBETT survey was designed
for teachers of older students (ages 12-18), it is possible that some of the
expectations for this construct cannot be achieved by teachers of younger fourth and
fifth graders because the suitability of some descriptors were questionable for
elementary students. It was probable that teachers’ ratings on the CBETT were
lower because their practices reflected the lower level rubric descriptors about
directing students’ roles and responsibilities or using textbook-based lectures and
discussions (such as math lessons noted by teachers).
Examples of instructional practices, aimed at developing social
consciousness, were shared throughout the interview supporting Benham’s (2006)
recommendation that teachers “embrace the particularities of local culture and the
diversities of worldviews” (p. 31). Teachers discussed lessons they conducted about
community issues such as the diversion of water and the loss of natural habitats for
Native plants and animals. Half of the teachers referred to engaging Native
Hawaiian students in learning experiences that help them to develop a worldview or
global view.
A significant discovery emerged from the findings of this construct. That
discovery was that effective teachers initiate their own change. Fourth and fifth
grade teachers at KES were not directed to conduct lessons which promoted
consciousness. Most teachers were unable to recognize the vocabulary

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accompanying this construct (i.e. social consciousness, worldview, social justice,
etc.), but they were engaging students at different degrees with various aspects of
consciousness and helping them to understand issues that exhibited social inequities.
Based on an assumption that teachers understood the meanings for content
and context but not the meanings of terms associated with consciousness, the
researcher predicted that results from data for the construct of consciousness would
be the weakest of all of the constructs. While its overall mean score on the CBETT
was indeed the lowest at 62%, it was far greater than what the researcher expected.
Findings from the teacher interview also revealed a much stronger application of
consciousness among KES teachers than anticipated.

Perspective Construct
The fourth research question investigated teachers’ perceptions or perspective
about teaching Indigenous students. This was an area of strength among teachers as
the mean score for perspective was 75%. This rating is corroborated with teacher
responses from the self-reported rating teachers were asked to make during the
interview. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest, five teachers rated their
cultural connectedness at the highest rating of five, four teachers rated themselves at
four with one teacher selecting the rating of three. This construct also investigated
the teachers’ perceptions about teaching. Pajares (2002) explains how teachers’ own
self-efficacy affects what they think about the educational process and how they
conduct instructional activities because “teachers with high self-efficacy create

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mastery experiences for their students, whereas teachers with low instructional self-
efficacy undermine students’ cognitive development as well as students’ judgments
of their own capabilities” (p, 125). The ten teachers in this study were quick to share
their beliefs that the best way to engage students and help develop their thinking was
through creating meaningful experiences.
Another indicator of teacher’s high level of connectedness was extracted
from the interview responses. A substantial number of responses addressed helping
students learn by making connections. The word connect was used in only one of the
interview questions which was interview question number 20. Nine of the ten
teachers who participated in this study used a form of the word connect prior to
question #20 so the researcher did not suggest that their teaching should be
connected.
Responses received from the teacher interview provided detail for correlating
findings. This is also what Ladson-Billings (1994) calls conceptions of self and
others: “Teacher helps students make connections between their community,
national and global identities. Four teachers referred to Indigenous point of view or
perspective” (p. 34). Another interesting finding in this construct refers to teachers’
perceptions about learning. One teacher commented, “I think you have to also
realize that in teaching that you’re a learner first…” Another teacher added, “I think
these kids, as young as they are, have more than I do. I’m learning from them.”
Then another declared, “I think as a teacher, you never stop learning.”

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All of these findings contribute to the significant theme evolving from this
construct. This theme is that teachers are always learning. As learners, teachers seek
to discover the facts about community issues so they can teach them to students.
When teachers are confident about their own perceptions, their students are
positively affected. All ten KES teachers were confident in their abilities to make
their lessons meaningful and culturally connected for students. This construct
displayed ease for teachers which can be expected because they are the experts on
their views about teaching.
The overall results from this study show that ten teachers at Kamehameha
Elementary School exhibit a fairly high degree of connectedness with their students’
Native Hawaiian culture. Although all of the constructs did not receive mean scores
of 75% or higher, the threshold for the degree of connectedness was not held steady
because those constructs with lower scores still exhibited moderate results.
Furthermore, evidence from teacher interviews countered the lower ratings.

Discussion of Findings
Like a snapshot, this study captured a moment in time for a school in
transition. The time is the school year 2009-2010 and the study was conducted at
Kamehameha Elementary School which is part of a larger private educational system
with three K-12 campuses on three islands. At the time this study was conducted,
the private school (Kamehameha Schools), was in transition involving numerous
goals cascading from organizational goals (KS strategic plan) to tri-campus goals to

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campus goals (for each island’s campus) to division goals (high school, middle
school and elementary school). Organizational goals from the Kamehameha Schools
strategic plan focused on serving greater numbers of Hawaiians from across the state.
These goals included providing educational services (such as preschool education,
scholarships to college, etc.), developing leadership focused on service to others,
optimizing the KS financial resources (in their portfolio), and practicing prudent and
culturally appropriate stewardship of KS’ vast land holdings. This last goal involved
a practice which is completely different from earlier practices (about ten years ago)
when KS sought to earn the highest value for their land or usage of their water
regardless of community needs or cultural ethics.
Three tri-campus goals focused on improving student learning through adult
support, student support and strengthening other program extensions. Three major
initiatives listed under the first tri-campus goal were 1) Ka Pi‘ina: building education
workforce capacity (a new, performance-based evaluation/compensation project
being piloted during this school year); 2) integrating standards-based instruction in
the classroom; 3) developing and beginning orientation to a Kula Hawai‘i (Hawaiian
School) set of educator expectations. Cascading the first tri-campus goal to
Kamehameha Elementary School generated mixed results. Many teachers were
bothered by the scope of expectations because all three initiatives required an
inordinate amount of time. Transitioning to Kula Hawai‘i, a Hawaiian school as
opposed to a school for Hawaiians, was also considered challenging because the
school had followed a conventional, Western model for more than a hundred years.

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It was anticipated that many current KS teachers would be reluctant to change and
perhaps even unable to change if becoming a Hawaiian school meant that they
needed to speak the Hawaiian language.
It can be surmised that teachers were overwhelmed by the cascading goals
imposed by the organization. While the initiatives seemed noble, it would
undoubtedly affect all of them in varying degrees. Thus, the period of time when
this study was conducted involved some tension and apprehension for many KS and
KES teachers as KS transitioned away from their current structure of practices.
Added to this tension was the lack of a definitive plan for this tri-campus initiative of
becoming Kula Hawai‘i. Nonetheless, KES teachers seemed unscathed when
fulfilling their responsibilities with students. The findings of this study revealed the
quality of teachers at KES. However, it must be remembered that the study and
ensuing results merely captured a snapshot of specific teachers for specific classes in
a moment of time for a school in transition.
As indicated in the previous section, the ten participating KES teachers
exhibited connectedness with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture. This was
evident through their responses during the teacher interview and data from their
teacher surveys. In general, teachers found it easy to discuss matters of academic
content and teacher perspective. They easily articulated the practices they utilized in
the classroom aimed at helping students achieve academic success and data from the
CBETT corroborated this finding. Items on the CBETT relevant to teachers’
perspective also received high, enacting ratings. This might be expected because this

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construct is about each teacher’s own perceptions pertaining to teaching or learning
so they found it easier to understand, talk about, and enact. Almost all of the
teachers were confident about their pedagogical knowledge and personal
philosophies as compared to cultural context indicators about sense of place and
belonging, relationships with parents or students, Hawaiian values and social
consciousness. Both the context and consciousness constructs dealt with some very
abstract concepts whereas items from the content construct were more tangible. The
abstraction of connectedness was another area that displayed varying results. Half of
the teachers self-reported great confidence about their connectedness with their
students’ culture indicating it had become real for them. Four of the remaining five
teachers were fairly confident and one teacher self-reported a middle rating (three
out of five) indicating connectedness had not yet become very real. Thus, those
practices, concepts or strategies which were more abstract, presented more of a
struggle for teachers.
In general, most of the teachers easily discussed topics, rated items, and
described their work pertaining to tangible aspects of teaching such as grouping
students, preparing the classroom environment, producing assessments, meeting with
parents, engaging students. On the other hand, the concept of connectedness was
much more difficult for some of them to navigate. Surprisingly, the teacher whose
data on the CBETT ranked poorly for consciousness and lowest on the
connectedness self-reported rating had some of the best responses for consciousness
during the interview. Like the context and consciousness constructs, connectedness

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is very abstract. Additionally, the mixed methods used in this study helped prove the
positive connectedness findings reported earlier. This was confirmed because low
scores from the quantitative instrument (CBETT) were proven irrelevant by
comprehensive responses through the qualitative measure (teacher interview). Thus,
the fairly high demonstration of cultural connectedness by the ten KES teachers was
firmly established through results from the mixed methods employed in this study.
Five themes emerged as results of this study were reviewed. These themes
were revealed in the previous section. The five themes were 1) teachers were
confident about their pedagogical knowledge, 2) developing good relationships with
students and family or community was important, 3) acceptance and usage of Native
Hawaiian language proved valuable, 4) effective teachers initiate their own change,
5) teachers are learners, too.

Pedagogical Knowledge
Data from quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate teachers at KES are
well connected to their students’ Native Hawaiian culture. One reason for this
finding is that Kamehameha Schools hires qualified teachers who are confident about
what they know pedagogically. This may be contributed to the teacher training
programs that educated these teachers. All ten teachers were educated at American
Universities and Colleges. Four teachers earned their Master’s degree and three
more sought higher education beyond their Bachelor’s degree. Five of the ten
teachers earned their degrees from the University of Hawai‘i and the other five

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teachers attended schools in the continental United States including Massachusetts,
Florida, Indiana, Oregon and Washington. None of the ten teachers participated in
an educational program designed for teachers of Indigenous students and/or Native
Hawaiian students. These facts may explain why teachers feel compelled to hold on
to Western standards. Perhaps they feel a need to prove that cultural learning can
measure up to or even surpass Western standards of achievement. Kawagley and
Barnhardt (1998) advises:
When examining educational issues in Indigenous settings, we must consider
the cultural and historical context, particularly in terms of who is determining
what the rules of engagement are to be, and how those rules are to be
implemented” (p. 15).

A comparison of experienced teachers (more than 5 years at KES) with less
experienced teachers and another comparison of Native Hawaiian teachers with non-
Native Hawaiian teachers confirms Kamehameha Schools’ skill in hiring effective
teachers. Data for both groups did not reveal large discrepancies. While the data did
not always correlate across the constructs, the overall connectedness of teachers was
verified through findings from the CBETT and responses from the Teacher
Interview. Most interesting is the fact that summative scores for each construct of
the study for less experienced teachers mirrored scores for experienced teachers.
The same was true for non-Native Hawaiian teachers and Native Hawaiian teachers.
Teachers who participated in this study probably felt confident about their
teaching skills. It is easy to conduct lessons that are packaged in a textbook with an
accompanying teacher’s edition, but it is quite different to deliver instruction which

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must be created, adapted and tailored to motivate and challenge the development of
Indigenous students. Castagno and Brayboy (2008) suggests other pedagogical
knowledge important for teachers of Indigenous children should include “...how
Native children learn at home, theories and practices of first and second language
acquisition, characteristics of exemplary Indigenous educational programs, acquiring
Indigenous literature suitable for the classroom, and how to effectively share Native
histories in the classroom” (p. 973).

Relationships
Relationships teachers have with students, family and others was another
major theme. The social nature of Native Hawaiians affirms the importance of this
theme. By custom, Native Hawaiians greet people and say good-bye with a kiss. It
does not matter if friends have not seen each other in years, upon meeting they carry
on as if it was just yesterday when they last spoke. Caring relationships in the
Hawaiian culture is highly valued. Carrying this over into the school community
indicates that the culture of Native Hawaiians is valued in the school setting. When
teachers develop a caring relationship with parents, teachers are more apt to effect
parental involvement with their students’ learning (i.e. practicing basic math facts at
home, reading aloud, etc.). On the other hand, when parents need help they will feel
comfortable in asking for suggestions from the teacher (i.e. advice about getting their
child to bed at a reasonable time, eating a healthy breakfast, etc.)

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There are several other sociocultural factors that impact this theme. When
relationships are established with the family or community, the wisdom and
knowledge of ancestors are also valued. Culturally sensitive teachers present
accurate information about the history of the Indigenous people from multiple
perspectives. The observance or practice of cultural customs and protocols is also
practiced and encouraged by teacher. This practice may lead to strengthened student
self-concept because it gives “credence to their culture in the daily activities of the
classroom” (p. 52). Building relationships with students and their ‘ohana (family)
requires respecting the values of their culture. Developing relationships with family
also requires respect and appreciation of the culture and its values. Butterfield
(1983) reports that teachers who understand their students’ culture also understand
“their underlying value systems” (p. 51). During the interview, teachers often
referenced the use of Hawaiian values in the classroom. Another aspect of values
was spirituality which was an integral part of the Hawaiian value system (Meyer,
2003). When a community’s culture and socialization processes are transferred to
the school setting, teachers help Indigenous students feel valued and significant.

Native Language
The emergence of Hawaiian Language as a theme in this study was
surprising. Although culture was a vital component of this study, language was not a
significant element. However, through responses to the interview questions it
became evident that language was essential to the study of culture. This validates

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what Castagno and Brayboy (2008) stated about culturally responsive curriculum
validating students’ cultures and languages. It is the use of language that promotes
cultural continuity. Castagno and Brayboy (2008) also endorse teachers learn about
the “theories and practices of first and second language acquisition” (p. 973). The
vast majority of KES students in the fourth and fifth grade do not speak Hawaiian as
their first language. Many of them are acquiring proficiency in the Hawaiian
Language as a second language.
KES teachers are not required to be fluent in Hawaiian Language. It was
encouraging to see how five of the ten teachers chose to enroll in weekly Hawaiian
Language courses. These same teachers are now in their second year of coursework
that was evident as their cordial responses to questions included a generous
sprinkling of Hawaiian terms which they used with ease. Although the other five
teachers were not enrolled in any language classes, one teacher had credible
exposure through high school courses. All of the other four teachers attended
workshops to increase their proficiency.

Change and Extending Learning
The last two themes are interrelated because they refer directly to teachers’
actions and beliefs about themselves. The themes are 1) effective teachers initiate
their own change and 2) teachers are always learning. Change and learning are
synonymous. When one learns something new, it is different which infers change.

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The complementary relationship of these two themes allows for this combined
discussion.
It can be assumed that a person’s attitude affects their actions. The themes
about change and learning can be linked to the teacher’s attitude. Castagno’s and
Brayboy’s (2008) research uncovered the importance of a teacher’s disposition or
attitude. They found that this element, “an attitude of respect and appreciation,” was
“very often missing among educators serving Indigenous youth” (p. 971). They
learned numerous scholars also named “an attitude of appreciation of and value for
tribal communities and cultures” (p. 970). A brief examination of what scholars
have proclaimed about teachers’ attitudes provides significant revelations to support
the examination of these themes.
In 1994, Ladson-Billings studied teachers for students of color and produced
a list of five descriptions about the dimension of teachers’ self-perception. Among
the descriptions were: “Teacher believes all students can succeed. Teacher sees
herself as part of the community and teaching as giving something back to the
community, encourages students to do the same” (p. 34). These descriptions were
transparent and it was obvious that teachers’ attitudes are influential. For example,
the description: “Teacher sees teaching as ‘pulling knowledge out’—like mining.”
When compared with this description of an assimilationist teacher, there is direct
conflict: “Teacher sees teaching as ‘putting knowledge into’—like ‘banking’” (p.
34). The dimension of teachers’ self-perceptions is significant because teachers who
seek change are confident about themselves. They do not see change as something

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negative but rather something positive. This same study also examined how
teachers’ social relations were structured in the classroom (and beyond). Ladson-
Billings (1994) seminal work clearly acknowledged the significant influence teachers
have on students and their academic success.

Themes From the Study
Ladson-Billings (1994) defined what teachers who utilize culturally relevant
pedagogy do. The very first description was culturally relevant teaching “views
knowledge as something that is continuously re-created, recycled, and shared”
(p.81). All of the KES teachers participating in this study referenced some way in
which they were learning. Many of them acknowledged this trait as being essential
to their work as teachers. Others demonstrated the importance of continuously
learning by enrolling in classes outside of their school responsibilities.
Three broad propositions about teachers were posited in Ladson-Billings’
(1995b) work on the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy (p. 478). These
propositions were referenced after the summary of results was completed. A
comparison of the themes the researcher surmised from this study with Ladson-
Billings’ (1995b) propositions produced surprising results. The themes discussed
and the three propositions were almost identical.
Castagno and Brayboy (2008) also named three themes following their
extensive research on culturally responsive schooling. These three themes
overlapped with what the researcher named as themes for this study. The first was

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“the importance of teachers’ values, attitudes, and ideologies toward their students
and toward Indigenous communities and cultures” (p. 969). The second was “the
importance of caring relationships, mutual respect between students and teacher, and
teachers being perceived as safe by Indigenous students” (p. 970). The third theme
about the teacher’s disposition “is an attitude of respect, appreciation, and value for
tribal communities and cultures” (p. 970).

Table 28. Comparison of Themes from Ladson-Billings, This Study, Castagno &
Brayboy

Propositions About
Culturally Relevant
Teachers Ladson-Billings
1

Themes From Findings
About Teachers in this Study
Themes About Culturally
Responsive Castagno & Brayboy
2

The conceptions of self and
others held by culturally
relevant teachers
Change is initiated by
culturally relevant teachers
who are also lifelong
learners
The importance of teachers’ values,
attitudes, and ideologies toward their
students and toward Indigenous
communities and cultures
The manner in which social
relations are structured by
culturally
The relationships between
teacher and student, teacher
and family, or community
The importance of caring
relationships, mutual respect
between students and teacher, and
teachers being perceived as safe by
Indigenous students
The conceptions of
knowledge held by
culturally relevant teachers
The pedagogical knowledge
employed by culturally
relevant teachers
NONE
NONE
Native Language of
student’s culture is valued
and used (words, phrases,
etc.) when possible
An attitude of respect, appreciation,
and value for tribal communities and
cultures
1
Ladson-Billings, 1995b, p. 478
2
Castagno & Brayboy, 2008, p. 969-970

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The themes arising from the findings of this study corresponded well with
Ladson-Billings’ three propositions. It appeared that Castagno’s and Brayboy’s
(2008) themes also overlapped with most of this study’s themes. The similarities
across all of these works were uncanny but it provided clear validation for the
relevance of this study’s findings and for the four themes selected by the researcher.

Limitations
As with all studies, specific limitations warrant attention. These limitations
are based on the findings of results from this study. The following limitations were
determined to be credible:
1. The small sampling size prohibits generalization of the findings to the
larger faculty of KES. Although ten teachers participated in the study,
this did not include all of the fourth and fifth grade teachers.
2. The adapted rubric (part of the original) was used to score surveys for this
study with only 58.6% of the items from the survey. This also means that
there were items from the survey which were not used in the study,
further exacerbating any attempt to generalize the findings.
3. The high connectedness score from the self-reported rating was due to the
small scale, 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest. This did not allow for a more
accurate distinction of each teacher’s score.
4. The mixed methods employed presented difficulties when correlating
data results and following the quantitative and qualitative processes.

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Responses to interview questions provided quality descriptions, but
finding links or associations between the number score from the
quantitative data and the descriptions from the interview involved careful
examination.

Practical Implications
This study suggests some important implications for practice. These
suggestions are specifically for Kamehameha Schools (KS), the site where this study
was conducted. For more than one hundred years, Kamehameha Schools has
educated an exclusively Native Hawaiian student population.

KS Partnerships
Almost forty years ago, KS began examining their work with Indigenous
education through applied research and development in their KEEP project. The
project was exported and conducted in select public schools where it continued to be
developed and changed for almost thirty years until its formal termination in 1997.
Today, there are many educational partnerships and alliances in which Kamehameha
Schools takes part. The work from the Hawaiian Cultural Influences in Education
(HCIE) is one example of that kind of association. In recent years, KS has
participated with community groups rather than taking their work and handing it to
the community which was the practice many years ago. The work that is happening
in Native Hawaiian communities should influence teachers at KS.

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Numerous scholars of Indigenous education recognize the work of KEEP as
seminal yet while KEEP was operating in the public schools, few at KS campuses
knew much about it. Fast forward more than thirty years later and again teachers at
KS are unaware of the great work happening in Indigenous education through
programs which KS participates as a partner. For example, 600 teachers from
schools across Hawaii used the Culture Based Education Teacher Tool. Only a few
of those teachers were from KS campuses. None of the KES teachers were
participants in the original study.
It behooves teachers at Kamehameha Schools to contribute to the body of
scholarly work on educating Indigenous students. It would be beneficial to all
parties if KES teachers shared their learnings and collaborated with other KS
teachers and/or community teachers. KS has the resources and obligation to advance
this cause. At present, there is no process or specific goal which supports this kind
of effort. Most teachers at Kamehameha Schools are uninformed and unaffected by
the progress of Indigenous education which continues through endeavors of KS and
their partners in Native Hawaiian communities.

Teacher Preparation at KS
Another way to affect Indigenous education at KS (and in other parts of the
state) is through teacher preparation. Although teachers at KES who participated in
this study were not formally trained to meet the needs of Indigenous students,
findings from this study reveal much of what KES teachers did aligned with

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culturally relevant teaching. KES teachers felt comfortable with pedagogical
knowledge but were not as comfortable with cultural knowledge. Castagno and
Brayboy (2008) emphasized, “Teachers need more specific & sustained training in
pedagogical knowledge as it relates to working with Indigenous youth” (p. 973).
They suggest this training also include cultural knowledge such as how students’
culture affects their responses in school.
For the past five years, certain staff members at Kamehameha Elementary
School (KES) have conducted monthly informative sessions about the Hawaiian
culture for faculty. During these sessions, called Home Ho‘ona‘auao, cultural
protocols used to welcome guests and visitors were taught. Staff participated in
making lei, feathered kāhili (standard bearer) and other Hawaiian crafts. Sessions
about native plants, their medicinal uses and their impending loss were also
conducted. Every session normally begins with song and pule (prayer) and offers
some practice with Native Hawaiian language. All of these efforts were aimed at
helping faculty and staff increase their level of comfort with the Hawaiian culture.
Presently, all KES staff and students routinely welcome guests through cultural
protocols learned during these sessions. Teachers no longer question or hesitate to
participate in this practice. Cultural practices are more readily accepted because
faculty and staff are familiar with Native Hawaiian culture.
Changes in the fifth grade play (cited earlier) reflect greater cultural and
social consciousness. These changes occurred about the same time when Home
Ho‘ona‘auao was instituted. It is probable that changes in the focus of the play can

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be attributed to Home Ho‘ona‘auao sessions and the teachers’ awakened
appreciation for their students’ culture. When questioned long after the study’s
interviews concluded, two fifth grade teachers revealed that they were encouraged
and supported by their administrator who readily answered questions and offered
inspiration in support of their endeavors to provide multiple perspectives and
increase consciousness.

Specific and Sustained Training
The specific and sustained training in Hawaiian cultural knowledge received
at KES has already made a difference for staff. At the middle school and high school
of Kapālama campus, informative sessions or other ways of helping staff learn to
appreciate the Hawaiian culture are not held regularly or such sessions are rare.
There are opportunities each year to hear from experts, many of these sessions are
open to parents and alumni and held at night. Some staff (who are KS graduates) are
quite familiar and comfortable with their students’ culture and language while others
are resistant to participating in any cultural practices and show little appreciation
when students perform cultural rituals, dances, etc. In general, teachers are more
focused on accomplishing the goals and objectives for their content-specific classes.
There appears to be a distinct disconnection between middle and/or high school
teachers and their students’ culture. Some consistent training or teacher preparation
focused on cultural knowledge would benefit teachers at the middle and high school
so teachers can develop greater connectedness with their students’ culture.

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It was determined that ten teachers at KES exhibit high levels of cultural
connectedness. Their practices aligned with culturally relevant pedagogy and culture
based education. Although this outcome cannot be generalized to other teachers at
KES, it is probable that teachers at KS, KES or even in community schools can
acquire useful information about teaching Native Hawaiians as the result of studies
like this one. Sharing findings and recommendations from other KS projects like
HCIE would promote cultural development of KS Kapālama teachers. Better teacher
education through organized pre-service coursework and regular professional
development courses would help develop greater cultural sensitivity among teachers
while preparing them to help Native Hawaiian students find academic success. A
position and/or office for a trainer to assist with preservice and ongoing inservice
about culturally respectful teaching might be created for continuous support in this
endeavor so teachers can acquire the skills needed to help address learning outcomes
for the Native Hawaiian student population.

Anatomy of a Culturally Connected Teacher
This study was about the cultural connectedness of teachers for Native
Hawaiian students. The intent here was not to prove cultural connectedness existed
at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES) but to explore the daily workings of
teachers and their endeavors to promote academic success. If cultural connectedness
were found then an examination of why would be the next logical step.

192
Prior to beginning the process for this study, a discussion of the tension that
exists between traditional, cultural, or spiritual epistemology and scientific, modern,
Western epistemology was completed. An examination of the Hawaiian worldview
by Kana‘iaupuni (2004) reveals “The Hawaiian worldview stresses relationships
first. It is spiritual, giving, and intimately bound to the land and genealogy. This
worldview is a source of resilience and strength” (p. 30). Au (2007) suggests that
this tension need not be resolved by selecting either-or. “…educators can allow
students to remain true to their cultural identities while attaining high levels of
academic achievement” (p. 12-13). Battiste (2002) recommends “To maximize
participation of Aboriginal students in the educational process, teachers need to
experiment with teaching opportunities to connect with the multiple ways of
knowing these students have and multiple intelligences” (p. 15). Castagno and
Brayboy (2008) add, “…educators must come to know that multiple epistemologies
exist and that their students may come to school with a very different worldview than
they themselves have grown up with. Multiple epistemologies can and must coexist
within school settings” (p. 952-953).
Through this study the researcher examined the daily practices of teachers,
learned their perceptions and discerned their workings. Following months of
reviewing literature, conducting an exploratory study, and analyzing data from
mixed methods it was determined that ten fourth and fifth grade teachers at
Kamehameha Elementary School during this school year exhibited a fairly high rate
of cultural connectedness with their Native Hawaiian students.

193
Paramount to all of the findings from seasoned, highly-revered researchers
who work with different Indigenous groups is the collective wisdom which echoes:
teachers who value their students find ways to connect with them, regardless of their
ethnic differences or similarities. After years of studying students’ responses, Palmer
(2007) expressed it best when he proclaimed good teachers do not use similar
techniques but share a similar trait, their work is infused with a strong sense of
personal identity. According to Palmer (2007), “Good teachers possess a capacity
for connectedness. They are able to weave a complex web of connections among
themselves, their subjects, and their students so that students can learn to weave a
world for themselves” (p. 11). The purpose of this study was to discover and
examine the connectedness teachers at KES possess with respect to their students’
Native Hawaiian culture.
After all of the time and effort expended for this dissertation, one question
remains to be answered: What does all of this mean? Thoughtful reflection and
careful interpretation allowed the researcher to ascertain the following response to
this question. It is with much humility, but sure confidence that the researcher unveil
the anatomy of a culturally connected teacher for Native Hawaiian students.

194
Anatomy of a Culturally Connected Teacher for Native Hawaiian Students
Teachers who connect with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture:
Recognize the strengths and potential of each individual student,
Inspire students to understand “who they are” and discover their own identity,
And offer optimistic support or encouragement to boost their self-confidence.
Teachers who connect with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture:
Establish a classroom setting which is warm and safe,
Develop positive relationships with students so they take risks,
And involve family or community members in lessons, activities, and events.
Teachers who connect with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture:
Cultivate an appreciation for diversity
By embracing similarities among the diverse
And honoring differences between them.
Teachers who connect with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture:
Engage students in developmentally appropriate lessons,
Incorporate instructional practices which allow for differentiation,
And set high expectations for student growth, achievement, and success.
Teachers who connect with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture:
Understand their own culture and possess high self-efficacy,
Reflect upon their own learning and initiate change to improve their effectiveness,
And seek to continuously learn and exemplify “lifelong learners.”
Teachers who connect with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture:
Value the customs and practices associated with Hawaiian ways of knowing,
Acquire familiarity and/or use the Hawaiian language among students,
And respect Hawaiian ideologies, values, philosophies, and beliefs.
Teachers who connect with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture:
Cherish the oral or written histories of ancestors while acknowledging their wisdom,
Promote the observance of ancestral customs revering their natural environment,
And esteem the spiritual nature of ancestral mana, (presence, energy, power).
Teachers who connect with their students’ Native Hawaiian culture:
Raise awareness about social inequities and community or global issues,
Encourage consciousness and acceptance of diverse perspectives,
And help students journey from cultural roots to worldview.

195
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APPENDIX A
INTERVIEW GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS AT KES
The following questions begin the interview process. They are easy to answer and
will help establish a cordial, non-threatening environment. These questions are
purposeful for the investigator but also serve to establish a valuable relationship with
the interviewee.

1. What is your name?

2. When and where were you educated? When and where did you begin
teaching?

3. What grade do you teach? How many students are in your class? How
many years have you taught ____ grade?

4. How many years have you been at Kamehameha Schools? What other
school(s) have you worked at and where are they located?

5. What is your ethnicity? Do you speak another language? If so, what
language?

6. What Hawaiian language and culture experiences and skills do you
possess? (‘ōlelo, hula, lā‘au lapa‘au, crafts, genealogy) How would you
describe your Hawaiian language ability? What kinds of things can you
do that show your level of fluency?

7. How would you describe your philosophy of teaching? What do you
believe “works?”

The following questions are important to the study. They represent questions which
are linked to the constructs of the study: 1) content, 2) context, 3) consciousness, 4)
perspective. The questions have been placed in random order.

8. What kind of role do you believe parents/family play in the success of
Native Hawaiian students? How would you describe the kinds of
relationships you’ve had with parents of students you’ve taught? In what
ways do you involve the community/family in your curriculum?

9. What relationships do you see, if any between using Hawaiian language
and culture and learning/teaching?

207
10. Can you think of any characteristics that Native Hawaiian students as a
group bring to the classroom? Explain what they are and how they affect
your teaching.

11. Based on your experience in education, what kinds of strategies would
you recommend to other teachers to engage Native Hawaiians?

12. What kinds of things have you done in the classroom that have facilitated
the academic success of your Native Hawaiian students? What are the
most important strategies, skills, content knowledge for facilitating
learning?

13. From your experience, what kinds of supports for students (i.e. materials,
structures, resources, etc.) make a difference in their ability to learn the
curricula in 4
th
/5
th
grade?

14. a) In what way do you incorporate Hawaiian language and culture into
the classroom? Do you feel that you have opportunities to integrate
Hawaiian language and culture into your classroom?
b) Does this hinder or help you in your teaching of Indigenous students?
c) How does Hawaiian language and culture affect your curriculum and
instruction?

15. How have your Native Hawaiian students dealt with current issues that
face their community? (i.e. issues about natural resources: loss of habitat
for native animals, devastation of reefs, extinction of native birds or
plants; legal issues: diversion of water, leasehold conversion, restriction
of access to the shore; etc.)

16. What are your standards for excellence? How do you assess the extent of
the success of your lessons?

17. It has been reported that culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) helps Native
Hawaiian students learn better. Do you agree with this statement? Why
or why not? In what ways do you utilize this concept in your curriculum?

18. How do you help students to understand diversity? Give an example of
what has happened in your classroom when students recognized such
differences.

19. What have you done to help your students see themselves as part of a
global community?

208
20. As a teacher, how connected are you to your students’ Native Hawaiian
culture? Rate yourself from 1-5 (five being the highest). Explain why
you rated yourself that way.

21. What would you like to share about yourself as a teacher?

22. Do you have any questions?

209
APPENDIX B
CULTURE BASED EDUCATION TEACHER TOOL (CBETT)
Teacher Survey
CBETT: Culture-Based Education Teacher Tool
Mahalo for participating in this survey. We understand that your time is valuable,
and we are grateful for your support. This survey covers the types of teaching
strategies you use and the various ways you may incorporate Hawaiian culture in
your students’ learning. Some items may be more applicable to the subject you teach
and your teaching style than others. There are no wrong answers. Please answer all
questions to the best of your ability, and feel free to write in the margins if you
would like to elaborate. Remember that all responses will be kept strictly
confidential. Again, mahalo for your valuable time and insights!

1. Study ID number: «ID»

2. What kind of school or educational program do you teach in? (Please check all
that apply.)
 Hawaiian language medium program  Hawaiian-focused charter school
 Start-up charter school  Conversion charter school
 Other public school  Kamehameha Schools campus

3. What subject(s) do you teach? (e.g., mathematics, Hawaiian studies, chemistry,
physical education) ______________________________________________

210
SECTION 1
The following section asks you to rate a variety of instructional approaches by how
frequently you use these approaches in general, across all of the classes you teach.

Generally speaking,
how often do you use
the following
instructional
approaches?
Almost
daily Weekly Monthly
2 or 3
times a
semest
er
1 or
2
tim
es a
yea
r Rarely/never
1. I encourage
students to use
vocabulary from the
content of the class to
express their
understanding of the
course material
     
2. I speak and display
Hawaiian language in
the learning
environment, using
phrases and limited
language exchanges
     
3. I use my verbal
exchanges with students
to support their
language development
by listening
respectfully, asking
questions, modeling
appropriate language,
and restating their
points
     
4. I have students help
plan community-based
activities for my class
     

211
Generally speaking,
how often do you use
the following
instructional
approaches?
Almost
daily Weekly Monthly
2 or 3
times a
semest
er
1 or
2
tim
es a
yea
r Rarely/never
5. In addition to my
students, I also talk to
family and community
members to better
understand the values,
norms, knowledge, and
experiences that make
this community special
     
6. I lead class
discussions that give
individual students a
chance to be heard
when called on
     
7. I embed Hawaiian
knowledge, practices,
values, behaviors,
language, and
spirituality into the
content and materials of
my class
     
8. I talk with my
students about their
home lives
     
9. I invite students’
family members into the
learning environment to
create a sense of ‘ohana
(family)
     
10. I create
opportunities for
students to engage in
community service
and/or service learning
beyond the activities
already organized by
the school
     

212
Generally speaking,
how often do you use
the following
instructional
approaches?
Almost
daily Weekly Monthly
2 or 3
times a
semest
er
1 or
2
tim
es a
yea
r Rarely/never
11. I use the
community as a setting
for student learning that
is responsive to
community needs and
grounded in the
Hawaiian knowledge,
practices, and history
associated with a place
     
12. I use small-group
activities to enhance
student learning
     
13. I develop
homework assignments
and activities that
require the active
participation of family
members
     
14. I encourage
students to teach and
learn from each other
     
15. I teach and
communicate with my
students in ‘ōlelo
Hawai‘i (Hawaiian
language)
     
16. I use readily
available curricula and
materials and try to
interject Hawaiian or
“local” examples where
relevant
     
17. I use textbook-
based lectures and
discussions in my class
     

213
Generally speaking,
how often do you use
the following
instructional
approaches?
Almost
daily Weekly Monthly
2 or 3
times a
semest
er
1 or
2
tim
es a
yea
r Rarely/never
18. I use hands-on
learning activities
outside the classroom
     
19. I have students
engage in community
service and/or service
learning as part of their
required coursework
     
20. I get to know my
students, their families,
and their community
through interactions
outside of school
     
21. I facilitate student
discussions and group
interactions using a
free-flowing, “talk
story” structure that is
collaborative in nature
     
22. I create
opportunities for
intergenerational
learning, where students
learn from each other,
from teachers, and from
kūpuna (elders)
     
23. I relate my
coursework and content
to the local (but not
necessarily Hawaiian)
community
     
24. I use culturally
appropriate curricula
and materials that
include some Hawaiian
cultural content
     

214
Generally speaking,
how often do you use
the following
instructional
approaches?
Almost
daily Weekly Monthly
2 or 3
times a
semest
er
1 or
2
tim
es a
yea
r Rarely/never
25. I integrate
Hawaiian practices,
rituals, and protocol as
part of the learning
experience for my
students
     
26. I use Hawaiian
language materials in
my teaching
     
27. I use simple
Hawaiian words and/or
songs to expose my
students to Hawaiian
language
     
28. I provide students’
family members with
information about ways
they can support their
child’s learning at home
     
29. I develop students’
literacy and language
skills by using writing
activities in my class
(regardless of subject)
     
30. I help students
connect what they learn
in my class to their
experiences at home
and in the community
     
31. I use vendor-
developed textbooks
and materials for my
class to ensure that the
content and quality
meet state standards or
other benchmarks and
guidelines
     

215
Generally speaking,
how often do you use
the following
instructional
approaches?
Almost
daily Weekly Monthly
2 or 3
times a
semest
er
1 or
2
tim
es a
yea
r Rarely/never
32. I create
opportunities for my
students to apply what
they have learned to
community settings
     
33. I integrate ‘ohana
(family), community
members, and kūpuna
(elders) into the
learning experience
     

34. If you answered at least “1 or 2 times a year” to Question 33, please use the
space below to share some specific examples of how you integrate ‘ohana and
kūpuna into the learning experience.

216
SECTION 2
In the next section, please rate the following statements by how well they describe
the way you teach or the philosophies that govern your teaching.

Generally speaking, how well do these statements
describe the way you teach or the philosophies that
govern your teaching?
Very
well
Somewhat
well
Not
very
well
Not
at
all
35. My ultimate goal in working with students is to
preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture for
generations to come
   
36. I define and direct my students’ roles and
responsibilities
   
37. My primary goal in teaching is to improve
students’ academic achievement
   
38. I use multiple-choice and other paper-and-pencil
tests to assess students
   
39. I incorporate Hawaiian culture in my teaching to
better engage students
   
40. I contact family members (e.g., by phone, in
person, by email) when their children are having
problems in my class
   
41. I work closely with ‘ohana (families) to support
their children’s growth and success in and out of
school
   
42. My teaching is grounded in the belief that all
students should have a basic level of competency
in the Hawaiian language
   
43. I encourage my students to initiate and lead
community projects to promote greater
community well-being
   
44. I frequently contact family members about a
variety of student matters, both good and bad
   
45. I design my class to support the diverse cultural
backgrounds of my students
   
46. I use portfolios of student accomplishments to
assess and grade students
   
47. In my teaching, I incorporate universal values,
using Hawaiian terms such as ‘ohana (family)
and lōkahi (unity, harmony)
   

217
Generally speaking, how well do these statements
describe the way you teach or the philosophies that
govern your teaching?
Very
well
Somewhat
well
Not
very
well
Not
at
all
48. I am responsible for ensuring that my students
have a strong cultural identity and value of place
   
49. I expect my students to recognize and carry out
their roles and responsibilities on their own
   
50. I assess my students by having them engage in
projects or performances that demonstrate a
meaningful understanding of the material,
including the ability to problem-solve and
creatively adapt knowledge to different situations
   
51. The learning environment and daily practices of
my class grow from my fundamental Hawaiian
beliefs and native spirituality
   
52. I try to keep my class neutral and free of cultural
references so that no students feel left out
   
53. I assess my students by having them engage in
projects or performances that require a range of
knowledge and skills
   
54. Most of my contact with students’ families occurs
through Open Houses and school events
   
55. I am just as responsible for my students’ social
and emotional growth as I am for their academic
achievement
   
56. I teach my students to recognize their
responsibilities and the importance of their roles
   
57. My teaching is grounded in the belief that all
students should be proficient in the Hawaiian
language to achieve our vision for a Hawaiian-
speaking community
   
58. My teaching methods and delivery have little to
do with Hawaiian culture, practices, values, or
beliefs
   
59. I assess my students by having them engage in
projects or performances that are culturally
purposeful and useful (i.e., have real value to the
community and to Hawaiian culture)
   

218
60. If you answered “Very well” or “Somewhat well” to Question 59, please use the
space below to share some specific examples of the culturally purposeful and
useful assessments that you have used successfully.

219
SECTION 3
61. Drawing on your experience in education, what kinds of strategies would you
recommend to other teachers to help them better reach their students?

62. What kinds of support would help you and your school make a difference in
students’ lives?

SECTION 4
Finally, please tell us a little about yourself.
63. What is your gender?  male  female
64. What year were you born? 19 __ __
65. How long have you lived in Hawai‘i? ________ years
66. Which of the following describe your ethnic background? (Please check all that
apply.)

 Hawaiian, part-Hawaiian  Samoan
 Tongan  Other Pacific Islander
 Black/African American  Caucasian
 Hispanic/Latino  Chinese
 Filipino  Japanese
 Korean  Vietnamese
 Asian Indian  Other Asian
 Native American  Portuguese
 Guamanian/Chamorro  Other (specify below):
______________________
67. Counting this school year, how many years have you taught at your current
school, including part-time teaching? (Write the number of years to the nearest
half-year, 1 digit per box. For example, write in “02.5” for 2 ½ years, or
“05.0” for 5 years.) __ __ . __

220
68. What is the highest level of education you have completed? (Please check one
box.)

 Some high school or less  High school diploma or GED
 Some college, no degree  Associate’s degree
 Bachelor’s degree  Some graduate school, no degree
 Master’s degree  Doctorate
 Other (specify):
69. Have you ever completed a postsecondary (i.e., college-level or higher) course in
Hawaiian language or Hawaiian studies?  Yes  No

a. If yes, was your postsecondary major or minor in Hawaiian language or
Hawaiian studies?  Yes  No

70. In which of the following activities do you participate and/or have skills?
 Carpentry  Chant
 Cooking Hawaiian food  Drawing, painting, crafts
 Farming  Fishing
 Hawaiian arts  Ho‘oponopono
 Hula  Hunting
 Jogging/running  La‘au lapa‘au
 Lauhala weaving  Lei making
 Paddling  Photography
 Piano  Quilt making
 Sewing  Singing
 Studying genealogy  Studying native plants and wildlife
 Surfing or boogie boarding  Swimming
 Team sports (e.g., soccer, basketball)
 Ukulele or guitar  Woodworking
 Other (specify below):
________________

221
APPENDIX C
HAWAIIAN INDIGENOUS EDUCATION RUBRIC (HIER)

222

223

224

225

226
APPENDIX D
INFORMED CONSENT FOR SURVEY
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
Informed Consent for Survey
INFORMATION SHEET FOR NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH
Cultural Connectedness of Teachers
You are asked to participate in a research study conducted by Sandra Tuitele,
doctoral candidate from the Rossier School of Education at the University of
Southern California. Results from this study will contribute to the dissertation of
Sandra Tuitele. You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you
are a teacher at Kamehameha Elementary School-Kapalama Campus. Your
participation is voluntary.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to explore the ways teachers’ classroom practices are
influenced by their students’ Hawaiian culture. The results of the study will help the
researcher to examine the relationship of the students’ culture and its effects on
teachers’ perceptions and practices as used to promote academic development of
Native Hawaiian children.

Completion and return of the survey will constitute consent to participate in this
research project.

PROCEDURES
If you choose to participate in this study, you will be asked to:
• Complete a 15-20 minute print survey regarding your demographics,
perceptions, philosophy and instructional practices.
• During the survey you will be asked to rate a variety of instructional
approaches and other items relating to how well they describe you and your
philosophy of teaching.
• There are two places where you may write some details to support your
answers, if you choose.

227
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There are no reasonable foreseeable risks associated with this study. All measures to
assure anonymity and confidentiality will be taken when sharing results. Your
responses to the survey and interview will not negatively affect you or your position
at Kamehameha Elementary School-Kapalama.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO SUBJECTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
You will not directly benefit from this research. Results from this study may benefit
the collective faculty at Kamehameha Elementary School-Kapalama as it may be
used to inform professional development goals. Data from the interviews will help
assist in the analysis of collected data from the survey.

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
You will not receive payment or compensation for participating in this study.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be
identified with you will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your
permission or as required by law. A copy of the completed study will be made
available to the administrative office of Kamehameha Elementary School-Kapalama
and may or may not be used for program and/or staff development.

When the results of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no
information will be included that would reveal your identity. No photographs or
videos will be used in this study.

Personal information and research data from the survey will be coded for use in the
study. All information collected from the interview and survey will be stored on the
password-protected computer and in the locked file cabinet of the investigator,
Sandra Tuitele.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
You can choose whether to be in this study or not. Your choice to participate or not
will be confidential. If you volunteer to be in this study, you may withdraw at any
time without consequences of any kind. You may also refuse to answer any
questions you don’t want to answer and still remain in the study. The investigator
may withdraw you from this research if circumstances arise which warrant doing so.

228
IDENTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATOR
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact
Sandra Tuitele, 2306 Coyne Street, Honolulu, HI, 96826, (808) 292-3253, email:
satuitel@ksbe.edu.

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH SUBJECTS
You may withdraw your consent at any time and discontinue participation without
penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies because of your
participation in this research study. If you have questions regarding your rights as a
research subject, contact the University Park IRB, Office of the Vice Provost for
Research, Bovard Administration Building, Room 300, Los Angeles, CA 90089-
4019, (213) 740-6709 or upirb@usc.edu.

229
APPENDIX E
INFORMED CONSENT FOR INTERVIEW AND SURVEY
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
INFORMED CONSENT FOR NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH
CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
Cultural Connectedness of Teachers
You are asked to participate in a research study conducted by Sandra Tuitele,
doctoral candidate from the Rossier School of Education at the University of
Southern California. Results from this study will contribute to the dissertation of
Sandra Tuitele. You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you
are a teacher at Kamehameha Elementary School-Kapalama Campus. Your
participation is voluntary.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to explore the ways teachers’ classroom practices are
influenced by their students’ Hawaiian culture. The results of the study will help the
researcher to examine the relationship of the students’ culture and its effects on
teachers’ perceptions and practices as used to promote academic development of
Native Hawaiian children.

PROCEDURES
If you choose to participate in this study, you will be asked to:
1. Participate in filling out a printed survey:
• Complete a 15-20 minute print survey regarding your demographics,
perceptions, philosophy and instructional practices.
• Identify the survey you complete with the identification number assigned to
you.
• During the survey you will be asked to rate a variety of instructional
approaches and other items relating to how well they describe you and your
philosophy of teaching.
• There are two places where you may write some details to support your
answers, if you choose.

230
2. Participate in an interview with the researcher:
• After the survey, complete an interview lasting from approximately 45-60
minutes in your classroom.
• During the interview you will be asked about your thoughts and beliefs about
your teaching experiences.
• Interviews will be audio taped for transcription and analysis as additional
information accompanying your survey data.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There are no reasonable foreseeable risks associated with this study. All measures to
assure anonymity and confidentiality will be taken when sharing results. Your
responses to the survey and interview will not negatively affect you or your position
at Kamehameha Elementary School-Kapalama.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO SUBJECTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
You will not directly benefit from this research. Results from this study may benefit
the collective faculty at Kamehameha Elementary School-Kapālama as it may be
used to inform professional development goals. Data from the interviews will help
assist in the analysis of collected data from the survey.

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
You will not receive payment or compensation for participating in this study.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be
identified with you will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your
permission or as required by law. A copy of the completed study will be made
available to the administrative office of Kamehameha Elementary School-Kapalama
and may or may not be used for program and staff /or development.

When the results of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no
information will be included that would reveal your identity. No photographs or
videos will be used in this study.

Audio-tapes will be used to record the interview will be stored in a secure and locked
location and will remain confidential. You have a right to listen to and review the
audio-tapes and subsequent transcriptions at any time. Only the researcher and
transcriber will hear the audio-tapes.

231
Personal information and research data from the survey will be coded for use in the
study. All information collected from the interview and survey will be stored on the
password-protected computer and in the locked file cabinet of the investigator,
Sandra Tuitele. Data will be stored for five years following the completion of
collection and analysis, after which it will be destroyed.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
You can choose whether to be in this study or not. Your choice to participate or not
will be confidential. If you volunteer to be in this study, you may withdraw at any
time without consequences of any kind. You may also refuse to answer any
questions you don’t want to answer and still remain in the study. The investigator
may withdraw you from this research if circumstances arise which warrant doing so.

IDENTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATOR
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact
Sandra Tuitele, 2306 Coyne Street, Honolulu, HI, 96826, (808) 292-3253, email:
satuitel@ksbe.edu.

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH SUBJECTS
You may withdraw your consent at any time and discontinue participation without
penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies because of your
participation in this research study. If you have questions regarding your rights as a
research subject, contact the University Park IRB, Office of the Vice Provost for
Research, Bovard Administration Building, Room 300, Los Angeles, CA 90089-
4019, (213) 740-6709 or upirb@usc.edu.

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH SUBJECT
I understand the procedures described above and I understand fully the rights of a
potential subject in a research study involving people as subjects. My questions have
been answered to my satisfaction and I agree to participate in this study. I have been
given a copy of this form.

I agree to be audio-taped for this study. (Please initial _______)

I do not agree to be audio-taped for this study. (Please initial _______)

232
____________________________________________ Name of Subject
____________________________________________ Signature of Subject
____________________________________________ Date

233
APPENDIX F
LETTER FOR PERMISSION TO CONDUCT SURVEY AND INTERVIEW
September 20, 2009
Sandi Tuitele
2306 Coyne Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
Holoua Stender, Kamehameha Elementary School Principal
225 Bishop Circle
Honolulu, HI 96817
Aloha Mr. Stender,
I am currently a University of Southern California doctoral candidate. I am working
on a study to learn more about the extent to which teachers in the upper elementary
grades utilize culturally relevant pedagogical practices, specific to your students’
Hawaiian heritage. I am writing to seek your approval for me to conduct this study
at Kamehameha Elementary School (KES).

The study will involve fourth and fifth grade teachers who will be invited to
participate. This exploratory study will be based on 1) the “Hawaiian Influences in
Education Teacher Survey” which was developed by Kamehameha Schools and used
with 600 teachers across the state (excluding KES teachers) and 2) a one hour
(approximate) interview with teachers who agree to participate. The study can be
conducted with eight to ten teachers although all twelve teachers in fourth and fifth
grade will be given equal opportunity to volunteer. Two or three teachers from other
grades at KES will be asked to voluntarily participate in taking the survey and
completing the interview for the purpose of validating the survey and interview
questions for reliability. Teachers’ identities will not be revealed in the study and all
information gathered will be carefully guarded to assure confidentiality.

Results from this study will contribute to my doctoral dissertation. A copy of the
completed study will be made available to the administration of Kamehameha
Elementary School at Kapalama campus. All participants of the study may obtain
the information from the KES administrative office. Participants of the study may
request additional information on the study by emailing me at tuitele@usc.edu.

234
If you have any questions please feel free to email me. Thank you for your support.
Mahalo,
Sandi Tuitele
University of Southern California Doctoral Student

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Native Hawaiian students encounter numerous challenges due to differences between Western and Hawaiian philosophies and values (Dela Cruz, Salsman, Brislin, & Losch, 2005, p. 121). Research suggests it is a result of the incongruence between Indigenous students’ formal education and their heritage culture (Hinkley & McInerney, 1998

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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

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The relationship of a culturally relevant and responsive learning environment to achievement motivation for Native Hawaiian secondary students

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Culturally relevant pedagogy in an elementary school for indigent native peoples

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Who do we tell? School violence and reporting behavior among native Hawaiian high school students

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Hawaiian language and culture in the middle level math class

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Factors affecting native Hawaiian student persistence in higher education

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Self-efficacy beliefs and intentions to persist of Native Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors

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Understanding indigenous ʻike: the impact on sense of belonging and local identity on Hawaiʻi’s students

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Raising cultural self-efficacy among faculty and staff of a private native Hawaiian school system

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Student perceptions of teacher pedagogical practices in the elementary classroom

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Examining the learning environments of urban high school educators who are culturally aware and serve a majority of students from historically marginalized populations

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A culture of care in elementary schools to impact Black student academic achievement: a case study

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Examining urban high school English language arts teachers’ written feedback to student writing and their perceptions and applications of culturally relevant pedagogy

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Perceptions of professional development from the lens of the global teacher in a rapidly evolving, linguistically diverse instructional environment

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The relationship between culturally responsive self-efficacy and attitudes of trauma-informed practices among K-12 educators

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The relationship between students’ feelings of belonging to their campus community and racial ethnic identification in undergraduate university students

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The relationship of model minority stereotype, Asian cultural values, and acculturation to goal orientation, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement in Asian American college students

Asset Metadata

Creator Tuitele, Sandra Iwalani (author)

Core Title From cultural roots to worldview: Cultural connectedness of teachers for native Hawaiian students

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 04/14/2010

Defense Date 02/06/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag cultural connectedness,culturally relevant pedagogy,culture based education,elementary teachers,Hawaiian,Hawaiian cultural influences in education,Hawaiian culture and education,native,OAI-PMH Harvest,teacher connectedness to students' culture

Place Name Hawaii (states), USA (countries)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Sundt, Melora A. (committee chair), Au, Kathryn (committee member), Cole, Darnell (committee member)

Creator Email satuitel@ksbe.edu,timtuitele@yahoo.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m2923

Unique identifier UC1488895

Identifier etd-Tuitele-3590 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-315971 (legacy record id),usctheses-m2923 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Tuitele-3590.pdf

Dmrecord 315971

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Tuitele, Sandra Iwalani

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu