NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
ERIC Number: ED547365
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 151
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-2674-4314-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Raising Cultural Self-Efficacy among Faculty and Staff of a Private Native Hawaiian School System
Fong, Randie Kamuela
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Southern California
The Hawaiian cultural revitalization movement in Hawai`i is an important driver for many Hawaiian organizations as well as educational institutions that serve Native Hawaiians. One such organization is Kamehameha Schools, a private school system founded and endowed by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop in 1887 to educate Native Hawaiian children. From the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, rampant Westernization and burgeoning Americanism resulted in the severe social decline of Native Hawaiians and the traumatic loss of their land, self-governance, and culture. The resurgence of Hawaiian culture in the 1970s profoundly reshaped Hawai`i's social, political and cultural landscape which had a significant impact on the educational goals of Kamehameha Schools. Today, its students are strongly encouraged to embrace their Hawaiian identity, practice their culture, and speak their native language--a far cry from decades earlier when such actions were discouraged and had punitive consequences. While cultural revitalization is an important part of Kamehameha Schools' strategic directions, quantitative and anecdotal data suggested that there were generally low levels of "cultural self-efficacy" and "Hawaiian language familiarity" among both Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian faculty and staff. Approximately 65% of survey respondents indicated low to moderate levels of confidence and comfort with Hawaiian culture, and 90% considered themselves to be non-proficient in the Hawaiian language. This suggested a serious disconnect between the strategic cultural goals of the Schools, and the cultural capacity of its faculty and staff to successfully achieve those goals. For purposes of this study, "cultural self-efficacy" is defined as the level of confidence regarding one's ability to learn and use Hawaiian language correctly and to engage in Hawaiian activities, practices and behaviors in genuine and meaningful ways. "Hawaiian language familiarity" refers to the degree of familiarity with the Hawaiian language that respondents/participants selected as representing their individual level of competency (not familiar, introductory, familiar, proficient, highly proficient). This quantitative study focused on the results of two data sets, one reflecting survey data from 730 faculty/staff respondents, and the second featuring pre-/post survey data from a cultural development workshop with 25 faculty/staff participants. Both studies informed a set of inquiries that explored cultural interest, cultural involvement, Hawaiian language familiarity, and the role of professional development in closing cultural knowledge gaps and raising cultural self-efficacy. Findings indicated that a positive correlational relationship existed between all of the aforementioned variables, and that well-crafted professional development experiences based on social cognitive theory and adult learning principles, can play an effective role in raising the cultural self-efficacy of faculty and staff. Implications of these findings include the potential development of a cultural development program for the Kamehameha Schools system, as well as the pursuit of future research on the cultural self-efficacy of students/learners and its relationship to the cultural self-efficacy of faculty and staff. Key concepts touched upon in this study that are worthy of ongoing research include choice, voluntariness, and vicarious adult learning. Ultimately, the findings of this study bode well for the revitalization of Hawaiian culture and language, and affirm Kamehameha Schools' strategic directions toward a vibrant future for Native Hawaiians. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hawaii
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A