Identifying high academic potential in Canadian Aboriginal primary school children

Abstract

A study was conducted among sixth-grade Alaskan students from urban and rural communities to test the efficacy of applying the triarchic theory of human intelligence and culturally-based teaching strategies to mathematics curriculum. Students were taught a unit on the mathematics concepts of area and perimeter in one of two ways: conventional instruction (primarily textbook based) and culturally based, triarchic curriculum (involving analytical, creative, and practical/culture-based instruction). Performance was assessed prior to and following implementation of the curriculum via multiple-choice and performance or short-answer items measuring memory, analytical, creative, and practical aspects of achievement. In general, the culturally-based triarchic instruction was superior to the conventional textbook-based instruction.