| The tribal college is widely considered to be the most successful educational institution serving Native American students in the United States. Cohort model learning communities are common practice in teacher education Bachelor's degree programs in tribal colleges (n = 6). This mixed methods case study investigated whether learning communities in tribal colleges purposefully implement the eight characteristics of a learning community (student-student collaboration, student-faculty collaboration, increase in academic involvement, perspectivism, cooperative learning, linking academics to real life issues, interdisciplinary learning, and knowledge constructivism) as reported by Snider and Venable (2000). Culture, was proposed as an addition to the current theory of learning communities in mainstream higher education. Data collection included student interviews, student survey, and teacher education faculty and staff group interviews. Overriding themes included the following: (a) the role of culture in the cohort model learning community; (b) the cohort model learning community operating as a family; (c) the role of the instructor in forming meaningful student-faculty relationships; (d) the impact of student-faculty relationships on student success; (e) the diminished sense of perspectivism voiced by Native students; (f) the increase in cooperative learning; (g) the ability of students to link academics to real life issues; (h) the value added learning through interdisciplinary course work; (i) and the mixed understanding of knowledge constructivism. Pedagogically, tribal college faculty view the cohort model learning community as an opportunity for modeling best teaching practices to their students. Tribal college faculty recognize the positive influence of the cohort model learning community upon persistence, and view culture as the central theme from which all education emanates at the tribal college. Validation of Native American culture is deeply embedded in all tribal colleges and is the central premise from which all academic programming and activities occur. Results of this study suggest that learning community criteria previously reported by Snider and Venable (2000) exists in a culturally relevant tribal college environment. |
