Foundations of Academic Success in Indigenous Children

  • Nicki is a First Nations psychology major at the University of British Columbia. She has a research background in social cognitive development that includes stereotype threats in the classroom, anxiety in the classroom, children and stress, resilience in the classroom, cultural models of education, self-concepts/ esteem and academic achievement in minority students, general attitudes toward school, and Indigenous educational attainment rates. Specifically, she has experience understanding the mechanisms of the Child Implicit Association Test (IAT) and revising/creating it into a unique Indigenized Child IAT. Nicki is one of the few Indigenous students in psychology, applying her research within her own community of Oneida Nations of the Thames.

The goal of Nicki’s research is to document Indigenous children’s academic stereotypes and attitudes towards schooling before and after their forced transition to off-reserve schooling.

This research will be the first of its kind to reveal when Indigenous youth form evaluative associations (positive or negative) with their Indigeneity and the Canadian school system, using both implicit and explicit measures.

Thanks to the support and approval of Chief and Council, this study will take place on the Oneida Nation of the Thames reserve in participation with Standing Stone Elementary.

Nicki’s goal is to produce quality research to help educators, researchers, and caregivers to create programs and interventions to foster positive academic identities among Indigenous youth.

This project is co-funded in partnership with Mitacs and Michael Smith Health Research BC.