Graduate Student Research Symposium 2026

This thesis examines how teacher education programs in Hawaiʻi can more effectively center Indigenous frameworks, specifically ʻĀina Aloha and Nā Hopena Aʻo (HĀ), as foundational components of teacher preparation. Grounded in the ʻōlelo noʻeau “ʻO ke kahua ma mua, ma hope ke kūkulu,” the study addresses the disconnect between culturally rooted educational frameworks and Western-oriented teacher training. Using a qualitative inquiry approach, informed by Indigenous methodologies, the research draws on talk-story interviews with College of Education professors who actively implement Hawaiian values in their practice. Findings aim to highlight how these teachers cultivate relational practices, integrate place-based pedagogies, and navigate gaps in their own preparation. By centering Hawaiian epistemologies and culturally sustaining practices, this study offers action-based insights for transforming teacher education to better prepare educators to serve Hawaiʻiʻs diverse communities with cultural competence, responsibility, and reliability.