Perceptions and practices of principals: Supporting positive educational experiences for Aboriginal learners

The purpose of this paper is to describe the leadership perceptions and practices of principals who promote positive school experiences for Aboriginal students. This qualitative multi-case study encapsulates 14 semi-structured individual interviews conducted with nine principals from the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island. Findings indicate that the principal's belief in students, emphasis on student belonging, promotion of relationships and promotion of culturally relevant school experience were seminal in creating a positive school experiences for Aboriginal students. An implication of the study is that leadership embodied via an Aboriginal worldview has great merit for fostering educational success for all learners, regardless of ethnicity.