This research documented inservice teachers and college instructors perspectives on a long standing professional development education program in American Samoa. This research study gathered and analyzed a wide array of interview responses that a defined group of educators' shared-responses that relate to cultural, professional, and educational issues about students, instructors and professional development curriculum in American Samoa. Initially this study sought to assess the effectiveness of a mentorship program, analyzing how it supported professional development and incorporated interagency communication. A closer look and further interpretation of several themes (i.e., discourses of culture, language, and curriculum within the professional development model) as they came to be present in the interview sessions, established how colonial characteristics of the past have impacted and created an educational system in American Samoa that historically and currently moved away from the traditional Pacific ways and toward closer alignment with the educational system of the West. This dissertation study sought to understand and address how these stated discourses impacted: (1) Indigenous cultural and language education; (2) culturally appropriate professional development for indigenous and non-indigenous educators; (3) culturally relevant curriculum for the Pacific people; and (4) colonizing educational practices in the Pacific and the West. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2002. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-198). / Electronic reproduction. / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / x, 198 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-09, Section: A, page: 3712. Adviser: David Flinders. Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 7, 2008).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: A, page: 2882. Adviser: Valarie L. Akerson. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Apr. 14, 2008).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta (Canada), 2006. / (UnM)AAINR13979. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-04, Section: A, page: 1227.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Capella University, 2006. / (UnM)AAI3216020. Adviser: Daniel Bruch. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-04, Section: A, page: 1196.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-198).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: B, page: 1379. Adviser: Julian Rappaport. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-171) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1661. Adviser: Daniel J. Walsh. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 275-290) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: A, page: 0478. Adviser: Frederick Davidson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-204) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1743. Adviser: Bertram C. Bruce. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-159) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.