Arctic pedagogy in practice? A story of revitalisation of Scots language in an Aberdeenshire learning community and beyond

This paper addresses the question of how to revitalise and sustain Indigenous language learning in school and the wider community, tracking the experience of efforts to do so and the lessons learned with North-East Scots (Doric) in an Aberdeenshire school community since 2007. Triggered initially by reciprocal teacher exchange visits to the North Slope of Alaska (the discovery of the Iñupiaq Learning Framework), the work considers the relevance of critical pedagogies of the global north (Arctic Pedagogies) in guiding grounded revitalisation of Scots language at school. How to embed Scots in the curriculum is considered. Based on narrative inquiry, my own story and accounts from pupils and teachers, the study explores the influence of landscapes (natural, cultural, digital) and voices (pupil, teacher, community) on the revitalisation and sustainability of Scots learning pathways and progression opportunities in the school community. Findings show that: a critical pedagogies approach has countered bias and fostered validation, inclusion and self-confidence; community voices and local environment were necessary in the revitalisation process; pupils and staff increasingly and more confidently articulated the benefits of studying Scots; partnerships and collaborations raised the status of Scots in the school and wider community; teacher training programmes will be key to up-scaling the revitalisation of Scots Language in school learning communities across Scotland.