Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1542824
R. Adeboye, C. Flewelling,V. Ogbole, E. O'Sullivan 68 generally, including again through their sense of accomplishment in completing challenging tasks successfully. Some comments also described the confidence-building effects of having well-known or otherwise important people deliver the sessions. One teacher commented, for example "I have talked with students after our sessions who have voiced ideas like… 'I can't believe an influential author…thinks we are important enough to speak to in our classroom.'" The teachers' survey included several quantitative questions that were directly related to this outcome. The 92% of teachers who agreed that Connected North sessions reflect and affirm the student cultures, identities, and experiences, was already noted in a previous section, as was the 54% of teachers who observed increased student interest in learning from Indigenous or diverse role models. Most relevant to this question, however, is likely the 42% of teachers who observed a stronger sense of identity or pride in their culture among students that they attributed to Connected North. Collectively, these statistics provide strong support for the idea that Connected North has been supporting increased student confidence and positive sense of cultural identity. Short-Term Outcome #5: Improved Teacher Confidence and Feeling of Being Supported There is moderate evidence that Connected North contributes to improved teacher confidence and feelings of being supported. Where teachers addressed this issue in interviews, they described how the program helps them refresh their practice, build new skills, and offer high-quality learning experiences they could not provide on their own, which in turn strengthened their sense of competence and well-being. Content analysis of teacher survey responses echoed these themes. Although the evaluation did not specifically investigate Connected North's professional development offerings, teachers positively referenced their value in the teacher survey write-in questions. Towards the end of interviews, teachers were asked whether and how Connected North had affected them as teachers. As was done when inquiring about student outcomes, teachers were not probed on each individual outcome in the program theory. Rather, they were listed as potential avenues teachers could pursue in their responses. Some teachers described how Connected North supported them by giving them the feeling that they are doing a good job and delivering quality education to their students. This included helping teachers refresh their practice and reignite excitement in subject areas that had started to feel routine over many years of teaching. A previous section described how Connected North helped fill gaps in teacher skills and knowledge, but teachers also described how they "I feel empowered as a teacher in a rural setting to provide amazing programming even when I don't have the knowledge base." "It has lifted my morale in that I feel supported in getting interesting lessons delivered to the students that I would not have been able to do independently." -Teacher Survey Respondents