Academic Teaching
PSY479 The Science of Wellbeing
An original course designed for the Psychology Department, covering research on wellbeing policy, measurement, Indigenous models, and interventions.
PSY324 Psychology of Emotions
Covering the biological, psychological, and social foundations of human emotions, examining how feelings shape our thoughts, behaviors, and relationships - with experiential activities.
PSY476 Health Psychology
Examining how psychological, behavioral, and social factors influence health, illness, and healthcare, with a focus on prevention, intervention, and mind-body connections.
Decolonialism and Indigenizing in Social Sciences
Critically examines the impact of colonial structures on knowledge production and explores Indigenous methodologies and worldviews as transformative frameworks for research, teaching, and practice.
Mind-Body(-Spirit) Programs and Interventions
Introduces integrative approaches to clinical practice that emphasize contemplative approaches, culture-based modalities, and evidence-based holistic health promotion.
Ecological Perspectives on Trauma
An in-depth review of the complex interplay between individual, relational, cultural, and environmental factors in the experience and healing of trauma, emphasizing systems-level understanding and contextually grounded interventions.
Jo’s Teaching Approach
1. Critical Reflexivity and Positionality
Dr. Qinaʻau fosters a classroom culture where both students and educators critically reflect on their identities, assumptions, and positionalities in order to cultivate equitable and socially just learning environments.
See: Kumashiro (2009); Matias (2013).
2. Decentering Eurocentric Knowledge Systems
They intentionally disrupt dominant Eurocentric narratives by integrating Indigenous, African, Asian, and Latin American epistemologies, creating space for diverse ways of knowing to coexist and shape inquiry.
See: de Sousa Santos (2014); Smith (2012).
3. Curriculum Co-Design and Participatory Pedagogy
Dr. Qinaʻau engages students and local communities in co-creating curriculum, honoring lived experience as a valid source of knowledge and reshaping traditional hierarchies in higher education.
See: Bovill et al. (2016); Tuck & Yang (2012).
4. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
Pedagogy that sustains and celebrates the cultural identities of students is made priority, resisting assimilation and instead fostering learning that affirms who students are and where they come from.
See: Paris & Alim (2017).
5. Dialogic and Relational Learning Spaces
Dr. Qinaʻau centers dialogue and relational pedagogy, viewing teaching as a mutual, transformative act where power is shared and student voice holds epistemic value.
See: Freire (1970); hooks (1994).
6. Language Inclusivity and Multilingualism
They integrate students’ home languages and multilingual practices into teaching, treating language as both a right and a resource in the learning process.
See: García & Wei (2014).
7. Anti-Oppressive and Anti-Racist Education
Dr. Qinaʻau designs learning experiences that confront systemic oppression, embedding anti-racist and anti-colonial principles throughout curriculum, pedagogy, and institutional engagement.
See: Dei (2010); Sensoy & DiAngelo (2017).
8. Decolonial Intersectional Analysis
They teach and research from a decolonial intersectional lens, understanding that social identities such as race, gender, class, and sexuality intersect to shape complex lived experiences in the academy.
See: Crenshaw (1991); Salem (2014)
