Engaging Aboriginal Students

Strategies for Success

Overview
This handout provides a list of strategies that can be implemented to engage Aboriginal students in meaningful learning in the classroom.

This handout:
Outlines some of the barriers to engagement Outlines the Aboriginal Ways of Knowing Provides ideas for teaching strategies used to engage Aboriginal students

ELEMENT 2 2.1.1 Knowledge of and respect for the diverse social, cultural, ethnic and religious background of students, and the effects of these factors on learning.
Demonstrate knowledge, respect and understanding of the social, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds of students and how these factors may affect learning.

2.1.5 Knowledge of strategies for addressing student needs

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of specific strategies for teaching: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Barriers to engagement
To engage Aboriginal students in meaningful learning, educators need to first tackle barriers to engagement (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011). Some major barriers include: Negative perceptions: - deficit discourses - low expectations - racism A mismatch between school culture and Aboriginal life (a lack of relevance) The availability of Indigenous staff A one-size-fits-all approach Teachers uncomfortable with and unwilling to adopt Indigenous perspectives (Craven, 2011; Yunkaporta & McGinty, 2009)

Aboriginal Ways of Knowing

Yukaporta (2009) defines 8 ways of knowing; story sharing, learning maps, nonverbal, symbols and images, community links, deconstruct reconstruct, non-linear and land links. These 8 ways of knowing are interconnected. Effective pedagogy will therefore draw upon several of the elements.

Teaching Strategies

Integrate the Aboriginal Ways of Knowing:

For example, have students create a story as a group or individual and then represent it through drama or visual arts. This simple teaching idea addresses four of the Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, as outlined below:

How?
1) Think of topics or moral values linking to a Syllabus outcome e.g. sharing, belonging etc 2) In a clockwise direction, each group member speaks one word at a time to create a story. Each word must link to the previous word and combine to form a story on the proposed topic. This play-language activity is called Tok and means to speak or say (ACU, 2008). 3) In groups, students can draw, use objects, verbalise or dramatise their perceptions on the chosen topic.

Story sharing Symbols & Images

Non-verbal

Learning Map

Dreaming Stories: Can be used for exploring relationships and interactions between
the land, animals and people (Connor 2007).

This website provides a range of dreaming stories and outlines ways in which they can be incorporated into lessons: http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/dreaming/stories.html

Teach Traditional Indigenous Games: Integrating traditional Indigenous games in

PE and sport can help students appreciate Aboriginal culture whilst providing Aboriginal students with a sense of cultural identity (ACU, 2008). For more information visit: www.ausport.gov.au

References
ACU (Australian Sports Commission). (2008). Yulunga: Traditional Indigenous Games. Canberra, Australia: Australian Sports Commission. Commonwealth of Australia. (2011b). Guide to developing Personalised Learning Plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students A professional learning resource. Australia: Australian Government. Connor, J. (2007). Dreaming Stories: A springboard for learning. Research in Practice Series, 14(2), 1-22, ACT, Australia: Early Childhood Australia. Craven, R. (2011). Teaching Aboriginal Studies. St Leonards, Australia: Allen & Unwin. Yunkaporta, T. (2009). Aboriginal Pedagogies at the Cultural Interface. PhD Thesis. James Cook University. [Online]. Available URL: http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/10974 (accessed 5/9/12). Yunkaporta, T., & McGinty, S. (2009). Reclaiming Aboriginal Knowledge at the Cultural Interface. The Australian Educational Researcher, 36(2), 55-72.