Aboriginal and Cultural Responsive Pedagogies 102085

19025777 Jacinta McDowall

Option 1

Australia is internationally renowned as a country delivering high quality

education, however, it is also a low provider and performer of equity in

education (ACER, 2018). This disparity of achievement is particularly evident in

the comparative data of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and non-

Indigenous students. In order to address this gap in educational achievement, a

variety of essential components must be utilised by teachers, schools,

education authorities, the wider community and of course myself as a future

teacher to remove the challenges that effect these students aspirations and life

chances. It is vital that we collaboratively build positive, respectful relationships

with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to improve learning, success

and retention in schools and ensure “Equity and Excellence” (ACARA, 2017) in

education.

It is generally agreed by educational authorities and scholars that a good

quality education is a tool for life success, and that students who ‘drop out’

with no high school certificate or qualifications are more likely to become long

term unemployed or in lower paid occupations, creating a continuous cycle of

disadvantage (ABS, 2018).

That said, attendance rates for Indigenous Australian students is nationally

10% lower than non-Indigenous students (Department of the Prime Minister

and Cabinet, 2018), with Northern Territory reported as having the lowest

attendance rate dropping from 70.2% in 2014 to 66.2% in 2017 (27% lower

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than the national average of non-Indigenous students). Attendance rates for all

students steadily decline throughout the increasing year level of secondary

school, however this decline is more rapid for Aboriginal and Torres Straight

Islander students, thus the attendance gap increases throughout all school

years (ACER, 2018).

These alarming statistics provide evidence that we as a nation need to improve

retention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in schools, which

could effectively minimise the future unemployment levels of Indigenous

Australians, which is currently double that of other Australians (OECD, 2018).

Lower life expectancy, and Socio Economic Status has also been linked to lower

education levels, creating less access to health care and poorer life chances

(ABS, 2018).

Before colonisation, Australia’s First Peoples lived in Australia for over 50,000

years, embracing the terrain and climatic extremes (ACER, 2018). Young people

would traditionally learn and grow from the lessons taught by their families and

communities. They were educated in survival and social skills which

established a sense of purpose and understanding of their contribution to the

community (Price, 2015). Somehow these qualities have been ‘disrupted’

(Yunkaporta, 2009 pg. 1), thus creating an imbalance of culture for many

Indigenous Australians.

Colonisation created social exclusion for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander peoples, limiting access to support and resources (Jones & Harris‐

Roxas, 2009). This is evident throughout Australian history inwhich the

estimated 1 million Indigenous Australian people, with 600 distinct territories,

languages and cultures (ACER, 2018) were invaded and deemed “uneducable”
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(Price, 2015 pg. 4) by the Europeans, and thus children were taught only

menial tasks, lowering their self worth and creating years of division and

isolation for an entire culture.

It wasn’t until the 1967 Referendum when discrimination was removed from the

constitution and political affairs for Indigenous education changed (Price,

2015). Abstudy was introduced in 1969 to help financially support Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students, however still no real strategies were in

place to assist their learning (Price, 2015).

It wasn’t until 1977 when The National Aboriginal Education Committee was

established to advise the Commonwealth Minister for Education with “informed

Aboriginal views on the educational needs of Aboriginal people and appropriate

methods of meeting these needs” (NAEC, 1980, p. 4 as cited in Price, 2015). I

believe this act was the first step in establishing effective policies to contribute

to the educational needs for Indigenous students, as finally, Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander community groups and individuals were widely consulted

to develop strategies to enhance the education experience for Australia’s First

Nation students and increase retention in schools (Price, 2015).

The inclusion of Aboriginal voices in government initiatives for Aboriginal

students is not only obviously appropriate, but also vital for their success as it

creates an inclusive program that can alleviate the conditions that expose

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to racially-based bullying,

including stereotyping, pre-conceived ideas or limited knowledge (Chilisa,

2012). It also adheres to the Australian Institute for Teaching and School

Leadership (AITSL) teaching standard 2.4 ‘Understand and respect Aboriginal

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and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous

and non-Indigenous Australians’ (AISTL, 2018).

In 1982, The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy

(AEP) was launched to create equity in education and training outcomes for

Indigenous Australians. The policy was made up of 21 national goals with a

strong emphasis on the ‘involvement of Aboriginal people in educational

decision making” (AEP, 1989). However, this landmark policy has required

several reviews and amendments since its launch, with contributions attributed

to by more than 1000 people. The policy now includes an extensive list of

commitment policies, which (since 2016), have applied exclusively to the

school sector, articulating the Department of Education and Training’s (DET)

commitment to Aboriginal education and communities (NSW DEP, 2018).

Today, ACARA’s cross-curriculum priorities place an emphasis on all students to

develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rich histories and

cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their traditions and

holistic world views (ACARA, 2017). This is an important part of creating

inclusive practices within schools and adheres to AEP 1.1.3 “... increasing

knowledge and understanding of the histories, cultures and experiences of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of Australia” as

well as 1.1.4 “...provide Aboriginal cultural education for all staff and education

about Aboriginal Australia for all students, as it is everybody’s business” (AEP,

2018).

These policies play a key role in providing awareness and structure of the

educational needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the

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national curriculum. However, it is how schools and teachers apply these

policies which will create the most impact.

Indigenous voices need to be included not only in policy making but at the

most basic level of support for students which is in the classroom. Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander people make up an estimated 4.9% of school

students, however only an estimated 1.2% of school teachers (MATSITI 2014, p.

5 as cited in Price, 2015), even after the efforts of initiatives such as the 2011-

16 More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiative (MATSITI,

2017). An increased level of Aboriginal employment in the DET (1.3.2 AEP

2018) is needed to create a culturally diverse and more balanced workforce,

which can inspire young people to pursue their goals (MATSITI, 2017).

That said, it is crucial that first we need to improve retention rates of Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students in schools (1.3.1. AEP, 2018) and encourage

further tertiary education, which could lead to future employment

opportunities.

In 2007 the Council of Australian Governments put forward an initiative of

‘Closing the Gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in retention

and year 12 attainment, as well as literacy and numeracy. Since it commenced,

the framework has shown no improvement to retention in any states and

territories nation wide (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018).

That said, the Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS) has shown positive

results in raising attendance and retention, proving successful across half of

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the 77 schools it has been implemented. Attendance rates have increased

significantly in some communities in which the RSAS team members are

employed. The team members are made up of mums, dads and other local

community members who work to ensure students get to school everyday

(Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018). This initiative proves

that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students respond well to family and

community involvement. The engagement of community members and family

in school context creates a positive sense of culture and identity for Indigenous

students, which should be highly encouraged (Dobia & O’Rourke, 2011).

Parental involvement is a vital step in building positive relationships within

school programs, and decreasing the ‘drop out’ rate (Ferfolja, Jones Diaz &

Ullman, 2015). That said, in 2006 the Aboriginal Child Health Survey reported

that the majority of Indigenous students had fallen behind in their schooling,

whilst most Indigenous parents and carers felt satisfied with the students and

school performance, displaying a degree of disengagement and alienation

between parents, the schools and the education of their children (Jones &

Harris‐Roxas, 2009). Acknowledging that many Indigenous parents or carers

may have their own negative associations and experiences with schooling as a

result of past government policies, Zubrick (2006) recommends actively

addressing these issues at school by promoting the benefits of education either

in seminars or small meeting groups at the school to parents and care givers,

to create a more positive affiliation within the community. This can include

advocation on student pathways into the workforce, and the benefits of tertiary

education. Another way to develop partnerships can include school staff

spending time with local Aboriginal community members. This can help

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encourage more participation of parents, caregivers and other members of the

Aboriginal community to participate in programs such as sports coaching,

helping in the canteen/library, excursion planning, ceremonies such as NAIDOC

week and many more school activities. Parents and caregiver involvement can

also assist teaching staff develop their cultural awareness (What works. The

Work Program, 2018).

Involving Indigenous Australians inside the school walls help blur the lines

between students Indigenous culture and the mainstream school culture and

apply teaching standard 1.4 ‘Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students’ (AITSL, 2018). Studies have shown the difficulties that

Indigenous students face trying to negotiate between two different cultures in

school, which can lead to isolation and disassociation with school, as well as an

increased risk of poor mental health, violence, substance abuse and suicide

(Jones & Harris‐Roxas, 2009). It is vital that teachers use culturally inclusive

units of work to build positive relationships and help boost engagement and

attendance. Programs such as ‘Aboriginal Education Contexts’ (NESA, 2018)

offers various context-based teaching and learning projects and processes for

educators to use in classrooms which were developed collaboratively by

Aboriginal education workers, teachers and local community members to

ensure they reach AITSL Standard 1.4 (NESA, 2018). They encourage culturally

responsive teaching, including the use of appropriate terminology when

speaking to and about Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples, as well

as giving examples of appropriate and engaging lessons, for example, a Design

and Technology fashion design lesson can include reference to local Australian

Flora and Fauna, in which Indigenous students can relate to and engage with

(NESA, 2018), adhering to AEP 1.5.5 “Incorporate the cultural contexts, values
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and practices of local Aboriginal communities into the mainstream delivery of

education”.

Moreover, another strategy to blur the lines between mainstream schooling

and Indigenous cultures is by using the ‘8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning’

framework, which uses eight interconnected pedagogies that encourage

teachers to include Aboriginal perspectives whilst using Aboriginal learning

techniques (Yunkaporta, 2009). The framework places emphasis on land based

learning, narrative driven learning, as well as connectedness to community

(AITSL, 2018). This framework has proven to be an effective methodology for

engaging Aboriginal students in Western NSW regions which can be contributed

to by the appropriateness of research done by and for Aboriginal people within

Aboriginal communities (Yunkaporta, 2009).

Although we cannot stereotype every Aboriginal student to connect with this

framework, I believe the holistic, non-linear and visual approach can be

suitably manipulated to suit a vast majority of students learning needs, and I

intend to use this methodology in my own teaching practices.

To prompt student discussion and critical thinking, I will encourage a yarning

circle for students to tell their story, and connect their knowledge to the lesson.

This will not only create an inclusive and respectful environment, but it will also

create an engaging and social task for students which reflects their history of

non-written language (Chilisa, 2012).

The use of a deconstruct-reconstruct method will also be highly valued,

especially when introducing a new topic. In order for students to thoroughly

connect with the task they need to understand what it is as a whole, then break

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it down into smaller parts (Yunkaporta, 2009). This is particularly important in

Design and Technology, as a program may last an entire school term, and seem

daunting or out of reach to some students. I plan to do this through a non-

linear approach by using demonstration followed by encouraging self-reflective,

hands-on methods, as well as using place-responsive, environmental practice

by organising excursions to assist students in connecting projects with real life

situations. I believe this will also assist students in forming a connection with

local values, needs and knowledge (Yunkaporta, 2009).

Students will also benefit from the use of learning maps in Design and

Technology, as they will respond well to visually aided processes, in which they

can learn through and retain information through images, symbols and

metaphors (Yunkaporta, 2009).

Good quality education lays the foundation for the future success of each

student, which is why Indigenous students must receive better support with

more culturally competent teaching. It is vital that the attendance and

retention rate of Indigenous students increases to close the gap between

Indigenous and non- Indigenous students, thus we as educators must make

changes to how the classrooms and schools are run to create a more positive

and inclusive school environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students.

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 References

ACARA. (2017) Cross Cultural Priorities. Retrieved from:

https://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities

ACER. (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.acer.org/ozpisa/key-findings

AITSL. (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2018) Retrieved from: http://www.abs.gov.au

Chilisa, B. (2012). Indigenous research methodologies. California, USA: Sage.

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Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

(2018) Closing the Gap Prime Minister’s Report. Retrieved from:

https://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ctg-report-

2018.pdf

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2018. Remote School

Attendance Strategy. Retrieved from:

https://www.pmc.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/education/remote-school-

attendance-strategy

Dobia, B. & O’Rourke, V. (2011). Promoting the mental health and wellbeing of

Indigenous children in Australian primary schools. Kids Matter,

Australian Primary Schools Mental Health Initiative. ISBN: 978-1-

74241-521-5

Education and Communities. (2008). Turning Policy into Action, Aboriginal

Education and Training Policy. Retrieved from:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-

documents/aetp_turning.pdf

Ferfolja, T., Jones Diaz, C. & Ullman, J. (2015). Understanding Sociological

Theory for Educational Practices. (2nd ed.). Port Melbourne, VIC:

Cambridge University Press

General Information Folio 5. Appropriate Terminology, Indigenous Australian

Peoples. Retrieved from:

https://vuws.westernsydney.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-3683235-dt-

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Lloyd, N. J., Lewthwaite, B. E., Osborne, B., & Boon, H. J. (2015). Effective

Teaching Practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students: A

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library/policies/aboriginal-education-and-training-policy

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OECD. (2018) OECD Country Note - Early Childhood Education and Care Policy

in Australia. Retrieved from:

http://www.oecd.org/australia/2673543.pdf

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Zubrick, S. (2006). Improving the educational experiences of Aboriginal

children and young people. Perth: Curtin University of Technology

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