EDUC 5140: Aboriginal Education, Culture, Curriculum and Change

EDUC 5140: Aboriginal Education, Culture, Curriculum and Change | Samantha Blackmore – 100062757

Assignment 2: Critical Review

Aboriginal education is one of the most evaluated, reviewed and enquired about areas in Australian's education system. Due to the many misconceptions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islandersstemming from when Indigenous people were believed to be inferior by 18th century European settlers, there is a group of young people whose schooling years do not supply them with the necessary skills and confidence to enjoy a meaningful role in Australian society.200 years after colonisation thesenegative conceptions still exist, perpetuated through mass media and unbalanced education perspectives. Despite the ability of Australian schools to challenge these colonial values, a number of other factors continue to affect the depth and quality of teaching Aboriginal content. These factors include cultural, historical and contemporary issues, which the Australian government aims to addressby implementing an Australian Curriculum with standardised Aboriginal content. The changes needed in the education systems will only be brought about, however,if teachers are both equipped and motivated to implement them. Therefore,exploring the aspects that influence teachers’ choice of content and approach to teaching Aboriginal Studies is a key element to improving Indigenous education across Australia.

Teaching indigenous perspectives throughout years 7 to 10 is mandatory for all Society and Environment teachers, within the history section of the Australian Curriculum. Indigenous perspectives refers to the present and past issues Indigenous people face, the influence of government policies since colonisation, and keyaspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL) document explains the content that teachers need to know and what they needto do to teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as well as teaching all students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, history and culture.Although the current curriculum includes examples of prompts and questions to aid teachers to critically question preconceived perceptions, it is important theycreate their own questions relevant for their ownclassroom and community.

For teachers to effectively convey Aboriginal curriculum content, they need a deep understanding of Aboriginal perspectives and access to appropriate source material. The current Australian curriculum makes these sources available; however there are several factors that prevent teachers from accessing them. For example, the school's culture, teacher interests and preconceived ideas of both teachers and students can negatively impact the efforts made by the teacher to deepen their professional understanding of the content.Changing the negative stereotypes of Australia’s Indigenous peoples is greatly dependent upon the role of education. By introducing a balanced perspective to Society and Environment content, teachers can take positive steps towards challenging colonial values and thereby encouraging reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.Such steps are already being attempted to provide a balanced perspective for all Australian school students through the current Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority, 2013). It is important that all teachers understand the curriculum's significance and potential for wider impact on society.

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL) document defines the content that teachers need to know and what they should be able to do to be able to teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as well as teaching all students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, history and culture. AITSL focus area 1.4 covers"strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students" (AITSL, 2011b, p.9). These strategies include the ability to demonstrate a broad knowledge and understanding of theinfluence of cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of Indigenous Australian students. Teachers are expected to be able to design and implement effective teaching strategies that are flexible for specificcommunity and cultural settings. Indigenous communities have unique ways of thinking and learning, and teaching strategies must be adapted to reflect these cultural aspects. By providing advice and supporting colleagues in the development of successful teaching strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, teachers cansupport community representatives and work with community groups to develop programs that support the engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.It is important for teachers to consider the complex nature of indigenous communities and understand what is and is not culturally appropriate (Craven, 2011). The rights of Indigenous peoples to maintain control over their culture and their community must be acknowledged and incorporated into developing a connection to local communities. When developing learning plans, teachers must understand how media representations and personal histories may affect the preconceptions of students and their assumptions about Indigenous communities. It is important to take into account that, for many students, the content that is taught in school is the only real information about indigenous cultures they receive (Gower & Byrne, 2012).

AITSL focus area 2.4 covers"understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians" (AITSL, 2011b, p.11). This focus area is generally considered to be more complex than 1.4, as it is greatly dependent upon the understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Every teacher must promote reconciliation and respect through their own professional practice.Teachers are required to be able to demonstrate an expansive understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languagesand provide opportunities for students to develop understanding of and respect for Indigenous cultures. The promotion of inter-cultural understanding and respect is dependent upon deepening students' understanding of Australian and international cultures. This includes aspects across language, historical and contemporary experiences, and spiritual beliefs. By studying the similarities and differences between Indigenous peoples around the world, students can learn to enact positive change on local and international levels.However, to truly achieve a high quality of teaching requires more than simply following a set curriculum. Quality teaching requires teachers who are engaged in reflection andprofessional development and who are active members of their learning communities (AITSL, 2013). Teachers need to set an example for their community, demonstrating respect for diverse cultures and different points of view.

Reconciliation Australia produced a short film for 2016 Reconciliation Week entitled "Our History, Our Story, Our Future", in which the importance of respect, relationships and reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-indigenous Australians is acknowledged. For Australia to be a civil society, people from all backgroundsmust understand and respect one another. In a multicultural society such as Australia, mutual respect is especially important (Beresford et al., 2012,MacNaughton, 2001).However,the concept of respect for indigenous cultures is one that has seen an unstable history in Australia, despite Indigenous Australians playing a highly influential and important role in Australia’s national identity(Harrison, 2008). Respect can be easily shown simply by making an effort toseek out the opinions of a range of elders and community members and by treating these opinions with due consideration. Respect is dependent on the way a person treats those around them, by waiting for your turn to speak during a conversation, actively listening to what is being said, and endeavouring to ensure that people are not made to feel uncomfortable (New South Wales Dept of Education and Training 2003).

The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'relationship' as the "way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave towards each other" or "the state of being connected".Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are underpinned by a complex web of interconnected relationships (Beresford et al., 2012).Indigenous Australians have a unique way of thinking, of being, of relating to and seeing the world around them.Contemporary, inter-cultural relationships of indigenous Australians are made up from three main areas; relationships with family, relationship to country and place, and relationship to sea and sky (MacNaughton, 2001). Because of this, the relationships of Indigenous Australian cultures area key feature of their wellbeing.

Reconciliation is the process of rebuilding relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples. Different communities must work together to close the gaps in equality and to develop justice for all Australian peoples.The 2016 State of Reconciliation in Australiareport created a framework to define and measure reconciliation in Australia. This report explores five vital elements that create a holistic picture of reconciliation in Australia (New South Wales Dept of Education and Training 2003). These elements include; historical acceptance, race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity and unity.

Since the settlement of Australia by Europeans, Australia’s national identity has been, and continues to be, in a constant state of change(Clark, 2008; DeJaeghere, 2006; Moran, 2011).Moran (2011) explains this state of change as a shift from a"racially-based white, British Australia, to a diverse, multiethnic, and officially multicultural Australia” (p. 2156). Government policy has a strong influence over this identity and has only recently begun to shift to include equal rights for Indigenous Australians. The portrayal of Australia both locally and internationally also has a significant impact on Australia's national identity (Moran, 2011) as people see specific groups and lifestyles represented as being 'Australian' without a true understanding of cultural diversity or the impact of an increasing number of immigrants. Therefore the national identity of Australia is complex and constantly changing. The Australian Curriculum is influenced by this identity in terms of which aspects of history are considered significant enough to be included in and to what extent they are investigated. Considering this is often the main source of knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture for non-indigenous students, such decisions can strongly impact the values and attitudes collectively held by a generation. Indeed, there is a long history in Australia of only teaching the most superficial parts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in high schools (Beresford, Partington, & Gower, 2012; Clark, 2008; Healy, 2008). The on-going racism towards Indigenous Australians is indicative of a far deeper problem in Australian society, (Dockett & Cusack, 2003,MacNaughton, 2001, NIPAAC, 2012) and is in direct conflict with the view that Australia is a diverse nation of equal opportunity (Moran, 2011). Because of this on-going racism, including Aboriginal content in the curriculum continues to be difficult. Too many people still considerIndigenous Australians to be outsiders (MacNaughton, 2001). This on-going racism has been studied at a local council level by Dunn, Hanna and Thompson (2001), who found that "Some Australian councils celebrated and responded to the diversity of their citizenry. However, many failed to recognise heterogeneity and constructed certain minorities as a problematic ‘other’” (Dunn et al., 2001, p. 1593).

As a beginning teacher, it is important to consider the unique point of view that Indigenous Australians possess and to incorporate that point of view into teaching. For example, teachers can consider introducing students to the Dreaming stories, bringing Indigenous Australians into the classroom to offer real-life stories and new names for familiar objects, and tasting and feeling new experiences such as native food and Aboriginal art work. Life stories told by a person directly connected to that story are a powerful way of informing the students about Aboriginality. As a teacher, you have the opportunity to facilitate those moments of connection. In one classroom, students were visited by an Aboriginal woman who told of being taken from her family as a child (Gower & Byrne, 2012). This direct story-telling method was never forgotten by the students. Their positive engagement connects to a long-term recognition and respect about the role of narrative in Indigenous culture and human learning as a whole.

There are a variety of factors that affect the quality of teaching of Aboriginal curriculum content. For example, factors beyond the classroom such as the political economical situation as well as factors within the classroom, such as students' backgrounds and beliefs. Therefore the efforts to improve teaching quality for Aboriginal curriculum content must be discussed extensively by Australian governments on a wide. Often the main limitation in discussions regarding proposed solutions is a distinct failure to recognise the need for teachers to receive regular and effective professional learning. Teachers need to continually develop and improve their skills, and deserve to have this professional growth acknowledged(Dinham, 2013). A study led by Booth (2014) describedseveral key aspects that affected the teaching of Aboriginal curriculum content;the preconceptions of both teachers and students, time management, school culture, teacher interest and access to resources. In order to improve the quality of Aboriginal curriculum teaching, these factors must be consideredand an effort made to standardise in-service and pre-service development.The study also found that the presence of an Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer has a significant positive effect on a school by providing support and information from an Aboriginal perspective(Dinham, 2013).

A curriculum currently being phased out in Western Australian states that it is "mandatory for all Society and Environment teachers to teach Aboriginal content" (School Curriculum and Standards Authority, 2013). The decision as to how and when to do this was left to individual teachers but because no real information about Aboriginal curriculum and perspectives was made readily available, teachers could choose to avoid teaching any Aboriginal content without any negative consequences (Beresford et al., 2012). Understandably, this inconsistent and unsupported method of professional development in Aboriginal curriculum content was a strong contributing factor towards the development of the 2013 Australian Curriculum. However, currently teachers can still avoid teaching Aboriginal content without consequence, despite the new teaching material provided. Such continual evasion of Aboriginal curriculum contentis a troubling issue, implying that the Aboriginal perspective is not viewed as important in the Australian education system (Healy, 2008).

In 2016, students undertaking the masters in teaching at the University of South Australia are only offered Aboriginal education as an elective, there is no compulsory component. If teaching and education students want to increase their knowledge of Aboriginal culture, history and education, they must organise it themselves. This means that new teachers may only have the media and colleagues as their sources for information on Aboriginal culture and issues. Such a limited awareness is not adequate for teaching Aboriginal curriculum content. Studies by Clark (2008) and MacNaughton (2001) have shown that teachers with only superficial knowledge of Aboriginal culture and issuesare neither the less required to teach Aboriginal perspectives successfully, despite having no opportunity to develop their cultural competency. Although pure content knowledge is a vital element in teaching any subject, for Aboriginal curriculum content, cultural competency is possibly even more vital. A strong cultural understanding allows the teacher to present an informed and empathicpicture of Aboriginal issues, culture and way of life (Gower & Byrne, 2012).

In conclusion, the current Australian curriculum aims to give teachers access to the Aboriginal curriculum content and teaching techniques necessary to teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as well as teaching all students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, history and culture. Although this portrays an earnest attempt at reconciling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives within an educational setting, there are many factors which need improvement. Education is the cornerstone of human development, of future opportunities in life and of full participation in Australian society. Regardless of who you are and where you live, whatever your age, race or sex; you have the right to an education, and the Australian government has a responsibility to provide equal educational opportunity for indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

References

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Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013). About the SchoolCurriculum and Standards Authority. 2014, fromhttp://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/About_Us/Strategic_plan

Beresford, Q., Partington, G., & Gower, G. (2012). Reform and resistance in Aboriginaleducation: Uwa Pub.

Clark, A. (2008). History's children: History wars in the classroom: NewSouth.

Craven, R. (2011). Teaching Aboriginal Studies: A practical resource for primary andsecondary teaching: Allen & Unwin.

DeJaeghere, J. G. (2006). Intercultural meanings of citizenship in the Australian secondarycurriculum: Between critical contestations and minimal constructions. Reimaginingcivic education: How diverse societies form democratic citizens, 293-316.

Dinham, S. (2013). The quality teaching movement in Australia encounters difficult terrain: Apersonal perspective. Australian Journal of Education, 57(2), 91-106.

Dockett, S., & Cusack, M. (2003). Young children's views of Australia and Australians.Childhood Education, 79(6), 364-368.

Dunn, K., Thompson, S., Hanna, B., Murphy, P., & Burnley, I. (2001). Multicultural policywithin local government in Australia. Urban studies, 38(13), 2477-2494.

Gower, G., & Byrne, M. (2012). Becoming a culturally competent teacher: Beginning thejourney. Reform and resistance in Aboriginal education: Fully revised edition, 379-402.

Harrison, D. (2008). Changes ahead for history. WAtoday.com.au.

Healy, C. (2008). Forgetting aborigines: UNSW Press. Sydney.

Herbert, J. (2012). Delivering the Promise: Empowering Teachers to Empower Students.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, 35-50.

MacNaughton, G. (2001). Beyond'Othering': rethinking approaches to teaching young Anglo-Australian children about indigenous Australians. Contemporary Issues in EarlyChildhood, 2(1), 83-93.

Moran, A. (2011). Multiculturalism as nation-building in Australia: Inclusive national identityand the embrace of diversity. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34(12), 2153-2172.