17433583- Rachel Heaslip

Aboriginal and Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

Assignment 1- Essay
Option One

As a pre-service teacher, it is important to analyse current teaching methods, literature and

educational policies regularly to ensure we are adequately prepared for entering the
classroom. This is equally as important when referring to Aboriginal education policies and
teaching strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The sooner educators
of all levels realise the importance of equal education and treatment, the better off
students, school environments and the wider school community will be. In this essay, I will
reflect on current Aboriginal education policy documents and literature, to outline the
components essential to creating respectful and positive relationships between teachers
and students and students and their peers, as well as detailing strategies to increase and
maintain retention rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

School attendance can be affected by several underlying reasons, which can include
problems with housing, finance, health care, access to schools and educational relevance
(Baxter & Meyers, 2016). These issues are only a few of a long list, all of which need to be
resolved if educators want to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
students. The national school attendance rate for Indigenous students in 2017 was 83.2%,
compared to the rate of non-Indigenous students, which was 93% (Australian Government
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018). This is a significant gap, which has
not improved since the target was set in 2014. There is no single explanation as to why
Indigenous student attendance rates are lower than non-Indigenous, but I will analyse some
of the reasons closely to see how much effect they have on these students and their
education.

Regular school attendance is important for everyone to achieve learning and develop an
understanding of core life skills such as literacy and numeracy, and achieving an acceptable
education to support them through their life (NSW Department of Education, 2018). A
combination of factors are often involved in Indigenous students’ absence from school, and
usually include issues at home, school or with the individual. There are conflicting views as

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to what the main issue for their absence is, with parents stating school related factors are
the main cause, whereas staff and teachers believe home, family or individual factors are
the main cause (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010). While there is no single
explanation, some of the main reasons for absences include parental absenteeism, parents
and students’ poor attitudes towards schools, insufficiently valuing education, poor
teaching, bullying, low self-esteem and cultural diversity within schools. I believe two of the
main reasons for Indigenous students’ absence from schools are issues with parents and the
students’ home life, and not valuing the importance and relevance of the education.

Indigenous students’ parents and carers are more times than not one of the main reasons
for their children missing school. This can be put down to several reasons stated by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010), and can include parental absenteeism or
failing to fulfil their legal responsibilities, poor attitudes towards schools, lacking an
education themselves, not understanding the importance of schooling and education, and
feeling as if they are viewed as ‘different’ within a school community. Unfortunately, there
is not much a school can do if the parent is not supportive, except for supporting the
student where they can and ensure they are providing them with the best facilities they can,
and a fair and safe space for them to learn. Indigenous adults need to understand the
importance of education and how it can change both theirs and their children’s lives for the
better. As important as Indigenous students’ education is, it is equally as important to make
sure their parents understand the importance of education, which is a hard task if they did
not receive an adequate education themselves (Bennett, Zubrzycki & Bacon, 2011). As
mentioned in the ‘Closing the Gap Report’ (Australian Government Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet, 2018), the gap in attendance and retention rates between Indigenous
and non- Indigenous students will unlikely begin to close if Indigenous parents and carers
are not supportive of schools and education.

One strategy to assist in educating Indigenous parents about the importance of schooling is
to try and actively involve them in the school’s community. Again, this may be a challenge,
but the best way to get them on board is to involve them in meetings, school decisions and
education sessions. This could be achieved through information sessions with parents,
individual meetings with the student and parents, home visits (where and if possible),

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inviting the parents to whole school and community meetings, and inviting Indigenous
elders to sessions to assist in trying to get the information through to the parents. I believe
the inclusion of Indigenous elders in a school’s community can send a big message about
the cultural views of the school, and how willing and accepting they are of indigenous
students (Bennett, Zubrzycki & Bacon, 2011). Indigenous parents and elders have life
experiences unique to their culture, and schools should try to embrace culture by
acknowledging this, not just for Indigenous, but for all cultures in the school. By showing the
inclusive aspects of the school, parents and carers may develop an understanding of the
importance of schooling and the relevance it has. to their children.

Indigenous students need to value the education they are receiving and realise that the
information they are learning can help shape their lives. By receiving an education and
listening to what they are taught, Indigenous students’ can develop an understanding of
how various topics play a role in their lives (Australian Government Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018). If they are not learning things of relevance, they are
likely to believe it is not important, and will not try to understand the content. For the
students to realise the value of their education, they need to have access to resources that
can support them in their learning, and be exposed to environments that are equal and
provide every one with the same opportunity to thrive (Harrison, & Greenfield, 2011).
Teachers’ skills, classroom management and pedagogies play a vital role in this step, as what
the teacher does for the student is the thing they are going to remember the most and hold
on to.

Building rapport and positive, respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students can be a challenge, but when achieved can be exceptionally rewarding. I
believe to develop strong relationships with Indigenous students, we as teachers, need to
understand their past, their family situation at current, their strengths and weaknesses and
what method of teaching is most appropriate to them, to provide them with the best
chance of learning (Harslett, Harrison, Godfrey, Partington & Richer, 2000). By
understanding how our students teach, we can plan lessons to include learning activities
that will be of interest to the students, as well as increasing their level of engagement in
both the activity and the class overall. By achieving this, we will also be meeting the

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requirements of the Australian Institute of Teaching and Learning (2017) teacher standards
1- Know students and how they learn, which includes strategies for teaching Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students, and differentiating learning tasks to cater to the range of
abilities in the classroom. By getting to know a student, and encouraging social interactions
and collaborations in the classroom, we are encouraging students to get to know each other
and how each other works best to succeed. If we implement collaborative approaches to
learning and continuously reinforce positivity, we will be setting both our classrooms and
students up for success (Briggs, 2016). Positive relationships and environments can also be
developed by making the classroom a culturally supportive classroom. This involves
developing a classroom rule, or activity that lets the students know that all cultures are
supported in the class (NSW Department of Education, 2017). This may be viewed as a small
step, but can mean a lot to students from a culturally diverse background.

I believe the most effective way to increase retention rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students is to focus on the teacher, their relationships with the students, their
understanding of Indigenous culture, their pedagogy and their overall classroom
management and environment (Harslett, Harrison, Godfrey, Partington & Richer, 2000). The
teacher is the person who has the power to get through to the students. They are the
person they see every day and who they are learning from. The teacher needs to be a
positive role model, be culturally aware and have a sense of approachability about them
(Harrison & Greenfield, 2011). Teachers pedagogical models play a big part in the way their
classroom is set up, and what type of environment is created. By creating a positive learning
environment, where students are encouraged to be proud and open about their culture,
teachers are providing their students with the best chance to succeed in the classroom
(Louderback, 2017). Teachers also need to take time and put effort into their lesson plans
and learning activities to ensure they are of relevance to students and address Aboriginal
culture where appropriate. Teachers need to provide all students with an equal learning
platform, with activities that are engaging and encourage positivity.

As a future PDHPE teacher, I will support Aboriginal student learning and success through
ensuring my pedagogy and classroom environment are respectful and inclusive of all
students. Where appropriate, I will incorporate links to Aboriginal culture throughout my

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syllabus and curriculum planning to provide Indigenous cultures with the recognition they
deserve. I will continually reflect on my pedagogy to ensure I am teaching through the most
appropriate methods for my students, and providing them with the best learning platform I
can. I will encourage collaborative and social learning in my classroom and practical
activities to support positive and respectful relationships and will aim to be an approachable
teacher, so students feel comfortable enough to trust me. I will try my best to get to know
my students and understand how they most effectively learn, and will try to create learning
activities that cater to everyone. I will adhere to the teacher standards and quality teaching
methods to be the best teacher I can be.

Positive and respectful relationships are an essential component of creating an equal

classroom for all students. This is especially important when dealing with Aboriginal and
Indigenous students, as we need to ensure they feel as though they belong to the class.
These relationships can be achieved through several methods, but I believe creating a
culturally aware classroom and encouraging positivity are two good points to build from.
We need to continue to improve ourselves as teachers to successfully keep students
engaged and increase retention rates of students overall. The gap in attendance rates
between Indigenous and non- Indigenous students is still significant, but I believe by
employing some of the strategies spoken about in this essay, we will be heading in the right
direction to close the gap in education once and for all.

References

Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. (2018). Closing the
Gap Prime Minister's Report 2018. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from:
https://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/ctg-report-2018.pdf

Australian Institute of Teaching and Learning. (2017). Australian professional standards for
teachers. Retrieved from: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

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Baxter, L., & Meyers, N. (2016). Increasing urban Indigenous students' attendance:
Mitigating the influence of poverty through community partnership. Australian Journal of
Education, 60(3), 211-228. doi: 10.1177/0004944116664438

Bennett, B., Zubrzycki, J., & Bacon, V. (2011). What Do We Know? The experiences of social
workers working alongside Aboriginal people. Australian Social Work, 64(1), 20-37. doi:
10.1080/0312407x.2010.511677

Briggs, A. (2016). Links between senior high school Indigenous attendance, retention and
engagement: Observations at two urban high schools. The Australian Journal of Indigenous
Education, 46(01), 34-43. doi: 10.1017/jie.2016.14

Harrison, N., & Greenfield, M. (2011). Relationship to place: Positioning Aboriginal

knowledge and perspectives in classroom pedagogies. Critical Studies in
Education, 52(1), 65-76, DOI: 10.1080/17508487.2011.536513

Harslett, M., Harrison, B., Godfrey, J., Partington, G., & Richer, K. (2000). Teacher
perceptions of the characteristics of effective teachers of Aboriginal middle school
students. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 25(2). doi: 10.14221/ajte.2000v25n2.4

Louderback, P. (2017). Developing culturally responsive curriculum and learning resources

for school library education programs. International Journal of Technology and Inclusive
Education. doi: 10.20533/ijtie.2047.0533.2017.0134

NSW Department of Education. (2017). Aboriginal Education Policy. Retrieved from:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/aboriginal-education-and-training-
policy

NSW Education Standards Authority (2017). Aboriginal Educational Contexts. Retrieved

from: https://ab-ed.nesa.nsw.edu.au/