EDUC

2061 Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education

Assessment 2: Essay
‘Discuss ways of incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies into classroom curriculum.
You also need to engage with historical and contemporary issues’.

The History of Aboriginal education in Australia has not received the attention it deserves (Beresford,
2012, p. 3). Education plays a significant role in influencing student’s attitudes and beliefs on the
history of Australia and the importance of Indigenous Australian’s in our society. It is important for
teachers to comprehend Indigenous Australian perspectives in order to generate an environment that
is ethically and culturally just. Issues related to racism and discrimination will be addressed from
historical and contemporary point of views throughout this essay, as well as different strategies to
incorporate Indigenous Australian studies into the classroom.

Many Australians are uneducated on the detrimental historical events that occurred within the
country they now call their own. The forced removal of Indigenous Australian children from their
parents, the relocations of Indigenous Australian people from their homes, the vigorous invasion and
biased government policies resulted in an unequal power relationship between Indigenous
Australians and non-Indigenous Australians (Harrison 2011, p. 8). From this, there was a policy made
by The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Department to equalize the rights of
all Australian residents and in-fact, it was very influential (Gunstone 2012, p. 76). Before the literature
was recently updated, Australia’s history was incorrectly documented which consequently caused
misconceptions and stereotypes about Indigenous Australians and their culture (Craven 2011, p. 6).
Governments were ineffective in acknowledging the history of Indigenous cultures and had poor
commitment towards addressing Indigenous Australian educational disadvantages (Gunstone 2012,
p.75), which resulted in generations of uneducated Indigenous Australian people (Beresford, 2012, p.
3). This is an issue that needs to be professionally addressed, as all Australians should be educated on
the history and society of Indigenous Australians. There are several updated credentials providing
guidelines that should be considered when addressing this topic during teaching.

The Australian Curriculum (ACARA 2010) has a cross-curriculum priority of incorporating Indigenous
Australian histories and cultures throughout all subjects. This provides all students with the
opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and gratitude for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
behaviors and traditions. Another resource that teachers can use is the Australian Institute for
Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) as it provides perspectives of teaching Indigenous education
programs (Evans 2012, p.55). The AITSL developed standards for teachers to follow (AITSL 2014),
Standard 1.4 is ‘Strategies for teaching Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders’ and Standard 2.4 is
‘Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous’ (AITSL 2014). It is essential for all teachers to know and
understand these standards in order to teach Indigenous Australian studies. These standards are in
place to encourage present teachers to adapt their pedagogies in an attempt to have an inclusive
curriculum, implementing different strategies to ensure they’re covering what is required in the
curriculum as well as being sensitive to the topic.

These Indigenous approaches are not new or unheard of, however the demand and dynamic
application of western approaches have created racial oppression of Indigenous Australians pedagogy
and research (Foley 2008, p.114). Indigenous Australian students have the right to choose ‘western’

Kobi Keeley 110198338

EDUC 2061 Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education
Assessment 2: Essay
‘Discuss ways of incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies into classroom curriculum.
You also need to engage with historical and contemporary issues’.
approaches to learning or Indigenous cultural knowledge (Foley 2008, p.126), controversy; all
Australians should have the opportunity to experience Indigenous cultural knowledge throughout all
curriculum subjects. Evans (2012) encourages pre-service teachers to become more connected with
the Indigenous Australian communities during professional experience, as graduated teachers must
have the ability to demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture diversity
and the opportunity to be directly submerged in the culture would benefit the teaching practice
immeasurably (Evans 2012, p.55).

Educating upcoming generations on the importance of recognizing Indigenous Australian history is
extremely important. Price (2012) spoke powerful words, ‘you have the opportunity to not only
change perceptions but to change lives’ (Price 2012, p,160). Teachers should aim to make a difference
by encouraging students to accept all cultures and respect the identity of Indigenous Australians.
Teachers must be proficient in the content and how to teach it before applying it in practice, as
teaching culturally can be a sensitive topic that needs careful consideration. The intention of including
Indigenous Australian perspectives into the curriculum must be done appropriately, it is not just
about ‘dot painting’ or simply painting the Indigenous flags, it is about teaching the students
meaningful knowledge and purposeful perceptions. To ensure students are being influenced into
making a difference, the teacher should find ways to get the students’ engaged and interested. This
may be through the voice of an Indigenous elder, to ensure an authentic outlook on his or her own
history.

Contemporary issues have a major impact on Indigenous Australian studies. Indigenous Australian
people constantly suffer from racial discrimination and prejudiced stereotyping. 93% of Aboriginal
people interviewed experienced racism (Gollan & Malin 2012, p.158), this is a substantial portion
suffering from comments that often relate something as simple as the difference in skin colour. Due to
racism experiences, Aboriginal people may be distrusting of non-Aboriginal people and feel
intimidated (Gollan & Malin 2012, p. 157) and this is a continuous issue in today’s society. The Council
for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act addressed indigenous education inequality, it included socio-
economic disadvantages and developed programs to educate the wider community (Gunstone 2012,
p. 76). Australian Indigenous studies is about educating all Australians in relation to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people, histories, societies and cultures. It is educating to decrease and
potentially remove racism and discrimination (Price 2012, p,153). To achieve this, all teachers must
be competent in Indigenous Australian education and the standards required by the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy (Price 2012, p, 153).

School is a place where understanding to respect and accept cultural differences should be reinforced.
Teachers should aim to reduce with intensions to remove racism within the school and wider
community. There are several elements that trigger these issues with the main causes being; lack of
resources and lack of knowledge in schools, expectations and the media. Incorporating Indigenous
Aboriginal cultures and recognizing Indigenous Aboriginal histories in a school context can be
emphasized through already implemented sacraments such as Sorry Day (recognizing the Stolen
Generations), Reconciliation Week (marking milestones in Australia’s history), Harmony Day
Kobi Keeley 110198338

EDUC 2061 Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education
Assessment 2: Essay
‘Discuss ways of incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies into classroom curriculum.
You also need to engage with historical and contemporary issues’.
(celebrating cultural diversity), NAIDOC Week (celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
history, culture and achievements) and Closing the Gap (helping reduce Indigenous disadvantage).

Harrison (2011) stated that when working in cross-cultural education, it is important to recognize
Indigenous people, in particularly Aboriginal people and how they learn (Harrison 2011, p.10). An
Aboriginal spokesperson said, ‘education should teach us rules for living, caring and understanding
our environment, relationships, importance of our land and animals and history of our people, it helps
us realize out potential’ (Gollan & Malin 2012, p.150). Another journalist wrote that Indigenous
Aboriginals bond with the universe, the land and everything on the land’ (Behrendt 1995, p. 12), it is
important to take into consideration what Indigenous Australian’s communicate rather than relying
on and assuming written documents are correct. Behrendt (1995) also quoted, “our affinity with the
land is like bonding between a parent and child” (Behrendt 1995, p. 12), this aims to emphasise the
connection Indigenous Australians have with the land and how they depend on the land to continue to
produce and cater for their needs.

Relating studies to the land is a simple but effective way to incorporate Indigenous Australian
perspectives into the curriculum. Indigenous studies is not an isolated unit, all curriculum areas
should involve Indigenous perspectives (Craven 2011, p. 3). Connection to the land can be expressed
through song, art, dance and painting (Behrendt 1995, p.15). Art, Drama, Music and PE are extra
curricula subjects that enable teachers to incorporate Australian Indigenous studies into the content.
Art, Drama and Music play a large role in Australian Indigenous society, and allowing students to view
artworks, watch Indigenous plays and listen and create music are simple ways to incorporate the
cultures into school context. PE is an open subject, making it easy to relate to Indigenous Australian
cultures, going on a bushwalk camp and connecting with the land is a common way to relate to
Indigenous Australian customs. There are also several Indigenous sports and sporting stars whom are
popular and continue to demonstrate the importance of Indigenous Australians culture in today’s
society. For example, Adam Goodes’ campaign against depression from racism created awareness
almost instantaneously through his fame from sporting achievements.

The Department of Education and Child Development (DECD 2015) identifies the four main Stage 1
learning areas of English, Mathematics, Science and History to be the key subjects that must
incorporate Indigenous Australian studies. Every opportunity to integrate Indigenous Australian
studies into content should not be taken for granted. The smallest perspectives of Indigenous
Australian cultures incorporated into subjects can make a huge difference, particularly when there are
students of an Indigenous background. An example of this is; being taught the meanings of the
symbols and colours used on the Aboriginal flag during school, it is significant knowledge that will
never be forgotten.

According to the Australian Curriculum, Australian perspectives and histories are explored
throughout all year levels in the English component (ACARA 2014). Incorporating Indigenous
Australian studies into the subject of English can be accomplished by simply requiring students to
produce a persuasive text or information report on the history or contemporary issues. ACARA (2014)
Kobi Keeley 110198338

EDUC 2061 Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education
Assessment 2: Essay
‘Discuss ways of incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies into classroom curriculum.
You also need to engage with historical and contemporary issues’.
recognizes that there are more than 150 Indigenous Australian languages and a practical implication
for teachers could be to teach and acknowledge vocabulary for particular languages. Indigenous
Australian books and artifacts should be encouraged for use as ACARA (2014) states ‘through the
study of texts, students are provided with opportunities to develop their understanding and
appreciation of the diversity of cultures.’ Throughout the strand of English, educators should aim to
teach students facts based on Indigenous Australian cultures, in order to develop students
understandings on the history of Australia.

Mathematics is another Stage 1 learning area that emphasizes the importance of Indigenous
Australian perspectives within the curriculum. Mathematics provides various opportunities to
acknowledge the unique cultures of Indigenous Australians. There is an emphasis of the importance of
the land in Indigenous Australian cultures, therefore simply using significant objects from the land
such as gum nuts or leaves as counting pieces is a way to recognize Indigenous Australian
philosophies. One of the strands in Mathematics in the Australian Curriculum is measurement and
geometry, incorporating Indigenous Australian perceptions into this area can be achieved by
‘investigating the ways time was and is measured in different Aboriginal cultures, such as using tidal
change (ACARA 2014). Exploring seasons used by Indigenous Australians and comparing them to
seasons used in Western Society is also included in the Mathematics content for primary students.
Overall in Mathematics, within relevant contexts, students experience an understanding and
appreciation of the diversity of cultures of Indigenous Australians and their beliefs of Australian
society (ACARA 2014).

Science allows teachers to incorporate many Indigenous Australian viewpoints through connection
with the land and environment. The subject of Science explores Indigenous Australian theories of
Australia’s environment, this enables students to develop an understanding and appreciation of the
impact Indigenous Australian’s had on the land. Ways in which Australia’s landscape has urbanized
and how Indigenous Australian’s interpret ecosystems through spiritual significance is included in the
Australian Curriculum (ACARA 2014). Throughout the sub-strands in the subject of Science,
Indigenous Australian cultures are explored making connections to the land. Investigating how
Indigenous Australians sustained management of the environment, understanding how Indigenous
Australians use astronomy, learning how Indigenous Australians used the night sky for navigation and
considering what technologies Indigenous Australians used and materials they used to make tools,
weapons, instruments, clothing and arts works are examples of ways to incorporate Indigenous
Australian studies into Science (ACARA 2014).

History plays a key role in the curriculum in outlaying Indigenous Australian studies. This subject
acknowledges Indigenous Australians by recognizing the history and also considers dreaming stories.
The Australian Curriculum includes Indigenous Australian studies in the subject of History by
researching past events and the impact they have on today’s society. Studies involve investigations
into the Stolen Generations, the practices and laws that were put in place, settlement and interactions
between Indigenous Australians and non- Indigenous Australians (ACARA 2014).

Kobi Keeley 110198338

EDUC 2061 Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education
Assessment 2: Essay
‘Discuss ways of incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies into classroom curriculum.
You also need to engage with historical and contemporary issues’.
In 2006, 2.3% of the Australian population identified as Indigenous (Craven 2011, p. 2), this is
including 500+ different tribal groups (Behrendt 1995, p. 12), which is why teachers may find it hard
to connect and relate to all cultures in their practices. Australian Indigenous studies are about
enabling students at all levels of education to have an appreciation of the history, culture and identity
of Australia with an understanding and respect for all Indigenous cultures (Evans 2012, p.56).
Providing a culturally relevant learning opportunity for all students is a key factor and it is about
embracing and celebrating the Indigenous Australian cultures (Gollan & Malin 2012, p.151). The
Adelaide declaration states that ‘all students must understand and acknowledge the value of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and possess the knowledge, skills and understanding to
contribute to and benefit from reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians’
(Price 2012, p,154).

Overall, Indigenous Aboriginal studies should be mandatory throughout all education (Craven 2011, p.
2), as the significance of Indigenous Aboriginal cultures in the society is fundamental. There are many
ways to incorporate Indigenous Australian perspectives into teaching and the curriculum assists
teachers to do so. Teachers must influence student’s beliefs to create and maintain a culturally fair
environment. The history of Indigenous Australian cultures will always be acknowledged, and the
urge to remove contemporary issues is high.

References
Australian Curriculum Asessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2014, v.8.2 F-10 Curriculum,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, NSW, viewed 10th September 2016,
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au

Behrendt, L. 1995, Aboriginal Dispute Resolution, Maryborough, Victoria, Federation Press, pp. 12-30.

Kobi Keeley 110198338

EDUC 2061 Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education
Assessment 2: Essay
‘Discuss ways of incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies into classroom curriculum.
You also need to engage with historical and contemporary issues’.
Beresford, Q. 2012, ‘Separate and unequal: An outline of Aboriginal Education 1900-1996’, Reform and
Resistance in Aboriginal Education, Perth, UWA Publishing, p.3.

Craven, R. 2011, ‘Why teach Aboriginal Studies?’ Teaching Aboriginal Studies: A practical resource for
primary and secondary teaching, Crows Nest, NS, Allen and Unwin, pp.1-21.

Evans, C. 2012, ‘Your professional experience and becoming professional about working with
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities’. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Education: An introduction for the teaching profession, Sydney, Cambridge University Press, pp. 52-63.

Foley, D. 2008, ‘An Indigenous Standpoint Theory’, History, Politics and Knowledge: Essays in
Australian Indigenous Studies, Melbourne, Australian Scholarly Publishing, pp. 113-133.

Gollan, S. and Malin, M. 2012, ‘Teachers and families working together to build stronger futures for
our children in school’, Reform and Resistance in Aboriginal Education, UWA Publishing, pp. 149-174.

Gunstone, A. 2012, ‘Indigenous Education 1991-2000: Documents, Outcomes and Governments’,
Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, pp. 75-84.

Harrison, N. 2011. ‘Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education’, Starting out as a teacher in
Aboriginal education, Sydney, Oxford University Press, pp. 1-15.
O’Brien, L. 2007, ‘Sharing our space’, Adelaide, Wakefield Press, p.197.

Price, K. 2012, ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in the Classroom’ Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Education: An introduction for the teaching profession, Sydney, Cambridge University
Press, pp. 151-163.

Kobi Keeley 110198338