Page |1

Option 1

Historically, Australian education is centred upon a Eurocentric model, which places

Indigenous students in the deficit. The Australian education standards failed to recognise

cultural differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students; such as, having English

as a Second Language (ESL), contrasting societal values, and differences in their learning prior

to school attendance (Nunn, 2011, p.1227-1228). The Social Justice Report (2005) highlighted

the growing disparities (Herbert, in Price, 2015, p.43), and since then the Australian

government has pushed for pedagogies, and strategies, to ‘close the gap’ in educational

outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. It is necessary to have highly-

trained quality teachers to implement these pedagogies and strategies to address the targets of

the ‘closing the gap’ reports. By providing critical training to pre-service teachers, universities

can extinguish “stifled perceptions of who Indigenous students are, [and] what they can

achieve” (Australian Government, 2017, p.35). However, if teacher’s ‘stifled perceptions’

emerge, they will be weeded out in their review of compliance under new government policies.

This is due to teacher’s ‘stifled perceptions’ proven to reinforce a negative sense of identity in

Indigenous students (SSI, 2014). The Stronger Smarter Institute, (SSI), aims to build positive

student identity, which cannot be achieved by teachers who revert to deficit discourse. To avoid

accusation of ‘stifled perceptions’, teachers need to maintain a critical standpoint regarding

Eurocentric discourse, and make a place for Indigenous points of view in lesson materials. The

SSI philosophy is valuable to teachers, as it is from an Indigenous perspective, targeting

Indigenous education issues. Although it does have its limitations. A non-Indigenous teacher

can address the needs of Indigenous students, by integrating all theory and research learnt in

university, and practical placement, to inform their praxis; all the while retaining a culturally

reflective pedagogy.

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 Page |2

Education reform means there is no place in education for teachers who do not believe

in their Indigenous students’ academic abilities. The nation-wide Aboriginal Education Policy

(AEP), (NSW DET, 2008) is embedded with safe-guards to ensure its implementation for the

improvement of outcomes for Indigenous students, throughout the states and territories. It is

not easy for teacher prejudice to pass inspection, and retain employment. The AEP outlines the

expectations of each responsible party, within education, to close the gap. The safe-guards for

teachers’ compliance to this policy, includes the Australian Professional Standards for

Teaching (APST), (AITSL, 2017), and the Australian curriculum’s cross-curriculum

requirements (ACARA, 2016). The APST is individually evaluated every five years to

recognise quality teachers, and maintain their compliance. Relevant standards are; Standard

1.4; ‘Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’, and Standard 2.4;

‘Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation

between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians’ (AITSL, 2017). In addition, the

Australian curriculum demands the cross-curriculum teaching of, ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander histories and cultures’ be embedded across all subject areas, in a meaningful way

(ACARA, 2016). The nature of the APST and the cross-curriculum themes are that they are

unavoidable. They are both recurrently examined, and teachers can be held accountable for

non-compliance, which could mean loss of employment.

The Stronger Smarter Institute, (SSI), (2014), promotes a sense of positive student

identity in Indigenous students. This is achieved by high-expectations relationships; between

the student and teachers, the student and over-all school environment, the connection between

school and local community, and the schools’ indigenous leadership (SSI, 2014). Eurocentrism

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 Page |3

in schools has proven detrimental to Indigenous students, and responsible for the recurrent

educational gap (Nunn, 2011, p.1227). The SSI position paper (2014) highlights how “teachers

working with minority and disadvantaged students may voice a commitment to high-

expectations, but their actions do not always match this commitment” (SSI, 2014, p.1) […]

“The quality of teacher/student interactions can be affected by seemingly inconsequential

behaviours, for instance how much a teacher smiles or makes eye contact with students”

(Marzano, 2007, as cited in SSI, 2014, p.3). Students notice everything, and will internalise

these ‘low expectations’. In consequence, teachers will see a loss of student engagement, then

over time, a loss of attendance (Herbert, in Price, 2015, p.47). Attendance is among the major

educational issues for Indigenous students (Australian Government, 2017, p.35). At Cherbourg

State School, Sarra removed existing staff, who suffered deficit thinking, and hired ‘fresh’ staff,

who had high expectations, which did improve student engagement, and attendance (Sarra,

2003, p.30). Therefore, high-expectations and enthusiasm are qualities teachers need to close

the gap. Pre-service teachers also need to critically engage with Indigenous culture to self-

educate (APST, Standard 2.4) and build on knowledge and strategies for instructing Indigenous

students to succeed (APST, Standard 1.4). The Closing the Gap Report (2017) states that

“[w]ell trained, skilled and knowledgeable teachers provide the foundation for a high-quality

education system and quality teaching is essential to lifting student outcomes.” (Australian

Government, 2017, p.35). Quality teacher training ensures the removal of deficit thinking, and

provides education on recommended pedagogies and strategies to work towards closing the

educational gap.

The Prime Minister has highlighted the following areas in Closing the Gap Report

(2017) which require attention; Indigenous students’ attendance (p.36), literacy and numeracy

skills (p.38), and Year 12 attainment (p.43). The report states that the attendance gap was

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 Page |4

targeted to close by 2018; however, the rate of attendance of Indigenous students has remained

steady, with .1% difference since 2014 (83.5%) to 2016 (83.4%) (Australian Government,

2017, p.36). It appears that inner regional Indigenous students have highest attendance rate for

2017, followed by major cities, then outer regional; with remote, and very remote students

having decreased attendance (p.37). The government implemented a funded program called

‘Remote School Attendance Strategy’ (RSAS), which employs local Indigenous communities

to develop programs to increase attendance in remote areas (p.38). Issues that could impede

Indigenous students’ school attendance, could be family engagements, a lack of transport when

school is too far away (Gilbert, 2017), or it could be disengagement with school. As previously

discussed, engagement can be achieved with the SSI philosophy, as it was successful in

increasing attendance at Cherbourg State School (Sarra, 2003). The SSI philosophy brings

relevance to Indigenous students, incorporating familiarity, but also pushes them to achieve

with high-expectations. It is up to quality teachers to maintain student engagement using the

SSI philosophy, to increase attendance, and close the gap.

It has been established that ‘quality’ teachers have intercultural understanding, and

high-expectations for the success of Indigenous students. An immersion in Indigenous culture

would have positive results for Indigenous students; however, what of the non-Indigenous

students? Non-Indigenous students would benefit from the SSI philosophy, as it will enlighten

them on a culture that they think they know about from media, and society, but only through a

Western lens. The SSI philosophy would also work for any minority groups, as its aim is to

provide a positive sense of identity, in the face of “bias Eurocentric epistemologies” (Bodkin-

Andrews & Carlson, 2016, p.785-786). To combat Eurocentric views, the SSI and APST work

well together to provide education strategies for all students, especially Indigenous students;

as the overall SSI philosophy is a strategy for Indigenous education, literally required in APST

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 Page |5

Standard 1.4; and SSI’s ‘community engagement’, ‘staff models’, and ‘school models’, come

under reconciliatory understanding outlined in APST Standard 2.4; which are all relevant for a

critical education of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. For non-Indigenous

students, more specifically, is the necessity of teachers to employ a critical pedagogy in

teaching Indigenous histories, or in critically deconstructing students’ existing knowledge.

Marsh & Pittaway (2014) “[contend] that teachers must use critical dialogue to engage students

in discussions that help deconstruct and uncover the inbuilt privilege of being white in a

Eurocentric society” (p.261). Especially in the globalised world, where Eurocentrism is no

longer valued, like in 1788, Australian teachers have an opportunity to distil cultural awareness

in their students. It remains the responsibility of universities to instruct pre-service teachers in

becoming more culturally aware, and using certain strategies, and pedagogies in order teach

this enduring knowledge well (Rose, in Price, 2015, p.71). Teachers need to teach their students

to be critical thinkers, and the classroom needs to be a safe place, where opinions can be shared,

and new perspectives can take shape. In merging pedagogies and strategies into praxis, an

example would involve merging APST, Standard 1.4 and 2.4, the SSI philosophy, cross-

curriculum content, ‘inclusiveness’ from the Quality Teaching (QT) framework (NSW DET,

2003), and ‘multiple means of expression’ from the Universal Design for Learning (UDL),

(UDL, 2004). For a History class on comprehension, a teacher needs to contact the schools’

Indigenous Education Worker (IEW), or Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO), to invite a

community member to relay the dreamtimes, or a local history story to the class (Evans, in

Price, 2015, p.62). This acknowledges Indigenous culture, and informs non-Indigenous

students of what it means to be Indigenous, from a valid source. This example is a combination

of government documents, policies and recommended frameworks which inform my praxis.

As evidenced, the SSI philosophy would work well when incorporated with other government

policies, and recommended documents, in creating culturally aware students.

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 Page |6

The Stronger Smarter Institute philosophy is valuable, as it comes from an ‘Indigenous

voice’, specifically for Indigenous educational issues. The SSI five-point philosophy has been

proven to work at Cherbourg State School (Sarra, 2003, p.31). However, I acknowledge that

Sarra’s successes would be difficult to replicate. He was an Indigenous principal, at a school

with a large population of Indigenous students. The ‘Indigenous leadership’ point would be

hardest to implement across the board, as there are too few qualified Indigenous teachers; and

there must be a certain percentage of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students within a

single school to warrant a government funded IEW, or AEO (Australian Government, 2017,

p.25). Strategies put forth in SSI, are also espoused in other educational reference material;

such as, ‘high-expectations’ presence in the QT framework, and the ‘engagement with

parents/carers’ presence in the APST (Standards, 2.4 & 7.3), and school-wide Indigenous

‘inclusivity’ is also present in both the QT and the APST (Standard 2.4). It is almost certain

that the SSI recommendations will be met, as they are recommended in other documents. The

limitation of being a non-Indigenous teacher, could result in the implementation of SSI in the

classroom to be uncomfortable. This is apparent in the project by Yunkaporta & McGinty

(2009), where non-Indigenous teachers reported their discomfort, and as soon as the Indigenous

staff were no longer present, they reverted to what they were comfortable with (p.68).

Therefore, SSI is a valuable philosophy to aid teachers in closing the gap, as it is from an

Indigenous perspective. Even though the availability of Indigenous leadership makes the SSI

difficult to replicate, the same strategies are raised in other educational documents to inform

teachers of its validity.

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 Page |7

Quality teaching is necessary in closing the gap. Responsibility is on universities and

practical supervisors to critique quality teachers, to ensure they comply with the Aboriginal

Education Policy, and the audits that follow. Teachers need to be mindful of how negative

perceptions impact a students’ self-worth, even if the teachers are unconsciously doing it.

Therefore, teachers must do everything in their power to maintain culturally reflective teaching

practices, such as conferences, research projects, and community engagement.

Culturally reflexive non-Indigenous teachers would be able to implement the SSI philosophy,

whose aim is to encourage positive student identity. Furthermore, by examining the curriculum

with a critical lens, teachers can illuminate the power of Eurocentric discourses, while bringing

Indigenous culture into the classroom for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. This

cultural angle of SSI will be positive for attendance, by making school a place where

Indigenous students want to be. An example of an engaging lesson, based on SSI, would

involve an Indigenous perspective, where students would be challenged to succeed. In

delivering this lesson, to avoid the feeling of “over-stepping” (Yunkaporta & McGinty, 2009,

p68) non-Indigenous teachers need to employ strategies like SSI, (APST, Standard 1.4), invite

community engagement (APST, Standard 7.3), incorporate ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander histories and cultures’ (ACARA), in order to close the gap in educational outcomes,

and educate Indigenous and non-Indigenous students on reconciliation (APST, Standard 2.4).

Teaching Indigenous perspective is an important part of Indigenous students’ sense of identity

(SSI, 2014). By undergoing intense pre-teacher training, and continuing to refer to theory and

government documents to inform praxis, the Indigenous education issues or limitations that

may arise, can be challenged, in order to close the gap for Indigenous student’s academic

success.

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 Page |8

References

ACARA; Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority. (2017). Senior Secondary.

Retrieved Dec 19, 2017, from Australian Curriculum:

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

AITSL. (2017). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate Teachers. Retrieved from

Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership:

https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Australian Government. (2017). Closing the Gap: Prime Minister's Report 2017 - Chapter 3:

Education. Retrieved Dec 19, 2017, from Australian Government: Department of the Prime

Minister and Cabinet: https://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/

Australian Human Rights Commission. (2005). Social Justice Report 2005. Retrieved Dec 19, 2017,

from Australian Human Rights Commission:

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/social-justice-report-2005-summary

Bodkin-Andrews, G., & Carlson, B. (2016). The Legacy of Racism and Indigenous Australian Identity

within Education. Race Ethnicity and Education, 19(4), 784-807.

doi:10.1080/13613324.2014.969224

Clark, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014). Meeting the Diverse Needs of Students: Chapter 14. In C. J. Marsh,

Marsh's Becoming a Teacher (pp. 245-267). Pearson.

Evans, C. (2015). Your Professional Experience and Becoming Professional About Working with

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students and Communities. In K. Price (Ed.), Aboriginal

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 Page |9

and Torres Strait Islander Education: An Introduction for the Teaching Profession (2nd ed.,

pp. 52-65). Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Gilbert, S. (2017, Dec 13). Complexities and Challenges for Early Career Teachers. Lecture 3.

Kingswood: Western Sydney University.

Herbert, J. (2015). Delivering the Promise: Empowering Teachers to Empower Students. In K. Price

(Ed.), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education: An Introduction for the Teaching

Professional (2nd ed., pp. 35-51). Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Lloyd, N., Lewthwaite, B., Boon, H., & Osborne, B. (2015). Effective Teaching Practices for Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander Students: A Review of the Literature. Australian Journal of Teacher

Education, 40(11), 1-22.

NSW Department of Education & Training. (2003). Quality Teaching in NSW Public Schools: A

Classroom Practice Guide. Retrieved Sept 26, 2017, from http://web1.muirfield-

h.schools.nsw.edu.au/technology/Programs/Template/Quality%20Teaching%20Guide.pdf

NSW Department of Education. (2008). Aboriginal Education Policy. Retrieved Dec 19, 2017, from

Policy Library: https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/aboriginal-education-

and-training-policy

Nunn, L. M. (2011). Classrooms as Racialized Spaces: Dynamics of Collaboration, Tension, and

Student Attitudes in Urban and Suburban High Schools. Urban Education, 46(6), 1226-1255.

Rose, M. (2015). The 'Silent Apartheid' as the Practitioner's Blindspot. In K. Price (Ed.), Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander Education: An Introduction for the Teaching Profession (2nd ed., pp. 66-

82). Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay
 P a g e | 10

Stronger Smarter Institute Limited. (2014). High Expectations Relationships: a foundation for quality.

Retrieved Dec 19, 2017, from Stronger Smarter:

http://strongersmarter.com.au/resources/high-expectations-relationships/

UDL. (2004, Sept 18). The Three Principles of UDL. Retrieved from National Centre on Universal

Design for Learning: http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/whatisudl/3principles

Yunkaporta, T., & McGinty, S. (2009). Reclaiming Aboriginal Knowledge at the Cultural Interface.

Australian Educational Researcher, 36(2), 55-72.

Jessica Hayter Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

18139336 Assessment 1 – Aboriginal Education Essay