EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education

Assignment 2: Major Essay

20245948 Moira Morag McCallum

Essay question: Discuss how your understanding of the impact of culture, cultural
identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander backgrounds will inform your practices as a teacher or school
psychologist.


Throughout the Aboriginal Education unit, at the University of Western Australia, a number of
different aspects relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds were learned.
This included aspects of culture, cultural identity and linguistics, and how historically
mainstream society has impacted these cultures. These features of culture should be used to
direct the teaching of students from these backgrounds in a mainstream classroom. The term
culture refers to the customs, beliefs and behaviours of a cultural group (Oxford University
Press, 2014), while cultural identity refers to the identification of ones self and active
participation within a culture (Woolfolk & Margetts, 2013). Both the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander backgrounds are linguistically diverse, where most students speak another
dialect other than Standard Australian English. It is the cultural practices, language,
behaviours, confirmation of cultural norms and confirmation by others (Forrest, 1998, p96)
that one attributes to being Aboriginal. It is important as a teacher to apply their knowledge
about culture, cultural identity and language of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
when teaching students from these backgrounds. Teachers have a responsibility to know and
understand Indigenous cultures, maintain a relationship with their students from these
backgrounds as well as parents or carers and the wider community and respect their culture,
worldviews and the history of Indigenous Australians (Jackson-Barrett, 2011).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a rich and ancient history, which influences
their culture. Indigenous people have their own knowledge system and their own methodology
for delivering this information (Milroy, 2011). Representations of Aboriginal culture dating
back to colonisation portrayed the culture to be inferior and lacked the description of any
positive attributes, often being described as savages. Evidence indicates a lack of
communication between the colonisers and Aboriginal people resulting in an uninformed and
stereotypical portrayal of culture (Bourke, 1998). Even today many textbooks that are used in
classrooms, are written by non-Aboriginal people, despite often including information from an
Aboriginal perspective, this tends to be overly simplistic and tokenistic. Students in a
mainstream classroom today from non-Aboriginal backgrounds are taught with links to their
EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education
Assignment 2: Major Essay
20245948 Moira Morag McCallum

culture, however with children from Indigenous cultures they have little to relate to, making it
very difficult to engage with the subject matter (Cahill & Collard, 2003). Whilst obtaining
knowledge on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures it is important to source an
Indigenous perspective about the topic (Government Department of Queensland: Department
of Education, Training and Employment, 2011). Resources that give an Indigenous perspective
and can be utilised include: resources based on community histories, people and places that
have authorship by an Indigenous person, involvement of local Aboriginal elders, and a use of a
variety of current resources (Harrison, 2011, p180). Locality is also important when sourcing
these perspectives as there are many different language and family groups across Australia,
each with their own cultures and beliefs. One should be mindful that one idea that may be held
by one group could be offensive to another, emphasising that it is important to source local
resources and perspectives when teaching students from Indigenous backgrounds
(Government Department of Western Australia: Department of Education and Training, 2009).

It is important to recognise that while many Indigenous people no longer live in traditional
ways, they still maintain a strong culture through common language, beliefs, family ties,
kinship and a shared history (de Plevitz, 2007). Historically Indigenous cultures in Australia
have been supressed by the effects of colonisation and racism. The trauma associated with the
Stolen Generation and the removal of children from their homes, segregation from their
community and economic and social assimilation have resulted in a loss of culture and
dispossession from their land, which have all adversely affected the academic achievement of
Indigenous Australians (Gray & Beresford, 2008). The mistrust of the education system as well
as cultural obligations can lead to a high rate of absenteeism. To overcome this, it is essential
that teachers, who have Indigenous children in their classrooms, communicate with the local
Indigenous community and engage it where possible in classroom activities in order to make a
educational experience for all (Lette et al, 2009). Studies have indicated that when teachers
take an interest in the individual students and their culture, students are more likely to achieve
a higher level of academic success in the classroom (Wooltorton, 1997).

Teachers may encounter certain behaviours that are related to culture that differ greatly than
in Western society. An example of this is a lack of eye contact when being spoken to. De Plevitz
(2007) outlines that in Indigenous cultures eye contact is often avoided out of politeness and
EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education
Assignment 2: Major Essay
20245948 Moira Morag McCallum

respect, however this contravenes norms of Western Society, often being seen as mistrustful.
Teachers must not misinterpret a lack of eye contact as being a failure to engage. Often in a
mainstream classroom children from Indigenous backgrounds struggle in this setting because
certain cultural behaviours are not understood or accepted by many teachers. They are often
reprimanded leading to lower attendance, self-esteem, academic success and retention of
students (Wooltorton, 1997). Being tolerant of different cultural behaviours gives students a
more positive educational experience thereby can enhancing engagement, which is a key factor
in academic success (Rigney, 2011).

Cultural identity refers to identification with a culture, including: the sharing of ideas, customs
and behaviours relating to that cultural group. Forrest (1998) suggests that cultural identity
can be ascribed, meaning that membership within the group is automatic, or it can be
achieved through self-identification and actively participating in the culture. It is stated
however that true membership into a cultural group is confirmed by acceptance of its
members. This applies to contemporary Indigenous societies, where the acceptance of an
individual by a group as its member, is what makes someone Aboriginal. Membership is not
related to ones skin colour, rather connections with the land and family groups (Government
Department of Western Australia: Department of Education and Training, 2006; Forrest,
1998). The concern for many parents from Indigenous backgrounds is that their children run
the risk of losing their cultural identity within a mainstream classroom. As a consequence
parents may be hesitant in sending their children to school and therefore lowering their
attendance (Lette et al, 2009). Teachers should provide students with a safe environment
where they do not feel shame in expressing their identity. For this to be achieved teachers need
to incorporate a number of Aboriginal perspectives in conversations with the students. It is
important for the teacher to be aware however that the students opinions of Aboriginal
culture and identity will be strongly influenced by how these conversations are expressed
within the classroom (Harrison, 2011).

In mainstream classrooms across Australia, students are taught and assessed in Standard
Australian English, however when teaching students of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
backgrounds, it is important to be aware of differences in language that may be used within a
home setting (de Plevitz, 2009). In Australia before colonisation there were 250 Indigenous
EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education
Assignment 2: Major Essay
20245948 Moira Morag McCallum

Australian languages, over time this has diminished to less than half. There a number different
languages used by Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people in todays society include:
Pidgin, a Creole or Kriol, which all fall under the broad term Aboriginal English, or an
Aboriginal dialect, such as Noongar spoken in the South West region of Western Australia
(Malcom, 2003). Aboriginal English is a combination of the original Aboriginal languages and
English. While it can be classified as an English dialect, it still is distinctly different from both
Aboriginal and Standard Australian English, through variation of language features: phonology,
syntax and semantics (Sharifian, 2009). Of significance the sentence structure of the
Indigenous languages are often maintained (Eades, 1992). It is important to note that
Aboriginal English and any other Creole dialect is linguistically equal to any other language.
Even though Standard Australian English is most commonly used in mainstream Australian
culture, these dialects do have significance and are of great importance in the Aboriginal
community for maintaining cultural identity (Malcom, 1996). Teachers need to acknowledge
that Aboriginal English is a recognised dialect, and the students are not speaking bad English.
The students should be made to feel proud of their dialect, and their ability to speak more than
one recognised dialect.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (2012) outline that teachers must
develop a number of teaching strategies that help support Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students diverse linguistic backgrounds. In doing so teachers should endeavour to
support Indigenous students to maintain and utilise their bi-dialecticism (Kemelfield, 1996).
Cahill & Collard (2012) suggest that this can be done through the use of two-way bi-dialectal
pedagogies to support literacy development in both dialects within the classroom. If teachers
are to effectively support this learning, it is important they are aware of the differences in the
two dialects. An example of this is the difference is the use of the word deadly. In Standard
Australian English this has overtones of danger, however in Aboriginal English it refers to
something being great or fantastic (Sharifan, 2009). Malcom (2003) offers a number of ways
that teachers can utilise home languages within the classroom including the use of a support
teacher to help translate from a students home language into Standard Australian English or
incorporating home languages as a subject. With this awareness teachers are able to help
students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds to code switch in different
social situations, for example how one may speak at home is different to how people speak in a
EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education
Assignment 2: Major Essay
20245948 Moira Morag McCallum

classroom setting. Teachers should be tolerant of students who speak another dialect of
English and be supportive of their home languages, while still trying to develop literacy in
Standard Australian English.

Indigenous Australians have a rich culture that differentiates them from the mainstream
Western culture, including a number of different values and ideas, behaviours and language
(Forrest, 1998). It is a professional duty for teachers to provide activities that support the
needs and strengths of students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, as stated in
Standards 1.3 and 1.4, of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Standard 2.4
requires teachers to demonstrate a broad knowledge and respect for Indigenous cultures
(Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2012). Some people are of the view
that teaching students about different aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
perspectives is only beneficial to students of these backgrounds. However, teaching all
students about Indigenous knowledge systems provides all students with a deeper
understanding of the country in which they live (Milroy, 2011). It is important to realise while
anyone is able to teach Aboriginal Studies, it is essential to seek information from local
reference groups who can help inform the approach to teaching a subject. They may advise that
some issues are better delivered by someone from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
background (Government Department of Western Australia: Department of Education and
Training, 2006). As teachers it is necessary to demonstrate understanding and respect to
students of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, as it helps teachers meet the
educational needs of students. In doing so teachers can help improve the attendance, retention
and participation of students (Government Department of Queensland: Department of
Education, Training and Employment, 2011).








EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education
Assignment 2: Major Essay
20245948 Moira Morag McCallum

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EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education
Assignment 2: Major Essay
20245948 Moira Morag McCallum


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EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education
Assignment 2: Major Essay
20245948 Moira Morag McCallum


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