Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive

Pedagogies Reflection
Throughout my Masters degree I was unsure of how the concept of Aboriginal Pedagogies
would enhance my own key learning area (KLA), but also how it would enhance my own teaching
philosophy. It was already my belief that Western and Aboriginal pedagogies differed significantly,
and I was keen to see the differences and to see how I could meet the AITSL standards of 1.4 and
2.4. Subjectively, I hoped that the unit would give me the opportunity to investigate strategies to
assist with engaging and teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as opposed to simply
informing myself of Aboriginal methods of knowing. Similarly, I had hoped that the teaching,
learning and assessment activities from this unit focussed more on the practical knowledge in the
classroom. As a mathematics teacher, with plenty of heavy interest in so many different fields, I have
always believed that logical subjects such as Mathematics can be taught to all students, especially
Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander students, in a way that is meaningful and engaging.
Unfortunately, the reflections of fellow education researchers have portrayed the poor academic
achievements and attitude of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and has somewhat
tainted their education (DEEWR, 2011). It is my opinion, that educators should not set lofty
requirements or anticipate considerable growth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,
nor should they compare their results to the results of Western students, but rather support these
students by organically embedding Aboriginal pedagogies in their education to help them achieve
their goals.

A challenge that I have experienced so far in my teaching career, which has also been
highlighted in research findings as well, is that it has been difficult to teach particular individuals
with an approach that encourages the culture of their upbringing. Additionally, I’ve found it
challenging to embed Aboriginal culture in the teaching of my own KLA. As Di Angelo (2012)
illustrates, educators from western societies have at no time in their lives been directly informed of
the racism within society and thus find it difficult to understand it, especially within a teaching
context. The cultural implications of this can be wide-reaching in education, the lack of knowledge of
diverse cultural pedagogies prohibits educators from being able to find the assets of particular
individuals and allow them to thrive. Educators need to shift the focus, as Kostogris (2011) suggests,
from trying to relate to Indigenous pupils to trying to understand the significance of everyday
classroom conducts, to caring about students’ futures and the cultures and communities which they
belong to. Through reflection on this, I believe that if I’m able to get to know my students more and
get to the know the cultures and communities they belong to and learn in, than I am able to better
demonstrate my key learning area by trying to embed the ideas of country, culture and community
in an intriguing an compelling way for all students, including Indigenous students. Additionally, if I’m
able to community with Elders and local community leaders, this would allow me and other
educators to better understand these communities and be able to translate the knowledge from
different cultural pedagogies. With a significant emphasis on this, I would be able to differentiate the
learning and cater to the diversity of students and in doing so meet the teaching standards 1.4 and
2.4.

Through analysisng and reflecting on the readings and the learning content from this unit I
was able to undertstand how Indigenous perspectives can be embedded into the syllabus for
mathematics in NSW. Standard 3 of the ‘Quality Teaching Framework’ expresses the importance of
implementing cultural awareness, relatedness to the surrounding communites and teaching through
story-telling (DET, 2003). Similary, these elements are also exlored by ‘Reflective Teaching in Darug
Classrooms’ and the ‘Eight Ways Pedagogy’. As mentioned, a challenge of my teaching experience so
far was how to support my students by including various strategies. Thankfully, the guidelines
provided for assessment 2 allowed this challenge to be addressed. There were recommendations of
sites and resources for secondary students that give the framework the opportunity to support
topics from the curriculum through captivation that allowed pupils to be more concentrated and
interested by Indigenous pedagogies (Lowe & Yunkaporta, n.d.).

The information and series of actions discussed through ‘Eight Ways of Learning’ allowed
myself to understand that proficiency with culture is reflected more in tolerant teachers who have
experience with the targeted individuals cultural patterns. Harrison & Murray (2012) highlight how if
you are aware of yourself and aware of how you present yourself to other individuals is central to
teaching in a community, this matches with the concept of “Diadirri” signifies appreciation and
recognition of Indigenous individuals and illustrates my comprehension and implementation of the
2.4 teaching standard and also provides me with the chance to accommodate the differences of
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in education systems (Harrison & Greenfield,
2011).

Through my personal exposure to the views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
and their role in society from past and present literature, I am able to realise the intricacies and
difficulties that inital teachers face and understand how impactful my personal worldview can be on
students. I can’t honestly say that my personal views have been changed and that I believe that all
teachers should try and conform to these cultural ways of knowing but I do believe that I have
developed methods and strategies to improve the achievements and attitudes in school for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Research has shown the decrease to the possibility of
criminal actions and improved sense of self from various systems that encourage Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander children such as the ‘Stronger Smarter Initiative’ and ‘Beyond Blue’. New South
Wales, according to Garvis (2006) leads Australia in accommodating the education of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students. This mirrors the type of change I need to be encouraging to provide
for all students of different cultural practices. Furthermore, all students need to be aware and be
respectful of the cultural norms represented in a school community. All students need to be able to
develop and understanding for Indigenous individuals and culture. I believe this helps me achieve
the standard 1.4 where I am able to use my key learning area to expose the cultural, identity and
linguistics impacts for Indigenous students.

Additionally, as emphasised by Bodkin-Andrews et. al (2010), there is still wide

discrimination of Indigenous students which impacts negatively on their styles of coping and
educational goals, which low retention rates can be evident of. I believe this unit has given me the
strategies and resources to teach content to cater to the diversity of students and given me the
opportunity to implement teaching methods that are culturally responsive. At the start of this unit, I
was adamant of the belief that Indigenous students did not hold education at a high value, however
what I have discovered during this unit, is that they don’t value an education that is westernised as
the cultural norms have been to learn off the land and to have a community connection.
Unfortunately, there are individuals within the community that still hold negative attitudes towards
westernised education and it is the job of teachers to implement practices and strategies that
reverse these negatives attitudes and fulfil the concept of our multicultural country (Bodkin-
Andrews & Carlson, 2016). Reflecting on my journey throughout this unit I am happy that I now have
the experience and confident of Aboriginal and culturally responsive pedagogies that I will be able to
apply its content to my teaching practice.
References